Multiple-trauma patients are at increased risk for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) but are also at increased risk of bleeding, and the use of heparin may be contraindicated. Sequential pneumatic compression devices (SCDs) are an alternative for DVT prophylaxis. However, lower extremity fracture or soft tissue injury may preclude their use. In these circumstances, foot pumps (FPs) are often substituted, yet little clinical data exist to support their use. We identified 184 consecutive high-risk trauma patients who received DVT prophylaxis with compression devices. We reviewed demographic data, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, injury pattern, and method of prophylaxis. Generally, SCDs were preferred, but FPs were substituted in patients with lower extremity injuries. Occurrences of DVT or pulmonary embolism were also noted. Patients surviving less than 48 hours were excluded. SCDs were used in 118 patients (64%) and FPs in 66 patients (34%). There were no differences in age, Injury Severity Score, or presence of shock on admission. As expected, FP patients were more likely to have lower extremity fractures (65 vs 26%; P < 0.05) and were also more likely to have associated pelvic fracture (59 vs 25%; P < 0.05) and chest injury (61 vs 26%, P < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of head injury, although SCD patients had more severe head injuries (Glasgow Coma Score, 7.9 vs 10.5; P < 0.05). The overall incidence of DVT was 5.4 per cent (10 of 184), with no differences between the two groups (SCD 7% vs FP 3%). Three patients had a pulmonary embolism (FP, two; SCD, one), none of which were fatal. Compression devices provide adequate DVT prophylaxis with a low failure rate (3-8%) and no device-related complications. FPs appear to be a reasonable alternative in the high-risk trauma patient when lower extremity fractures precludes use of SCD.


Autonomous navigation is one of the leading technological challenges of the 21 st century in the fields of the automotive industry, air and maritime transport, and mobile robotics. To be functional, such systems must perform multi-sensor data fusion provided by the GPS and other devices like radars and embedded cameras. Although well-performing, the accuracy of the civilian GPS is hampered by both the urban infrastructures surrounding the vehicle and the meteorological conditions. Camera-based strategies are also able to precisely estimate the vehicle's position in its environment, but the data processing requires important computational resources, and the performances depend on the stability of the lightening conditions. However, when put together, all these techniques are capable of compensating for their disadvantages with interesting results. The challenge is to develop brand new navigation systems reliable enough to increase the robustness and the accuracy of the localization of vehicles, aircrafts, ships and robots in a wide range of environmental and meteorological conditions. We have developed a hexapod walking robot, called AntBot, inspired by desert ants Cataglyphis fortis.


This study offers an investigation into the concept of effective practice in applied sport psychology (ASP) with emphasis being placed upon the role that reflective practice may have in helping practitioners to develop the effectiveness of their service delivery. Focus groups (n = 2), consisting of accredited and trainee sport psychologists, were conducted to generate a working definition of effective practice, and discuss the concept of effectiveness development through engagement in reflective practices. The resulting definition encapsulated a multidimensional process involving reflection-on-practice. Initial support for the definition was gained through consensus validation involving accredited sport psychologists (n = 34) who agreed with the notion that although effectiveness is context specific it is related to activities designed to meet client needs. Reflective practice emerged as a vital component in the development of effectiveness, with participants highlighting that reflection is intrinsically ...


Atherosclerosis is a major cause of disease-related mortality around the globe. The main characteristic of the disease is an accumulation of plaque on the arterial wall and subsequent erosion or rupture of some plaques. Atherosclerosis often leads to cardiovascular disease and such acute complications as myocardial infarction or ischaemic stroke due to thrombus formation. Most recent advances in atherosclerotic research state that the modifications of low- density lipoprotein (LDL) are one of the most significant stages in the disease initiation, and among these modifications desialylation is of particular interest. Sialic acids are widely expressed on all types of cells of many organisms and participate in numerous biological processes. Regarding atherosclerosis, sialidases that are responsible for the regulation of the sialic component of different molecules, are probably one of the most crucial enzymatic families. Sufficient sialylation of vascular endothelium defines its susceptibility to an atherogenic plaque formation. Moreover, the desialylation of LDL provokes an accumulation of cholesterol and lipids in the arterial walls. According to the multiple involvements of sialic acids and related enzymes, sialidases, in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis, the deeper understanding of their exact role, as well as cellular and molecular mechanisms, will allow creating more targeted and effective therapeutic and diagnostic approaches.


The financial crisis which started in 2007 has caused a tremendous challenge for monetary policy. The simple concept of inflation targeting has lost its position as state of the art. There is a debate on whether the mandate of a central bank should not be widened. And, indeed, monetary policy has been very accommodative in the last couple of years and central banks have modified their communication strategies by introducing forward guidance as a new policy tool. This paper addresses the consequences of these developments for the credibility, the reputation and the independence of central banks. It also comments on the recent debate among economists concerning the question whether the ECB's OMT program is compatible with its mandate.


I argue for a distinction between two types of positive polarity items (PPIs) which has not been recognized so far. While for some PPIs, anti-licensing is a strictly local phenomenon, for other PPIs anti-licensing should be stated as a global condition.

I aim to contribute to a principled explanation for the distribution of a significant subset of global PPIs, by relating it to specific semantic properties of the relevant items. More specifically, I argue that PPIs such as soit ... soit ... , quelques and almost trigger obligatory exhaustivity effects and scalar inferences, and that independently motivated constraints regarding the generation of such inferences can account for their distribution. The paper also briefly addresses the case of other global PPIs, e.g., at least , for which a similar account is not straightforwardly available.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3765/sp.7.11

 BibTeX info


Present study evaluates the production and characterisation of biosurfactant for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, larvicidal and antitermite activities. A bacterium has been isolated from fatty acid contaminated soil and identified as biosurfactant producer , Gram positive Bacillus subtilis (MF582633) subspecies inaquosorum based on 16S rRNA sequencing and unique QR codes. The bacterium produced 2.03 g/L of biosurfactant using 3% glycerol as a carbon source. Among the tested five organisms K.pneumoniae revealed (20.3 mm) and E coli (10 mm) zone of inhibition as compared to standard antibiotic ampicillin (40 μg/mL ) when biosurfactant concentration is reported to be 40 μg/mL. Antioxidant activity in terms of IC50 value at 0.4 mg/ mL is recorded. The 100% larvicidal activity is recorded at 50 mg/mL concentration of biosurfactant while 40 mg/mL concentration in 48 h revealed 100% antitermite activity. Biosurfactant is purified through silica gel column chromatography. Purified biosurfactant has been characterised using FTIR and H NMR analysis and revealed surfactin type of lipopeptide biosurfactant. Experimental results may add its value in the development of antibiotics and biopesticides to stop the menace of UTI infections, Culex larvae and termites.


The significance of photorespiration in drought-stressed plants was studied by withholding water from wild-type barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and from heterozygous mutants with reduced activities of chloroplastic glutamine synthetase (GS-2), glycine decarboxylase (GDC) or serine : glyoxylate aminotransferase (SGAT). Well-watered plants of all four genotypes had identical rates of photosynthesis. Under moderate drought stress (leaf water potentials between –1 and –2 MPa), photosynthesis was lower in the mutants than in the wild type, indicating that photorespiration was increased under these conditions. Analysis of chlorophyll a fluorescence revealed that, in the GDC and SGAT mutants, the lower rates of photosynthesis coincided with a decreased quantum efficiency of photosystem II and increased non-photochemical dissipation of excitation energy. Correspondingly, the de-epoxidation state of xanthophyll-cycle carotenoids was increased several-fold in the drought-stressed GDC and SGAT mutants compared with the wild type. Accumulation of glycine in the GDC mutant was further evidence for increased photorespiration in drought-stressed barley. The effect of drought on the photorespiratory enzymes was determined by immunological detection of protein abundance. While the contents of GS-2 and P- and H-protein of the GDC complex remained unchanged as drought stress developed, the content of NADH-dependent hydroxypyruvate reductase increased. Enzymes of the Benson–Calvin cycle, on the other hand, were either not affected (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase and plastidic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) or declined (sedoheptulose- 1,7-bisphosphatase and NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase). These data demonstrate that photorespiration was enhanced during drought stress in barley and that the control exerted by photorespiratory enzymes on the rate of photosynthetic electron transport and CO2 fixation was increased.


Most in vitro investigations of alpha-Synuclein (alphaSyn) aggregation and amyloidogenesis use agitation in the presence of air and/or Teflon to accelerate kinetics. The effect of the agitation is implicitly or explicitly attributed to mass transfer or fibril fragmentation. This paper evaluates these hypotheses by agitating alphaSyn under typical amyloidogenic conditions with controlled numbers of balls made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and borosilicate glass with no headspace. Amyloid was assayed using thioflavin T fluorescence and atomic force microscopy. The observed kinetics were proportional to the PTFE surface area; the effects of PMMA and glass balls were negligible by comparison. No amyloid was observed to form in the absence of mixing balls. Agitation with only air also showed accelerated kinetics but different aggregate morphology. The results indicate that the mechanism active in agitation experiments is dominated by reactions at the hydrophobic-water interface. Of the mass transfer, fragmentation, and hydrophobic interface hypotheses, only the last is capable of explaining the data. Condition and sequence determinants of amyloidogenic propensity that have thus far been reported must be reinterpreted as being reflective of partitioning to hydrophobic-water interfaces. Comparable hydrophobic interfaces are not found in vivo.


