A range of possible changes in the frequency and characteristics of European wind storms under future climate conditions was investigated on the basis of a multi-model ensemble of 9 coupled global climate model (GCM) simulations for the 20th and 21st centuries following the IPCC SRES A1B scenario. A multi-model approach allowed an estimation of the (un)certainties of the climate change signals. General changes in large-scale atmospheric flow were analysed, the occur- rence of wind storms was quantified, and atmospheric features associated with wind storm events were considered. Identified storm days were investigated according to atmospheric circulation, asso- ciated pressure patterns, cyclone tracks and wind speed patterns. Validation against reanalysis data revealed that the GCMs are in general capable of realistically reproducing characteristics of Euro- pean circulation weather types (CWTs) and wind storms. Results are given with respect to frequency of occurrence, storm-associated flow conditions, cyclone tracks and specific wind speed patterns. Under anthropogenic climate change conditions (SRES A1B scenario), increased frequency of west- erly flow during winter is detected over the central European investigation area. In the ensemble mean, the number of detected wind storm days increases between 19 and 33% for 2 different mea- sures of storminess, only 1 GCM revealed less storm days. The increased number of storm days detected in most models is disproportionately high compared to the related CWT changes. The mean intensity of cyclones associated with storm days in the ensemble mean increases by about 10 (±10)% in the Eastern Atlantic, near the British Isles and in the North Sea. Accordingly, wind speeds associ- ated with storm events increase significantly by about 5 (±5)% over large parts of central Europe, mainly on days with westerly flow. The basic conclusions of this work remain valid if different ensem- ble contructions are considered, leaving out an outlier model or including multiple runs of one partic- ular model.


Texts like news, encyclopedias, and some social media strive for objectivity. Yet bias in the form of inappropriate subjectivity — introducing attitudes via framing, presupposing truth, and casting doubt — remains ubiquitous. This kind of bias erodes our collective trust and fuels social conflict. To address this issue, we introduce a novel testbed for natural language generation: automatically bringing inappropriately subjective text into a neutral point of view ("neutralizing" biased text). We also offer the first parallel corpus of biased language. The corpus contains 180,000 sentence pairs and originates from Wikipedia edits that removed various framings, presuppositions, and attitudes from biased sentences. Last, we propose two strong encoder-decoder baselines for the task. A straightforward yet opaque concurrent system uses a BERT encoder to identify subjective words as part of the generation process. An interpretable and controllable modular algorithm separates these steps, using (1) a BERT-based classifier to identify problematic words and (2) a novel join embedding through which the classifier can edit the hidden states of the encoder. Large-scale human evaluation across four domains (encyclopedias, news headlines, books, and political speeches) suggests that these algorithms are a first step towards the automatic identification and reduction of bias.


ABSTRACT Combining insights from the history of citizenship with contemporary legal analysis, this article both highlights and problematizes what we may call sorting strategies – restrictive closure and selective openness – which rely on 'varieties of affluence' (income, wealth, equity, credit, and the like) in shaping possibilities for entry, settlement, and naturalization. By emphasizing the growing significance of income barriers and thresholds on the one hand, and fast-tracked investment-based entryways on the other, this article investigates the role of wealth as both accelerator and barrier to citizenship, contributing to the varied toolbox used by governments to advance goals that may at times appear contradictory; these tools both tighten and relax the requirements of access to membership at the same time. These new developments represent different facets of the same trend. Without explicitly stating as much, programs that turn wealth into a core criterion for admission conceptually reignite an older, exclusive, and exclusionary vision according to which individuals must hold property (in land, resources, or in relation to one's 'dependents,' including women, slaves, and children) in order to qualify as a citizen. While such a trajectory is no stranT8ger to ancient models, it raises profound challenges to modernist accounts of political membership that place equality at their core.


The relative performance of four independent methods to estimate the magnitude and diurnal behavior of net heat storage fluxes (QS) in a city center is assessed. This heat flux is a significant but understudied component of the urban surface energy balance (SEB). Direct measurement of this SEB term at the local scale (horizontal length scale 10 2 –10 4 m) is practically unattainable primarily because of the complex array of materials and the three-dimensionality of urban systems. Results of an 8-day summertime observational study at a site in the center of Marseille, France, are presented. This locale is an ideal environment for such research because of the warm, dry climate (hence the SEB is dominated by sensible heat exchanges) and the high density of tall buildings with thick walls (hence it has a large thermal mass that favors heat storage as a component of the SEB). Estimates of QS derived as residuals in the SEB, after the remaining terms are measured directly, (termed RES) are compared with those calculated from a parameterization scheme [objective hysteresis model (OHM)], a local-scale numerical model [Town Energy Balance model (TEB)], and a bulk heat transfer method [thermal mass scheme (TMS)]. Inputs to the methods include observed meteorological data and morphometric properties of the urban site. All approaches yield a similar diurnal course. The OHM and TEB methods tend to slightly overestimate storage uptake by day when compared with the RES, whereas TMS slightly underestimates it. All methods underestimate heat storage release at night when compared with RES and show some sensitivity to wind speed, especially above about 5 m s 1 . OHM estimates perform satisfactorily in the mean but miss short-term variability and are poor at night. TEB simulations show the best agreement with RES results, particularly at night. TMS values are comparable to those from the other methods, but its extensive input requirements render it almost impractical. Overall, the convergence of results is reassuring but the lack of a standard for quantifying heat storage and the spread of results mean this term remains a source of imprecision in urban energy balance measurement and modeling.


As policymakers seek to rein in the nation's escalating health care costs, one area deserving attention is the health system's costly environmental footprint. This study examines data from selected hospitals that have implemented programs to reduce energy use and waste and achieve operating room supply efficiencies. After standardizing metrics across the hospitals studied and generalizing results to hospitals nationwide, the analysis finds that savings achievable through these interventions could exceed $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years. Given the return on investment, the authors recommend that all hospitals adopt such programs and, in cases where capital investments could be financially burdensome, that public funds be used to provide loans or grants, particularly to safety-net hospitals.


Aim: To describe the clinical and radiological manifestations of tuberculosis of the hip joint and the resemblance to common osteoarticular lesions in children. Methods: Thirty-six children (1 to 12 years) were reviewed retrospectively between 1990 and 2011. Clinical, laboratory and radiological features were assessed. The hips were classified and the outcome was graded as described by Shanmugasundaram. Results: Common clinical features were a limp, flexion, adduction and internal rotation contractures. Common radiological features were osteopaenia and cystic lesions in the neck and acetabulum. Permeative lesions, focal erosions, pathological fractures and sequestra were less common. Seven children had extra-articular lesions. Of the 29 with osteoarticular involvement, six had purely synovial involvement. Osteoarticular lesions mimicked benign bone and joint conditions. Follow-up was 1 to 6 years, 36% were graded as good, 36% fair and 28% had poor outcome with ankylosis. Other complications included avascular necrosis, coxa vara, coxa magna, growth arrest and flexion-adduction contractures. Conclusion: Tuberculosis of the hip can mimic various benign conditions. Biopsy from a bony lesion is important. The initial radiological appearance predicts the outcome, especially in the 'normal' type of hip.


The Ranger robot was designed to interact with children in order to motivate them to tidy up their room. Its mechanical configuration, together with the limited field of view of its depth camera, make the learning of obstacle avoidance behaviors a hard problem. In this article we introduce two new Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms designed to address this noisy, high-dimensional optimization problem. Their aim is to increase the robustness of the generated robotic controllers, as compared to previous PSO algorithms. We show that we can successfully apply this set of PSO algorithms to learn 166 parameters of a robotic controller for the obstacle avoidance task. We also study the impact that an increased evaluation budget has on the robustness and average performance of the optimized controllers. Finally, we validate the control solutions learned in simulation by testing the most robust controller in three different real arenas.


It has been said that all cinema is a special effect. In this highly original examination of time in film Sean Cubitt tries to get at the root of the uncanny effect produced by images and sounds that don't quite align with reality. What is it that cinema does? Cubitt proposes a history of images in motion from a digital perspective, for a digital audience.From the viewpoint of art history, an image is discrete, still. How can a moving image--constructed from countless constituent images--even be considered an image? And where in time is an image in motion located? Cubitt traces the complementary histories of two forms of the image/motion relationship--the stillness of the image combined with the motion of the body (exemplified by what Cubitt calls the "protocinema of railway travel") and the movement of the image combined with the stillness of the body (exemplified by melodrama and the magic lantern). He argues that the magic of cinema arises from the intertwining relations between different kinds of movement, different kinds of time, and different kinds of space.He begins with a discussion of "pioneer cinema," focusing on the contributions of French cinematic pioneers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He then examines the sound cinema of the 1930s, examining film effects in works by Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, and Hollywood's RKO studio. Finally he considers what he calls "post cinema," examining the postwar development of the "spatialization" of time through slow motion, freeze-frame, and steadi-cam techniques. Students of film will find Cubitt's analyses of noncanonical films like Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as enlightening as his fresh takes on such classics as Renoir's Rules of the Game.


Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in the country as more than 55 percent of total workforce in India is engaged in the sector. Since the formulation of Indian Cooperative Societies Act in 1912, cooperative sector plays a major role in delivering credit to the masses. One of the main players of Rural Short-Term Cooperative Credit System (RSTCC) in the country as well as in Mizoram is Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACS). The paper examines the structure and financial performance of 25 sample PACS using certain structure and financial parameters like – villages covered, membership, employment generation, working capital, total business, capital structure, CD ratio, debtequity ratio, return on investment etc. And to draw inferences, statistical tools like CAGR, t-value of curve estimation, ratios and Pearson Correlation were used. While the village coverage is low, membership base has increased significantly. The sample PACS were able to utilise its membership base to increase its share capital. However, credit-deposit ratio and capital structure of the sample PACS do not have significant relationship on return on investment.


Thousands of colleges, universities, and graduate schools have changed names at least once since they were founded, and some have changed names many times. Schools are renamed for a variety of reasons: the new name might acknowledge a major benefactor, reflect a change in the school's status or affiliation, or serve as a component of a comprehensive rebranding initiative. Yet when an existing institution offers educational services under a new and different name, its actions beget a host of trademark issues, some of which cannot be adequately understood by analogy to traditional brand and product name changes. School name changes can confuse or deceive consumers and infringe or dilute competitor schools' marks. Adopting a new name often necessitates that a school abandon a prior name that has acquired extensive goodwill, to the detriment of past, current, and future students. Renaming may deeply harm alumni, who serve as not only their alma maters' consumers but, arguably, as "products" that bear the schools' marks. This essay identifies and explores the intellectual property issues that university renaming raises and the trademark ramifications for schools, their competitors, the public, and -- most importantly -- their students and alumni.


The action of adrenaline, ephedrine, tyramine and acetylcholine on the tone of the alimentary canal of the earthworm is considered in relation to the effects of nerve stimulation described in a previous paper. The similarity between the effect of the drugs and nerve action indicates that the antagonistic groups of nerves which indirectly influence the tone of the gut are probably oholinergic and adrenergic. The indication of cholinergic nerves is confirmed by further, more direct, experimental evidence. The remarkable similarity which has been shown to exist between the type of indirect control of the gut in the earthworm and vertebrates is thus extended. The results of the experiments are considered in relation to those described by workers on other Invertebrates, and significant indications of a type of chemical transmission in earthworm remarkable in its similarity to that seen in vertebrates are described.


'Guy Deutscher is that rare beast, an academic who talks good sense about linguistics...he argues in a playful and provocative way, that our mother tongue does indeed affect how we think and, just as important, how we perceive the world' - "Observer". Does language reflect the culture of a society? Is our mother-tongue a lens through which we perceive the world? Can different languages lead their speakers to different thoughts? In "Through the Language Glass", acclaimed author Guy Deutscher will convince you that, contrary to the fashionable academic consensus of today, the answer to all these questions is - yes. A delightful amalgam of cultural history and popular science, this book explores some of the most fascinating and controversial questions about language, culture and the human mind.


For thousands of years, animal hairs have been merely considered as textile fibers with outstanding performances such as excellent elasticity and thermal insulation. Only recently, we have obtained indications that animal hair may be a smart natural material which displays shape memory (SM) effects responsive to four types of stimuli: heat, water, redox agents and UV-light. These smart functions of animal hair are found to be the result of its three structural components: crystals, and hydrogen (HB) and disulfide (DB) bonds among its intra- and inter-macromolecules. In this paper, camel hair was employed as one typical animal hair to investigate the SM abilities under four types of stimuli, in which the HBs were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and the DBs by Raman spectroscopy, while the Tg and crystal structure of camel hair were determined using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The shape fixation and recovery ratios were determined using an Instron tensile tester with an environmental chamber. It was discovered that the crystals in hair remain intact under the four stimuli, indicating their role as netpoints for hair SM. Under the stimuli of water and heat, the DBs of hair were characterized as unchangeable, whereas the HBs were found to vary under dry and wet conditions, indicating the roles of DBs as netpoints and HBs as switch units. For UV-light, HBs and crystals were found to be invariable and DBs were converted into thiol groups under a UV stimulus. With a redox agent containing reductant ions and aqueous molecules, it was found that DBs and HBs both worked as switch units and crystals acted as netpoints. Thus, the SM mechanism of animal hair was modelled through a twin-netpoint-switch structure. Beneficially, this natural insight can help to inspire applications for making synthetic materials with smarter functions for more environmental adaptability and impactful applications.


The Barbados Marine Reserve (BMR) is a 2.2 km 2 no-take marine reserve occuppying one of the most intensely used and impacted sections of the coast and comprises four zones: Scientific, Northern Watersports, Recreational, Southern Watersports. Establishment of the BMR in 1981 did little to change the de facto marine resource governance regime for the area. There was minimal consultation of stakeholders in determining the zoning and regulations. Fishers were negatively impacted, and no user group derived significant benefits from the reserve. A mandate to maximise revenues led the National Conservation Commission (NCC), responsible for BMR management, to virtually abandon the reserve. Efforts to spur institutional change were not effective, because of the centralized authority of the NCC and the belief that the BMR could not generate revenue. In 1998, the Government initiated a study to reform marine resource governance within the BMR and adjacent areas. Stakeholder consultation revealed complex patterns of use in the area. Recommendations, adopted by the Government in March, 2001 included establishing a broader Marine Protected Area (MPA) along an expanded coastline (from 2.6 km to 9.5 km) with seven types of management zones, and renaming the area as the Folkestone Marine Managed Area. Also proposed was a Marine Management Area Authority, within the Ministry of the Environment's Coastal Zone Management Unit, to designate and manage MPA's.


In spite of significant improvement in technology and hygienic practices at all stages of poultry production foodborne diseases remains a persistent threat to human and animal health. The loss of consumer confidence and trust in the quality and safety of poultry meat and poultry products remain a major challenge for all people involved in poultry business. Furthermore, the use and misuse of antibiotics cause staidly increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is a continuous public health hazard. Currently discussions in several developing related animal production and their influences on environmental protection as well as animal welfare are ongoing. Generally, the main strategy to control food borne infections in poultry should include: monitoring, cleaning the production pyramid from the top especially of vertically transmitted microorganism such as Salmonella by culling infected breeder flocks, hatching egg sanitation and limiting introduction and spread of infections at the farm level through effective hygienic measures in poultry farms, their environment and their feed. Reducing bacterial colonization by using feed additives, competitive exclusion or use of vaccines are further possibilities. Additionally, intensive and sustained rodent control is essential and needs to be well planned and routinely performed. Also, an effective education programs must be implemented for the farm workers to increase public awareness of the necessary measures to be taken for protection against foodborne contamination of food products.


A document describes cryogenic test architecture for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) integrated science instrument module (ISIM). The ISIM element primarily consists of a mechanical metering structure, three science instruments, and a fine guidance sensor. One of the critical optomechanical alignments is the co-registration of the optical telescope element (OTE) exit pupil with the entrance pupils of the ISIM instruments. The test architecture has been developed to verify that the ISIM element will be properly aligned with the nominal OTE exit pupil when the two elements come together. The architecture measures three of the most critical pupil degrees-of-freedom during optical testing of the ISIM element. The pupil measurement scheme makes use of specularly reflective pupil alignment references located inside the JWST instruments, ground support equipment that contains a pupil imaging module, an OTE simulator, and pupil viewing channels in two of the JWST flight instruments. Pupil alignment references (PARs) are introduced into the instrument, and their reflections are checked using the instrument's mirrors. After the pupil imaging module (PIM) captures a reflected PAR image, the image will be analyzed to determine the relative alignment offset. The instrument pupil alignment preferences are specularly reflective mirrors with non-reflective fiducials, which makes the test architecture feasible. The instrument channels have fairly large fields of view, allowing PAR tip/tilt tolerances on the order of 0.5deg.


This study examines a range of cross-border infrastructure development issues related to the Asian countries. Despite active pursuit of private investment in infrastructure by most developing countries in Asia and a growing number of success stories, the pace of such investment remains slow. Participation by the private sector in infrastructure development has been mixed. While there has been moderate progress in national infrastructure development by the private sector, progress is rather limited in the case of development of cross-border infrastructure in Asia. This study documents that Asian countries have attracted higher private sector investment for the development of national infrastructure projects such as seaports and airports as compared to cross-border infrastructure projects. The rising trend among private investors in infrastructure projects indicates a decline of investments by developed country investors. One of the findings of this study is that cross-border energy projects have received greater private sector investment globally as compared to transport, telecommunication, and water projects. In the context of Asia, too, energy sector projects still dominate the investment scenario. By considering all modes of financing, this study finds that cross-border infrastructure financing in Asia has witnessed an upward trend in the last decade and a half. Aside from hydropower projects in Bhutan, cross-border infrastructure in Asia is pursued through public-private partnerships. Interestingly, these few cross-border projects in Asia have limited private sector investors, compared to other regions, despite a wide base of local investors in Asia. This paper also shows that public sector investment drives cross-border energy and transportation projects in Asia, whereas private sector investments have picked up the pace only recently, specifically after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. This study recommends that given the huge infrastructure investment needs of the region and insufficient government resources, the role of the private sector and public-private partnerships in enhancing infrastructure facilities in Asia is very crucial. A review of select case studies of cross-border infrastructure projects clearly indicates that the major reasons for slow progress of regional infrastructure development by private sector stem from both economic to non-economic issues that need to be addressed in order to promote seamless Asia.


