The increasing importance of the relationship between market structure and bank performance
in general, together with the lack of empirical research on this relationship in the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) banking markets, provide the main motivation for this study.
Many researchers have sought to estimate the relationship between aspects of market structure
such as concentration and market share, and indicators of bank performance such as profitability
and prices. However, there is still no consensus with regard to the most appropriate theory in the
light of the empirical data. In this study, the possible relationships between market structure and
bank performance suggested by prior research are examined for the five main banking markets
in ASEAN, i.e. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, for the period 1991
to 1995. This relationship is tested using pooled and cross sectional estimate, as well as on a
country by country and year by year basis.
This is the first study in which data for all five ASEAN countries has been analysed. The database
which has been constructed for the present study has been obtained from a variety of primary
sources, supplemented by commercial data services, thus providing the cross-national set of
comparable data needed for the modelling of bank efficiency that is reported in this thesis.
The study uses two measures of efficiency; (i) the standard accounting approach, i.e., the cost-toincome
ratio, and (ii) the stochastic X-efficiency measure. Using the cost-to-income ratio as a
proxy for efficiency, generally the pooled results suggest that both the Relative Market Power and
the Relative Efficiency hypotheses may explain the profit-structure relationship in ASEAN banking
markets. That is, firstly, market share appears to reflect market power, the larger firms in the
market gaining higher profits; secondly, banks operating at higher levels of efficiency are also able
to gain higher profits. Using the stochastic X-efficiency measure, the pooled results also provide
support for both the Relative Market Power and Relative Efficiency hypotheses. In addition, we find
that, overall, government ownership and market demand conditions are negatively related to bank
profitability, whilst the level of risk capital is positively related.
The individual country estimates suggest that Relative Market Power is supported only in the
Philippines using the cost-to-income ratio and in the Philippines and Indonesia using the stochastic
X-efficiency measure. Moreover, Relative Efficiency is also supported only in the Philippines and
Indonesia using stochastic X-efficiency. In contrast, using the cost-to-income ratio, the Relative
Efficiency hypothesis is supported in all five ASEAN countries which would imply that, in the region
as a whole, bank efficiency is the primary driver of higher profits.


Abstract This article identifies the cognitive processes associated with constructing a false date of birth (DoB) and
explores how this might be used to identify and trace those who give a false DoB to police. A particular focus here is
with asking people for their zodiac 'star' sign as part of an identification and verification process. A quasi-experimental
research design was employed where 129 students were asked first to generate a false DoB, then a corresponding zodiac
sign, subsequently describing the cognitive processes involved. The findings suggest that when generating a false DoB,
people tend to either simply add/subtract one year, or add/subtract one month from their real DoB. When asked
to give a corresponding zodiac sign for the false DoB given roughly 50% of people will fail this task. It is argued here
that these findings should provide police with a way of tracing the putative offender from the false DoB they give
as well as being able to identify date-of-birth liars face-to-face by simply asking them to provide a corresponding
zodiac sign.


The 95% confidence intervals for the risk ratios (RR) reported in epidemiological studies reflect only sampling errors and do not include uncertainty caused by misclassification and confounding. Analysis of uncertainties in epidemiological studies can be improved using Monte Carlo simulations. For case-control studies, we show how differential misclassification of exposure status increases the probability of getting a statistically significant positive result. The misclassification error is relatively more important when several studies are pooled together. Simulations enable the uncertainties in epidemiologic results to be reported similarly to natural science where systematic and statistical uncertainties are carefully combined. We illustrate this by showing how false positives can result from misclassification.


Abstract How do people approach marketing in the face of uncertainty, when the product, the market, and the traditional details involved in market research are unknowable ex ante? The authors use protocol analysis to evaluate how 27 expert entrepreneurs approach such a problem compared with 37 managers with little entrepreneurial expertise (all 64 participants are asked to think aloud as they make marketing decisions in exactly the same unpredictable situation). The hypotheses are drawn from literature in cognitive science on (1) expertise in general and (2) entrepreneurial expertise in particular. The results show significant differences in heuristics used by the two groups. While those without entrepreneurial expertise rely primarily on predictive techniques, expert entrepreneurs tend to invert these. In particular, they use an effectual or nonpredictive logic to tackle uncertain market elements and to coconstruct novel markets with committed stakeholders.


The formation of student diasporas in western universities is a manifestation of the globalization and internationalization of higher education, and has necessitated studies about international students' adaptation to such universities. Statistics of the last decade show that there has been a significant flow of international students to Australian universities, and a large proportion of this student cohort comes from South East Asian and South Asian countries. Whilst there has been a good deal of research on international students from South East and Far East Asia, who share a Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) background, there are relatively very few studies on South Asian students, particularly postgraduate students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (defined as South Asian for this study). This qualitative study about the adaptation experiences of postgraduate coursework students from South Asian countries fills some of the gap that exists in the body of literature about international students.
The study, conducted at a cross-sectoral Australian university in Melbourne, referred to with the pseudonym Southern University (SU), has utilised a longitudinal qualitative approach to explore from an 'emic' perspective the adaptation experiences of ten postgraduate coursework students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The students were studying in four faculties at SU, and participated in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions over their first two semesters.
The study considers the students' adjustment process in the Australian academic landscape from their pre-arrival expectations to their settlement after two semesters, and is structured to consider three phases of their experiences – initial, transitional and endpoint – in negotiating new academic norms and genres, including spoken communication.
The study identifies a number of dimensions along which differences are evident in the students' approaches and strategies in adjusting to their studies and lives as postgraduates. In academic adjustment, all the postgraduates demonstrated incremental progress which was marked by varying levels of perceptual and attitudinal changes in understanding the new academic culture.
Whilst the students shared a common goal of undertaking an Australian postgraduate degree to enhance their employment prospects, two broad types of strategists emerged: initiators of self-development and system compliers. The study also notes that the postgraduates, through their physical presence in Australia and becoming qualified with a western education, negotiated new, hybrid and empowered identities for themselves.
In its limited exploration about the students' social acculturation, the study notes that some of them followed a selective integrative approach while others adopted assimilatory process, and they all indicated a hybrid state of acculturation to Australian culture. The study also uncovers that, besides their academic goals, many of the postgraduates had a largely hidden agenda of long term settlement in Australia.


In this report, the authors present a novel approach for estimating traffic speed using a sequence of images from an uncalibrated camera. They assert that exact calibration is not necessary to estimate speed. Instead, to estimate speed, they use: (1) geometric relationships inherently available in the image, (2) some common sense assumptions that reduce the problem to 1-dimensional geometry, (3) frame differencing to isolate moving edges and track vehicles between frames, and (4) parameters from the distribution of vehicle lengths.


ABSTRACT In the Uinta Mountain area, the Gartra Formation (Middle? Triassic) unconformably overlies the Moenkopi Formation on the east and the Ankareh Formation on the west, and interfingers with the overlying purple unit of the Popo Agie Formation (Late Triassic). Based on lithology, sedimentary structures, and weathering characteristics, the Gartra is informally divided into three subunits. The lower subunit is characteristically conglomeratic, poorly sorted, massive, and poorly bedded sandstone. The middle subunit is characterized by finer-grained sandstone and by dominant planar and trough cross-stratification. The upper subunit is finer grained than either of the subjacent subunits, consisting of claystone, siltstone, and very fine to medium sandstone. Horizontal and small-scale cross-str tification are characteristic of the upper subunit. Based on 42 modal analyses, the sandstone of all units is dominantly subarkose. Sandstone composition is apparently not related to grain size, and average constituents of the various grain sizes show no significant trends. The suite of sedimentary structures is small. The percent of each bedding type, based on its total thickness in the Gartra in 209 beds, is: cross-stratification, 50; horizontal stratification, 30; "structureless," 16; and graded stratification, 4. Dominant paleocurrent directions, based on 313 measurements, are to the west and northwest. Fifty-eight percent of all paleocurrent directions are between 241 and 330 degrees. Their distribution is unimodal. Detritus was derived from plutonic, sedimentary, and gneiss-schist terranes on the east and southeast (Ancestral Rockies and Uncompahgre uplift). The Gartra probably was deposited by a series of west-northwest flowing streams on a broad alluvial plain. Gradually decreasing velocity and turbulence of stream currents were responsible for the fining-upward sequences.


Faced with the current large-scale public health emergency, collecting, sorting, and analyzing biomedical information related to the "coronavirus" should be done as quickly as possible to gain a global perspective, which is a basic requirement for strengthening epidemic control capacity. However, for human researchers studying the viruses and the hosts, the vast amount of information available cannot be processed effectively and in a timely manner, particularly when the scientific understanding may be limited, which can further lower the information processing efficiency. We present TWIRLS, a method that can automatically acquire, organize, and classify information. Additionally, independent functional data sources can be added to build an inference system using a machine-based approach, which can provide relevant knowledge to help human researchers quickly establish subject cognition and to make more effective decisions. TWIRLS can automatically analyze more than three million words in more than 14,000 literature articles in only 4 hours. Combining with generalized gene interaction databases creates a data interface that can help researchers to further analyze the information. Using the TWIRLS system, we found that an important regulatory factor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) may be involved in the host pathological changes on binding to the coronavirus after infection. After triggering functional changes in ACE2/AT2R, an imbalance in the steady-state cytokine regulatory axis involving the Renin-Angiotensin System and IP-10 leads to a cytokine storm.