(11/11/2019) Complex blood flow quantification using real-time in vivo vector flow ultrasound A new method to define and quantify complex blood flow is presented. The standard deviations of real-time in vivo vector flow angle estimates are used. Using vector flow ultrasound imaging both carotid bifurcations of two healthy volunteers were scanned. Scanning was performed with a 7.6 MHz linear transducer (8670, B-K Medical, Denmark) and a commercial vector flow ultrasound scanner (ProFocus 2202, B-K Medical). Eight video sequences of one cardiac cycle were obtained. In every frame boxes were placed to define the common carotid artery(box1) and the carotid bulb(box2). The standard deviation for the vector angle estimates was calculated for each box in every frame. For comparison three ultrasound experts evaluated the presence of complex flow in every box. The trial was blinded. For every sequence the mean standard deviation of the vector angle estimates were calculated for box1 {39;32;35;41;38;39;32;27} and box2 {22;12;11;13;15;22;17;21}. Mean values and standard deviations of the visual evaluations were calculated for the two boxes in every each sequence.From regression analysis a standard deviation above 30 corresponds to complex flow according to the evaluation given by three experts. Complex flow patterns can be visualised and quantified with real-time in vivo vector flow. Good agreement between visual evaluation and the quantitative method has been shown. A standard deviation of vector angle estimates above 30 is proposed to define complex blood flow.


ECOMOS is a multinational effort within the framework of an EDA Project Arrangement. Its aim is to provide a generally accepted and harmonized European computer model for computing nominal Target Acquisition (TA) ranges of optronic imagers operating in the Visible or thermal Infrared (IR). The project involves close co-operation of defence and security industry and public research institutes from France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden. ECOMOS uses and combines well-accepted existing European tools to build up a strong competitive position. This includes two TA models: the analytical TRM4 model and the image-based TOD model. In addition, it uses the atmosphere model MATISSE. In this paper, the central idea of ECOMOS is exposed. The overall software structure and the underlying models are shown and elucidated. The status of the project development is given as well as a short discussion of validation tests and an outlook on the future potential of simulation for sensor assessment.


Memphis, Tennessee. The early 1950s. The Mississippi rolls by, and there's a train in the night. Down on Beale Street there's hard-edged blues, on the outskirts of town they're pickin' hillbilly boogie. At Sam Phillips' Sun Records studio on Union Avenue, there's something different going on. "Shake it, baby, shake it!" "Go, cat, go!" "We're gonna rock..." This is where rock 'n' roll was born-the record company that launched Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. The label that brought the world, "Blue Suede Shoes," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Breathless," "I Walk the Line," "Mystery Train," "Baby, Let's Play House, ' "Good Rockin' Tonight." "Good Rockin Tonight "is the history, in words and over 240 photographs, of Sam Phillips' legendary storefront studio, from the early days with primal blues artists like Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King to the long nights in the studio with Elvis and Jerry Lee. As colorful and energetic as the music itself, it's a one-of-a-kind book for anyone who wants to know where it all started.


Epigenetics continues to be redefined and new discoveries are likely to revolutionise the field still further. This thesis explores different aspects of how epigenetic regulation of gene expression contributes to human disease.Paper I explores the function of the IKKα kinase in regulating gene expression through the nuclear retinoic acid receptor (RAR). We define a set of genes requiring IKKα for their expression and found recruitment of IKKα to the RAR dependent on structural motifs in its protein sequence. This interplay between the NFκB pathway and nuclear receptor regulated transcription is important to consider when designing therapeutic strategies.Papers II and III focus on the plasma cell malignancy multiple myeloma (MM) and define a gene regulatory circuit defining an underexpressed gene profile in MM dependent on the Polycomb proteins. We provide proof-of-principle that the use of small chemical inhibitors may be operational in reactivating genes silenced by H3K27me3 and that this leads to decreased tumour load and increased survival in the 5T33 in vivo model of MM. We explored the genome-wide distribution of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, and defined their association with gene expression in freshly-isolated malignant plasma cells from MM patients. Importantly, H3K27me3-marked genes in MM associated with more aggressive stages of the disease and less favourable survival. We present evidence that gene targeting by H3K27me3 is likely to not only involve a small population of tumour cells, but rather represent a common MM profile and further provide a rationale for evaluating epigenetic therapeutics in MM.Paper IV shows that pro-inflammatory gene expression in monocytes of psychiatric patients can be induced in vitro by sodium pump inhibitors, as the steroid hormone ouabain. We suggest that the ouabain-induced gene expression is regulated by an intricate network involving microRNAs, Polycomb and the H3K27me3 demethylase JMJD3. Our data indicates that epigenetic regulators play a role in transmitting cues between intrinsic and/extrinsic stimuli and gene expression in psychiatric illness.This thesis provides novel insights on how seemingly unrelated pathways may converge on transcriptional regulation and evidence that epigenetic modifiers contribute to the pathogenesis of human complex diseases such as multiple myeloma and mood disorders.


Over the last two years, in an effort to increase expertise and support for data management services, the University of Kentucky Libraries (UKL) has endeavoured to upskill library faculty and staff on research data management skills and best practices. This began with the formation of a special
task-force charged with developing a workshop in the spring of 2015 for academic librarians with liaison responsibilities. This workshop focused on the research data life cycle and included presentations from nine speakers from campus who provide various types of data management support. The success of this workshop led to the creation of the Research Data & Scholarly Communications (RDSC) Committee in the fall of 2016. The RDSC is charged with continuing to
develop training opportunities for library faculty and staff and the university community, as well as with developing a plan for distributed, yet cohesive data management services at the UKL – a task that has been a challenge given the lack of a dedicated data librarian. In regard to the first charge,
which is directly related to upskilling for RDM services, the RDSC developed a spring, 2017 series of nine workshops for library faculty and staff and members of the University of Kentucky's School of Information Science (SIS). Planning for 2017/18 workshops and training events is currently underway. The response from the original workshop and the subsequent series of nine workshops has been overwhelmingly positive, and assessment results show that workshop participants feel more confident in their knowledge of research data management.


This dataset contains the observations of air quality collected within two experimental campaigns conducted in summer 2017 (07 August 2017-26 September 2017) and winter 2018 (15 January 2018-15 February 2018) in two street canyons in the city of Bologna, to verify the effectiveness of vegetation in altering ventilation levels and pollutant concentration in real-world street canyons. The dataset also contains the meteorological data collected during non-synoptic periods, representing the ideal condition to assess the behavior of the local circulation and turbulence. The experimental field campaigns were setup under WP3 ("Planning and evaluation of PCS solutions") and conducted under WP5 ("Monitoring and Evaluation of the Interventions") of the iSCAPE project.
Briefly, two parallel urban street canyons characterized by a different occurrence of vegetation, i.e. one almost free of vegetation (Marconi St.) and one with a tree line along both sides of the street (Laura Bassi St.), were instrumented for measurements of meteorology and turbulence variables at three height levels, while pollutant concentrations were monitored at ground level inside both canyons.
This dataset is linked to the paper "Disentangling the effect of vegetation on ventilation and air quality in urban street canyons: the Bologna iSCAPE experimental campaigns" by Di Sabatino et al., which will be submitted for publication on "Science of the Total Environment" edited by Elsevier, and to the paper "Characteristic Scales for Turbulent Exchange Processes in a Real Urban Canopy" by Barbano et al., which is under review for publication on "Boundary-Layer Meteorology" edited by Springer. If you use this dataset for your research or work purposes, we ask that you acknowledge us in the use of your data, which can be done by including a proper citation in any documents or publications using these data.


[About the book]

Professional Practice in Paramedic, Emergency and Urgent Care explores a range of contemporary relevant topics fundamental to professional practice. Written for both pre- and post-registration paramedic students, it is also ideal for existing practitioners looking to develop their CPD skills as well as nursing and other health professionals working in emergency and urgent care settings. Each chapter includes examples, practical exercises and clinical scenarios, helping the reader relate theory to practice and develop critical thinking skills. It covers not only acute patient management but also a range of additional topics to provide a holistic approach to out-of-hospital care Completion of the material in the book can be used as evidence in professional portfolios as required by the Health and Care Professions Council. Professional Practice in Paramedic, Emergency and Urgent Care is a comprehensive, theoretical underpinning to professional practice at all levels of paramedic and out-of-hospital care.


India is known as an IT powerhouse but still has the greatest number of poor people of any country in the world. India's experience with policies for digital inclusion therefore may offer some useful lessons for other developing countries. This case study provides an analysis of the ambitious Common Service Centres (CSCs) scheme of the National eGovernance Plan. It looks at the challenges faced by the scheme in ensuring the delivery of development services in a socially inclusive manner using the ICT-based rural infrastructure it is building.


Four years ago farmers in Uganda were at the mercy of traders when it came to selling their produce. Traders were able to force down prices, as farmers had little idea of price movements and even less appreciation of market trends. Middlemen were able to pocket excessive commissions by exploiting unnecessarily large price differences between nearby markets. The results of this asymmetry in access to market information were low prices for farmers and high prices for consumers.

Today, things have changed. FOODNET sup

1/sup

, a regional agricultural development network, has introduced three low-cost services that enable farmers, traders, and consumers to obtain accurate market information whenever they need it. In Uganda, FOODNET´s market information services currently reach over 7 million people each week.

The national market information service is run by FOODNET in association with the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry. Each day, agents collect price information on 32 commodities from four markets in the capital Kampala, and each week data on 28 commodities from 19 market centres across the country. This information is rapidly collated and relayed back to a range of clients including farmers, traders, processors, development agencies and policy makers via FM radio, mobile phones, email and the Internet.