We present for the first time in the literature a quantitative analysis of the efficacy of the "political safeguards of federalism." We also test the popular theory that congressional control of state authority to tax maximizes national welfare. Both analyses rely on a hand-collected data set of every federal statute to date affecting state power to tax. Overall, our data suggest that federal decisions to curtail state autonomy are strongly influenced by congressional self-interest. Conditional on enactment, statutes affecting state taxing power are more likely to reduce state authority when a concentrated special interest group stands to benefit, and also when the reduction would reduce competition between states and Congress. While this outcome certainly does not resolve the debate over judicial enforcement of federalism, it should significantly advance that debate. At a minimum, we show that state power to influence Congress is not absolute, and state influence in fact fails under conditions similar to those in which critics of the safeguards theory have predicted that state influence would fail. Additionally, we argue that our results cast significant doubt on recent calls to give control of state taxing authority solely to Congress.


The digital workplace is widely acknowledged as an important organizational asset for optimizing knowledge worker productivity. While there is no particular research stream on the digital workplace, scholars have conducted intensive research on related topics. This study aims to summarize the practical implications of the current academic body of knowledge on the digital workplace. For this purpose, a screening of academic-practitioner literature was conducted, followed by a systematic review of academic top journal literature. The screening revealed four main research topics on the digital workplace that are present in academic-practitioner literature: 1) Collaboration, 2) Compliance, 3) Mobility, and 4) Stress and overload. Based on the four topics, this study categorizes practical implications on the digital workplace into 15 concepts. Thereby, it provides two main contributions. First, the study delivers condensed information for practitioners about digital workplace design. Second, the results shed light on the relevance of IS research.


We have studied the effects of ion implantation in GaAs using the techniques of deep-level transient spectroscopy. Samples included an unimplanted epitaxial buffer layer, a sample implanted directly into that buffer layer and then capped with Si3N4, a sample implanted into that buffer layer through a similar cap, and a sample implanted directly into a semi-insulating substrate and then capped. All implants were with Si29 and both types of implant were annealed at 860°C for fifteen minutes. We find that the total density of deep levels is not changed significantly by direct implantation, capping and annealing but that implantation through a cap greatly in creases the total deep-level concentration. Deep levels found in implanted layers after capping and annealing are primarily characteristic of the substrate or buffer layer into which the implantation is made, unless the implant is through a cap in which case contaminants from the capping process may be evident at high densities.


LNE is developing a MEtrological ChARacterization of Nanomaterials (CARMEN) platform to offer a complete supply of main parameter measurements characterizing a nano-object (size, shape, polydispersity, agglomeration/aggregation state, surface charges, specific charges. . . ). Other physical properties such local electrical measurements will be able to be performed on nanodevices. This platform aims to establish tracability routes, define measurement protocols and sampling methods. The uncertainties associated with measurements will offer to users an optimum confidence level. Instrumentation is put in a clean room within a controlled environment (temperature, humidity, vibration. . . ). Thanks to this platform, LNE will be able to help manufacturers and laboratories to meet to the governmental requests concerning the mandatory declaration of nanosubstances as described in the French decree number 2012-232, dated the 17th on February, 2012 (JORF number 0043 on 19th February 2012). Furthermore, this platform will make it possible to support the teams involved in the toxicological investigations linked to nanomaterials.


Natural growth and maturation have been demonstrated to influence movement competency,
strength, and power performance in males. However, little is known with regards to how
maturational status influences these athletic qualities follow short- and long-term training
responsiveness. Most screening tools for assessing movement competency in youth are
extensive and require analysis of multiple movements which tends to be impractical for
strength and conditioning coaches. Analysis of a single multi-joint movement pattern such as
the back-squat is likely a more impactful and practical method to assess movement
competency in youth. Previous research on strength and power performance in youth often
assess singular external measures such as one repetition max (1RM) or jump height. Little
data exists regarding the strength and power kinetics in youth athletes and how they alter
through growth and maturation. Reporting changes to force-time data from performance tests
which assess a wide range of kinetic variables can help develop a greater understanding of
maturation's role in training. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the
interaction between natural growth and maturation with short- and long-term adaptations to
movement competency and strength and power kinetics in youth male athletes.
Study 1 examined the effects of a 4-week neuromuscular training program on movement
competency in pre- and post- peak height velocity (PHV) males using the back-squat
assessment (BSA). Significant within-group improvements in movement competency were
made by both the pre- (5.0 to 3.0, ES = 0.48) and post-PHV (2.0 to 1.0, ES = 0.58) cohorts.
Additionally, intra-rater reliability was tested by rating BSA total score across three separate
sessions. Intra-class correlations (ICC) revealed very strong agreement for BSA total score in
pre- (ICC ≥ 0.81) and post-PHV (ICC ≥ 0.97) groups across all sessions, but systematic bias
4
was evident in the pre-PHV group for sessions 1 to 2. Study 2 examined the maturational
differences between pre-, circa-, and post-PHV male athletes in movement competency,
isometric strength, and dynamic jump power. Increased maturity led to significant, moderate
to large increases in allometrically scaled peak force (PFallo) in the isometric and dynamic
tests but only a small increase in BSA total score. Trends from the kinetic force-time
variables indicate the largest differences in strength and power likely occur around the
adolescent growth spurt. Study 3 investigated the training response of a 12-week
neuromuscular training program on isometric and dynamic kinetic force-time variables in
pre- and post-PHV males. There were significant increases in isometric peak force and peak
rate of force development by the post-PHV group, while the pre-PHV group improved in the
concentric force-time variables within the dynamic jump tests. Findings indicate that
responsiveness to short-term training differs between males of different maturity groups for
isometric strength and dynamic power tests. Study 4 investigated how a twice- and once weekly training frequency during a 6-month combined training intervention affects
movement competency, strength, and power in male athletes. A twice-weekly training
frequency resulted in superior gains to movement competency, isometric strength, and
concentric jump performance over once-weekly training. The overall findings of this thesis
highlight that training responsiveness to short- and long-term interventions varies across
stages of maturation but significant improvements in movement competency and force generating abilities for isometric strength and dynamic jump performance are modifiable at
all developmental stages.


Rapid development of fish mariculture and efforts to restock depleted populations have raised concerns about the effects on wild populations and the risk of genetic introgression from hybridisation. Reproduction of many marine fish species involves substantial vertical movements, but nothing is known of the vertical dynamics of farmed fish in spawning shoals. We combined laboratory observations and field biotelemetry to examine the depth-related reproductive behaviour and vertical dynamics of individual farmed and wild Atlantic cod Gadus morhua (L). We first tested the prediction that the depth distributions of male and female wild cod differ both in the laboratory and in the field. We then tested the prediction that farmed cod have a shallower depth distribution than wild cod and thus lack the sex-based vertical dynamics of wild cod. In both the laboratory and field, male farmed and wild fish tended to be located deeper than females, and wild fish were deeper than farmed fish. In the field, wild males were near the seafloor, considerably deeper than wild females and farmed fish. Residency on the spawning ground was longer for wild fish, but a substantial proportion (61%) of farmed fish remained for more than 3 d. Our study reinforces the idea that vertical dynamics play a key role in reproduction of an important fisheries species, and demonstrates clear differences in vertical distribution between farmed and wild fish on a spawning ground. The results suggest that escaped farmed cod, and in particular, farmed females, are likely to hybridise with wild cod.


The LANdroids project requires robots to autonomously localize, track, and follow (a task also known as tethering) other robots or humans in an unknown environment with limited sensing abilities. In this paper, we present a localization and tethering approach that relies solely on wireless signal strength and robot odometry without requiring any known reference points in the domain. We introduce a data-driven, probabilistic model that maps received signal strength (RSS) values to real-world distance distributions and embed this model in a grid-based localization algorithm that successfully performs the LANdroids tethering task. We furthermore show, that it is possible to improve localization through the addition of a compass sensor and inter-robot information sharing.


We develop an algebraic theory for the observational equivalence of concurrent constraint programs which identifies processes which have the same final results for all possible executions.


The Global Competitiveness Index reveals that Hong Kong's relative underperformance compared to Singapore is because it has lagged behind in boosting local innovation and performed less satisfactorily in technological advancement. This can be regarded as a result of inadequate government support. The Hong Kong government's stubborn belief in its tax system prevents it from making a timely response to the changing environment. A global trend of providing generous tax incentives has made the tax system in Hong Kong less competitive in boosting and attracting investment into innovation. What can Hong Kong learn from experience elsewhere? This article explores the necessity of adopting research and development (R&D) tax incentives to spur innovation and achieve the technological advancement the Hong Kong government desires. The introduction of the R&D tax incentives in Hong Kong proposed in this article may present an opportunity for Hong Kong to keep up with the global trend of prioritising innovation.


In this article, I explore relationships between suffering and the production of fashionable clothes. In the commercial struggle for survival many fashionable styles are discarded while some remain durable due to their adaptability to new trends and creative ideas. The aim of the research was to investigate how suffering initiates these changes in the creative process of fashion design. This was examined through a number of methodologies, which included object-based research and ethnography. The research findings indicate that suffering within the fashion industry can be a positive attribute. It can influence the way clothes are produced and the skills necessary to produce them. A model depicting the connection between suffering and fashion is posited as a tentative theory suggesting there is a spiral relationship in that changes in fashion production and consumption resulting from suffering evolve into a spiral of further suffering impacting on the future of fashion design and manufacture.


