Abstract Dewey is an important representative of the libertarian education movement, which has its roots based on the values of the enlightenment. Th is study aimed to analyze the relationship between "Turkish modernization" and education from Dewey's perspective. In the paper, the place and eff ect of Dewey in the Turkish pedagogical vision was analyzed within a wider historical context such as the "modernization problematic." Th e characteristic of the "Turkish modernization," which, at the same time, comes out as a tendency to become an education project, constituted the reason for this approach to the issue. Th is analysis relating to the "Turkish modernization" from the perspective of Dewey, who is a democracy philosopher, was inevitably regarding how much room this project gives to libertarian and democratic values in education. In the study, it was concluded that there was an irreconcilable confl ict between the values that "Turkish modernization" is based on which also constitutes the reference framework of the education system and the libertarian and democratic values Dewey advocates. Key Words Turkish Modernization, Democracy, Education, John Dewey. Th is study can be described as a reading on Dewey and the relationship between the "Turkish modernization" and education from his perspective. Th e fundamental aim of the study was to evaluate the infl uence of Dewey on Turkish pedagogical thinking within a wider historical context such as the "modernization problematic." Dewey in Turkey: An Intellectual Conundrum In Turkey, Dewey is a thinker who was discovered by a very small intellectual circle, relatively late, often misunderstood and misintroduced (Wolf-Gazo, 1996). In Turkey, Dewey is seen only as an education philosopher, his works in other fi elds have not received enough attention and almost ignored. It is striking that educationists in Turkey, whilst evaluating Dewey within the context of the confl icts between reconstructivist, progressive, or pragmatist approaches or whilst taking his criticisms aimed at traditional education into consideration, have not felt the need to associate these thoughts of his with the other dimensions of his philosophy and to link these to the issue of democracy. Th e lack of a holistic approach in intellectuals in Turkey relating to Dewey has also led to inadequacies in interpreting his report (Dewey, 1939) relating to the Turkish national education (Ata, 2001; Bal, 1974; Bender, 2005; Brickman, 1984; Wilson & Basgoz, 1968). Dewey visited Turkey approximately a year after the declaration of the Republic (in 1924), during a twilight period when the "old" had disappeared but the "new" had not yet materialized. It is seen that as a result of his observations in Turkey, he approached the reformation eff orts made in the fi eld of education positively, was impressed by the ideal of the Republic, the infrastructure of which was being founded in Ankara under conditions of deprivation and that he viewed this ideal sympathetically (Akyuz, 1999). Dewey's short (2 months) visit to Turkey is completely a conundrum (Ata, 2001). Th ere is no clear and certain information in the literature regarding either the start or end dates of this visit, by whom or which institution and for what purpose and with what authority Dewey was invited (Bilgi & Ozsoy, 2005). Dewey has a specifi c place among the foreign experts who have come to Turkey (Akkutay, 1996; Ergun, 1982). Th e founding leaders of the Republic who wanted to achieve a lot in a little time were infl uenced by Dewey's pragmatist philosophy to a great extent (Bal, 1989, 1991; Buyukduvenci, 1995; Ergun, 1987; Kirby, 2000). Dewey's holistic approach to educational issues renders him unique among the foreign experts who have come to Turkey. "Turkish Modernization" and Education Th e most distinctive characteristic of Turkish modernization which distinguishes it from its western examples is that it is a state-centered project (Aktar, 1993; Ercan, 1996; insel, 1996, 2002; Mardin, 2000; Saribay, 1982; Tarih Vakfi, 1998, 1999a). …


In HEp-2 cells infected with herpes simplex virus the rate of protein synthesis at first decline, is stimulated between 4 and 8 hours after infection, and progressively and irreversibly declines from 9 to 16 hours later. The increase and decrease in rates coincide with corresponding changes in the amounts of cytoplasmic polysomes and amounts of labeled amino acids in nascent peptides bound to polysomes. The data indicate that (i) early and late inhibition and intervening stimulation of protein synthesis are due to the corresponding breakdown and formation of polysomes, and (ii) the bulk of viral proteins is probably made on cytoplasmic polysomes.