FM radio and mobile phones
The main clients of the service are the many millions of small-scale farmers and traders scattered across the country. The best means of accessing these rural communities, where many people cannot read, is through FM radio. Each week, a 15-minute radio programme is broadcast to the nation via 12 FM radio stations in eight local languages.

In six districts of Uganda, the National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAADS) has aed up with FOODNET to provide a localized marketing service. This service, which is based on a pilot project funded by CTA, produces radio programmes and training specifically related to local marketing opportunities. FOODNET and the BBC are supporting this process by developing educational programmes that encourage farmers to adopt ´collective marketing´ techniques, as group action enables farmers to use market information more effectively.

In the past five years mobile phones have been widely adopted in Uganda - there are now more than 800,000 phones in circulation. FOODNET has cashed in on this trend by establishing a commodity price database that can be accessed by SMS. In addition to voice communication, mobile phone users can now type in a key word such as ´maize´ and send a text message to the MTN sup

2/sup service provider and receive an instant update on the prices of maize on markets across the country. This information is used by farmers, farmers´ associations and also by travelling traders who can identify market price differentials and shift lower-priced goods to higher-priced markets. It is these activities that make markets operate more efficiently.

The Internet and WorldSpace
For larger traders, policy makers and development organizations, market information is posted on the web and data can be emailed to subscribers on a daily or weekly basis (

http://www.foodnet.cgiar.org

www.foodnet.cgiar.org and

http://radioworks.africacentral.net

http://radioworks.africacentral.net). The Internet is also being used to build up a Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network (RATIN;

http://www.ratin.net

www.ratin.net) for maize and beans traders throughout East Africa. In an increasingly globalized world, traders can only be competitive in their regional markets if they have access to accurate, timely regional market information.

Various new technologies are being tested to support the expansion of market information services into Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. For example, to facilitate the transmission of text and voice data, FOODNET has aed up with RadioWorks to establish a regional network of FM radio stations aed via WorldSpace satellite. Using WorldSpace technology, FOODNET hopes to reach an audience of 25 million farmers by the end of 2004.

What does this mean for farmers?
For many farmers, FOODNET´s market information services mean that, for the first time, they have access to reliable price data. Surveys have shown that farmers consider market information their second highest priority after roads. Farmers appreciate the information because it helps them in their negotiations with traders. Farmers´ associations are also making good use of the information as they can bulk commodities and can more easily grade their produce. Farmers claim that access to market information has raised farm gate prices by between 5-15 % against general prices. Market analysis by the International Food Policy Research Institute has shown that over the past four years the number of markets dominated by farmers´ associations has increased from 4 to 8. This is a very positive trend.

In a recent programme on the BBC World Service, a trader was reported as saying ´It´s not easy to cheat farmers these days because they are getting information about market prices from the radio and some have access to a mobile phone. Things are changing´.

mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com

Shaun Ferris is coordinator of Foodnet in Uganda

1. FOODNET is an ASARECA marketing and agro-enterprise network for East and Central Africa, funded by USAID.

2. MTN is the South African Mobile Telephone Network


A genotypically non-fimbriate (Fim-) strain of Salmonella typhimurium and a genotypically fimbriate (Fim+) strain derived from it by spontaneous mutation were compared for pathogenicity in mice. The two strains caused similar numbers of infections and deaths in groups of mice challenged by intraperitoneal inoculation, and nearly similar numbers in groups challenged by inoculation on to the conjunctiva, but the Fim+ strain caused many more infections (plus 26%) and deaths (plus 40%) than the Fim- strain when the inoculation was by mouth. Faecal cultures were made at intervals up to 120 days in the mice surviving after oral or conjunctival challenge and S. typhimurium was isolated more commonly from the animals challenged with the Fim+ strain (906 isolations from 384 animals infected out of 877 challenged) than from those challenged with the Fim- strain (614 isolations from 341 animals infected out of 877 challenged). The greater opportunity for faecal dissemination enjoyed by Fim+ bacteria may account for the preponderance of Fim+ over Fim- strains of S. typhimurium found in mammalian sources.


Mandelbrot is world famous for his creation of the new mathematics of fractal geometry. Yet few people know that his original field of applied research was in econometrics and financial models, applying ideas of scaling and self-similarity to arrays of data generated by financial analyses. This book brings together his original papers as well as many original chapters specifically written for this book.


Many discussions of school finance policy fail to consider how households respond to policies that change the attractiveness of different residential locations. We develop a general equilibrium model that incorporates workplace choice, residential choice, and political choice of tax and expenditure levels. Importantly, we consider multiple workplaces, a fundamental feature of today's metropolitan landscape. This basic model permits investigating how accessibility and public goods interact in a metropolitan area. The model is used to analyze two conventional policy initiatives: school district consolidation and district power equalization. The surprising conclusion is that school quality and welfare can fall for all families when these restrictions on choice are introduced.


OBJECTIVE: To examine vitamin D levels in children with (1) suspected abusive and accidental fractures, (2) single and multiple fractures, and (3) fracture types highly associated with inflicted trauma. DESIGN AND METHODS: A study of children younger than 2 years of age with fractures admitted to a large children's hospital was performed. Bivariate analysis and test for trend were performed to test for the association of vitamin D status and biochemical markers of bone health with the primary outcomes of fracture etiology, number, and type. RESULTS: Of 118 subjects in the study, 8% had deficient vitamin D levels (<20 ng/mL; <50 nmol/L), 31% were insufficient (≥20 < 30 ng/mL; ≥50 < 78 nmol/L), and 61% were sufficient (≥30 ng/mL; ≥78 nmol/L). Lower vitamin D levels were associated with higher incidences of hypocalcemia (P = .002) and elevated alkaline phosphatase (P = .05) but not hypophosphatemia (P = .30). The majority of children sustained accidental fractures (60%); 31% were nonaccidental and 9% were indeterminate. There was no association between vitamin D levels and any of the following outcomes: child abuse diagnosis (P = .32), multiple fractures (P = .24), rib fractures (P = .16), or metaphyseal fractures (P = .49). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D insufficiency was common in young children with fractures but was not more common than in previously studied healthy children. Vitamin D insufficiency was not associated with multiple fractures or diagnosis of child abuse. Nonaccidental trauma remains the most common cause of multiple fractures in young children.


Abstract It is well-established that dynamics are central to protein function; their importance is implicitly acknowledged in the principles of the Monod, Wyman and Changeux model of binding cooperativity, which was originally proposed in 1965. Nowadays the concept of protein dynamics is formulated in terms of the energy landscape theory, which can be used to understand protein folding and conformational changes in proteins. Because protein dynamics are so important, a key to understanding protein function at the molecular level is to design experiments that allow their quantitative analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is uniquely suited for this purpose because major advances in theory, hardware, and experimental methods have made it possible to characterize protein dynamics at an unprecedented level of detail. Unique features of NMR include the ability to quantify dynamics (i) under equilibrium conditions without external perturbations, (ii) using many probes simultaneously, and (iii) over large time intervals. Here we review NMR techniques for quantifying protein dynamics on fast (ps-ns), slow (μs-ms), and very slow (s-min) time scales. These techniques are discussed with reference to some major discoveries in protein science that have been made possible by NMR spectroscopy.


With this paper, we provide the first quantitative investigation of vertical price transmission in the biodiesel supply chain in Germany with the focus on the developments during the food crisis and the impact of subsidized US biodiesel exports. With the strong promotion of the production and use of biodiesel during the first half of the past decade, the German biodiesel market became the largest national biodiesel market worldwide. This analysis utilizes prices of rapeseed oil, soya oil, biodiesel and crude oil over a sample period covering the rapid growth of the German demand in 2002 until its decline in 2009. The effects of both the market development and different policies on price transmission are analyzed in detail. Due to the numerous changes in the market, a regime-dependent Markov-switching vector error correction model is applied. The results indicate that regimes with differing error-correction behavior govern the transmission process among the various prices. Evidence was found for a strong impact of crude oil price on biodiesel prices, and of biodiesel prices on rapeseed oil prices. However, in both cases, the price adjustment behavior is found to be regime dependent, and the regime occurrence in both market segments shows similar patterns. In relation to crude oil a weak adjustment of biodiesel prices is found to be dominating in the phase of market expansion. This changed from 2007 on when stronger error-correction is found, reflected by a stronger role of the crude oil price developments. In the relationship of biodiesel to the vegetable oils, most of the growth period was dominated by a regime characterized by weak price adjustments. From 2007 on, past own price changes and past changes in soya oil prices had a strong impact particularly on rapeseed oil prices. The biodiesel price development was less important. Reasons for this are substantial changes in the market structure. The biodiesel market developed as an insulated market; biodiesel was mainly produced from rapeseed oil until 2006. Thereafter, biodiesel was increasingly used for blends and sales decreased during the food crisis when agricultural commodity prices rose sharply. At the same time, strong import competition arose from subsidized US B99. The superiority of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production diminished. The uncertainty prevailing in the market from 2007 onwards is reflected by frequent regime changes.