Knowledge of medical-related terminology and communication skills are essential for multinational partners participating in a wide variety of missions - combat, stabilization, humanitarian support and natural disaster relief. In case of injures and sickness they need to know basic medical terminology in English to evaluate the situation, arrange for MEDEVAC or coordinate health services. Although the First aid and MEDEVAC topics are included into many language training programs, participants are unable to use health-related vocabulary in challenging situations due to the lack of language practice and limited training time.
The purpose of the study was to identify specific needs of the multinational partners in medical terminology, explore a range of technology-enhanced language learning strategies for vocabulary extension and refreshing, and suggest a framework for medical terminology assistance based on mobile learning.
 The study started with needs analysis to reveal specific language gaps and challenges in use of common medical terminology that may be addressed by individual mobile learning. It was intended to identify typical communication situations and vocabulary that should be addressed. Native and non-native English speakers from 14 NATO and partner countries (officers and civilians) who had participated in stability operations and other missions around the world were interviewed and answered questionnaire. Additionally, 5 instructors who teach medical and health-related English to future mission participants were interviewed.
As a result, three main areas of vocabulary were identified: parts of body, injuries and other health issues (feelings, symptoms), and medical assets/devices used for first aid and healthcare prescriptions. Most typical communication situations were related to car accidents, MEDEVAC calls, taking a person to the hospital, and writing a report about the accident.
To identify the best way of exploiting mobile learning for language assistance to the multinational partners we focused on clarifying differences between e-learning and m-learning and identifying specific features of m-learning that may be beneficial and even unique in supporting terminology acquisition for the multinational audience.
Early research in m-learning emphasized limitations of the mobile devices, such as size of the display, reduced input, small memory, abridged or specific OS version, and lack of standards, which positioned m-learning as a specific case of e-learning. However, rapid evolution of mobile technologies, their recent features, including efficient and reliable tactile display, automated adjustment of the resolution and the like, put m-learning on an equal footing with e-learning. Moreover, as distribution of mobile devices significantly exceeds the number of personal computers, and "digital native" generation uses these devices extensively not only for communication but also for accessing information on the web, mobile access to e-learning content may increase several times in the near future.
M-learning is perceived to be more flexible, more personalized, more interactive, and more engaging. Due to smaller portions of content and shorter learning session times, m-learning becomes a natural activity during transfer or waiting periods. Moreover, continuous use of the personal mobile device appeals to personalization of learning content through contextual and learning history relevancy. Integrating learning, communication, information exchange and assistance, mobile device became a natural enhancer/extender of the individuals' capabilities.
Extensive study of the literature on vocabulary learning strategies and their computer-based implementation suggested a range of learning activities useful for vocabulary acquisition. However, not all of them promise to be efficient in this specific case, as they do not address individual difficulties and initial vocabulary, short intervals of time that may be devoted to learning, limited attention to language learning due to other priorities, lack of translation to mother language. Moreover, most of the widely used vocabulary extension activities are reading-based, whereas video and audio samples are not properly tagged for share and reuse in vocabulary refreshing. Game-based and context-driven vocabulary acquisition strategies raise learning motivation but their efficiency comparing to memorization-based approach has not been measured.
In the final part of the study, requirements to the mobile learning environment for medical terminology support are formulated and examples of language learning activities for mobile devices are described.


In this report, we present a study of using nitrogen‐doped graphene as the air electrode of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT‐SOFCs) operating at 350 °C or lower. Three graphene derivatives were prepared through hydrothermal reactions and their electrochemical performance and material properties were characterized in the temperature range of 225–350 °C in atmospheric air. Nitrogen‐doped graphene was found to exhibit a decent air electrode performance comparable to a porous Pt electrode aged for 8 h at 350 °C, but only for a limited time. After ∼10 h of operation at 350 °C, the electrode performance degraded significantly due to carbon oxidation. However, alternative routes of synthesizing/doping graphene derivatives are expected to improve the viability of using these materials as a practical high temperature air electrode.


Deep generative models have been praised for their ability to learn smooth latent representation of images, text, and audio, which can then be used to generate new, plausible data. However, current generative models are unable to work with molecular graphs due to their unique characteristics—their underlying structure is not Euclidean or grid-like, they remain isomorphic under permutation of the nodes labels, and they come with a different number of nodes and edges. In this paper, we propose NeVAE, a novel variational autoencoder for molecular graphs, whose encoder and decoder are specially designed to account for the above properties by means of several technical innovations. In addition, by using masking, the decoder is able to guarantee a set of valid properties in the generated molecules. Experiments reveal that our model can discover plausible, diverse and novel molecules more effectively than several state of the art methods. Moreover, by utilizing Bayesian optimization over the continuous latent representation of molecules our model finds, we can also find molecules that maximize certain desirable properties more effectively than alternatives.


Recent data indicate that hypercholesterolemia increases endothelial superoxide anion (.O2-) production, and that this diminishes the bioactivity of nitric oxide produced in the endothelium. Probucol, a drug commonly employed for treatment of hypercholesterolemia, has antioxidant properties and inhibits oxidation of low density lipoproteins in vitro. We tested the hypothesis that probucol would decrease vascular .O2- production and improve endothelium-dependent relaxations in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Rabbits were divided into four groups: 1) a control group fed a standard diet; 2) a probucol group fed a standard diet containing 0.3% probucol; 3) a hypercholesterolemic group fed a diet containing 0.5% cholesterol; 4) a hypercholesterolemia-probucol group fed a diet containing 0.5% cholesterol and 0.3% probucol. The cholesterol-rich diet markedly increased plasma total cholesterol level and lipid peroxidation in the plasma, as reflected by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). This concentration of probucol did not lower plasma cholesterol, but markedly reduced TBARS in the plasma of cholesterol-fed rabbits. Aortic segments from cholesterol-fed rabbits produced 1.8-fold more .O2- (assessed by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence) and decreased endothelium-dependent vascular relaxations to acetylcholine compared to vessels from normal rabbits. In cholesterol-fed rabbits, probucol treatment normalized both .O2- production and endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine. In control rabbits, probucol had no effect on either of these parameters. We conclude that probucol treatment may prevent .O2(-)-induced inactivation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide and reduce vascular oxidant stress via reducing the level of .O2-.


This paper argues that n-words in French are ambiguous between negative quantifiers and bipolar items, which are a type of polar sensitive items that must occur in the contexts that license both negative and positive polarity items. The ambiguity thesis is basically in line with Herbuger's (2001) analysis of n-words in Spanish, but diverts from it in that she argues them to be lexically ambiguous between negative quantifiers and negative polarity items. I will show that the difference between n-words in French and n-words in Spanish falls out from the difference with respect to the structural position of sentential negation. Also, I will suggest a way of deriving the semantic ambiguity of n-words from a single underlying lexical entry.


GIVEN its high population density, coupled with the demanding environmental standards enforced by the Environmental Protection Department, it is not surprising that Hong Kong served as the incubator for our process to remove ammonia from wastewater. What has resulted is a novel thermal ammonia stripping technology, which has low operating costs, high standards, and a small footprint. Since 1997, the technology has been applied to both leachate from landfill sites, as well as the side-stream flows from an anaerobic digester (AD). While highly focussed on the needs of Hong Kong, the technology is gaining momentum in other countries, where environmental compliance is a serious issue to address. It is also moving from leachate cleanup applications into AD. To many engineers not involved with AD, the problems caused by ammonia may come as a surprise. It is well known that ammonia is toxic to fish and humans (sniff that floor cleaner if in doubt), so it should not be unexpected that many bacteria are similarly distressed.


This work extends my previous work on link prediction in Social Networks. In this research, I used two additional datasets, Twitter dataset and Facebook Social Circles Dataset and I ran link prediction methods on these datasets. In my previous work, I performed experiment on the Facebook dataset and proposed two new link prediction methods: Neighbors Connectivity and Common Neighbors of Neighbors (CNN). As in my previous work, in this work, I ran the link prediction methods for several training and testing sizes. Results showed that For Facebook dataset, random had the highest precision, followed by Neighbors Connectivity, then Preferential Attachment, followed by Jaccard/CC, Adamic-Adar, finally CNN. For Twitter dataset, random achieved the highest precision. Preferential Attachment achieved the next highest precision, and Adamic-Adar achieved the least precision. For Facebook Social Circles dataset, Preferential-Attachment achieved the highest precision of 1.08891 followed by random for a training and testing sizes of (1535, 2504) respectively. That is said with slight variation on the orders depending on the training and testing size. The low precision values achieved with Facebook and Twitter datasets are due to the graph types which are sparse as indicated in the datasets websites which confirms Kleinberg finding. Keywords—Social networks; link prediction; comparison; experiment


Cu2Se, Cu2Te and Ag-overstoichiometric compounds Cu1.98Ag0.2Se and Cu1.98Ag0.2Te were prepared by melting, annealing, followed by spark plasma sintering compaction. Low and high temperature thermoelectric properties were investigated by measuring the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity and Hall coefficient between 2 K and 900 K. Structural analyses were performed by PXRD and SEM-EDX analyses. The Hall and Seebeck coefficients show that holes are the dominant carrier in all compounds. High temperature α–β phase transition in Cu2Se and Cu1.98Ag0.2Se between 350 and 400 K and multiple phase transitions (α–β, β–γ, γ–δ, δ–∈) in Cu2Te and Cu1.98Ag0.2Te between 350 K and 900 K were observed in measurements of heat capacity, temperature dependent PXRD data, and transport coefficients. Low temperature transport measurements (Hall coefficient, electrical conductivity, carrier mobility) strongly suggest the presence of yet another phase transition in Cu2Se, Cu1.98Ag0.2Se, and Cu1.98Ag0.2Te compounds at temperatures between 85 K and 115 K, reported here for the first time. Based on the transport data and structural analysis we conclude that doping Cu2Se and Cu2Te by Ag reduces the density of holes and strongly suppresses the thermal conductivity not only due to a smaller electronic contribution but also due to enhanced point defect scattering of phonons that reduces the lattice portion of the thermal conductivity. Moreover, the phase transition temperature is shifted to lower temperatures upon doping with Ag. The presence of Ag enhances thermoelectric performance of Cu2Te at all temperatures and Cu2Se benefits from Ag doping over a broad range of temperatures up to 700 K. The maximum ZT value of 1.2 at 900 K; 0.52 at 650 K; 0.29 at 900 K; and 1.0 at 900 K were achieved for Cu2Se, Cu1.98Ag0.2Se, Cu2Te and Cu1.98Ag0.2Te, respectively, between 2 K and 900 K.