Group sequential methods have been widely described and implemented in a clinical trial setting where parametric and semiparametric models are deemed suitable. In these situations, the evaluation of the operating characteristics of a group sequential stopping rule remains relatively straightforward. However, in the presence of nonproportional hazards survival data nonparametric methods are often used, and the evaluation of stopping rules is no longer a trivial task. Specifically, nonparametric test statistics do not necessarily correspond to a parameter of clinical interest, thus making it difficult to characterize alternatives at which operating characteristics are to be computed. We describe an approach for constructing alternatives under nonproportional hazards using pre-existing pilot data, allowing one to evaluate various operating characteristics of candidate group sequential stopping rules. The method is illustrated via a case study in which testing is based upon a weighted logrank statistic. Evaluation Under Nonproportional Hazards, 2


Our Digial Human Memory project (Lin & Hauptmann, 2002) aims to collect and index every aspect of human daily experiences in digital form. By wearing a spy camera, microphones, and a BodyMedia armband, the wearer can collect rich records in a unobtrutive fashion, and many applications can build on top of such multimodal collections. For example, digital human memory can serve as a memory prosthesis to help the wearer recall past events; the habits or anomalies of the wearer can be analyzed from digital human memory. The physiological recordings recorded by a Bodymedia armband provides complementary dimensions of the wearer's experiences, and play an important role in identifying wearer's context and activities.


Crash risk factors may vary by crash severity. Of 1,465 crashes in the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) naturalistic driving dataset, 248 were severe (coded "most severe" or "police-reportable"); 597 were"minor;"and 620 were "low-risk tire strikes." Nearly half (48%) of severe crashes were rear-end, compared with 12% of minor crashes and none of low-risk tire strikes. Most (64%) minor crashes and 99% of low-risk tire strikes were road departures versus 13% of severe crashes. Crash risk associated with five secondary behaviours relative to when no secondary behaviours were present varied by crash severity, especially when including low-risk tire strikes. For example, cellphone conversation was not associated with a significant change in the odds of any crash (OR=1.21; 95%CI [0.89,1.65]) or a low-risk tire strike (OR=0.57; 95%CI [0.32,1.02]), but was associated with a significantly higher odds of a minor crash (OR=2.00; 95%CI [1.31,3.06]) and any crash except low-risk tire strikes (OR=1.97; 95%CI [1.37,2.83]). Researchers should consider crash type and severity when analysing SHRP2 crash data and exclude tire strikes when generalizing to crash risk. Note that the odds ratios assessed risk relative to driving with no secondary behaviours whereas typical driving frequently includes various secondary behaviours.


Twitter journalism is a new phenomenon with limited local research that identifies specific models for the dissemination of news that could be used in a South African newsroom context. Identifying best practises when using Twitter alongside a primary medium of news production is crucial to understanding how to harness the potential of this social networking site. Methods to train reporters in using Twitter as a journalism tool as well as an awareness of the ethical implications pertaining to the incorporation of Twitter in mainstream news, also need to be established. This article identifies Twitter journalism in the South African context by using a local news organisation, Eyewitness News (EWN), as case study. Self-administered questionnaires and interviews were used to collect qualitative data from reporters and senior editorial staff. Based on the findings, guidelines are provided for a localised Twitter journalism model, which could be used when developing media policies, newsroom production strategies, journalism training courses and ethical guidelines that encompass the use of social media tools as necessities in mainstream newsrooms.


The adequacy of elementary teachers' preparation to work with literature and literature-based literacy programs has recently been called into question (Beach, 1992; Walmsley, 1992; Walmsley and Walp, 1990; Zarillo, 1989). When visiting elementary classrooms categorized as literaturebased one may well recognize a number of teachers who are doing an excellent job. However, one is perhaps more likely to encounter whole classes reading the same novel followed by worksheets that address only literal level questions, literature units focused on inane themes such as "Stuffed Animals That Come Alive" (Zarillo, 1989, p. 26), or self-selected and self-paced reading followed by activities which are fun but that lack any learning focus, such as writing fan mail to the author and making crayon portraits of favorite characters.


This thesis addresses the problem of recovering the 3-D shape of a deformable object in single images, or image sequences acquired by a monocular video camera, given that a 3-D template shape and a template image of the object are available. While being a very challenging problem in computer vision, being able to reconstruct and track 3-D deformable objects in videos allows us to develop many potential applications ranging from sports and entertainments to engineering and medical imaging. This thesis extends the scope of deformable object modeling to real-world applications of fully 3-D modeling of deformable objects from video streams with a number of contributions. We show that by extending the Laplacian formalism, which was first introduced in the Graphics community to regularize 3-D meshes, we can turn the monocular 3-D shape reconstruction of a deformable object given correspondences with a reference image into a much better-posed problem with far fewer degrees of freedom than the original one. This has proved key to achieving real-time performance while preserving both sufficient flexibility and robustness. Our real-time 3-D reconstruction and tracking system of deformable objects can very quickly reject outlier correspondences and accurately reconstruct the object shape in 3D. Frame-to-frame tracking is exploited to track the object under difficult settings such as large deformations, occlusions, illumination changes, and motion blur. We present an approach to solving the problem of dense image registration and 3-D shape reconstruction of deformable objects in the presence of occlusions and minimal texture. A main ingredient is the pixel-wise relevancy score that we use to weigh the influence of the image information from a pixel in the image energy cost function. A careful design of the framework is essential for obtaining state-of-the-art results in recovering 3-D deformations of both well- and poorly-textured objects in the presence of occlusions. We study the problem of reconstructing 3-D deformable objects interacting with rigid ones. Imposing real physical constraints allows us to model the interactions of objects in the real world more accurately and more realistically. In particular, we study the problem of a ball colliding with a bat observed by high speed cameras. We provide quantitative measurements of the impact that are compared with simulation-based methods to evaluate which simulation predictions most accurately describe a physical quantity of interest and to improve the models. Based on the diffuse property of the tracked deformable object, we propose a method to estimate the environment irradiance map represented by a set of low frequency spherical harmonics. The obtained irradiance map can be used to realistically illuminate 2-D and 3-D virtual contents in the context of augmented reality on deformable objects. The results compare favorably with baseline methods. In collaboration with Disney Research, we develop an augmented reality coloring book application that runs in real-time on mobile devices. The app allows the children to see the coloring work by showing animated characters with texture lifted from their colors on the drawing. Deformations of the book page are explicitly modeled by our 3-D tracking and reconstruction method. As a result, accurate color information is extracted to synthesize the character's texture.


A mineral silicate paint has been developed for architectural heritage. To enhance durability, any type of organic additive has been avoided. Potassium silicate was the binder agent intended to give strong adherence and durability to stone and concretes. Incorporation of mainly anatase titanium dioxide was intended to act both as a white, bright pigment and as a photocatalyst. Reflectivity analyses on the paint in the visible-to-near infrared wavelength region show high solar heat reflection. The self-cleaning activity of the mineral paint was evaluated by the degradation of organic dyes under solar light irradiation. Anatase titania was effective in decomposing organic and airborne pollutants with the solar radiation. The optical properties and self-cleaning activity were compared with the organic binder-based paints and commercial paints. Developed paints possess high stability: since they contain only inorganic components that do not fade with exposure to solar radiation, photocatalytic self-cleaning capability further enhances such stability.


Soft-bending actuators are inherently compliant, compact, and lightweight. They are preferable candidates over rigid actuators for robotic applications ranging from physical human interaction to delicate object manipulation. However, characterizing and predicting their behaviors are challenging due to the material nonlinearities and the complex motions they can produce. This paper investigates a soft-bending actuator design that uses a single air chamber and fiber reinforcements. Additionally, the actuator design incorporates a sensing layer to enable real-time bending angle measurement for analysis and control. In order to study the bending and force exertion characteristics when interacting with the environment, a quasi-static analytical model is developed based on the bending moments generated from the applied internal pressure and stretches of the soft materials. Comparatively, a finite-element method model is created for the same actuator design. Both the analytical model and the finite-element model are used in the fiber reinforcement analysis and the validation experiments with fabricated actuators. The experimental results demonstrate that the analytical model captures the relationships of supplied air pressure, actuator bending angle, and interaction force at the actuator tip. Moreover, it is shown that an off-the-shelf bend angle sensor integrated to the actuator in this study could provide real-time force estimation, thus eliminating the need for a force sensor.


Among the more typical forensic voice comparison (FVC) approaches, the acoustic-phonetic statistical approach is suitable for text-dependent FVC, but it does not fully exploit available time-varying information of speech in its modelling. The automatic approach, on the other hand, essentially deals with text-independent cases, which means temporal information is not explicitly incorporated in the modelling. Text-dependent likelihood ratio (LR)-based FVC studies, in particular those that adopt the automatic approach, are few. This preliminary LR-based FVC study compares two statistical models, the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), for the calculation of forensic LRs using the same speech data. FVC experiments were carried out using different lengths of Japanese short words under a forensically realistic, but challenging condition: only two speech tokens for model training and LR estimation. Log-likelihood-ratio cost (Cllr) was used as the assessment metric. The study demonstrates that the HMM system constantly outperforms the GMM system in terms of average Cllr values. However, words longer than three mora are needed if the advantage of the HMM is to become evident. With a seven-mora word, for example, the HMM outperformed the GMM by a Cllr value of 0.073.