We propose a classification of human CD4+CD45RO+ memory T cells into three new subsets based on cell surface expression levels of CD43. The first subset consists of cells whose CD43 expression is relatively high; this subset also contains the highest proportion of recall Ag-reactive precursors, and its constituent cells respond far more strongly than cells in either of the other subsets to immobilized CD3 Ab in addition to secreting substantially more IFN-γ and IL-4. Cells of the second subset express similar levels of CD43 to naive cells, and they also respond weakly to TCR-mediated stimuli as judged by either their ability to proliferate or capacity for cytokine production. The third subsets consists of cells whose CD43 expression levels are clearly down-regulated; its cells appear to be anergic to TCR-mediated stimuli, and when examined ex vivo many of them appear to be undergoing either spontaneous apoptosis via a caspase-independent pathway or Fas-mediated apoptosis via a caspase-dependent pathway, even in the resting state. An analysis of telomere lengths revealed that the typical telomere of a cell in the second subset was significantly longer than the typical telomere in the first or third subset. Taken together, these results appear to indicate that CD4+CD45RO+ T cells fall into three functionally differing subsets, one being a subset of cells with fully matured memory phenotype, a second being a less mature subset of cells that retain longer telomeres and whose memory functionality is marginal, and a third consisting of anergic cells that give every appearance of being death-prone and/or in the process of dying.


Can we change the way we imagine and relate to the risks of our common world, such as plastic pollution, nuclear threats, climate change or economic crisis? With this question at heart, this thesis discusses our interaction with the mediated, and often distant, global complexities and risks.Following the perspective of the spectator and consumer, this study weaves together literature with stories from culture, media, design and entertainment. It examines the relationship of the personal to the global by outlining five critical looking lenses focused on distance, emission, contact, disruption and invisibility.The resulting project articulates speculative design strategies for reconfiguring our relation to two select global risks; the nuclear contamination threat and plastic pollution. What if these scenarios were real, what if we felt these values, how would the world be different? By questioning the rational, these narratives aim to trigger the imagination of alternative possibilities, and requestion our current global dilemmas.


Background: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is used both recreationally and therapeutically. Little is known about the factors influencing inter- and intra-individual differences in the acute response to MDMA. Effects of other psychoactive substances have been shown to be critically influenced by personality traits and mood state before intake. Methods: We pooled data from 10 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies performed in the same laboratory in 194 healthy subjects receiving doses of 75 or 125mg of MDMA. We investigated the influence of drug dose, body weight, sex, age, drug pre-experience, genetics, personality and mental state before drug intake on the acute physiological and psychological response to MDMA. Results: In univariable analyses, the MDMA plasma concentration was the strongest predictor for most outcome variables. When adjusting for dose per body weight, we found that (a) a higher activity of the enzyme CYP2D6 predicted lower MDMA plasma concentration, (b) a higher score in the personality trait "openness to experience" predicted more perceived "closeness", a stronger decrease in "general inactivation", and higher scores in the 5D-ASC (5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire) scales "oceanic boundlessness" and "visionary restructuralization", and (c) subjects with high "neuroticism" or trait anxiety were more likely to have unpleasant and/or anxious reactions. Conclusions: Although MDMA plasma concentration was the strongest predictor, several personality traits and mood state variables additionally explained variance in the response to MDMA. The results confirm that both pharmacological and non-pharmacological variables influence the response to MDMA. These findings may be relevant for the therapeutic use of MDMA.


Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), in particular gliders, have been used for
many tasks such as underwater surveys or subsurface sampling. Gliders are small lightweight
underwater vehicles, which move by varying their buoyancy. They receive a list of locations
to visit at the start of a mission, and then spend most of their time under water, surfacing
ocassionally to get their GPS reading and communicate with the control centre, possibly
receiving updated instructions.
Modern-day gliders can perform month-long missions. During a mission, several factors
impact their performance: ocean currents, lack of communication and GPS while under
water and weather. At present, AUV operators do not seem to do much automated mission
planning, supplying a glider with a list of goals created by hand. Developing techniques
for planning such missions was the goal of this project.
At the heart of such mission planning problem are variants of the Asymmetric Traveling
Salesman problem: as it is NP-hard, there is no known algorithm to solve it exactly in
polynomial time. However, over the last decade heuristic solvers, in particular solvers
based on Integer Linear Programming and Satisfiability, have been used successfully in
practice to solve industrial instances of many NP-hard problems.
In this thesis we will describe a glider mission planner that we developed, which is
based on using such solvers. We evaluate performance of generic solvers, in particular
Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver CPLEX, several Pseudo-Boolean Optimization
(PBO) solvers Sat4j, Clasp, SCIP and Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT)
solver Z3. The performance of finding a optimal mission plan also heavily depends on
the type of encoding, so in addition to different solvers, we analyzed several types of encodings, from the classic Miller, Tucker and Zemlin encoding to Fox, Gavish and Graves'
time-dependent TSP encoding. In our experiments, Mixed Integer Linear Programming
solver (MILP) has been the most successful compared to other types of generic solvers.
An important question in satisfiability heuristic solver research is modelling the realworld
instances by a synthetic distribution. Here, we compared the performance of the
solvers on instances of ATSP coming from ocean current data with their performance on
crafted instances of random graphs, Euclidean graphs and Euclidean with varying amounts
of noise, both symmetric and asymmetric. Developing techniques for planning such missions
was the goal of this project, and in this thesis we describe and evaluate several approaches
to the AUV mission planning problem.


In unsupervised image-to-image translation, the goal is to learn the mapping between an input image and an output image using a set of unpaired training images. In this paper, we propose an extension of the unsupervised image-to-image translation problem to multiple input setting. Given a set of paired images from multiple modalities, a transformation is learned to translate the input into a specified domain. For this purpose, we introduce a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based framework along with a multi-modal generator structure and a new loss term, latent consistency loss. Through various experiments we show that leveraging multiple inputs generally improves the visual quality of the translated images. Moreover, we show that the proposed method outperforms current stateof-the-art unsupervised image-to-image translation methods.


A spiritual life, one focused on personal growth and deep human experience, is a major focus and motivator for people over the age of forty. Yet there is a marked lack of rigorous academic study of spirituality's importance in the lives of aging people. Noted gerontologist Robert C. Atchley remedies this problem by developing complex concepts and language about spirituality. Spirituality and Aging incorporates material from two decades of interviews, observations, study, and reflection to illustrate ways of thinking about and discussing spirituality-what it is, why it is important, and how it influences the experience of aging. This book provides a nuanced view of spirituality and the richness it brings to the lives of older people. The book is divided into three sections, with the first providing basic frames of reference for examining spirituality and aging, such as the nature of spirituality, spiritual development, and the spiritual self. Atchley next focuses on two dimensions of spirituality that are likely to manifest later in life: becoming a sage (developing the capacity to bring spiritual light to everyday issues) and serving from spirit (creating opportunities for service that are rooted in spirituality). The last section illustrates how spirituality informs other aspects of late life, such as psychological coping and the experience of dying and death. Separating spirituality from religion-something few books on this topic do- Spirituality and Aging offers a plan for incorporating spirituality into gerontological scholarship, research, education, and practice.


In this paper, the design of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) for a 32×32 pixel microelectrode array (MEA) is presented. Its gain and noise amount to 50 dB and 10μVrms, respectively, at a bandwidth of 66kHz. The LNA consumes less than 85μW. The integrated offset compensation circuit makes the system less sensitive to mismatch and variations in the culture medium biasing voltage. A sample& hold (S&H) buffer stores the amplified input signals locally, thereby realising an electronic shutter function. This allows for simultaneous acquisition of all pixels. The on-chip logic permits individual selection of every single pixel at any time. As a result, regions of interest (ROIs) of any size can be defined. Accordingly, the entire cell culture or subregions can be observed at a high sampling rate. Moreover, each pixel is equipped with a stimulation circuitry. Centered around a programmable SRAM cell, it offers the creation of complex stimulation patterns on the MEA. The entire circuit has been layouted in 180 nm, 3.3V CMOS technology and covers an area of 60×60 μm2.


Combined shear-sense criteria, finite-strain data and vorticity analyses were used to study the deformation path in a curved crustal-scale shear zone (Phyllite–Quartzite Series) of the southwestern Hellenides. The results are combined with data on the structural evolution of a cover nappe (Pindos thrust belt) to provide new insights into the orogenic evolution of this region. Ductile deformation within the Phyllite–Quartzite Series was associated with a top-to-the-west-southwest shearing and was partitioned into two structural domains: a root zone and a frontal domain. The root zone is characterized by vertical coaxial stretching, high strain and upward movement of the material, while the frontal domain comprises simple-shear deformation at the base and pure shear at the top. This pattern suggests superposition of pure shear on simple-shear deformation, and implies tectonic extrusion of the material from the root zone. The initiation of brittle deformation in the Pindos thrust belt was associated with westward translation above the sub-horizontal Pindos Thrust. Later, as the mountain range elevated, normal faulting at high altitudes and migration of thrusting to the west occurred, while east-directed folding and thrusting in the belt started to the east. According to the proposed model, crustal thickening was taking place throughout the Oligocene and early Miocene, including the subduction of the Apulian beneath the Pelagonian microcontinent and the intracontinental subduction of the Phyllite–Quartzite Series. During the lower Miocene, vertical buoyancy forces led to the successive steepening of the shear zone and the simultaneous duplexing of its basement, facilitating tectonic extrusion of the material from its root zone. Finally, an indentation process caused vertical expulsion of the orogenic wedge and gravity collapse in the brittle crust.