Recently, the potential role of metal–organic framework (MOFs) and porous coordination polymers (PCPs) has been recognized in the field of air quality management (AQM) due to their intrinsically tunable chemical structure and multifunctional properties which afforded significant enhancements in adsorption capacities, catalytic degradation, and removal of diverse airborne pollutants and other vapors. A diverse range of MOFs was investigated for separation, capture, and storage of greenhouse gases and other pollutants (including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur compounds, and chemical warfare agents (CWAs)). It should however be noted that some drawbacks of MOFs are also found such as: poor selectivity, high energy and fiscal cost, low capacity, and difficulties in regeneration. Here, we provide an up-to-date review on the promising role of MOFs in the field of AQM in relation to the diverse available synthesis methods. As such, we hope to provide future directions such that MOFs/PCPs can make a bright contribution to air quality control.


The present study was conducted to investigate possible interpretation discourse level effects of processing instruction and re-exposure to processing instruction on the acquisition of a specific feature of the Japanese linguistics system: namely Japanese passive forms. Processing instruction is a type of focus on form which is framed around the input processing theoretical framework. In order to carry out this investigation two separate experimental studies were conducted. All participants were native English speakers and were randomly assigned to two groups. In both experimental studies, one group received processing instruction which involved an explicit instruction component and structured input practice directed at altering the way L2 learners process input; the other group was used as a control group and received no instruction. Interpretation and production sentence level tasks, and discourse level tasks were used to measure performance after a one day instruction. A pre-test/post-test design was adopted to collect data in both studies. In the second experimental study, the processing instruction group received a re-exposure treatment between the post-test and the delayed post-test.

Based on previous research carried out on the effectiveness of processing instruction, it was hypothesised that processing instruction would have positive effects on the accuracy with which subjects interpreted and produced sentences containing Japanese passive forms.
A further hypothesis was that the effects of re-exposure to the processing instruction treatment (after the first post-test) would further improve subjects ability to interpret and produce sentences containing Japanese passive forms.

A set of two hypotheses were formulated on possible interpretation discourse effects for processing instruction. It was hypothesised that the group receiving processing instruction would improve in its ability to interpret discourse (guided recall: dialogue and story version) containing Japanese passive forms, and that learners in this group, receiving re-exposure to the processing instruction treatment would further improve in their ability to interpret discourse containing Japanese passive forms.

Overall the statistical analyses carried out on the raw scores of all the measures used supported the four hypotheses of this study. The results obtained in this research provide clear evidence that processing instruction has positive effects on the acquisition of Japanese passive construction. The present study showed that processing instruction was successful in altering the way in which learners processed the input and its effects had also an impact on the way learners produced Japanese passive construction forms. The main findings of the present study also provided new evidence on the effectiveness of processing instruction in improving learners' performance on interpretation discourse level tasks. In addition to this, it also provides new evidence that learners receiving re-exposure to the processing instruction treatment between a post-test and a delayed post-test can further improve in their ability to interpret and produce the target feature at sentence level and interpret the target feature at discourse level.

The results obtained in the two studies have implications at two levels. At the theoretical level this research provides further support for the role that input processing plays in SLA. At the pedagogical level it demonstrates the effectiveness of processing instruction on the acquisition of a different linguistic feature of the Japanese grammar system (passive forms), not only on an interpretation and production sentence level task but also on an interpretation discourse level task. It also demonstrated the important role of a re-exposure instructional treatment.


Plants have been shown to be an excellent source of new drugs, including anticancer agents. Rhus coriaria, commonly known as sumac, a plant that is known to possess different therapeutic values including anti-oxidant and anti-microbial activities. Here, we investigated the anti-cancer effect of R. coriaria on triple negative MDA-MB-231 cell line. We demonstrated that Rhus coriaria ethanolic extract (RCE) inhibits the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cell line in a timeand concentrationdependent manner. RCE induced senescence and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Moreover, no proliferative recovery was detected after RCE removal. Annexin V staining and PARP cleavage analysis revealed a minimal induction of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Autophagy vacuoles were detected along with autophagy markers. Interestingly, blocking autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or chloroquine (CQ) reduced RCE-induced cell death and senescence. Finally, RCE induced DNA damage, an event that was found to precede autophagy. Hence, altogether, these findings make Rhus coriaria a promising alternative candidate against breast cancer.


This paper presents a fast Super-Resolution (SR) algorithm based on a selective patch processing. Motivated by the observation that some regions of images are smooth and unfocused and can be properly upscaled with fast interpolation methods, we locally estimate the probability of performing a degradation-free upscaling. Our proposed framework explores the usage of supervised machine learning techniques and tackles the problem using binary boosted tree classifiers. The applied upscaler is chosen based on the obtained probabilities: (1) A fast upscaler (e.g. bicubic interpolation) for those regions which are smooth or (2) a linear regression SR algorithm for those which are ill-posed. The proposed strategy accelerates SR by only processing the regions which benefit from it, thus not compromising quality. Furthermore all the algorithms composing the pipeline are naturally parallelizable and further speed-ups could be obtained.


This article examines the rights of spouses within the marriage relationship in the general law of Sri Lanka, with the intention of drawing some conclusions on how the law views the roles of husband and wife. Only two aspects of marriage will be considered - the decision-making process and the financial rights and duties of the spouses. In the article the author examines those decisions that affect the spouses themselves and then go on to consider the more significant ones that affect the children of the marriage. The financial aspects of the relationship are treated in a similar manner. Although there are other aspects of the marriage that would allow us an insight into the nature of this relationship they are not pursued in this study. Both South African and Sri Lankan authorities and case law are presented since both jurisdictions share a common legal heritage in the Roman-Dutch law. In addition, the recent developments in South Africa, in so far as they represent an extension or development of the Roman-Dutch law, would be highly persuasive in the Sri Lankan courts.


Soon after their formation, the terrestrial planets experienced intense impact bombardment by comets, leftover planetesimals from primary accretion, and asteroids. This temporal interval in solar system evolution, termed late accretion, thermally and chemically modified solid planetary surfaces and may have impeded life's emergence on the Hadean (pre-3850 Ma) Earth. The sources and tempo of bombardment, however, remain obscure. Here we present a timeline that relates variably retentive radiometric ages documented from asteroidal meteorites to new dynamical models that invoke an early episode of planetesimal-driven giant planet migration after the dispersal of the protoplanetary disk. Reconciliation of geochronological data with dynamical models shows that such giant planet migration should lead to an intense ∼30 Myr influx of comets to the entire solar system manifested in radiometric age data. The absence of wholesale crustal reset ages after ∼4450 Ma for the most resilient chronometers from Earth, Moon, Mars, 4 Vesta, and various meteorite parent bodies confines the onset of giant planet migration to ca. 4480 Ma. Waning impacts continue to strike the inner planets through a protracted monotonic decline in impactor flux, in agreement with predictions from crater chronology. New global 3D thermal analytical bombardment models derived from our revised impact mass-production functions show also that persistent niches for prebiotic chemistry leading to the emergence of life on the early Hadean Earth could endure late accretion since at least about 4400 million years ago.


Distributed real-time database systems demand consistency and timeliness. One approach for this problem is eventual consistency which guarantees local consistency within predictable time. Global consistency can be reached by best effort mechanisms but for some scenarios, e.g. an alarm signal, this may not be suffcient. Bounded delay replication, which provides global consistency in bounded time, ensures that after the local commit of a transaction updates are propagated to and integrated at any remote node within bounded time. The DRTS group at the University of Skovde is working on a project called DeeDS, which is a distributed real-time database prototype. In this prototype, eventual consistency with as soon as possible (ASAP) replication is implemented. The goal of this dissertation is to further develop replication in this prototype in coexistence to the existing eventual consistency which implies the extension of both the theory and the implementation. The main issue with bounded time replication is to make all parts, which are involved in the replication process predictable and simultaneously support eventual consistency with as soon as possible replication.