Software-defined networking (SDN) is a novel paradigm that outsources the control of programmable network switches to a set of software controllers. The most fundamental task of these controllers is the correct implementation of the network policy, i.e., the intended network behavior. In essence, such a policy specifies the rules by which packets must be forwarded across the network. This paper studies a distributed SDN control plane that enables concurrent and robust policy implementation. We introduce a formal model describing the interaction between the data plane and a distributed control plane (consisting of a collection of fault-prone controllers). Then we formulate the problem of consistent composition of concurrent network policy updates (termed the CPC Problem). To anticipate scenarios in which some conflicting policy updates must be rejected, we enable the composition via a natural transactional interface with all-or-nothing semantics. We show that the ability of an f-resilient distributed control plane to process concurrent policy updates depends on the tag complexity, i.e., the number of policy labels (a.k.a. tags) available to the controllers, and describe a CPC protocol with optimal tag complexity f + 2.


The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in head and neck oncologic surgery has greatly reduced the risk of postoperative wound infection and the corresponding increase in morbidity and health care costs. Conversely, inappropriate perioperative use of antibiotics increases costs and risks to patients. Antibiotic prophylaxis is beneficial only in clean-contaminated head and neck surgery; targets are the bacterial flora that commonly inhabit the skin and upper aerodigestive tract, with antibiotics effective against gram-positive aerobic organisms and anaerobic organisms providing the best coverage. Maximum efficacy is achieved with immediate preoperative and short-term (< 48 hours) postoperative antimicrobial administration in adequate doses. Optimum benefit from prophylaxis in head and neck oncologic surgery depends on appropriate selection and administration of antibiotics in combination with sound, established surgical principles.


Dr B. W. D. Yardley writes: the paper by Ferguson & Al-Ameen (1986) is welcome for the detailed information it provides for the first time on the regional metamorphism in western Connemara. There are, however, a number of problems with the temperature and pressure determination made in the paper and these have important repercussions for both the determination of the thermal history of western Connemara and the comparisons made with the region to the east described by Yardley et al. 1980. Geothermometry. The authors rely primarily on the garnet–biotite cation exchange geothermometer, as did Yardley et al. 1980. Unfortunately, however, they have used a different calibration of the thermometer (due to Hodges & Spear 1982) from that on which the earlier study was based. Yardley et al. (1980) relied primarily on Ferry & Spear (1978). The effect of this is that for the rocks in question the Hodges & Spear (1982) calibration yields temperatures that are consistently higher (by at least 30°) than if the Ferry & Spear (or most other) calibrations had been used. This effect accounts entirely for the temperature differences claimed by Ferguson & Al-Ameen between rocks of similar grade in east and west Connemara. It is hard to decide which of the two calibrations is actually correct, and indeed their discrepancy might best be seen as an indication of the uncertainty that actually attends estimates of metamorphic temperature. Nevertheless, there are several independent lines of evidence which suggest that the temperature estimates of Ferguson &


Small-volume hypertonic resuscitation has been proposed as an effective means for restoration of cardiovascular function after hemorrhage at the scene of an accident. We evaluated the cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurohumoral response of resuscitation after hemorrhage using 200 ml of 2400 mosm sodium chloride, 6% dextran 70. Unanesthetized adult sheep were bled to maintain mean arterial pressure at 50 mm Hg for 3 hours, shed blood volume = 42 +/- 7 ml/kg. The sheep were then treated with a single bolus infusion of hypertonic saline dextran (n = 7) or normal saline solution (control group, n = 7) and then observed for a 30-minute period of simulated patient transport during which no additional fluid was given. Hypertonic saline dextran caused rapid restoration of blood pressure and cardiac output within 2 minutes of infusion. Cardiac output remained at or above baseline level, while both O2 consumption and urine output increased to above baseline level during the 30 minutes of simulated patient transport. By comparison 200 ml of normal saline solution caused only a small increase in blood pressure and no improvement in cardiac output or oxygen consumption. After this 30-minute period, both groups were given lactated Ringer's solution as needed to return and maintain cardiac output at its baseline value. The volume of lactated Ringer's solution required to maintain cardiac output was less in the hypertonic group, 371 +/- 168 ml, only one sixth that of the control group, 2200 +/- 814 ml. In summary after 3 hours of hypovolemia, a small volume of hypertonic saline dextran, about 4 ml/kg, fully restored cardiovascular and metabolic function for at least 30 minutes and significantly lowered the total volume requirements of resuscitation.


Although OLTP and OLAP database systems have fundamentally disparate architectures, most research work on concurrency control is geared towards transactional systems and simply adopted by OLAP DBMSs. In this paper we describe a new concurrency control protocol specifically designed for analytical DBMSs that can provide Snapshot Isolation for distributed in-memory OLAP database systems, called Append-Only Snapshot Isolation (AOSI). Unlike previous work, which are either based on multiversion concurrency control (MVCC) or Two Phase Locking (2PL), AOSI is completely lock-free and always maintains a single version of each data item. In addition, it removes the need for per-record timestamps of traditional MVCC implementations and thus considerably reduces the memory overhead incurred by concurrency control. In order to support these characteristics, the protocol sacrifices flexibility and removes support for a few operations, particularly record updates and single record deletions; however, we argue that even though these operations are essential in a pure transactional system, they are not strictly required in most analytic pipelines and OLAP systems. We also present an experimental evaluation of AOSI's current implementation within the Cubrick in-memory OLAP DBMS at Facebook, and show that lock-free single-version Snapshot Isolation can be achieved with low memory overhead and minor impact in query latency.


Academic research relies extensively on macroeconomic variables to forecast the U.S. equity risk premium, with relatively little attention paid to the technical indicators widely employed by practitioners. Our paper fills this gap by comparing the predictive ability of technical indicators with that of macroeconomic variables. Technical indicators display statistically and economically significant in-sample and out-of-sample predictive power, matching or exceeding that of macroeconomic variables. Furthermore, technical indicators and macroeconomic variables provide complementary information over the business cycle: technical indicators better detect the typical decline in the equity risk premium near business-cycle peaks, whereas macroeconomic variables more readily pick up the typical rise in the equity risk premium near cyclical troughs. Consistent with this behavior, we show that combining information from both technical indicators and macroeconomic variables significantly improves equity risk premium forecasts versus using either type of information alone. Overall, the substantial countercyclical fluctuations in the equity risk premium appear well captured by the combined information in technical indicators and macroeconomic variables.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2013.1838 .

This paper was accepted by Wei Jiang, finance.


Across much of the Australian cultural sector, the principal mission of curatorship remains wedded to the production of site-specific physical exhibitions. This mission is entirely understandable when viewed through the tradition of ongoing cultural exhibition in well-populated urban locations, yet sits less comfortably within the wide geographic distribution of the Australian population. Although a growing desire to reach wider audiences via an expanded online presence is evident, such initiatives are tempered by the prohibitive cost of digitising existing collections optimised for physical exhibition. Significant amounts - if not the majority - of compelling cultural content remain inaccessible to communities and the general public.

Multi-Platform Communication Design is a design method which repurposes existing content across multiple communication channels in order to extend an audience experience across multiple target segments. Applied to the cultural institution sector, MPCD takes existing platform- or site-specific artefacts to new, distributed audiences in a cost-effective manner. In so doing, MPCD can extend and increase the audience experience beyond current curatorial and audience expectations. The rationale behind MPCD lies neither in a technological orientation nor blue skies research. Rather, it is firmly focused in providing a tool whereby cultural institutions can reach a wider audience cost-effectively, and communities can not only access content more readily, they may also contribute to the creation of digital collections. This paper acknowledges the exciting potential of synchronous iTV/web broadcast and contributes to the developing multi-platform debate by defining outcomes for both consumers and producers and links this debate to the emerging concept of a "cultural consumer" within this sector.


Students learn that economic forces have an impact beyond the financial world. First, they learn that Progressive Era public health reforms inspired a commercial response to the growing demand for sanitation through the rapid increase in bathroom-fixture production. Students then use FRED , economic data from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, to analyze how bathroom-fixture production changed throughout the 1920s. They examine primary documents—1920s advertising—to see how companies fused the Progressive Era with the new consumer culture. Finally, students complete the lesson by responding to AP U.S. History-style short-answer questions.


BACKGROUND
To describe limitation of physical activity, cause of limitation of physical activity and symptoms of dyspnea and chest pain in relation to age before and 2 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

METHODS
All patients from Western Sweden who underwent CABG without concomitant procedures during 3 years in 1989-1991 answered questionnaires before, and 2 years after the operation. Patients were divided into 3 age groups of equal size i.e. 32-59 years, 60-67 years and > or = 68 years.

RESULTS
In total, 2121 patients participated in the evaluation. The overall 2 year mortality in the 3 age groups was 3.8%, 6.8% and 12.2% (p<0.001). Limitation of physical activity was significantly associated with age prior to surgery but not thereafter. Improvement in physical activity, following CABG, was significant in all age groups. The proportion of patients being free of dyspnea increased markedly regardless of age. The number of chest pain attacks was associated with age after CABG, i.e. fewer attacks in the elderly, but such an association was not found prior to surgery. Improvement in number of chest pain attacks was more marked in the elderly.