We analyze ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles made across and parallel to the August 1999 earthquake ruptures of the North Anatolian fault in Turkey. The profiles document cumulative right-lateral offset of stream channels and the successive faulting of a medieval (Ottoman) canal. The dominance of fine sand to coarse gravel in the sections imaged allows for reasonably deep penetration, and processed radar signals clearly image visible reflectors within the uppermost 5 m. Near Kosekoy, buried fluvial-channel deposits, exposed in some trenches dug to determine paleoseismicity, are also visible on profiles and show a maximum 6.7–7.4 m of lateral displacement. Younger channel units display 4.5–4.9 m of right-lateral displacement at 2–3 m depth and show that the penultimate rupture along the Izmit segment produced a similar amount of displacement as in 1999. At the Ottoman canal site, GPR profiles complement a trench study and provide consistent results showing the occurrence of three faulting events after A.D. 1591, the date of canal construction. This study demonstrates that the use of GPR method in paleoseismology contributes to better identification of cumulative slip along active faults.


Bringing together new articles and essays from the controversial Berkeley conference of the same name, The Making and Unmaking of Whiteness presents a fascinating range of inquiry into the nature of whiteness. Representing academics, independent scholars, community organizers, and antiracist activists, the contributors are all leaders in the "second wave" of whiteness studies who collectively aim to combat the historical legacies of white supremacy and to inform those who seek to understand the changing nature of white identity, both in the United States and abroad.

With essays devoted to theories of racial domination, comparative global racisms, and transnational white identity, the geographical reach of the volume is significant and broad. Dalton Conley writes on "How I Learned to Be White." Allan Berube discusses the intersection of gay identity and whiteness, and Mab Segrest describes the spiritual price white people pay for living in a system of white supremacy. Other pieces examine the utility of whiteness as a critical term for social analysis and contextualize different attempts at antiracist activism. In a razor-sharp introduction, the editors not only raise provocative questions about the intellectual, social, and political goals of those interested in the study of whiteness but assess several of the topic's major recurrent themes: the visibility of whiteness (or the lack thereof); the "emptiness" of whiteness as a category of identification; and conceptions of whiteness as a structural privilege, a harbinger of violence, or an institutionalization of European imperialism.

Contributors. William Aal, Allan Berube, Birgit Brander Rasmussen, Dalton Conley, Troy Duster, Ruth Frankenberg, John Hartigan Jr., Eric Klinenberg, Eric Lott, Irene J. Nexica, Michael Omi, Jasbir Kaur Puar, Mab Segrest, Vron Ware, Howard Winant, Matt Wray


Description: Interviews with the professionals driving the rapid global growth of Islamic finance Though the modern Islamic finance system has existed for more than forty years, its size and influence in the banking industry has expanded massively in just the last decade. This book looks at Islamic finance from the perspective of the experts shaping the industry, including some of the founders of the first Islamic banks—Haj Saeed Lootah, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Al Faisal Al Saud, and Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel—as well as other professionals who have greatly influenced the industry. Editor Emmy Alim offers rare insight on Islamic finance with these insightful interviews focused on the development, rise, and future trajectory of Islamic finance. Features rare insider perspective on the rise of Islamic finance with interviews from the top names in the industry in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States An ideal resource for bankers and finance professionals working in traditional finance as well as Islamic finance Written by Emmy Alim, Editor for Thomson Reuters Islamic Finance Gateway, a multi-platform forum for experts and professionals in the Islamic finance industry


Introduction Our hospice multi-disciplinary team was challenged by failing to deliver adequate pain relief to an elderly anicteric woman with locally advanced cholangiocarcinoma but with no known bone metastases. She was immobilised by severe knee pain resistant to optimal pain pathway prescribing and Allied Health Professional support. The patient was placed in a nursing home due to her immobility. Subsequently her serum vitamin D (VitD) was reported undetectable, and symptoms were explained by osteomalacia. Aims and Methods To test patients with clinical symptoms and susceptible disease profiles for VitD deficiency. Serum VitD levels of 16 caucasian hospice patients (6 female; 10 male) with symptoms suggestive deficiency were compared to 10,474 caucasian hospital patients (7,140 female; 3,334 male) in the same 10 month period. Results Hospice median VitD was 11.65 µg/L (Interquartile Range = 6.66 - 15.25) (sufficient >20 µg/l; insufficient 6-20 µg/L; severe deficiency <6µg/L) This differed significantly from the hospital median VitD of 16.50 µg/L (Interquartile Range = 9.70 - 33.40;) Mann-Whitney p=0.016. Age and gender distribution differed between the two groups but controlling for this with a general linear model the difference in VitD remained significant (p value=0.011). Conclusion Hospice patients had lower VitD levels than hospital patients, despite the differences in age and gender. Resistant pain is a common problem in hospice patients and may lead to unnecessary morbidity and institutionalisation. As part of holistic care VitD deficiency requires exclusion as a cause of morbidity in patients with pain and susceptible disease profiles. Its incidence in hospice patients warrants further investigation.