Professor George L. Priest's writings have asserted over the years that expandedproducts liability lawforces manufacturers to sell insurance contracts in conjunction with goods and services, making consumer purchases more expensive than they are worth and reducing consumer welfare. In the last volume ofthis Journal, Steven P. Croley and Jon D. Hanson critically analyzed Professor Priest's work of recent years and argued that the expansion of tort liability has benefitted consumers even where it has forced the withdrawal of products and services from the market. Here, Professor Priest questions the conceptual and empirical claims behind Croley and Hanson's call for absolute liability. He presents an analysis of general aviation, a prominent product market heavily affected by the expansion ofliability, to underscore the authors' contrasting conceptions of efficiency in tort. In order to demonstrate the destructive effects of contemporary tort law, he adduces statistics that show a dramatic decline in general aircraft production despite a concurrent decline in the product accident rate. He suggests that significant analytical and empirical issues need to be addressed before Croley and Hanson's recommendation of absolute manufacturer liability can be adopted.


Kerala is famous for the speed with which its fertility has fallen over the decades. During the fertility transition Kerala's GDP per head and industrialisation have remained low, even compared with the rest of India. In general, explanations for this fertility decline have regarded Kerala as a homogeneous society and paid little attention to internal differences. However, fertility is low among the most socially and economically disadvantaged group in Kerala society, the scheduled castes, the former untouchables' of the traditional caste system. Thus, not only is fertility in Kerala low (1.96), but for scheduled castes it is even lower (1.52). This reversal of normal expectations is studied in the context of a scheduled caste community, the Vettuvans. The most important reason for the reversal of fertility was caste-system change triggered by land reform, Gulf migration, and democratisation of education in the state.


The medical field in recent years has been facing increasing pressures for lower cost and increased quality of health care. These two pressures are forcing dramatic changes throughout the industry. Managing knowledge in health care enterprises is hence crucial for optimal achievement of lowered cost of services with higher quality. The health care industry is increasingly becoming a knowledge-based community that depends critically on knowledge management (KM) activities to improve the quality of care. Utilizing knowledge management systems to manage medical information and health care knowledge to support the full spectrum of knowledge needs in all the departments of health care organizations cutting across many skilled professionals. Hence, the objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that integrates different processes, KM activities, and enabling information technology (IT) for designing good knowledge management system. The paper also focuses on technology and knowledge management aspects in a tertiary care hospital.


Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths worldwide. Age is an important risk factor. Cardiovascular ageing is characterised by a decline in cardiac function attributed to changes in ultrastructure and calcium homeostasis.
Typically, cellular ageing is studied longitudinally, by comparing young and old animals. These studies are effective, but expensive and time consuming. Recent work has shown that neuronal ageing can be acutely studied following incubation with hydroxyurea (HU) or D-galactose. To date, this chemically-induced ageing model has not been extended to cardiomyocytes. In this study, we induced ageing of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) using HU (cells were incubated with 50 or 500 µM HU for up to 7 days).
Using calcium imaging, we showed that HU treatment decreased the ability of cardiomyocytes to follow electrical pacing and increased the generation of alternans; known pro-arrhythmic behaviours. EM analysis revealed that HU treatment increased the appearance of autophagosomes, rough sarcoplasmic reticulum and gangliosides.
Our results indicate that prolonged incubation with HU evoked changes in the ultrastructure and calcium homeostasis of cardiomyocytes similar to those observed in naturally aged cells. We propose that chemically induced ageing provides a relevant model of cellular ageing, which can be applied acutely and inexpensively.


Convolutional neural network (CNN) models for computer vision are powerful but lack explainability in their most basic form. This deficiency remains a key challenge when applying CNNs in important domains. Recent work for explanations through feature importance of approximate linear models has moved from input-level features (pixels or segments) to features from mid-layer feature maps in the guise of concept activation vectors (CAVs). CAVs contain concept-level information and could be learnt via Clustering. In this work, we rethink the ACE algorithm of Ghorbani et~al., proposing an alternative concept-based explanation framework. Based on the requirements of fidelity (approximate models) and interpretability (being meaningful to people), we design measurements and evaluate a range of dimensionality reduction methods for alignment with our framework. We find that non-negative concept activation vectors from non-negative matrix factorization provide superior performance in interpretability and fidelity based on computational and human subject experiments. Our framework provides both local and global concept-level explanations for pre-trained CNN models.


Risto Miikkulainen draws on recent connectionist work in language comprehension to create a model that can understand natural language. Using the DISCERN system as an example, he describes a general approach to building high-level cognitive models from distributed neural networks and shows how the special properties of such networks are useful in modeling human performance. In this approach connectionist networks are not only plausible models of isolated cognitive phenomena, but also sufficient constituents for complete artificial intelligence systems.Distributed neural networks have been very successful in modeling isolated cognitive phenomena, but complex high-level behavior has been tractable only with symbolic artificial intelligence techniques. Aiming to bridge this gap, Miikkulainen describes DISCERN, a complete natural language processing system implemented entirely at the subsymbolic level. In DISCERN, distributed neural network models of parsing, generating, reasoning, lexical processing, and episodic memory are integrated into a single system that learns to read, paraphrase, and answer questions about stereotypical narratives.Miikkulainen's work, which includes a comprehensive survey of the connectionist literature related to natural language processing, will prove especially valuable to researchers interested in practical techniques for high-level representation, inferencing, memory modeling, and modular connectionist architectures. Risto Miikkulainen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.


Written by two experts in tax and investment planning, IRAs presents the different types of retirement plans that are affected by distribution rules. It covers the tax options available to individuals when they either change employers or retire and have to take all of their money out of the employer's qualified plan. The book also examines IRAs and the new Roth IRAs: how to take distributions from them, designate beneficiaries and avoid even more potential penalties.


A variant of the Adaptive Regional Input-Output model (ARIO) has been developed to explore the sensitivity of the London economy to loss of production capacity in sectors affected by climate change related damage. The model is designed for linking to an Event Accounting Matrix (EAM) produced by climate and engineering teams, and then follow this damage through direct and indirect losses in the economy during a recovery process that is either demand-led (in which recovery of production capacity takes place only as demand recovers) or investment-led (where recovery of production capacity can precede demand). Outputs from the model are used to assess the relative vulnerability of London's economy to production capacity (Capital stock) loss in each of the 42 economic sectors, for purposes of identifying where to most effectively allocate resources to climate change adaptation strategies or to recovery operations when used in conjunction with an EAM. Measures of impact related to GDP loss, recovery time and the ratio of indirect to direct losses are developed for these scenarios. Results show that indirect losses are a significant component of total losses, with a multiplier of between 1.3 and 2 depending on the scale of initial damage.


The political reshaping of Europe in 1989 implied a major strategic change for Denmark. At the same time, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent war involved European countries in a major conflict that represented a major shift in Denmark's understanding of its own security. In this study, Clive Archer explores the Danish debate about the future of its security in the light of the new situation in Europe in the early 1990s, and – to some extent – of the Gulf war.


The achievements of the Contel Technology Center's software-metrics project, which brought metrics use from concept to standard operating procedure throughout the corporation, are reviewed. Metrics and process maturity pilot projects, metrics tools, metric databases, and metric data analysis are discussed. The lessons learned from the project, which could help metrics programs in other large, diverse organizations, are also discussed.<<ETX>>


During the past decade, and in particular after the wet year 2002 and the dry year 2003, an increasing number of trees and stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Bavaria were showing symptoms typical for Phytophthora diseases: increased transparency and crown dieback, small-sized and often yellowish foliage, root and collar rot and aerial bleeding cankers up to stem heights of >20 m. Between 2003 and 2007 134 mature beech stands on a broad range of geological substrates were surveyed, and collar rot and aerial bleeding cankers were found in 116 (86.6%) stands. In most stands the majority of beech trees were declining and scattered or clustered mortality occurred. Bark and soil samples were taken from 314 trees in 112 stands, and 11 Phytophthora species were recovered from 253 trees (80.6%) in 104 stands (92.9%). The most frequent species were P. citricola, P. cambivora and P. cactorum. Primary Phytophthora lesions were soon infected by a series of secondary bark pathogens, including Nectria coccinea, and wood decay fungi. In addition, infected trees were often attacked by several bark and wood boring insects leading to rapid mortality. Bark necroses were examined for their probable age in order to determine whether the onset of the current Phytophthora epidemic was correlated to rainfall rates recorded at 22 Bavarian forest ecosystem monitoring stations. A small-scale survey in nine Bavarian nurseries demonstrated regular infestations of all beech fields with the same range of Phytophthora species. The results indicate that (1) Phytophthora species are regularly associated with beech decline and may also be involved in the complex of 'Beech Bark Disease', (2) excessive rainfalls and droughts are triggering the disease, and (3) widespread Phytophthora infestations of nursery stock might endanger current and future silvicultural projects aiming on the replacement of non-natural conifer stands by beech dominated mixed stands.