CONCLUSIONS
Physical activity improved similarly in all age groups after CABG. Attacks of chest pain, although significantly reduced in all age groups, seemed more effectively reduced in the elderly.


This study aims to obtain empirical evidence about the effect of the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF), Operational Efficiency Ratio (OER) and the Financing to Deposit Ratio (FDR) to the Return On Assets (ROA) and to determine the variable that give the dominant influence on the profitability of Islamic banks. The populations used in this study were all Islamic Banks operating in Indonesia. Purposive sampling was used a sampling method, obtaining three Islamic Banks. Secondary data was used as a form of financial statements quarterly publicized; starting from the first quarter of 2009 to the third quarter of 2012. The data analyses employed the use of multiple linear regression approach. The results of this study indicate that the variable Operational Efficiency Ratio (OER) has a significant influence on the Return on Assets (ROA) with a significance level of 0,000. While, the variable Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF) and the Financing to Deposit Ratio (FDR) did not significantly affect to the Return on Assets (ROA) with a significance level of each variable of 0,641 (CAR), 0,166 (NPF) and 0,440 (FDR). Variable that affect dominantly to the Return on Assets (ROA) is the Operational Efficiency Ratio (OER) with a beta value of 0,563. Keywords: Financial Ratios, Financial Performance


This thesis considers the problem of slip, trip and fall accidents (STFA)
occurring during the delivery of mail. Its aims are to identify key risk factors
and effective countermeasures. 'Falls outdoor' are the largest cause of
accident and lost time within the delivery function of the Royal Mail, making
up approximately 28 % of accidents at work. The Royal Mail also has a poor
safety record compared to other organisations for this type of accident.
The research project comprised five studies. The first four studies examined
the role of individual, task-related and environmental (physical and
organisational) factors in delivery STFA risk. The final study considered the
selection, design and implementation of a programme of intervention to
impact on key risk factors identified in earlier research. The entire project
was undertaken within the Midlands Division of the Royal Mail.
The first study involved analysis of in-house accident data relating to 1734
delivery STFA cases reported during a two year period, and a sample of 237
accident reports. Nearly two-thirds of delivery STFA occurred while the
employee was walking on the level, and 19 % while ascending or descending
steps. Over 50 % of falls resulted from slips, with ice, snow and wet
underfoot surfaces the main hazards. Accident-independent investigations undertaken in the second study
involved a series of focus groups with PDO, interviews with senior
management and safety personnel, and a 'short questionnaire' survey of PDO
and delivery office managers. In all cases, respondents were asked to provide
information regarding factors they believed increased the risk of delivery
STFA. This research was exploratory in nature, and identified a range of
possible behavioural, task-related and management risk factors. The third study involved detailed interviews with 40 STFA-involved PDO.
The main purpose of the study was to consider the role of risk factors
identified in accident-independent research. Interviews took place at the site
of the accident. 'Avoidable' environmental hazards, such as damaged paving
and inadequate lighting, were involved in 38 % of delivery STFA. The fourth study investigated the use of safety practices relevant to delivery
STFA by Delivery Office Managers (DOM). Telephone interviews with
managers of 20 'matched' high and low accident-incidence rate offices were
undertaken to investigate DOMs' use of 'desirable' safety practices. The final study was concerned with the selection, design and implementation
of a programme of intervention. Intervention measures were research-led;
designed to reduce the impact of key risk factors identified in previous
project research Recommended intervention measures targeted STFA
risks at three levels: slip resistance (superior occupational footwear and
footwear attachments), exposure to hazardous conditions (e. g. adverse
weather practice, hazard reporting and feedback form) and employee
behaviour in the face of hazardous conditions (e. g. training workshops and
behaviour modification techniques). The use of a participative approach to
intervention selection and design allowed safety measures to be placed
successfully within the organisational context of the Royal Mail.


The introduction of critical rhetoric into the discourse of rhetorical studies constituted an important rupture with previous traditions within the field. Emerging out of a complex mix of political, philosophical, and academic trends, critical rhetoric produced significant shifts in the ways in which criticism was understood and practiced. The shifting and transformations did not, however, stop with the term's introduction in 1989. In this essay, we trace the development of critical rhetoric through three additional phases: the Marxist challenge presented by Dana Cloud; the shift to vernacular discourse in the works of Kent Ono and John Sloop; and the recent development of participatory critical rhetoric in the works of Michael Middleton et al. We pursue this historical tracing to demonstrate the points of rupture and discontinuity by which critical rhetoric has been transformed.


According to (P21), Partnership for 21st Century Skills (n.d.), unless the gap is bridged between how students learn and how they live, today's education system will face irrelevance. The way people work and live has been transformed by demographic, economic, political, technological, and informational forces. Schools must adapt to these changing conditions in order to thrive. Students must be equipped to live in a multifaceted, multitasking, technology-driven world. And, regardless of their economic background, we must also ensure that all students have equal access to this new technological world. Collaborative learning theory which is connected to constructivism pedagogy requires students to work together to solve problems. Students need lifelong learning skills i.e., communication and information skills, problem-solving and thinking skills, and interpersonal and self-directional skills. The challenge becomes to deliberately incorporate learning skills into classrooms strategically and broadly. In this digital age, students must learn to use tools essential to everyday life and workplace productivity. They live in a world of almost unlimited streams of profound information, difficult choices and enormous opportunity. Teachers can create a 21st century context for learning by taking students out into the world, by bringing the world into the classroom, and by creating opportunities for students to collaboratively interact with each other (Learning for the, n.d.). One way of accomplishing this task is by employing the use of the Internet to connect Web 2.0 technology and 21st century skills. These skills are essential due to increased global competition, rising workforce capabilities, and accelerated technological change (Learning for the, n.d.).


Purpose The contrast sensitivity function (CSF) provides a detailed description of an individual's spatial-pattern detection capability. We tested the hypothesis that the CSFs of people with low vision differ from a "normal" CSF only in their horizontal and vertical positions along the spatial frequency (SF) and contrast sensitivity (CS) axes. Methods Contrast sensitivity for detecting horizontal sinewave gratings was measured with a two temporal-interval forced-choice staircase procedure, for a range of SFs spanning 5 to 6 octaves, for 20 low-vision observers and five adults with normal vision. An asymmetric parabolic function was used to fit the aggregate data of the normal-vision observers, yielding the "normal template." Each of the 20 low-vision CSFs was fit in two ways, by using a shape-invariant version of the normal template (with the width parameters fixed) that was shifted along the log-SF and log-CS axes, and by an unconstrained asymmetric parabolic function ("free-fit"). Results The two fitting methods yielded values of the peak CS, the SF corresponding to peak CS, and the high cut-off SF that were highly correlated and in good agreement with each other. In addition, the width parameters of the low-vision CSFs were comparable with those of the normal template, implying that low-vision CSFs are similar in shape to the normal CSF. Conclusions The excellent agreement of parameters estimated by the two fitting methods suggests that low-vision CSFs can be approximated by a normal CSF shifted along the log-SF and log-CS axes to account for the impaired acuity and contrast sensitivity.


Nanomaterials have many advanced applications, from bio-medicine to flexible electronics to energy storage, and the broad interest in graphene-based materials and devices means that high annual tonnages will be required to meet this demand. However, manufacturing at the required scale remains unfeasible until economic and environmental obstacles are resolved. Liquid exfoliation of graphite is the preferred scalable method to prepare large quantities of good quality graphene, but only low concentrations are achieved and the solvents habitually employed are toxic. Furthermore, good dispersions of nanomaterials in organic solvents are crucial for the synthesis of many types of nanocomposites. To address the performance and safety issues of solvent use, a bespoke approach to solvent selection was developed and the renewable solvent Cyrene was identified as having excellent properties. Graphene dispersions in Cyrene were found to be an order of magnitude more concentrated than those achieved in N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP). Key attributes to this success are optimum solvent polarity, and importantly a high viscosity. We report the role of viscosity as crucial for the creation of larger and less defective graphene flakes. These findings can equally be applied to the dispersion of other layered bi-dimensional materials, where alternative solvent options could be used as drop-in replacements for established processes without disruption or the need to use specialized equipment. Thus, the discovery of a benign yet high performance graphene processing solvent enhances the efficiency, sustainability and commercial potential of this ever-growing field, particularly in the area of bulk material processing for large volume applications.


OBJECTIVES
The aims of the present study were to examine sex-related differences in testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) changes with music listening and visual stress.

SETTING AND DESIGN
Saliva T and C concentrations were measured in 88 healthy college students (44 males and 44 females). These subjects were placed in one of 4 different conditions: (1) 30 min of listening to music, (2) 30 min of listening to music with visual stress (documentary film without sound including violent scenes), (3) 30 min of visual stress without music, and (4) 30 min of silence.

METHODS
All subjects provided two saliva samples, one collected before intervention and the other after intervention. T and C levels were assessed by radio immuno assay (RIA).

RESULTS
There was a significant difference between the sexes in the way music affected T. Music decreased T in males, whereas it increased T in females. As for C, no sex-related differences were found under any of the conditions studied. C decreased with music and increased under other conditions. THE MAIN FINDINGS: Our data suggests that the effects of music and stress on T differ between males and females.

CONCLUSION
Further investigation is necessary to evaluate the relationships between music and other substances, the effect of degree of preference and hormonal changes not only during music listening but also during music plays and creation.