Researchers have a growing need to push optical microscopy beyond the diffraction limit to answer key questions in biology, and stimulated emission depletion (STED) has proven to be a fluorescence imaging technique that can accomplish this goal. Biologists are currently seeking to connect molecular behavior to macroscopic behavior, determining how cells signal with each other, and how signaling at the cellular/organism level is then relayed back to DNA/RNA level control to regulate single genes. A STED nanoscope uses two laser beams. The first is the excitation laser, which as in confocal microscopy is usually focused to a near-diffraction-limited spot within a fluorescently labeled sample. The excitation wavelength of this laser is chosen to match the absorption peak of the target fluorophore. When applying a high enough STED laser power above a certain threshold, all the excited fluorophores in the path of the STED beam emit at the STED wavelength making them unavailable for fluorescence.


Experiments were undertaken to investigate further the effect of furosemide on renin secretion in the anesthetized dog. To separate the effects of the macula densa and the baroreceptor mechanisms, experiments were conducted in kidneys made nonfiltering by combining 2.5 hours of renal ischemia with ureteral ligation. Furosemide, in a dose of 5 mg/kg, increased renin secretion and decreased renal resistance in dogs with a nonfiltering kidney. Prior dilation of the nonfiltering kidney with either acetylcholine or papaverine prevented changes in both resistance and renin secretion. However, following dilation of the intact filtering kidney with acetylcholine, furosemide caused an increase in renin secretion. Infusion of d,/-propranolol decreased renin secretion in both the filtering and the nonfiltering kidneys. Following propranolol treatment, furosemide increased renin secretion in the filtering kidney but had no effect on renal resistance. These experiments indicate that furosemide stimulates renin secretion by both the macula densa and the baroreceptor mechanisms. The data suggest that stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system may alter renin secretion by modulating the renal baroreceptor, but sympathetic innervation does not appear to be involved in the macula densa mechanism.


Does Creation need a Creator? This book examines the question of the origin of the universe from the viewpoints of both science and religion. It argues that a scientific explanation for the beginning need not destroy belief in God. The book describes the discoveries of modern cosmology. What is the evidence for the big bang theory? How far can science go? What is quantum gravity and how significant is the work of Stephen Hawking? A new chapter reviews recent scientific discoveries and resarch into time travel and other ideas.


No evangelistic erroneous network of ideas can guarantee the satisfaction of these two demands : (1) propagate the network without revision and (2) completely insulate itself against losses in credibility and adherents through criticism. If a network of ideas is false, or inconsistent or fails to solve its intended problem, or unfeasible, or is too costly in terms of necessarily forsaken goals, its acceptability may be undermined given only true assumptions and valid arguments. People prefer to adopt ideologies that (i) are logically consistent, (ii) are more truth-like and of higher information content than their rivals, (iii) are systematically organised, (iv) solve their problems better than their rivals, (v) do not contain unfeasible demands, and (vi) do not contain uneconomic demands. Truth and validity therefore act as Darwinian-like filters on ideologies. Using Popper's notion of situational analysis and with reference to Darwinian evolution, considered as a special case of the former, and Bartley's theory of comprehensively critical rationalism I argue that a propagandist cannot guarantee his message or his movement from sound criticism. All positions are in a methodological sense open to argument. Moreover, the logic of a propagandist's situation constrains him into making his message and himself open to criticism in order to maximize its chances of being propagated through the population. But he then loses control of the message in two respects. Firstly, his audience are disposed to select from the competing ideas they encounter those that satisfy (i) to (vi) because of man's evolutionary history. Secondly, he cannot guarantee protection from criticism even a privileged section of his message because he cannot predict in a systematic way what logical repercussions each protective reformulation of the ideology will have on other sections of the ideology and what criticism the ideology will encounter. He cannot do the latter because of certain logical properties of theories that endow them with unfathomable depths. Marxism and Freudianism serve as case studies, especially for the analysis of Popper's notion of the immunizing stratagem, a methodological/logical device that is supposed to save theories from criticism. "Immunizing stratagems" either abandon the ideology they are meant to protect or seriously lower its chances of being reproduced.


Studies on the adaptation of mass media texts for different spatial areas have so far mostly been focusing on linguistic and national spaces. This article revisits the language-space-relationship by taking an in-depth look at TV news stories and the question if their corresponding styles can be detected on a regional, local, translocal or even global scale. By juxtaposing TV news stories from the US and various European countries with a selection of different Swiss stories, the following analysis reveals the relevance of other factors beyond the correlative nation or language. These factors can be associated with a variety of dimensions of journalistic cultures, thus going beyond the concept of only locally diffused practices. From a methodological point of view, a 'multifactorial parallel text analysis' takes into account exactly these findings.


In this paper, transmission scheduling issues related to multicast traffic, which focus on multicast service efficiency, are discussed for downstream packet transmission of a time-division-multiplexed passive optical network. First, the features of multicast traffic-sharing and the effects on multicast efficiency are analyzed in detail. Second, metrics, which are utilized in the measurement of multicast service efficiency, are introduced, and two kinds of fairness issues in multicast packet transmission are defined. Finally, an adaptive multicast packet transmission scheduling mechanism, called multicast-share weighted fair queuing, is proposed in order to stably guarantee fair amounts of effective throughputs to multicast sessions according to changes in the multicast service efficiencies of sessions. Analytic and simulation results confirm that the proposed mechanism guarantees the inter-session fairness in terms of effective throughput efficiently.


Magnesium/silicon carbide (Mg/SiC) multilayers have been fabricated with normal incidence reflectivity in the vicinity of 40% to 50% for wavelengths in the 25 to 50 nm wavelength range. However many applications, for example solar telescopes and ultrafast studies using high harmonic generation sources, desire larger bandwidths than provided by high reflectivity Mg/SiC multilayers. We investigate introducing a third material, Scandium, to create a tri-material Mg/Sc/SiC multilayer allowing an increase the bandwidth while maintaining high reflectivity.


The central aim of this thesis is to confront the world-view of positivistic materialism with its nihilistic implications and to develop an alternative world-view based on process philosophy in terms of which science and ethics can be reconciled. The thesis begins with an account of the rise of positivism and materialism to the dominant position in the culture of Western civilization and shows what effect this has had on the image of man and consequently on ethical views. After having shown the basic weaknesses of this world-view the positivist account of science is criticised and an alternative epistemology is developed in which the aim of disciplined inquiry is seen to be understanding. It is argued on the basis of this epistemology that science and metaphysics are indissociable and that the materialist conception of being is open to challenge from a different ontology. Having reviewed the various conceptions of being which have been developed in the past, a version of process philosophy is outlined and it is argued that this promises to be far more effective than materialism as a foundation for the natural sciences. In particular it is shown how in terms of process philosophy it is possible to conceive of living organisms as having emerged from inanimate being and this provides the basis for the development of a conception of humanity as an emergent form of life. The human order is then seen as a process of becoming within nature with its own unique dynamics, irreducible to any other processes, involving both intentional and unintentional processes. It is then shown how on the basis of this conception of humanity it is possible to develop an ethical theory and a critical social science and in this way to transcend the disjunction between science and ethics.


Existing methods for demand response either assume direct control of appliances by supplier, or assume that consumers adapt their load by reacting to pricing signals. The former are intrusive and might not scale well; the latter expose consumers to price volatility and require detailed awareness of time varying prices. We propose an alternative approach, based on "service curves", which uses the following two ingredients. (1) The rate at which a consumer may draw power from the grid may be controlled by real time signals. Typical concerned devices would be heating systems, air conditioners and e-car batteries. (2) However, consumers are guaranteed that, over any window of time t, the amount of energy that may be drawn is at least equal to b(t), where the function b() (called the service curve) is agreed upon by contract at subscription time. The contract also specifies the maximum power that may be drawn, as well as a fixed price per unit of energy. Hence users are protected from price variability, at the expense of possible, but upper bounded, delays. With a proper service curve definition, an operator may distribute small service reductions in order to alleviate the impact of massive incoming demand onto the power grid. Consumers are able to observe the past service control signals that they received and can compute optimal load schedules from this and their service curve contracts, using only local information. Thus, this provides a distributed, scalable and robust demand response mechanism.


Odour abatement units are typically designed and maintained on H(2)S concentrations, but operational failures are reported in terms of overall odour removal, suggesting a wide range of malodorous compounds emitted from sewers that may not be efficiently removed by existing odour abatement processes. Towards providing greater insight into this issue, several activated carbon filters and biofilters treating odorous emissions from sewer systems in Sydney (Australia) were monitored by collecting and analysing gas samples before and after treatment. The monitoring studies were conducted by both olfactometric measurements and gas-chromatography-based chemical analysis. Single H(2)S assessment often failed to indicate the odour abatement performance for treatment systems in the abatement units studied, particularly when the incoming H(2)S concentrations were in the sub-ppm range (i.e. below H(2)S odour threshold). Chemical analysis indicated that some non-H(2)S odorous compounds were not removed efficiently during odour treatment. Additionally, when odour eliminations were correlated with the removal of individual compounds (Pearson's correlations) it was observed that the correlation (with a coefficient of 0.79) was best when the overall removal of all the measured odorous compounds that exceeded their odour threshold values was used for the analysis. These findings may help to further advance the design and operation of odour abatement processes to address the treatment of sewer odour emissions.