The virtual inability to open new hazardous waste management facilities in Canada and the United States stems directly from a form of community opposition so common and vehement that it is commonly identified as a syndrome: Not In My Back Yard (or NIMBY). Whether such facilities are proposed by governmental agencies or by private waste management firms, communities are usually shocked to learn that they have been selected to host these facilities and take collective action to thwart them. Such actions have blocked many poorly planned facilities and stimulated greater interest in preventive, waste reduction strategies. They have also, however, thwarted the adoption of new waste management technologies and created serious geographic inequities in the distribution of waste management responsibility across the two nations. "Beyond NIMBY" shows that certain siting strategies in Canadian provinces and American states have created successful siting agreements, broad public support, and comprehensive systems of waste management and prevention. These include continuous public involvement in waste policy deliberations, a commitment to pursue siting only among communities that volunteer after extended democratic dialogue, and extensive packages of economic compensation and assurances of safe, long-term facility management. Also important are guarantees that any new facility be part of a broader waste strategy for a particular province, state, or region and will not be allowed to become a magnet for wastes from areas that have not taken serious steps to address their own waste problems. The book concludes with the suggestion that these strategies can be applied to other NIMBY blocked proposals, such as siting for prisons, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and nursing homes.


Elevated pCO2 and warming are generally expected to influence cyanobacterial growth, and may promote the formation of blooms. Yet, both climate change factors may also influence cyanobacterial mortality by favoring pathogens, such as viruses, which will depend on the ability of the host to adapt. To test this hypothesis, we grew Plectonema boryanum IU597 under two temperature (25 and 29°C) and two pCO2 (400 and 800 μatm) conditions for 1 year, after which all treatments were re-exposed to control conditions for a period of 3 weeks. At several time points during the 1 year period, and upon re-exposure, we measured various infection characteristics of it associated cyanophage PP, including the burst size, latent period, lytic cycle and the efficiency of plaquing (EOP). As expected, elevated pCO2 promoted growth of P. boryanum equally over the 1 year period, but warming did not. Burst size increased in the warm treatment, but decreased in both the elevated pCO2 and combined treatment. The latent period and lytic cycle both became shorter in the elevated pCO2 and higher temperature treatment, and were further reduced by the combined effect of both factors. Efficiency of plaquing (EOP) decreased in the elevated pCO2 treatment, increased in the warm treatment, and increased even stronger in the combined treatment. These findings indicate that elevated pCO2 enhanced the effect of warming, thereby further promoting the virus infection rate. The re-exposure experiments demonstrate adaptation of the host leading to higher biomass build-up with elevated pCO2 over the experimental period, and lower performance upon re-exposure to control conditions. Similarly, virus burst size and EOP increased when given warm adapted host, but were lower as compared to the control when the host was re-exposed to control conditions. Our results demonstrate that adaptation but particularly physiological acclimation to climate change conditions favored viral infections, while limited host plasticity and slow adaptation after re-exposure to control conditions impeded host biomass build-up and viral infections.


Hypergraphs are important objects to model ternary or higher-order relations of objects, and have a number of applications in analysing many complex datasets occurring in practice. In this work we study a new heat diffusion process in hypergraphs, and employ this process to design a polynomial-time algorithm that approximately finds bipartite components in a hypergraph. We theoretically prove the performance of our proposed algorithm, and compare it against the previous state-of-the-art through extensive experimental analysis on both synthetic and real-world datasets. We find that our new algorithm consistently and significantly outperforms the previous state-of-the-art across a wide range of hypergraphs.


OBJECTIVES--The evaluation of the role of polymorphism within the class II encoded antigen processing genes, LMP2 and TAP, in susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS--Eighty five patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 35 B27 positive healthy controls, and 55 unrelated healthy controls were studied. TAP1 and TAP2 alleles were assigned by ARMS PCR, and LMP2 alleles were assigned by restriction enzyme digestion of a PCR product. RESULTS--The TAP1C allele was increased in the AS group (6%) compared with random controls (1%), p = 0.03 and TAP2E was increased in AS (3.5%) compared with random controls (0%), p = 0.05. However, the frequencies of these alleles were also increased in B27 matched controls. There were no differences in LMP2 allele or genotype frequencies between AS and either of the control groups. Partitioning of patients according to presence or absence of uveitis did not reveal any significant associations. CONCLUSIONS--Increases of the minor TAP alleles, 1C and 2E, in AS reflect linkage disequilibrium between these alleles and HLA-B27. Polymorphism of the class I antigen processing pathway does not contribute significantly to AS susceptibility nor to the development of anterior uveitis associated with AS.


Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the theoretical and practical skill levels of the general dental practitioners (GDPs) toward oral biopsy and to compare these results with other developed countries. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 Jordanian GDP from the 12 major governances of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were conveniently sampled and included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire that was specially designed to achieve the aims and objectives of this study. Results: Results demonstrated that a significant difference exists between the perceived theoretical knowledge related to oral biopsy and the clinical practical application of this knowledge among the participant dentists. Although 93.8% of the participants claim to have the ability to diagnose oral mucosal lesions, 91.4% recognize the diagnostic importance of oral biopsy and 67% know the indications of performing an oral biopsy, only 30.7% consider the oral biopsy as a diagnostic method to be used to reach a diagnosis of an oral mucosal lesion. Conclusions: A significant difference present between the theoretical information related to oral biopsy and the practical application of this information among the GDP.


Introduction Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) comprise a complex and diffuse set of behaviors which are essential for diagnosis, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical manual (DSM IV). Before the age of three years, the child will show delayed, or abnormal, functioning in social interaction, in language used in social communication, and in imaginative or symbolic play. The current article focuses mainly on the second of these deficits, that is an impairment in communication, although, of necessity, such an impairment will also involve the first of these problems (i.e. abnormal social interaction), as it is difficult to conceive of a problem in one of these areas that does not impact on the other. Moreover, the two processes, language and social interaction are intimately related to one another. In terms of impaired communication in those with ASC, this is indicated by one or more of the following behaviors (see DSM IV): (a) delayed or absent development of spoken language for which the patient doesn't try to compensate with gestures; (b) in person's who can speak, inadequate attempts to begin or sustain a conversation; (c) language that is repetitive, stereotyped or idiosyncratic; and (d) appropriate to developmental stage, absence of social imitative play or spontaneous, make believe play. A few children with ASC do not acquire speech at all. By the age of one year, most children can use simple one-syllable words, but about 50% of children with ASC cannot (Seligman et al., 2001). Those children with ASC who do acquire spoken language, often use language in unusual ways, for example, they may not combine words into meaningful sentences (Yapko, 2003), they may make high pitched sounds, or display echolalia, which is repeating a certain sentence, or word, over a period of time, is common in children with ASC (Yule & Rutter, 1987). For children with ASC who do acquire verbal skills, notably those who may display Asperger's syndrome, language can be 'overly' grammatical, and lacking in colloquialisms. For example, children with ASC tend to reverse the pronouns "I" and "You", and tend to refer to themselves by their name (Lee, Hobson, & Chiat, 1994). While most normal children often misuse the 'ing' rule at an early stage in their language development, children with ASC continue to make this error, even when they are much older (Wing, 1976). Some children with ASC who are only mildly affected may exhibit slight delays in language, but still have great difficulty sustaining a conversation. The 'give and take' of normal conversations is hard for them, although they often carry out a monologue on a favorite subject, giving no one else the opportunity to comment, to a greater extent than do typically developing children (National Institute of Mental Health, 2004). There have been many notable advances in the development in language using Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) techniques. These have been documented in many places previously (see Greer & Ross, 2007), and now form the basis of many ABA approaches to the treatment of ASC (e.g., Greer & Ross 2007). Such approaches have shown tremendous improvements in the ability of children with ASC to use words, to tact and mand, and to understand those words that are employed by adults and their peers. In recent review of the literature Makrygianni and Reed (2008) found an average effect size of approaching 1.0 in studies that have examined the impact of ABA programs on the receptive and expressive verbal ability of children with ASC. This suggests an average improvement of around 15 points on a standardized measure of linguistic ability, often over a period of around one to two years. Given the previous pessimistic prognosis for language use in such children, this improvement is highly impressive, and cause for optimism. However, while these studies may often show an improvement in the use of functional language, they do not necessarily show an improvement in the ability of the children with ASC to use language in a 'typical' manner - that is to say grammatically. …


Assessment of general risk posed from transgenic (T) animals is important to their future contributions to society. Identification of potentially harmful properties of transgenic livestock is the initial step in a risk assessment. We previously developed and characterized transgenic swine containing a mammary-specific transgene (bovine a-lactalbumin, bALAC) that results in increased milk production in sows. We are currently determining whether bALAC is expressed in tissues of T swine other than the lactating mammary gland and whether the transgene DNA (Tg) crosses into nontransgenic control (C) swine under various physiological and physical conditions. The specific aims addressed in the present study were to determine (1) whether the Tg can be transferred directly by physical association or contact; (2) whether the Tg can be transferred directly via mating; (3) whether the Tg can be transferred directly during gestation and parturition; and (4) whether the Tg can be transferred directly during lactation. The T animals utilized in these studies are in at least generation 10 and have stable incorporation of the Tg. Comparable age- and weight-matched animals, T and C, were housed together allowing general contact that is normal in swine production, for either 180, 220, or 250 days of age after weaning. Swine typically ingest saliva, regurgitated food, and stool or urinary products, as well as other bodily fluids and cells during normal housing. In the second study, vaginal, cervical, uterine, oviductal, and ovarian tissues from C females on 2, 7, or 90 days after mating to T males, and penis, bulbourethral gland, urethra, testis, and epididymis tissues from C males on 2 or 7 days after mating to Tg females were collected. The presence of Tg in tissues from all C animals was tested by using PCR. We have analyzed for the presence of the Tg in various tissues [including mammary gland, salivary gland, skin (sebaceous gland), muscle, lung, liver, kidney, brain, ovary, oviduct, uterus, cervix, vagina, penis, bulbourethral gland, urethra, testis, epididymis, blood, inner and outer placental membranes and intestine]. Results indicate no presence of the Tg in tissues of C animals (n = 28) after co-habitation for 180, 220, or 250 days (n = 305 samples analyzed) or at 2 (n = 7), 7 (n = 16), or 90 (n = 6) days post-mating (n = 72, 192, or 71 samples analyzed, respectively). At Day 112 of gestation, all the samples (n = 78 samples analyzed) from nontransgenic piglets (n = 13) whose dam was aTg female were negative except for the outer placental membrane (n = 13), which screened positive for the transgene. This is not surprising because the outer placental membrane is in close contact with the uterus of the Tg dam. Finally, control piglets (n = 4) that were cross-fostered (3 days after birth) and suckled Tg dams showed no evidence of the transgene in their tissues (n = 20 samples analyzed) at weaning. The present results suggest that there is no horizontal Tg transmission between T and C pigs caused by rearing, mating, gestation, or lactation. This project was supported by USDA BRAG Project #2005-03799.