Originally published in 1926, this volume charts the achievements of Edward Thring, arguably the most original and striking figure in the schoolmaster world of England in the nineteenth century. Abroad, he was the only English schoolmaster of his generation widely known by name. The principles upon which he relied were that every boy should be taught, and the less able the boy, the more able should be the teacher who was set to deal with him; that no class should exceed twenty-five boys; that each boy should have privacy in the dormitories and that trust between boys and masters was paramount. These were revolutionary principles in educational terms at the time but they have endured to form the cornerstones of British boarding-schools which are still recognized today.


A new species of dinoflagellate, Eodinia poulseni, is described from the Middle Jurassic of Central Poland. Light and scaning electron microscopy shows that this species has a complex cyst wall consisting of autophragm and ectophragm. Eodinia poulseni sp. nov. has similarities to some common Middle Jurassic species, especially when separate hypocysts are observed. Important differences between Eodinia pachytheca, Mosaicodinium mosaicum, Wanaea acollaris, W. cornucavata and Hurlandsia rugarum are discussed. Some phylogenetic and environmental relationships to the Early Cretaceous freshwater species Hurlandsia rugarum are suggested. H. rugarum shows similarity in archaeopyle, overall shape and tabulation formula but is acavate and also distinct from E. poulseni in time.


Defining habitat suitability criteria (HSC) of aquatic biota can be a key component to environmental flow science. HSC can be developed through numerous methods; however, few studies have evaluated the consistency of HSC developed by different methodologies. We directly compared HSC for depth and velocity developed by the Delphi method (expert opinion) and by two primary literature meta-analyses (literature-derived range and interquartile range) to assess whether these independent methods produce analogous criteria for multiple species (rainbow trout, brown trout, American shad, and shallow fast guild) and life stages. We further evaluated how these two independently developed HSC affect calculations of habitat availability under three alternative reservoir management scenarios in the upper Delaware River at a mesohabitat (main channel, stream margins, and flood plain), reach, and basin scale. In general, literature-derived HSC fell within the range of the Delphi HSC, with highest congruence for velocity habitat. Habitat area predicted using the Delphi HSC fell between the habitat area predicted using two literature-derived HSC, both at the basin and the site scale. Predicted habitat increased in shallow regions (stream margins and flood plain) using literature-derived HSC while Delphi-derived HSC predicted increased channel habitat. HSC generally favoured the same reservoir management scenario; however, no favoured reservoir management scenario was the most common outcome when applying the literature range HSC. The differences found in this study lend insight into how different methodologies can shape HSC and their consequences for predicted habitat and water management decisions. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. key words: flow management; habitat assessment; Delphi panel; IFIM; environmental flows; trout; shad Received 01 March 2016; Accepted 03 March 2016


Introduction Alcohol consumption and its influences over human health have been at the centre of medical discussions for centuries. An important part of the daily menu, ethanol has had in the not so remote past a variety of uses in medicine and pharmacology, although very few of them resisted the proof of time. Its gastronomical consumption should be moderate, and moderate drinking is presumed to have a protective role against hypertension and coronary heart disease. We have revised several papers that raise doubts, with all pros and cons of its consumption, starting from the historical sources to the most updated opinions. The classification of abstainers, light, moderate and heavy drinkers should as well be kept in mind when dealing with patients that pretend consuming alcohol in 'social dosis', since restriction seems by far a better option rather than uncontrolled use. Physiological influences of ethanol over the heart, vessels, central nervous system and autonomous nervous system are mentioned as well in the present paper. Conclusion Alcohol is part of the menu for more than five millennia, and refraining totally from its consumption seems illogical and unachievable. However, awareness should be raised that its role as a risk factor for vascular diseases seems by far to overrun the presumed protection offered from a moderate use of alcoholic beverages.


Abstract. The study was conducted in three watersheds (Dapo, Meja and Mizewa) in the Ethiopian part of the Blue Nile Basin to estimate the on-site cost of soil erosion using the productivity change approach, in which crop yield reduction due to plant nutrients lost with the sediment and runoff has been analysed. For this purpose, runoff measurement and sampling was conducted during the main rainy season of 2011 at the outlet of two to three sub-watersheds in each watershed. The sediment concentration of the runoff, and N and P contents in runoff and sediment were determined. Crop response functions were developed for the two plant nutrients based on data obtained from the nearest Agricultural Research Centres. The response functions were used to estimate crop yield reduction as a result of the lost N and P assuming there is no compensation through fertilization. The results show a significant yield reduction and resultant financial loss to the farmers. Considering only grain yield of maize (Zea mays), farmers at Dapo annually lose about USD 220 ha−1 and 150 ha−1 due to the loss of N and P, respectively. In view of the importance of the crop residues, including as feed, the loss can be even greater. The study demonstrated that in addition to the long-term deterioration of land quality, the annual financial loss suffered by farmers is substantial. Therefore, on farm soil and water conservation measures that are suitable in biophysical and socio-economic terms in the landscapes and beyond need to be encouraged.


How are identities constructed in discourse? How are national and European identities tied to language and communication? And what role does power have – power in discourse, over discourse and of discourse? This paper seeks to identify and analyse processes of identity construction within Europe and at its boundaries, particularly the diversity of sources and forms of expression in several genres and contexts. It draws on media debates on Austrian versus Standard High German, on focus group discussions with migrants in eight European countries and on public and political debates on citizenship in the European Union which screen newly installed language tests. The analysis of different genres and publics all illustrate the complexity of national and transnational identity constructions in a globalised world. What is experienced as European or as outside of Europe is the result of multiple activities, some of them consciously planned in the sense of political, economic or cultural intervention, others more hidden, indirect, in the background. Such developments are contradictory rather than harmonious, proceeding in 'loops' and partial regressions (rather than in a linear, uni-directional or teleological way). Thus, an interdisciplinary approach suggests itself which accounts for diverse context-dependent discursive and social practices.


Janice Hart was the original lead on this project. From June 2011 Val Williams has been leading this project.

The aim of this research is to create an ongoing and updatable resource for professional and avocational researchers (such as researchers looking into their own family histories) to locate relevant photographic material. The 'Directory' is the first such resource since John Wall's 'Directory' which appeared as a book publication in the 1970s.

The research has consisted of specifying the requirements for an online website that enables fast and functional searching; conducting initial user testing; leading a small team to populate the website with entries containing information about what is held in public access archives and collections in London; devising a means for curators and others to enter information monitored by strict protocols; and with photographic historian Mark-Haworth-Booth, creating a glossary of photographic processes in order to assist those unfamiliar with the history of photography to use the 'Directory' in a productive manner.

For the numerous archives and collections which have not been able to download their own files (the Victoria & Albert Museum is an example of an institution which could) data collection was made on the basis of site visits. One of the principal aims of the research has been to give public access to lesser known photographic material as well as important institutional holdings that form part of photography's internationally acclaimed canon. The 'Directory' therefore includes smaller collections such as Morden College Muniments Room as well as the Victoria & Albert Museum, the national collection of the art of photography.


In this study, it is aimed to analyze the relationship between critical thinking skills and problem behaviours of children at social risk through visual arts education. In this context, Mixed method including both quantitative and qualitative dimension was used. Convergent parallel design was used to structure the study. In dimension quantitative of research, one group pre-test-post-test model as one of the pre-experimental models was used by applying the retention test. In the scope of the qualitative dimension, holistic single case design was used as a design of case study. The study was carried out on a group of 54 people (27 females, 27 males) who are identified to be at risk. Quantitative data were collected using the Art Criticism Target Behaviour Scale (ACTBS) that consisted of twenty questions and developed by the researchers. Qualitative data were collected by in-class activities, self-assessment form and performance task developed in two phases including both children's drawing and critical dimension. According to the results; as critical thinking skills develop, the students follow a more sensitive and inquisitive development of behaviours, their prejudices decrease, they gain a positive point of view to establish cause-effect relationship, they develop the ability to control negative behaviours, so their consciousness and awareness increase regarding family, environmental and social fact. As a result, it is recommended that visual arts education should be used effectively in relation to other disciplines in the teaching-learning process.


FcγRIIB are low-affinity receptors for IgG whose intracytoplasmic domain contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM). FcγRIIB inhibit cell activation triggered by receptors that signal via immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. This inhibition requires ITIM tyrosyl phosphorylation and is correlated with the binding of SH2 domain-containing phosphatases that may mediate the inhibitory signal. In the present work, we investigated the mechanism of FcγRIIB phosphorylation and its consequences in mast cells. We demonstrate that the phosphorylation of FcγRIIB requires coaggregation with FcεRI and that, once phosphorylated, FcγRIIB selectively recruit the inositol polyphosphate 5 phosphatase SHIP, in vivo. In vitro, however, the phosphorylated FcγRIIB ITIM binds not only SHIP, but also the two protein tyrosine phosphatases, SHP-1 and SHP-2. We show that the coaggregation of FcγRIIB with FcεRI does not prevent FcεRI-mediated activation of lyn and syk. Both kinases can phosphorylate FcγRIIB in vitro. However, when coaggregated with FcεRI, FcγRIIB was in vivo phosphorylated in syk-deficient mast cells, but not in lyn-deficient mast cells. When FcεRI are coaggregated with FcγRIIB by immune complexes, FcεRI-associated lyn may thus phosphorylate FcγRIIB. By this mechanism, FcεRI initiate ITIM-dependent inhibition of intracellular propagation of their own signals.