Conversational Intelligent Tutoring Systems aim to mimic the adaptive behaviour
of human tutors by delivering tutorial content as part of a dynamic
exchange of information conducted using natural language.
Deciding when it is beneficial to intervene in a student's learning process is
an important skill for tutoring. Human tutors use prior knowledge about the
student, discourse content and learner non-verbal behaviour to choose when
intervention will help learners overcome impasse. Experienced human tutors
adapt discourse and pedagogy based on recognition of comprehension and
non-comprehension indicative learner behaviour.
In this research non-verbal behaviour is explored as a method of computationally
analysing reading comprehension so as to equip an intelligent
conversational agent with the human-like ability to estimate comprehension
from non-verbal behaviour as a decision making trigger for feedback, prompts
or hints.
This thesis presents research that combines a conversational intelligent
tutoring system (CITS) with near real-time comprehension classification based
on modelling of e-learner non-verbal behaviour to estimate learner comprehension
during on-screen conversational tutoring and to use comprehension
classifications as a trigger for intervening with hints, prompts or feedback for
the learner.
To improve the effectiveness of tuition in e-learning, this research aims to
design, develop and demonstrate novel computational methods for modelling
e-learner comprehension of on-screen information in near real-time and for adapting CITS tutorial discourse and pedagogy in response to perception of
comprehension indicative behaviour. The contribution of this research is to
detail the motivation for, design of, and evaluation of a system which has the
human-like ability to introduce micro-adaptive feedback into tutorial discourse
in response to automatic perception of e-learner reading comprehension.
This research evaluates empirically whether e-learner non-verbal behaviour
can be modelled to classify comprehension in near real-time and presents a
near real-time comprehension classification system which achieves normalised
comprehension classification accuracy of 75%. Understanding e-learner comprehension
creates exciting opportunities for advanced personalisation of materials,
discourse, challenge and the digital environment itself. The research suggests
a benefit is gained from comprehension based adaptation in conversational
intelligent tutoring systems, with a controlled trial of a comprehension based
adaptive CITS called Hendrix 2.0 showing increases in tutorial assessment scores
of up to 17% when comprehension based discourse adaptation is deployed to
scaffold the learning experience.


Increase demand for biofuel in the world as the means to mitigate global climate change, energy option and reduced fule import expenses have attracted many companies to acquire land in developing countries like Tanzania. To invest on biofuel in Africa is believed to be a means for generating incomes from expert, to employ rural people, enhance infrastructure development.However, in Africa biofuels policy is still weak. This study mainly focuses on people`s expectation during and after the investment.Issue of compensation procedure and promises seems to be a big problem; something brought tension of being cheated among local communities. Futhermore, community involvement and integration of jatropha with smallholder´s agriculture is also low.


This paper discusses the principles and theoretical foundations of the construction of various types of adaptive lenses based on liquid crystals. It is shown how they have evolved from lenses that operate in polarized light with long focusing times to lenses that operate in unpolarized light with increased aperture and response rate and enhanced image quality. The possibilities of using them in optical systems are discussed.


Terrorist organizations' physical safe havens continue to shape the terrorist threat to the United States by extending the groups' longevity and increasing the threat they pose. As a result, eliminating terrorist safe havens has been a key component of U.S. counterterrorism policy since at least 2001. However, some scholars challenged the post-9/11 policy consensus that terrorists find sanctuary in weak states and so-called ungoverned spaces. This article seeks to bridge this gap between scholarship and policy by offering a typology for disaggregating different kinds of terrorist safe havens. Our typology operates on two axes based on host government will (i.e., the host government's posture toward each group with haven inside its borders), as well as government capability, (specifically whether the host government possesses the specific capabilities needed to oust each group). This intersection of will and capability produces three types of havens. We briefly illustrate each type of haven using the exemplar case study of Pakistan—a location often described as an overarching safe haven, but which is actually home to several sanctuaries—and offer policy recommendations for addressing them. A need exists to disaggregate and identify how the United States can approach haven elimination. This typology and the analysis that stems from it offer a starting point for devising such strategies.


100 Americans Making Constitutional History: A Biographical History presents 100 profiles of the key people behind some of the most important U.S. Supreme Court cases. Edited by Melvin I. Urofsky, a respected constitutional historian, each 2,000-word profile delves into the social and political context behind landmark Court decisions. For example, while a case like Brown v. Board of Education is about an important ideauthe equal protection of the lawuat its heart it is the story of a little girl, Linda Brown, who wanted to go to a decent school near her home. The outcome is accessible and objective ostorieso about the individualsuheroes and scoundrelsuwho fought their way to constitutional history."100 Americans Making Constitutional History helps students understand the human side of the Supreme CourtAes decisions from the early republic to the present. Each biographical profile, written by a constitutional scholar or legal analyst, includes a discussion about the Court decision and how the specific legal issues evolved into great constitutional questions and drama. It puts a face and history to major cases by reminding the reader that there are people behind them, seeking vindication of their individual liberties and civil rights. "Each profile includes a brief bibliography for further research. Excellent for undergraduate students studying American government, American history, Constitutional Law and journalism. "Sample List of Litigants"Larry Flynt u Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell (1988)"Elmer Gertz u Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974)"Demetrio Rodriguez u Rodriguez v. San Antonio Independent School District (1973)"Curt Flood u Flood v. Kuhn (1972)"Estelle Griswold u Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)"Linda Brown u Brown v. Board of Education (1954)"Gordon Hirabayashi u Hirabayashi v. United states (1943)"Eugene Debs u Debs v. United states (1919)"William Marbury u Marbury v. Madison (1803)"


This article adds value to the accounting debate on the different methodologies of accounting for financial and non-financial contracts in the current and proposed new accounting pronouncements of the IASB. The paper demonstrates that significant differences exist between the recognition and measurements of non-financial contracts in terms of the traditional accrual basis of accounting and financial contracts in terms of the so-called contractual basis of accounting applied for financial instruments, even though the accounting for financial instruments is seen as an extension of the traditional accrual basis of accounting. The current IASB's projects on liabilities, revenue recognition and the conceptual framework seem to eliminate certain differences between the two methodologies, but also raise new issues on the debate of the methodologies to account for financial and non-financial contracts.


Family, Child and Youth Health Service (FCYHS), Tasmania, has provided services to children in the management of nocturnal enuresis since 1997. A quality improvement project, aimed at evaluating the statewide nocturnal enuresis program, was initially undertaken with a case study consisting of a cohort of children who attended the Wetaway program in Tasmania between February and July 2001. The study was completed in November 2002. The program reports a success rate of 85% for those children who completed the program. However, there still remains a significant drop-out rate for children, with 22% of children leaving the program, mainly during the bladder training stage of intervention. Nurses reported complex family issues and lack of parent or carer support for the child as reasons for children not continuing with the program. Relapse after completion of the program remains of concern with continued success at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months requiring further intervention and support. The evaluation of the project supported the importance of the continuation of a multi-modal approach to nocturnal enuresis, including fluid balance, bladder training and alarm management for children affected. Results also support early intervention, with children as young as 5 years experiencing positive outcomes in the management of nocturnal enuresis. Parents reported decreased family stress due to their child's success on the Wetaway program.


Several types of solutions exist for multiple target tracking. These techniques are computation-intensive and in some cases very difficult to operate online. The authors report on a backpropagation neural network which has been successfully used to identify multiple moving targets using kinematic data (time, range, range-rate and azimuth angle) from sensors to train the network. Preliminary results from simulated scenarios show that neural networks are capable of learning target identification for three targets during the time period used during training and a time period shortly after. This effective classification period can be extended by the use of networks in coordination with smart logic systems.<<ETX>>


This paper describes the important changes that occurred in the U.S. grain handling and transportation system in the period following deregulation in 1980. This system has evolved and will continue to do so in response to technological and institutional changes, competitive pressures, and a changed regulatory regime. The effect has been to induce investments throughout the system ultimately to improve the efficiency. Some of the important rail innovations include the use of rate discounts to induce more efficient movements from origins first, and more recently at destinations. In addition, each railroad has adopted car allocation systems comprising several mechanisms, giving shippers logistical choices which have also facilitated more efficient allocation of cars among shippers. Finally, a number of important implications for the Canadian industry are identified as it evolves through its forthcoming changes.


We offer a two-step algorithmic approach to the problems of inconsistency and bias in legal decision making. First, we propose a new tool for reducing inconsistency: Judgmental Bootstrapping Models ("JBMs") built with machine learning methods. JBMs, by providing judges with recommendations generated from statistical models of themselves, can help those judges make better and more consistent decisions. To illustrate these advantages, we build a JBM of release decisions for the California Board of Parole Hearings. Second, we describe a means to address systematic biases that are embedded in an algorithm (e.g., disparate racial treatment). We argue for making direct changes to algorithmic output based on explicit estimates of bias. Most commentators concerned with embedded biases have focused on constructing algorithms without the use of bias-inducing variables. Given the complex ways that variables may correlate and interact, that approach is both practically difficult and harmful to predictive power. In contrast, our two-step approach can address bias without sacrificing performance.