Poetry and Ecology in the Age of Milton and Marvell by Diane Kelsey McColley. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2007. Pp. 252. $89.95. Halfway through his essay "Walking," H. D. Thoreau asks "Where is the literature which gives expression to Nature?" The question is rhetorical. He has already announced his own intent to speak for Nature, and turned to survey the territory behind, where he finds little in the way of precedent or guidance: English literature, from the days of the minstrels to the Lake Poets--Chaucer and Spenser and Milton, and even Shakespeare included, breathes no quite flesh and in this sense wild strain. It is an essentially tame and civilized literature reflecting Greece and Rome. Her wilderness is a green-wood--her wild man a Robinhood. There is plenty of genial love of Nature, but not so much of Nature herself. The literature that speaks for Nature is yet to come, or so it would seem. Thoreau's gesture is at once a ground-clearing and an investiture; it heralds the American tradition of nature writing, which has at heart the belief that before the nineteenth century "Nature herself" is mostly absent from Western literature. This is also a central tenet of ecocriticism, which generally does not regard early modern literature as ecological in its concerns or sensibilities. Although Thoreau's name does not appear in Diane McColley's Poetry and Ecology in the Age of Milton and Marvell, it is largely his judgment on English literature and its formidable critical legacy that the author has in her sights when she announces her intent to challenge the notion "that pre-Romantic and pre-Darwinian poetry, especially if it is monotheistically religious, is intrinsically unecological, or that 'ecocriticism' of it is intrinsically anachronistic" (1). The book's central argument is that many English poets of the seventeenth century, including Milton and Marvell, but also George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, and Margaret Cavendish, among others, demonstrate sensibilities properly deemed "ecological" when they criticize contemporary practices of deforestation, pollution, and large-scale mining; show regard for plants and animals as "fellow creatures whose lives belong to themselves"; and promote a sense of kinship with and empathy for all living things by means of "language responsive, in sound and form as well as image and thought, to the lives of plants, animals, elements and places" (1, 7). McColley chooses the modern term "ecology" over the classical and early modern term "economy" because, she says, "economy," with its roots in the Greek words oikos (household) and nomos (law), designates the management of an estate for human benefit, while "ecology," with its root logos (word, knowledge), "suggests that our use of knowledge needs to be good for the whole household of living things" (1). Ecology, then, concerns the knowledge of nature in itself, as opposed to knowledge of its use-value for humans; it also involves the intimate personal engagement of the human subject with the natural world. "Ecological" poetry of the seventeenth century, whose language McColley describes as fluid and responsive to the lives of animals and plants, promoted just such respectful attention to nature and empathetic connections with it. By contrast, she says, "the Baconian program of empirical science required a rational, explicit, unambiguous language," which promoted the domination of nature, its reduction to a body of ascertainable facts, and its exploitation for human benefit (4). McColley's readings of the "living language" of poetry are sensitive, beautifully realized, and powerful; they make an important contribution to critical understanding of how seventeenth-century poetry reworks traditionally allegorical and emblematic readings of nature and reflects an emerging awareness of the natural world. Readings of the language of science are less nuanced by comparison, but the primary sources brought together in this book, including several texts of early modern science, will be useful to other scholars and critics looking to interrogate critical commonplaces about nature in early modern literature. …


ABSTRACT Native American students are an underrepresented population in higher education with discouraging low 1st-year persistence rates when compared with the general population. Using the peoplehood model, this analysis employed the Indigenous methodology sharing circles to explore Native American students' sense of belonging (n = 24) and factors that influence it during their critical 1st year in college at Southwest University (pseudonym). Findings indicated that many Native students experienced racial microaggressions and structured disconnections from their home communities. Family and the Native student center on campus provided a "home away from home" environment. Although these were important in helping students create a localized sense of belonging, they only were necessary to the extent that the culture of the institution served to invalidate the Native students' peoplehood. To support Native students' sense of belonging, institutions must validate and incorporate Native culture and perspectives within the ingrained Eurocentric cultures of non-Native colleges and universities.