Effective acute and chronic wound management involves full, holistic assessment and ongoing evaluation to ensure optimal outcomes. This made easy looks at the role of wound assessment in documenting improvement or deterioration over time and implications for dressing choice.

Accurate wound assessment should include a comprehensive patient history, aetiology of the wound, condition of the wound bed and periwound area, level, colour and consistency of exudate as well as the signs of infection. It is also important to review the choice of wound dressing regularly. Each wound is different and timely recognition of changes is essential. Comprehensive assessment leads to formation of appropriate treatment aims, which link to ensuring the correct wound care product is used at the right time. Ultimately, accurate assessment, increased patient involvement and appropriate interventions will result in improved patient outcomes and reduction of costs, thus improving the overall quality of care.


OBJECTIVE: Intrapartum penicillin G prophylaxis aims to prevent early-onset group B streptococci (GBS) sepsis by interrupting vertical transmission. We examined the relationship between duration of prophylaxis and fetal serum penicillin G levels among fetuses exposed to fewer than 4 hours of prophylaxis compared with longer durations. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 98 laboring GBS-positive women carrying singleton gestations at 37 weeks or greater were administered 5 million units of intravenous penicillin G followed by 2.5 million units every 4 hours until delivery. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected at delivery, and penicillin G levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation were less than 3%. RESULTS: Fetuses exposed to fewer than 4 hours of prophylaxis had higher penicillin G levels than those exposed to greater than 4 hours (P=.003). In multivariable linear regression analysis, fetal penicillin G levels were determined by duration of exposure, time since last dose, dosage, and number of doses, but not maternal body mass index. Penicillin G levels increased linearly until 1 hour (R2=.40) and then decreased rapidly according to a power-decay model (R2=.67). All subgroups analyzed were above the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for GBS (0.1 micrograms/mL)(P<.002). Individual samples were 10–179-fold above the MIC. In patients receiving maintenance dosing, penicillin G did not accumulate in the cord blood and returned to baseline after each 4-hour interval. CONCLUSION: Short durations of prophylaxis achieved levels significantly above the MIC, suggesting a benefit even in precipitous labors. The designation of infants exposed to fewer than 4 hours of prophylaxis as particularly at risk for GBS sepsis may be pharmacokinetically inaccurate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II


We show that for a large class of evolutionary nonlinear and nonlocal partial differential equations, symmetry of solutions implies very restrictive properties of the solutions and symmetry axes. These restrictions are formulated in terms of three principles, based on the structure of the equations. The first principle covers equations that allow for steady solutions and shows that any spatially symmetric solution is in fact steady with a speed determined by the motion of the axis of symmetry at the initial time. The second principle includes equations that admit breathers and steady waves, and therefore is less strong: it holds that the axes of symmetry are constant in time. The last principle is a mixed case, when the equation contains terms of the kind from both earlier principles, and there may be different outcomes; for a class of such equations one obtains that a spatially symmetric solution must be constant in both time and space. We list and give examples of more than 30 well-known equations and systems in one and several dimensions satisfying these principles; corresponding results for weak formulations of these equations may be attained using the same techniques. Our investigation is a generalisation of a local and one-dimensional version of the first principle from Ehrnström et al (2009 Int. Math. Res. Not. 2009 4578–96) to nonlocal equations, systems and higher dimensions, as well as a study of the standing and mixed cases.


z In most of sub-Saharan Africa, faster growth in agriculture is a precondition for sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. This will require technical progress tailored to Africa's varied agro-ecologies, notably improved seeds, more fertilizer and water management. Models of how to do this are available from Asia's Green Revolution and from some recent African success stories. z Africa is short of capital and increasingly land-scarce. It also has many underemployed poor people. Asian experience shows that in such conditions employment-intensive, small-scale farming is usually both more efficient and more pro-poor than available alternatives. z Current foreign land acquisitions in Africa will serve its interests only if they underpin the development of scientific, labour-absorbing and usually small-scale farming. In some former 'settler economies', progress will require careful land reform. z Other requirements are improvements in infrastructure and institutions – transport, marketing facilities, credit and insurance – tailored to the needs of smalland medium-scale farming. Markets and states need one another. z Recent progress – through increased shares of public resources devoted to agriculture, donor pledges, some improved output trends and better access for sub-Saharan farm products to world markets – is real but overstated; much more needs to be done. Green Revolutions for Sub-Saharan Africa?


Abstract Cylindrical-electrode-assisted solution blowing spinning (CSBS) is a novel nanofiber preparation method. The electric field of CSBS not only is one of the main innovations of this technology but also plays a key role in the preparation of nanofibers. In this article, the electric field of CSBS and the influences of electric field on the preparation of nanofibers were studied systematically for the first time by simulations, theoretical analyses, and experiments. This paper innovatively established the coaxial capacitor model for studying the CSBS electric field. The effects of electric field on the preparation and morphology of CSBS nanofibers were theoretically investigated by using this model. The theoretical formulas that can express the relationships between the various electric field variables were obtained. The electric field strength distribution, voltage distribution, and the relationships between the electric field parameters of CSBS were obtained by finite element simulations. The simulations' results show that reducing the diameter of cylinder (DC) or increasing the voltage increase the electric field strength of the jet surface. Experimental results reveal that increasing voltage or reducing DC can reduce the diameter of nanofibers. The experimental and simulation results prove the correctness of the theoretical research conclusions. The theoretical and simulation conclusions of this paper lay a theoretical foundation for further study of CSBS electric field. The experimental conclusions can directly guide the controllable preparation of CSBS nanofibers.


In these remarks Durkheim presages both Mauss's influential discussion of total facts (Mauss 1966) and Bloch's significant analysis of the way human supplicants produce the blessing they subsequently receive from Merina royalty in central Madagascar (Bloch 1989). Not unconnected are the ideas of two of the most influential thinkers on economy. That religion is a human construction whose objects come to appear as autonomous living beings to those who worship them provided a touchstone for Marx's analysis of commodity fetishism (1977). And Polanyi's formulation of the embedded economy (1968) resonates with Durkheimian and Maussian conceptions of the social whole.


A classic account of Socialist-Zionist ideology which traces one powerful political component of the present state of Israel, the Left, and its contributions to the Kibbutz movement, women's rights, labor unions and some economic structures. Although abandoned as a popular movement in the 1970's, Gal's impassioned position shows with force and conviction how Socialist-Zionism created a society out of socially and culturally disparate persons, who shared no language, history or social customs in common. His progressive stance offers a competitive alternative to the current consensus in Israel. Originally published in 1973 by Schenkman Publishing Company, this edition contains a new Preface by Dr. Jacob Neusner.


Abstract:  Introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction. Feral goats (Capra hircus) are particularly devastating to island ecosystems, causing direct and indirect impacts through overgrazing, which often results in ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. Removing goat populations from islands is a powerful conservation tool to prevent extinctions and restore ecosystems. Goats have been eradicated successfully from 120 islands worldwide. With newly developed technology and techniques, island size is perhaps no longer a limiting factor in the successful removal of introduced goat populations. Furthermore, the use of global positioning systems, geographic information systems, aerial hunting by helicopter, specialized hunting dogs, and Judas goats has dramatically increased efficiency and significantly reduced the duration of eradication campaigns. Intensive monitoring programs are also critical for successful eradications. Because of the presence of humans with domestic goat populations on large islands, future island conservation actions will require eradication programs that involve local island inhabitants in a collaborative approach with biologists, sociologists, and educators. Given the clear biodiversity benefits, introduced goat populations should be routinely removed from islands.


Fifteen strains of Escherichia coli with MICs of ciprofloxacin (CIP) between 0.015 and 256 micrograms/ml were examined for the presence of mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region of the gyrA gene and in an analogous region of the parC gene. No mutation was found in a susceptible isolate (MIC of CIP, 0.015 microgram/ml). Four moderately resistant strains (MIC of CIP 0.06 to 4 micrograms/ml) carried one gyrA mutation affecting serine 83, but in only one strain was an additional parC mutation (Gly-78 to Asp) detected. All ten highly resistant strains examined (MIC of CIP, > 4 micrograms/ml) carried two gyrA mutations affecting residues serine 83 and aspartate 87, and at least one parC mutation. These parC mutations included alterations of serine 80 to arginine or isoleucine and glutamate 84 to glycine or lysine. The parC+ and two mutant alleles (parCI-80 and parCI-80,G-84) were inserted into the mobilizable vector pBP507. Transfer of a plasmid-coded parC+ allele into parC+ strains did not alter the susceptibilities towards ciprofloxacin or nalidixic acid, while a significant increase in susceptibility was detectable for parC mutants. This increase, however, did not restore wild-type susceptibility, whereas transfer of a plasmid-coded gyrA+ allele alone or in combination with parC+ did. These data are in agreement with the view that topoisomerase IV is a secondary, less sensitive target for quinolone action in Escherichia coli and that the development of high-level fluoroquinolone resistance in E. coli requires at least one parC mutation in addition to the gyrA mutation(s).