We show that normalising flows become pathological when used to model targets whose supports have complicated topologies. In this scenario, we prove that a flow must become arbitrarily numerically noninvertible in order to approximate the target closely. This result has implications for all flow-based models, and especially Residual Flows (ResFlows), which explicitly control the Lipschitz constant of the bijection used. To address this, we propose Continuously Indexed Flows (CIFs), which replace the single bijection used by normalising flows with a continuously indexed family of bijections, and which can intuitively "clean up" mass that would otherwise be misplaced by a single bijection. We show theoretically that CIFs are not subject to the same topological limitations as normalising flows, and obtain better empirical performance on a variety of models and benchmarks.


Models of the writing process are used to design software tools for writers who work with computers. This thesis is concerned with the construction of a model of fiction writing. The first stage in this construction is to review existing models of writing. Models of writing used in software design and writing research include behavioural, cognitive and linguistic varieties. The arguments of this thesis are, firstly, that current models do not provide an
adequate basis for designing software tools for fiction writers.
Secondly, research into writing is often based on questionable assumptions concerning language and linguistics, the interpretation of empirical research, and the development of cognitive models. It is argued that Saussure's linguistics provides an alternative basis for developing a model of fiction writing, and that Barthes' method of textual analysis provides insight into the
ways in which readers and writers create meanings. The result of reviewing current models of writing is a basic model of writing, consisting of a cycle of three activities - thinking, writing, and reading. The next stage is to develop this basic model into a model of fiction writing by using narratology, textual analysis, and
cognitive psychology to identify the kinds of thinking processes that create fictional texts. Remembering and imagining events and scenes are identified as basic processes in fiction writing; in cognitive terms, events are verbal representations, while scenes are visual representations. Syntax is identified as another distinct
object of thought, to which the processes of remembering and
imagining also apply. Genette's notion of focus in his analysis of text types is used to describe the role of characters in the writer's imagination: focusing the imagination is a process in which a writer imagines she is someone else, and it is shown how this process applies to events, scenes, and syntax. It is argued that a writer's story memory, influences his remembering and imagining;
Todorov's work on symbolism is used to argue that interpretation plays the role in fiction writing of binding together these two processes. The role of naming in reading and its relation to problem solving is compared with its role in writing, and names or signifiers are added to the objects of thought in fiction writing. It is argued that problem solving in fiction writing is sometimes concerned with creating problems or mysteries for the reader, and
it is shown how this process applies to events, scenes, signifiers and syntax. All these findings are presented in the form of a cognitive model of fiction writing. The question of testing is discussed, and the use of the model in designing software tools is illustrated by the description of a hypertextual aid for fiction writers.


The occurrence of interchromosomal effects (ICE) in reciprocal translocation carriers still remains contradictory in the human literature. We used the pig as an animal model to investigate whether the structure of the reciprocal translocations as well as the size and/or type of the chromosomes not involved in the rearrangement may influence the occurrence and the extent of ICE. Analyses of chromosomal sperm content by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using whole-chromosome painting probes for 7 chromosomes (1, 10, 11, 13, 18, X and Y) were carried out on sperm samples of 2 boars with normal semen parameters carrying different balanced reciprocal translocations: 38, XY, t(3;15)(q27;q13) or 38, XY, t(12;14)(q13;q21). One fertile boar with normal karyotype was also studied as a control. Aneuploidy rates for the 7 chromosomes were estimated by scoring 10,000 to 20,000 spermatozoa for each probe combination. No significant ICE was found except for chromosome 1 in the case of the t(3;15) translocation. Even if statistically significant, this ICE remained very weak and should have very little impact on the reproductive performance of the carrier boar. The size and/or type of chromosomes not involved in the translocation do not seem to have a major influence on the occurrence of ICE. The structure of the translocation could play a role, but complementary studies should be carried out to confirm this assumption.


Spartina pectinata Link is frequently omitted from lowland prairie restorations because the seed often fails to grow when planted, and inclusion is limited to plugs of young plants. Anecdotal reports indicated improvement of seed germination following stratification. The effects of seed stratification on the germination of S. pectinata seed were systematically studied. Seed was obtained from both relict populations of plants and germplasm plants as defined by Englert and White (1977). Seed from 5 different collections were subjected to 4 different seed stratifying treatments: imbibed-chilled (1 oc for 15 to 45 days); imbibed-frozen (-12°C for 4 to 7 days); or dried-warmed (23 oc for 120 days); or aged (4°C for 1.5 to 2.5 years) . Control (unstratified) seed for all trials was fresh, dried-chilled seed ofthe same collection, stored in a refrigerator at 4°C. In addition, seed from 4 collections planted in soil were subjected to 2 different seed stratifying methods (imbibed-chilled, imbibed-frozen) under greenhouse conditions. Emergence of germinating seedlings was monitored for post-emergence damping-off Also, seedlings from 2 collections were grown in the greenhouse and growth measurements were made weekly for 6 weeks after emergence from the soil. Control seed ranged in average viability from 66.5% (±7) to 99% (±1), in average germination from 59.5% (±7) to 94% (±2.2), and in average emergence from 38.5% (±3.8) to 84.5% (±6.8). The stratification treatments did not improve these values. Longer stratification periods at 1 oc for imbibed-chilled seed increased the germination percentage in the early phase of germination, this early increase was also reflected in coleoptile emergence from the soil. Total germination and emergence at the end of the trials were the same as the control. Stratifying seed by imbibed-freezing, dried-warming, or aging up to 1.5 years had no effect on its germination, though control seed germinated significantly better than 2.5-year old seed. Germination rates varied in collections from different sites. Post-emergence damping-off was not observed for any seed collection, but mildew became a problem for seed stratified by imbibed-chill beyond 45 days. For both relict and germplasm plants, the total length of leaves and roots steadily increased during the first 6 weeks. The majority of growth was below ground. Average seed depth decreased during early growth, rising several seed thicknesses from an average planting depth range of0.62 em (±0.11) to 0.69 em (±09). Endosperm starch levels steadily decreased through week 4 and were depleted by week 5. Six week-old seedlings had an average total shoot length range of30.40 em (±5.89) to 33 .32 em (±4.71) and an average total root length range of 139.40 (±39.40) em to 169.11 em (±52.42). It can be concluded from this study that Spartina pectinata should be included in prairie restoration projects, as viable seed will germinate readily with or without stratification. GERMJNATION, EMERGENCE, AND EARLY GROWTH OF SPARTINA PECTINATA


In this paper, a general approach for modeling airport operations is presented. Airport operations have been extensively studied in the last decades ranging from airspace, airside and landside operations. Due to the nature of the system, simulation techniques have emerged as a powerful approach for dealing with the variability of these operations. However, in most of the studies, the different elements are studied in an individual fashion. The aim of this paper, is to overcome this limitation by presenting a methodological approach where airport operations are modeled together, such as airspace and airside. The contribution of this approach is that the resolution level for the different elements is similar therefore the interface issues between them is minimized. The framework can be used by practitioners for simulating complex systems like airspace-airside operations or multi-airport systems. The framework is illustrated by presenting a case study analyzed by the authors.


The emergence of CNNs in mainstream deployment has necessitated methods to design and train efficient architectures tailored to maximize the accuracy under diverse hardware&latency constraints. To scale these resource-intensive tasks with an increasing number of deployment targets, Once-For-All (OFA) proposed an approach to jointly train several models at once with a constant training cost. However, this cost remains as high as 40-50 GPU days and also suffers from a combinatorial explosion of sub-optimal model configurations. We seek to reduce this search space -- and hence the training budget -- by constraining search to models close to the accuracy-latency Pareto frontier. We incorporate insights of compound relationships between model dimensions to build CompOFA, a design space smaller by several orders of magnitude. Through experiments on ImageNet, we demonstrate that even with simple heuristics we can achieve a 2x reduction in training time and 216x speedup in model search/extraction time compared to the state of the art, without loss of Pareto optimality! We also show that this smaller design space is dense enough to support equally accurate models for a similar diversity of hardware and latency targets, while also reducing the complexity of the training and subsequent extraction algorithms.