Abstract. Optimisation methods were successfully used to calibrate parameters in an atmospheric component of a climate model using two variants of the Gauss–Newton line-search algorithm: (1) a standard Gauss–Newton algorithm in which, in each iteration, all parameters were perturbed and (2) a randomised block-coordinate variant in which, in each iteration, a random sub-set of parameters was perturbed. The cost function to be minimised used multiple large-scale multi-annual average observations and was constrained to produce net radiative fluxes close to those observed. These algorithms were used to calibrate the HadAM3 (third Hadley Centre Atmospheric Model) model at N48 resolution and the HadAM3P model at N96 resolution. For the HadAM3 model, cases with 7 and 14 parameters were tried. All ten 7-parameter cases using HadAM3 converged to cost function values similar to that of the standard configuration. For the 14-parameter cases several failed to converge, with the random variant in which 6 parameters were perturbed being most successful. Multiple sets of parameter values were found that produced multiple models very similar to the standard configuration. HadAM3 cases that converged were coupled to an ocean model and run for 20 years starting from a pre-industrial HadCM3 (3rd Hadley Centre Coupled model) state resulting in several models whose global-average temperatures were consistent with pre-industrial estimates. For the 7-parameter cases the Gauss–Newton algorithm converged in about 70 evaluations. For the 14-parameter algorithm, with 6 parameters being randomly perturbed, about 80 evaluations were needed for convergence. However, when 8 parameters were randomly perturbed, algorithm performance was poor. Our results suggest the computational cost for the Gauss–Newton algorithm scales between P and P2, where P is the number of parameters being calibrated. For the HadAM3P model three algorithms were tested. Algorithms in which seven parameters were perturbed and three out of seven parameters randomly perturbed produced final configurations comparable to the standard hand-tuned configuration. An algorithm in which 6 out of 13 parameters were randomly perturbed failed to converge. These results suggest that automatic parameter calibration using atmospheric models is feasible and that the resulting coupled models are stable. Thus, automatic calibration could replace human-driven trial and error. However, convergence and costs are likely sensitive to details of the algorithm.


The use of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter has gained
popularity in the commercial poultry industry in view of the hazards posed by
antibiotics to human and animal health. However, the science behind the probiotic
microorganisms has been poor with respect to their identity at the species and strain
level, their interaction with the host animal, and their efficacy in poultry practices.
Thus, a reliable and efficient method is essential to monitor the probiotic
microorganisms and to perform quality control of commercial probiotic products. In
the present study, molecular methods were applied for reidentification,
characterisation and enumeration of 12 probiotic Lactobacillus strains which were
previously identified with classical biochemical tests.
Based on comparative sequence analyses of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene
and 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region (ISR), discrepancies were found in
the identification of nine out of the 12 Lactobacillus strains, namely, L. brevis C 1, L.
brevis C 10, L. fermentum C 16, L. brevis C 17, L. crispatus I12, L. acidophilus I 16, L. fermentum I 24, L. fermentum I 25 and L. acidophilus I 26. These strains were
reidentified as L. reuteri C 1, L. reuteri C 10, L. reuteri C 16, L. panis C 17, L. brevis
I 12, L. gallinarum I 16, L. salivarius I 24, L. brevis I 25 and L. gallinarum I 26. The
rate of misidentification is high when conventional identification methods are used.


Pluripotent stem cells are able to self-renew indefinitely in culture and differentiate into all somatic cell types in vivo. While much is known about the molecular basis of pluripotency, the molecular mechanisms of lineage commitment are complex and only partially understood. Here, using a combination of single cell profiling and mathematical modeling, we examine the differentiation dynamics of individual mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as they progress from the ground state of pluripotency along the neuronal lineage. In accordance with previous reports we find that cells do not transit directly from the pluripotent state to the neuronal state, but rather first stochastically permeate an intermediate primed pluripotent state, similar to that found in the maturing epiblast in development. However, analysis of rate at which individual cells enter and exit this intermediate metastable state using a hidden Markov model reveals that the observed ESC and epiblast-like 'macrostates' conceal a chain of unobserved cellular 'microstates', which individual cells transit through stochastically in sequence. These hidden microstates ensure that individual cells spend well-defined periods of time in each functional macrostate and encode a simple form of epigenetic 'memory' that allows individual cells to record their position on the differentiation trajectory. To examine the generality of this model we also consider the differentiation of mouse hematopoietic stem cells along the myeloid lineage and observe remarkably similar dynamics, suggesting a general underlying process. Based upon these results we suggest a statistical mechanics view of cellular identities that distinguishes between functionally-distinct macrostates and the many functionally-similar molecular microstates associated with each macrostate. Taken together these results indicate that differentiation is a discrete stochastic process amenable to analysis using the tools of statistical mechanics.


This paper investigates how matching age of driver with age of voice in a conversational in-vehicle information system affects attitudes and performance. 36 participants from age groups, 55 -75 and 18 - 25, interacted with a conversational system with young or old voice in a driving simulator. Results show that all drivers rather communicated with a young than old voice in the car. This willingness to communicate had a detrimental effect on driving performance. It is hence important to carefully select voices, since voice properties can have enormous effects on driving safety. Clearly, one voice doesnt fit all.