This study considers pharmacy practice in hyperdiverse, urban communities through the eyes of independent community pharmacists, who are underrepresented figures in anthropological research. Taking the role of the pharmacist as being dynamic and negotiable, this is an investigation into how pharmacists find ways to be relevant in the light of, or even in spite of, a shifting professional remit and the changing landscape of community pharmacy in Great Britain, (where almost 50% of pharmacy contracts are held by just 9 national chains). The study explores 'independence' as it is positioned by the pharmacists; expressed through a rhetorical framework of autonomy, engagement and the bespoke nature of practice, narratively embedded in accounts of urban situations.

The research takes an ethnographic approach and was conducted in East and South-East London boroughs combining participant observation and active interviews with pharmacists. All but one of the pharmacists represented in the study were from ethnic minority backgrounds; this reflects a bias typical of urban independent pharmacy. The urban setting presents particular challenges but also particular opportunities and this study demonstrates how pharmacists cope with the constraints and possibilities afforded by their situation.

In exploring concepts of professional personhood the study highlights the pharmacists' focus on the importance of autonomy and the creation of distinct professional personas. The significance of engagemen wtith customers is examined through stories of 'acceptance' and developing pharmacy 'communities' alongside the practice of maintaining personal relationships. This reveals the use of cultural capital by the pharmacists, taking advantage of shared cultural heritage and language skills to provide a distinct service offer. The value of providing a 'bespoke' service is investigated through areas of particular significance in differentiating independent pharmacy; 'time' and 'specialism'. The discussion concludes by raising questions about the place of independent pharmacy within the profession and emphasising the contribution independent pharmacists can make to the delivery of care in this setting.


We propose a spatiotemporal approach for modeling risk spillovers using time-varying proximity matrices based on observable financial networks and introduce a new bilateral specification. We study covariance stationarity and identification of the model, and analyze consistency and asymptotic normality of the quasi-maximum-likelihood estimator. We show how to isolate risk channels and we discuss how to compute target exposure able to reduce system variance. An empirical analysis on Euro-area cross-country holdings shows that Italy and Ireland are key players in spreading risk, France and Portugal are the major risk receivers, and we uncover Spain's non-trivial role as risk middleman.


In this paper, we will discuss how we created a test environment using a single high-end test host that implemented multiple test hosts. The test environment enabled the testing of software running on different Linux distributions with different kernel versions. This approach improved test automation, avoided capital expenditures and saved on desktop real-estate. We employed a version of Gentoo Linux with a modified 2.6 kernel, along with multiple instances of different distributions and version of Linux running on User Mode Linux (UML). The particular tests involved are related to the Linux Standards Base, but the concept is applicable to many different environments. We will describe how we improved aspects of the Gentoo kernel to improve performance. We will describe the methods used to affect a lightweight inter UML communications mechanism. We will also talk about the file systems chosen for both the host OS and the UML. Finally, we will have a brief discussion around the benefits and limitations of this type of test environment, and will discuss plans for future test environments.


Broadband satellites enable Internet access for remote communities and niche markets such as ships and airplanes. However, their inherent characteristics, such as long delays and limited resources, significantly degrade the end- user's web browsing quality-of-experience. In this paper, we propose a novel HTTP Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) that accelerates web-browsing and improves the utilization of satellite resources. We describe HTTP optimizations, which enable this acceleration. We show that, optimizing the transport layer to the communication mechanism of a HTTP PEP gives further benefits in terms of a reduction in bandwidth usage and computing resource utilization. Our performance evaluation shows an average reduction in Web page-load latency of up to 27%.


The Australian agricultural research and development (R&D) sector faces many challenges associated with the trend to increased collaborative research as promoted by the Cooperative Research Centre Program. Analysis of the results of an electronic survey of researchers involved in the sugar industry highlights economic, managerial, and sociological challenges associated with collaborative research. Researchers' perceptions of the usefulness of a range of economic and non-economic evaluation techniques are also highlighted. It is shown that economic evaluation is appropriate for resource allocation and impact assessment purposes but is of limited value in monitoring and improving the process of collaborative research. A systems-based approach to the evaluation of collaborative R&D incorporating principles from economics, management, and sociology is promoted as an appropriate alternative that could contribute to improved efficiency and effectiveness of collaborative research activities.


Coercion in mental health: a trial of the effectiveness of community treatment orders and an investigation of informal coercion in community mental health care Tom Burns,1* Jorun Rugkåsa,1,2 Ksenija Yeeles1 and Jocelyn Catty1 on behalf of the Oxford Mental Health Coercion (OCTET) Programme Group 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 2Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway *Corresponding author firstname.lastname@example.com Background: Coercion comprises formal coercion or compulsion [treatment under a section of the Mental Health Act (MHA)] and informal coercion (a range of treatment pressures, including leverage). Community compulsion was introduced in England and Wales as community treatment orders (CTOs) in 2008, despite equivocal evidence of effectiveness. Little is known about the nature and operation of informal coercion. Design: The programme comprised three studies, with associated substudies: Oxford Community Treatment Order Evaluation Trial (OCTET) – a study of CTOs comprising a randomised controlled trial comparing treatment on CTO to voluntary treatment via Section 17 Leave (leave of absence during treatment under section of the MHA), with 12-month follow-up, an economic evaluation, a qualitative study, an ethical analysis, the development of a new measure of capabilities and a detailed legal analysis of the trial design; OCTET Follow-up Study – a follow-up at 36 months; and Use of Leverage Tools to Improve Adherence in community Mental Health care (ULTIMA) – a study of informal coercion comprising a quantitative cross-sectional study of leverage, a qualitative study of patient and professional perceptions, and an ethical analysis. Participants: Participants in the OCTET Study were 336 patients with psychosis diagnoses, currently admitted involuntarily and considered for ongoing community treatment under supervision. Participants in the ULTIMA Study were 417 patients from Assertive Outreach Teams, Community Mental Health Teams and substance misuse services. Outcomes: The OCTET Trial primary outcome was psychiatric readmission. Other outcomes included measures of hospitalisation, a range of clinical and social measures, and a newly developed measure of capabilities – the Oxford Capabilities Questionnaire – Mental Health. For the follow-up study, the primary outcome was the level of disengagement during the 36 months. Results: Community treatment order use did not reduce the rate of readmission [(59 (36%) of 166 patients in the CTO group vs. 60 (36%) of 167 patients in the non-CTO group; adjusted relative risk 1.0 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.33)] or any other outcome. There were no differences for any subgroups. There was no evidence that it might be cost-effective. Qualitative work suggested that CTOs' (perceived) focus on medication adherence may influence how they are experienced. No general ethical justification was found for the use of a CTO regime. At 36-month follow-up, only 19 patients (6% of 329 patients) were no longer in regular contact with services. Longer duration of compulsion was associated with longer time to disengagement (p = 0.023) and fewer periods of discontinuity (p < 0.001). There was no difference in readmission outcomes over 36 months. Patients with longer CTO duration spent fewer nights in hospital. One-third (35%) of the DOI: 10.3310/pgfar04210 PROGRAMME GRANTS FOR APPLIED RESEARCH 2016 VOL. 4 NO. 21 © Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO 2016. This work was produced by Burns et al. under the terms of a commissioning contract issued by the Secretary of State for Health. This issue may be freely reproduced for the purposes of private research and study and extracts (or indeed, the full report) may be included in professional journals provided that suitable acknowledgement is made and the reproduction is not associated with any form of advertising. Applications for commercial reproduction should be addressed to: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK. v ULTIMA sample reported lifetime experiences of leverage, lower than in the USA (51%), but patterns of leverage experience were similar. Reporting leverage made little difference to patients' perceived coercion. Patients' experiences of pressure were wide-ranging and pervasive, and perceived to come from family, friends and themselves, as well as professionals. Professionals were committed to patient-centred approaches, but felt obliged to assert authority when patients relapsed. We propose a five-step framework for determining the ethical status of offers by mental health professionals and give detailed guidance for professionals about how to exercise leverage. Conclusions: Community Treatment Orders do not deliver clinical or social functioning benefits for patients. In the absence of further trials, moves should be made to restrict or stop their use. Informal coercion is widespread and takes different forms. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN73110773. Funding: The National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme. ABSTRACT NIHR Journals Library www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk vi


The growing interaction between police forces in the UK and those in France, encouraged by the removal of the restrictions on movement of persons between the EC countries, has provoked both an academic interest in the organization and work of the police in these two nations and an increased professional involvement in criminal matters (in the widest sense) on either side of the Channel. In this dictionary, one can find a definitive record of the terms relating to the organization and functions of the police, the criminal law and rules of evidence, traffic control, drugs, terrorism, accidents and disasters, slang and jargon in common use, as well as an extensive list of acronyms in English and French. The entries reflect the police and criminal justice systems in France and in England and Wales, but also occasional references are made for those applying in other English-speaking countries (Scotland, USA) and French-speaking countries (Belgium, Switzerland). Police officers, lawyers, writers of detective novels and professional linguists will find this dictionary to be a reliable source for the translation of the various specialised words and phrases which they encounter in their work.