Finding the key determinants of Picture Archivingand Communication Systems (PACS)performance in hospitals has been a conundrumfor decades. This research provides a method toassess the strategic alignment of PACS in hospitalsin order to find these key determinants. PACS touches upon every single part of the imaging workflow chain and associated sub-steps that affects the quality of imaging services and clinical outcomes. Achieving the strategic alignment of PACS and pursuingits intended goals and objectives within hospitals seem to be an intricate and poorlyexamined process. We therefore highlight the value of a PACS evaluation and maturityframework that enables hospitals to reflect holistically on their PACS performance and supports the process of maturing PACS into hospital operations. This dissertation consists of three interrelated parts. The first part explores the impacts of PACS on hospital workflow using a holistic approach that provides fundamental features for assessing PACS from various perspectives.The second part synthesizes the PACS literature on maturity and evolvability in hospitals and defines the PACS Maturity Model (PMM). The PMM describes five levels of PACS maturity and the corresponding process focus. This is subsequently extended as a strategic planning method for PACS deployment, based on the elaboration of the strategic alignment concept and the maturity growth path concepts for the PACS domain.Finally, the third part develops a rigorous perspective and method that supports the process of situationally aligning PACS in hospitals. We develop such an integral model to assess empirically the maturity and organizational alignment of PACS and its impact upon PACS performances – defined as the multifactorial impacts and benefits produced by the application of PACS in terms of hospital efficiency and clinical effectiveness with respect to PACS workflow and patients' clinical journeys – in hospitals. A key conclusion of this dissertation is that our conceptual model – validated through data from 64 hospitals within the Netherlands – shows a significant positive impact for the PACS alignment construct on perceived PACS performance.Thus, our expectation that the alignment of PACS had a significant impact on the multifactorial performance of PACS was confirmed. Based on various sources (case studies, conceptual design, meta-analyses and survey research)a PACS evaluation and maturity framework is developed that enables hospitals to reflect holistically on their PACS performance and likewise has predictive power to explain PACS performance within hospitals' operations. The framework supports a strategic and systematic deployment of PACS to enhance its subsequent evolvability. Based on the outcomes of the various studies included in this dissertation, we believe that hospitals should follow a strategic PACS maturity planning perspective that drives a continuous process of change and adaptation as well as the co-evolvement and alignment of PACS. Adaptability and changeability should be integral properties, next to traditional and deliberate PACS strategic planning. This research extends the body of knowledge concerning PACS maturity and its evaluation from a business informatics perspective. This is important since the filmless facilities of PACS can be exploited much further, to achieve higher productivity levels and operational efficiency gains in hospitals.


Dammann grating is one kind of binary optical elements. We fabricated Dammann gratings in silica glass using femtosecond laser pulses at the wavelength of 800 nm with the repetition rate of 1 kHz. By using two-dimensional (2D) scanning system, we produced successfully 5*5 Dammann gratings for He-Ne laser with the wavelength of 632.8 nm. We selected suitable writing parameters to keep the length of the refractive index changed region as 160 microns across the grating. It makes the phase shift of the modulated region close to be 'pi'. The diffraction efficiency of the fabricated Dammann grating in our experiment reached to 56%, quite close to the theoretical value of 77%.


In this paper we propose a new methodology for gaining insight into the temporal aspects of social networks. In order to develop higher-level, large-scale data analysis methods for classification, prediction, and anomaly detection, a solid foundation of analytical techniques is required. We present a novel approach to the analysis of these networks that leverages time series and statistical techniques to quantitatively describe the temporal nature of a social network. We report on the application of our approach toward a real data set and successfully visualize high-level changes to the network as well as discover outlying vertices. The real-time prediction of new connections given the previous connections in a graph is a notoriously difficult task. The proposed technique avoids this difficulty by modeling statistics computed from the graph over time. Vertex statistics summarize topological information as real numbers, which allows us to leverage the existing fields of computational statistics and machine learning. This creates a modular approach to analysis in which methods can be developed that are agnostic to the metrics and algorithms used to process the graph. We demonstrate these techniques using a collection of Twitter posts related to Hurricane Sandy. We study the temporal nature of betweenness centrality and clustering coefficients while producing multiple visualizations of a social network dataset with 1.2 million edges. We successfully detect vertices whose triangle-forming behavior is anomalous.


Measurements of neutron-deuteron (n-d) analyzing power A y (θ) at E n = 19.0 MeV are reported at 16 angles from θ c.m. = 46.7 to 152.0°. The objective of the experiment is to better characterize the discrepancies between n-d data and the predictions of three-nucleon calculations for neutron energies above 16.0 MeV. The experiment used a shielded neutron source, which produced polarized neutrons via the 2 H(d,n) 3 He reaction, a deuterated liquid scintillator center detector (CD) and liquid-scintillator neutron side detectors. A coincidence between the CD and the side detectors isolated the elastic-scattering events. The CD pulse height spectrum associated with each side detector was sorted by using pulse-shape discrimination, time-of-flight techniques, and by removing accidental coincidences. A Monte Carlo computer simulation of the experiment accounted for effects due to finite geometry, multiple scattering, and CD edge effects. The resulting high-precision data (with absolute uncertainties ranging from 0.0022 to 0.0132) have a somewhat lower discrepancy with the predictions of three-body calculations, as compared to those found at lower energies.


In this Letter, we report the discovery of a new dwarf satellite to the Milky Way, located at (α2000, δ2000) = (158.°72, 51.°92) in the constellation of Ursa Major. This object was detected as an overdensity of red, resolved stars in Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. The color-magnitude diagram of the Ursa Major dwarf looks remarkably similar to that of Sextans, the lowest surface brightness Milky Way companion known, but with approximately an order of magnitude fewer stars. Deeper follow-up imaging confirms that this object has an old and metal-poor stellar population and is ~100 kpc away. We roughly estimate MV = -6.75 and r1/2 = 250 pc for this dwarf. Its luminosity is several times fainter than the faintest known Milky Way dwarf. However, its physical size is typical for dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Even though its absolute magnitude and size are presently quite uncertain, Ursa Major is likely the lowest luminosity and lowest surface brightness galaxy yet known.


For many years hydrologists have tried to build physically realistic models which are still simple enough to be fitted to a range of observations made in the field. This is an ongoing process which will become even more difficult as the quality and variety of field and remotely sensed data improves. Hence models must be able to predict soil moisture patterns in time and in space as well as the outflow hydrograph. The model presented here (TOPMODEL) aims to predict the nature of variable source areas in a way that reflects their dynamics over space and time. All component processes are described and shown in operation. As TOPMODEL and similar models have a growing popularity, this paper can be seen as a demonstration of the model's predictive capabilities. The model is applied to the catchments of Plynlimon, mid-Wales for 1984, 1985 and 1986 data sets. The model has been thoroughly tested and cross-validated against independent data sets for different time periods, for a separate catchment, for internal gauges and for wet and dry periods. The resulting predicted soil moisture patterns show a small, semi-permanent variable source area that has the ability during large storms to expand dynamically over short time periods. Spatial predictions of evapotranspiration are also shown which reflect the influence of soil moisture patterns on this process. The weakest component of the model is the representation of root zone evaporation and how this pre-sets the antecedent condition of the catchment during long dry periods.


Ecotourism attractions in this study include: (1) Bali Marine Park, (2) Bali Elephant Safari Park, (3) Bali Barat (West Bali) National Park, (4) Bali Butterfly Park, (5) Bali Reptile Park, (6) Sangeh Monkey Forest, (7) Ubud Botanic Garden, and (8) Bali Botanic Garden based on the attributes of "facility, attractiveness, accessibility, and service". This study utilized quantitative method, specifically exploratory research method and conclusive research method based on previous research and existing theories, in order to achieve the research objectvies with the goal to generate new findings. Based on multidimensional scaling analysis, the perception of Bali Botanic Garden is similar to that of Sangeh Monkey Forest and Bali Barat National Park. While not in the same category as Bali Botanic Garden, the similarity coordinate of Ubud Botanic Garden is so close that it is a considerable competitor to Bali Botanic Garden. The ecotourism attractions perceived to have similarities are Bali Butterfly Park and Ubud Botanic Garden. Another grouping based on similarity are Bali Marine Park and Bali Elephant Safari Park, whose similarity coordinates are quite distant from the other ecotourism attractions.


Contrary to the more traditional scenario of instructor-focused presentation, contemporary education allows individuals to embrace modern technological advances such as computers to concur with, conceptualize and substantiate matters presented before them. Transition from instructor-focused to student-centred presentation is prone to dissension and strife, motivating educators to assess elements of learner-centred teaching in conjunction with traditional teaching mechanisms and how individuals perceive and comprehend information (Andersson, 2008; Kiboss, 2010; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2004). Computers can assist when used in the traditional teacher-student interface, but consideration must be given to teaching method variations and the students embracing these learning applications. If learner-centred teaching is to become accepted certain elements need to be introduced: revision of educators' learning and teaching applications, time to facilitate knowledge and use of applicable contemporary technologies, and methods compatible with various technologies (Kiboss, 2010). Change is often not easy – while acknowledging the need to alter and revise methods they were taught to instil, educators may fail to embrace incorporation of technology into their teaching platform. Why are educators, who are quite knowledgeable and competent in computer applications and their merits, failing to embrace the benefits of technology in the classroom? A critical assessment of this mandates a transdisciplinary disposition in order to come to an amenable resolution. Perception, inhibition, ignorance and goals are just some reasons why educators are reluctant to incorporate technology despite their proficiency. Perceptual control theory (PCT) will be implemented to assess these reasons as a means towards achieving change and assessing how to move forward. Issues associated with educators' short- and long-term goals as well as their perceptions – and hence the essential need to comprehend PCT – are addressed. Keywords: computer technology, teaching, student-teacher interface, learner-centered teaching, perceptual control theory, perceptions Disciplines: Computer science, education


The conceptual framework of ecostrategies (views and use of landscape) presented here have been used to analyse various cases of nature-based tourism and related activities such as outdoor recreation, outdoor education, nature reserves and conservation. The role of the ecostrategies is to illustrate the intersections, conflicts and alliances between different types of nature based tourism and relations to other rural activities. The framework consists of four main ecostrategies, which are identified from the tension between "functional specialization" vs. "territorial adaptation" and the tension between the ideals of "utilization" vs. "appreciation". The four ecostrategies are the landscape seen as: (i) a museum for external consumption, (ii) a factory for producing activities and products, (iii) a dedicated place to be utilized and (iv) a dedicated place to be contemplated. These ecostrategies are linked to various consequences in terms of democracy, environmental issues, views of nature, local development, planning, pedagogy, identity and conflicts. The framework has proved fruitful in discussions about landscape futures, as illustrated by the case studies on nature based tourism, outdoor recreation and nature reserves presented in the article. Some of the framework's shortcomings are here presented, together with suggestions for further development, such as quantitative survey investigations and using a three-dimensional version to illustrate previously hidden tensions.