ABSTRACT Thoracic surgical procedures in mice have been applied to a wide range of investigations, but little is known about the murine physiologic response to pulmonary surgery. Using continuous arterial oximetry monitoring and the FlexiVent murine ventilator, the authors investigated the effect of anesthesia and pneumonectomy on mouse oxygen saturation and lung mechanics. Sedation resulted in a dose-dependent decline of oxygen saturation that ranged from 55% to 82%. Oxygen saturation was restored by mechanical ventilation with increased rate and tidal volumes. In the mouse strain studied, optimal ventilatory rates were a rate of 200/minute and a tidal volume of 10 mL/kg. Sustained inflation pressures, referred to as a "recruitment maneuver," improved lung volumes, lung compliance, and arterial oxygenation. In contrast, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) had a detrimental effect on oxygenation; an effect that was ameliorated after pneumonectomy. These results confirm that lung volumes in the mouse are dynamically determined and suggest a threshold level of mechanical ventilation to maintain perioperative oxygen saturation.


In this letter, the performance of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is investigated in a cellular downlink scenario with randomly deployed users. The developed analytical results show that NOMA can achieve superior performance in terms of ergodic sum rates; however, the outage performance of NOMA depends critically on the choices of the users' targeted data rates and allocated power. In particular, a wrong choice of the targeted data rates and allocated power can lead to a situation in which the user's outage probability is always one, i.e. the user's targeted quality of service will never be met.


Conversion of carbon-di-oxide into selective hydrocarbon
using stable catalyst remains a holy-grail in catalysis community. The high
overpotential, stability, and selectivity in use of a single metal-based
catalyst still remain a challenge. In current work, instead of using pure noble
metals (Ag, Au, and Pt) as the catalyst, a novel nanocrystalline high entropy
alloy (HEA: AuAgPtPdCu) has been used for conversion of CO2 into
gaseous hydrocarbons. Utilizing an approach of multi-metallic HEA, a Faradaic
efficiency of about 100% towards gaseous products is obtained. The reason
behind the superior catalytic activity of high entropy alloy (HEA) was
established through first-principles based density functional theory (DFT) by
comparing it with pristine Cu (111) surface. This is attributed to the
reversal in adsorption trends for two out of the total eight intermediates - *OCH3
and *O on Cu(111) and HEA surfaces.


- What is an earthquake gown? - Who wore eelskin masher trousers? - What did the word "dudes" mean in the 16th century? A Dictionary of English Costume by C. Willett Cunnington, Phillis Cunnington and Charles Beard was originally published in 1960. A monumental achievement and encyclopaedic in scope, it was a comprehensive catalogue of fashion terms from the mid-medieval period up to 1900. It was reissued and updated several times, for the last time in 1976. For decades it has served as a bible for costume historians. The Dictionary of Fashion History completely updates and supplements the Cunningtons' landmark work to bring it up to the present day. Featuring additional terms and revised definitions, this new edition represents an essential reference for costume historians, students of fashion history, or anyone involved in creating period costume for the theatre, film or television. It also is fascinating reading for those simply interested in the subject. Clear, concise, and meticulous in detail, this essential reference answers countless questions relating to the history of dress and adornment and promises to be a definitive guide for generations to come.


Objective: The paper examines the effects of parental repartnering (including residential and nonresidential partnerships) on children's well-being.
Background: An increasing number of children experience the repartnering of their parents. While previous research has focused on coresidential repartnering, this paper also considers the transition to a steady nonresidential (living apart together – LAT) partnership of formerly single parents. Specifically, the paper examines whether these transitions differ in their effect on children.
Method: This study uses data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) to analyze the effects of parental repartnering on children's emotional and behavioral well-being. The children in the sample were seven to 16 years old. Individual fixed effects regressions were estimated for two types of parental partnership transitions: the formation of a LAT partnership and the formation of a coresidential partnership.
Results: The results show that children's emotional symptoms increased in response to both parental LAT repartnering and coresidential repartnering, whereas children's conduct problems increased only in response to parental coresidential repartnering.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the formation of a nonresidential partnership by a parent can affect children's emotional well-being, and thus should be considered when analyzing post-separation family development.


Hippocampal volumes of subjects with a history of major depressive episodes but currently in remission and with no known medical comorbidity were compared to matched normal controls by using volumetric magnetic resonance images. Subjects with a history of major depression had significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volumes with no differences in total cerebral volumes. The degree of hippocampal volume reduction correlated with total duration of major depression. In addition, large (diameter > or = 4.5 mm)-hippocampal low signal foci (LSF) were found within the hippocampus, and their number also correlated with the total number of days depressed. These results suggest that depression is associated with hippocampal atrophy, perhaps due to a progressive process mediated by glucocorticoid neurotoxicity.


A descriptive correlational study was designed to investigate nurses' job satisfaction. The relationships among demographics, work-related variables, impact of health care reform, and job satisfaction were also examined. The Conceptual Model of Job Satisfaction, a modified version of the Mueller and Price (1990) integrated causal model, provided the framework for this study. -- The sample was comprised of 298 staff nurses employed in critical care, medical, and surgical areas of three acute care hospitals. The majority of subjects had diploma level education (81.1%) and were between 30 to 39 years of age (54.7%). A significant number were employed on a full-time permanent basis (72.4%), worked in surgical areas (42.8%), had 9 years or less of nursing experience (47.8%), and were in current positions for 5 to 9 years (43.1 %). Data were collected over a five week period. Instruments included the Impact of Health Care Reform Scale, the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale, and the Descriptive Profile. -- Study findings indicated that nurses were slightly dissatisfied with their jobs, and were more negative than positive about the impact of health care reforms. Respondents were most satisfied with coworkers and interaction opportunities, and least satisfied with control/responsibility and extrinsic rewards. Respondents were most positive about professional issues, and most negative about quality of care concerns and workplace conditions. Workplace conditions, safety concerns, quality of care concerns, professional issues, and health care reforms depicted moderate to strong correlations with job satisfaction. Age, area of employment, nursing experience, and current position tenure were also found to affect levels of job satisfaction. During regression analysis four determinants (i.e., workplace conditions, safety concerns, quality of care concerns, and professional issues) and three correlates (i.e., age, area of employment, and current position tenure) combined to explain 48.8% of the variance in job satisfaction. -- The results of this study suggest that health care reforms are having a negative impact on job satisfaction. Although these results support some of the findings from previous research, there is certainly a need to conduct further research to examine the effects of other work environment factors on job satisfaction.


Since its inception over thirty years ago, affirmative action has been a difficult and divisive issue. Many Americans see affirmative action as an effective and just mechanism for helping the nation become more unified; others perceive it as a contradiction of the principles that work and ability will be rewarded and that the colorblindness presumed to be underlying the civil rights movement should apply to everyone. If a single American institution might have guided the country through the thicket of affirmative action, it is the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet, argues Lincoln Caplan, the actions of the Court have only created confusion for the lower courts and intensified discord in the country. Since 1978, when the Court handed down its best-known decision about affirmative action in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, it has ruled in a dozen cases about the subject, but it has failed to speak with a clear voice. Not one decision has been unanimous, many have been decided by a single vote, and the rulings usually involve a clutch of puzzling, contradictory opinions. Caplan explores the evolution of affirmative action law by the Supreme Court and demonstrates how this evolution is fundamentally at odds with the way that affirmative action has developed throughout America. Caplan shows that affirmative action programs, properly understood and implemented, remain an indispensable tool for ensuring civil rights and achieving a more integrated, prosperous America. And in fact, many institutions--businesses, universities, local police forces--have actually increased their affirmative action efforts out of their own self-interest.


Purpose : The current U.S. population exceeds three hundred million with approximately 20% living in non-urban rural areas. A higher percentage of rural residents have diagnosed heart disease and report poorer health compared to non-rural residents; however, it is not known whether risk factor modification for heart disease and health status differ based on degree of rurality. The purposes of this study were: 1) to compare differences in health status and cardiac risk factors between cardiac patients living in large and small/isolated rural areas, and 2) to compare the health status of rural cardiac patients with a national sample. Method : A secondary analysis using data from three separate studies was completed using a comparative descriptive design. The Cardiac Rehabilitation participant sample (n=191) included individuals 3 to 12 months post-cardiac event. The Arizona Heart Institute and Foundation Heart Test measured risk factors and the eight subscales of the Short-Form, Medical Outcomes study measured health status. Findings : No significant differences in health status were found; all participants rated their health moderately high. However, individuals in large rural areas reported significantly better general health than those in the normative sample. No differences in smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, or overweight/obese BMI were found between the two rural groups. Differences in exercise, and anger were present between the two groups. Significant differences were identified in waist circumference between the genders placing women at higher risk for heart disease. Conclusions : Identifying health status and cardiovascular risk factors of rural individuals informs interventions to be tested for rural residents.


Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) allow vehicle-to-vehicle communication and, in particular, vehicle-generated announcements. Provided that the trustworthiness of such announcements can be guaranteed, they can greatly increase the safety of driving. A new system for vehicle-generated announcements is presented that is secure against external and internal attackers attempting to send fake messages. Internal attacks are thwarted by using an endorsement mechanism based on threshold signatures. Our system outperforms previous proposals in message length and computational cost. Three different privacy-preserving variants of the system are also described to ensure that vehicles volunteering to generate and/or endorse trustworthy announcements do not have to sacrifice their privacy.


Preillumination of Bi4Ti3O12 at low temperature causes a transient enhancement of diffraction efficiency for subsequent holographic recording. Diffraction efficiencies are measured that are up to ten times larger than the stationary value. The enhancement depends on the intensity of the preillumination, on the dark delay time, and on the crystal temperature. The effect can be explained considering electron–hole competition and contributions of different levels to the charge transport.