This paper, presenting a wide range of issues related to the role of Turkey in the Mediterranean energy context, aims to provide a comprehensive framework of understanding of the growing strategic relevance of Turkey for both the European Union and the overall Euro-Mediterranean region. In particular, the paper focuses on the EU-Turkey energy relations and outlines the crucial role of natural gas in enhancing energy cooperation between the two players. In 2010 about 80% of EU gas imports derived from only three suppliers: Russian Federation, Norway and Algeria. This heavy dependence on such a few suppliers stimulated the European Commission to make the concept of diversification a cornerstone of its energy policy and to launch the concept of the Southern Gas Corridor, an initiative aimed to develop a natural gas transit corridor from Caspian and Middle Eastern gas-rich regions to Europe, in order to ease the dependency on the natural gas imported from the Russian Federation. An initiative that could shift the "centre of gravity" of the regional gas transit from the north to the south of the Black Sea, allowing Turkey to become a key transit country in the future European gas market; a pivotal element in the European gas security of supply architecture. Furthermore, the paper also considers the enormous renewable energy potential of Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries, to which Turkey could greatly contribute in terms of technology transfer and manufacturing know-how. Turkey's involvement in the Union for the Mediterranean offers a great opportunity for energy cooperation both between the EU and Turkey and within the overall Euro-Mediterranean region. Such large-scale renewable energy projects could greatly contribute to the economic development of the overall Mediterranean region, and also to its social and political stability. Considering the lack of a wide and comprehensive EU-Turkey energy cooperation scheme, the paper proposes a series of policy priorities pointed to enhance this bilateral relationship and also the wider Euro-Mediterranean integration process.


The Language Question in the Learned Estonian Society Kersti Taal University of Tartu Library The purpose of the Learned Estonian Society (LES) established in 1838 became to promote knowledge about the past and future of the Estonian nation, its language and literature and the lands settled by Estonians. Thus, studying and developing the Estonian language was one of the most important tasks of the Society. In this article, the language question is viewed from two perspectives: researching the Estonian language in the 19th century and the transition from German to Estonian in 1928/1929. LES started its activity at a time when even the first Estonian intellectuals, the founding members of the Society, were not yet certain whether Estonian would develop into a cultural language or whether the language of this small nation would fade away. Both the Estonians and German Estophiles thought that the language should be studied at least for the benefit of the future generations. In addition to the lecturers of the Estonian language at the University of Tartu, D. H. Jurgenson and Fr. R. Faehlmann, language studies were conducted by German pastors in the first decades. The most important linguistic undertaking became the compilation of an Estonian-German dictionary. The work progressed slowly and the dictionary was completed by F. J. Wiedemann, a member of LES and an academician at the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences as late as in the 1860s. The Ehstnisch-deutsches Worterbuch was published in 1869 by the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences since LES lacked money for it. In the second half of the 19th century Estonian was studied by the Estonians J. Hurt, M. Veske, and others. Villem Reiman was involved in publishing examples to commemorate the Old Written Language and, thus, LES published Georg Muller's sermons, Joachim Rossihnius's catechism and sermons dating back to the 17th century. Although Estonian was not spoken in LES in the 19th century, the Society received letters in Estonian: they were not considered untoward since some of the German members of the society were also fluent in Estonian in addition to the Estonian members. In the 19th century, only a tenth of the Society members were Estonian. When LES recommenced its activity in 1919 in the Republic of Estonia as a German-language organisation, the Germans still held the majority (in 1921 only 36 of the 164 members were Estonian). The first Estonian-language presentation – "The water deity Noova of the Livonians" – was made by Lauri Kettunen, a Finnish professor of the Estonian language on 1 March 1922. In 1928, just before the tenth anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, most of the lectures in the University of Tartu were held in Estonian and the public was increasingly asking the question of how long would the Learned Estonian Society, which was supported by the state, continue to be a German-language organisation? During the 1928 March session, the Society started to discuss the proposal of Henrik Koppel, rector of the University of Tartu, to make Estonian the official language of the Learned Estonian Society. Although the Germans did not agree with the decision, they had to accept the situation, as theirs was a minority opinion. The Germans specifically opposed that the Society's publications would be in Estonian. The yearbook and transactions remained in German since they were meant for knowledge exchange and introducing Estonian research abroad. The Letters publication series in which works on folk poetry and ethnography were published was started to be issued in Estonian. The Germans reacted to the LES turning into an Estonian-language organisation with withdrawal; Professor Walter Anderson resigned from the position of the Society chairman and no longer edited publications. A new, mainly Estonian board was elected as late as on 4 December 1929, as the Estonians did not hold the majority in the previous year. Julius Mark, professor of linguistics, was elected the chairman. The transition to Estonian was accompanied by great changes in the entire activity of the Society. The new management succeeded in getting more financial support for the Society and its publications developed into more extensive works. Since LES turned into an Estonian-language organisation, it did not meet the fate of many other German-language societies (E(h)stlandische Literarische Gesellschaft, Pernauer Alterthumforschende Gesellschaft), which ended their activity in 1939 as the Baltic Germans left.


Excavations on a site at 19 West Tollcross, Edinburgh, produced evidence of activity in the area from the medieval period to the 20th century. The medieval remains are likely to relate to activity on the periphery of a settlement in the hinterland of Edinburgh, thus confirming the archaeological potential of settlements now subsumed under the modern city. Excavation through the deep stratigraphy, when supplemented with documentary evidence, offered a glimpse into evolution of the area from an 'agricultural landscape' to an 'industrial' area, constantly being transformed in line with contemporary technological innovations. More recent remains associated with Lochrin Distillery, slaughterhouses, Edinburgh Ice and Cold Storage Company's unit, an ice rink and a garage were uncovered.


Mutualisms are interspecific interactions in which both players benefit. Explaining their maintenance is problematic, because cheaters should outcompete cooperative conspecifics, leading to mutualism instability. Monoecious figs (Ficus) are pollinated by host-specific wasps (Agaonidae), whose larvae gall ovules in their "fruits" (syconia). Female pollinating wasps oviposit directly into Ficus ovules from inside the receptive syconium. Across Ficus species, there is a widely documented segregation of pollinator galls in inner ovules and seeds in outer ovules. This pattern suggests that wasps avoid, or are prevented from ovipositing into, outer ovules, and this results in mutualism stability. However, the mechanisms preventing wasps from exploiting outer ovules remain unknown. We report that in Ficus rubiginosa, offspring in outer ovules are vulnerable to attack by parasitic wasps that oviposit from outside the syconium. Parasitism risk decreases towards the centre of the syconium, where inner ovules provide enemy-free space for pollinator offspring. We suggest that the resulting gradient in offspring viability is likely to contribute to selection on pollinators to avoid outer ovules, and by forcing wasps to focus on a subset of ovules, reduces their galling rates. This previously unidentified mechanism may therefore contribute to mutualism persistence independent of additional factors that invoke plant defences against pollinator oviposition, or physiological constraints on pollinators that prevent oviposition in all available ovules.


Janiszewski, P., T. Daszkiewicz and J. cilulko, 2015. The effect of wintering conditions on the body weight and carcass quality of farm-raised fallow deer (Dama dama). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 668–673 Farm-raised fallow deer are a source of meat characterized by a high nutritional value and high processing suitability. a variety of treatments can be applied to modify the final quality of carcasses obtained from farmed fallow deer and red deer. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that limited exposure to adverse weather conditions in the winter contributes to higher body weight gains and superior carcass quality in young farmed male fallow deer. The results of our study indicate that wintering under shelter limits exposure to adverse weather conditions in the winter and has a positive effect on body weight gains and carcass dressing percentage in farm-raised fallow deer. During a six-month experiment, the average body weight of control group fallow deer increased by only 2.43 kg, compared with 6.88 kg in the experimental group (at similar initial body weights in both groups). Highly significant differences between groups were found in the weight of four out of the five analyzed carcass cuts. Significant differences between groups were observed with regard to the percentage share of four carcass parts too. The lean meat content of the neck, shoulders and legs was highly significantly higher in experimental group animals.


Creation of test programs and analysis of their execution is the main approach to system-level verification of microprocessors. A lot of techniques have been proposed to automate test program generation, ranging from completely random to well directed ones. However, no "silver bullet" has been found. In good industrial practices, various methods are combined complementing each other. Unfortunately, there is no solution that could integrate all (or at least most) of the techniques in a single framework. Engineers are forced to use a number of tools, which leads to the following problems: (1) it is required to maintain duplicating data (each tool uses its own representation of the target design); (2) to be used together, tools need to be integrated (engineers have to deal with different formats and interfaces). This paper proposes a concept of an extendable framework (MicroTESK) that follows a unified methodology for defining test program generation techniques. The framework supports random and combinatorial generation and (what is even more important) can be easily extended with new techniques being implemented as the framework's plugins.