Background & Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence training on maladaptive and aggressive students with emotional and behavioral disorders in DezfulIran. Previous studies suggest emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence capability are not fixed and immutable. Rather, they can develop and change in the course of time. It has also been suggested that special training can boost emotional intelligence. Methods: This study is pretest-posttest control group quasi experimental one. The population consisted of all male students between the ages of 11 to 14-year-old, who were admitted to the medical center SHAFA DezfulIran. Convenience sampling was used to recruit to 32 participants. The participants were assigned to the control group and the experimental group in equal numbers. The research instruments were Adjustment Inventory for high School Students (AISS) and Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) developed by Arnold H. Buss & Mark Perry (1992). The participants in the experimental group received training for 16 sessions with each session lasting for 90 minutes. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that emotional intelligence training leads to increases in adjustment (P<0.001) and reduces aggression in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (p<0.003). Conclusion: Emotional intelligence training helps students with emotional disorders in terms of increased adaptability, reduced depression. It also enhances the quality of life and social interactions with family members. The findings of this study are consistent with research showing that emotional intelligence is an effective factor in determining the real-life situations such as success in school, success in business and personal relationships. Emotional intelligence and experience play an essential role in coping with stressful events, finding the desired objectives envisaged in the future, and coping with chronic stress.


Internet and MMORPGs provide a means of unrestricted social interaction, an outlet for emotional or psychological troubles, relieve stress generated in daily activities, and are fun to play. However excessive involvement in MMORPGs may make the player psychologically dependent and thereby develop an addiction to them. Previous studies report inconsistent relationships between the influences and negative outcomes of PIU and MMORP addiction. To fill this gap in the literature, the present study proposes a theoretical model which integrates four psychosocial variables (depression, social anxiety, personality, and locus of control) as predictors of PIU and MMORPG addiction, and three negative outcomes of engaging into these behaviors (physical and psychological and academic wellbeing and real-life interpersonal relationships). The model provides direction of empirical testing for future research.


The poor performance of the Wald method for constructing confidence intervals (CIs) for a binomial proportion has been demonstrated in a vast literature. The related problem of sample size determination needs to be updated and comparative studies are essential to understanding the performance of alternative methods. In this paper, the sample size is obtained for the Clopper–Pearson, Bayesian (Uniform and Jeffreys priors), Wilson, Agresti–Coull, Anscombe, and Wald methods. Two two-step procedures are used: one based on the expected length (EL) of the CI and another one on its first-order approximation. In the first step, all possible solutions that satisfy the optimal criterion are obtained. In the second step, a single solution is proposed according to a new criterion (e.g. highest coverage probability (CP)). In practice, it is expected a sample size reduction, therefore, we explore the behavior of the methods admitting 30% and 50% of losses. For all the methods, the ELs are inflated, as expected, but the coverage probabilities remain close to the original target (with few exceptions). It is not easy to suggest a method that is optimal throughout the range (0, 1) for p. Depending on whether the goal is to achieve CP approximately or above the nominal level different recommendations are made.


Retail geography is an expanding field that is becoming increasingly important within academia, the business environment, and the national and global economy. The focus of this study is to provide insight and additional understanding of the site selection processes employed by Wal-Mart in the United States. The research studies Wal-Mart from a national perspective and investigates the patterns of retail store expansion across the United States from 1990 to 2005. The study employs the use of a continuous Poisson model to check for significant clustering, and a single and multiple correlation analysis to identify the types of relationships that exist between retail stores and location. The results of the study make apparent several distinct patterns of retail store dispersion within the United States between the years 1990 to 2005.


Transfer of objects between humans and robots is a critical capability for collaborative robots. Although there has been a recent surge of interest in human-robot handovers, most prior research focus on robot-to-human handovers. Further, work on the equally critical human-to-robot handovers often assumes humans can place the object in the robot's gripper. In this paper, we propose an approach for human-to-robot handovers in which the robot meets the human halfway, by classifying the human's grasp of the object and quickly planning a trajectory accordingly to take the object from the human's hand according to their intent. To do this, we collect a human grasp dataset which covers typical ways of holding objects with various hand shapes and poses, and learn a deep model on this dataset to classify the hand grasps into one of these categories. We present a planning and execution approach that takes the object from the human hand according to the detected grasp and hand position, and replans as necessary when the handover is interrupted. Through a systematic evaluation, we demonstrate that our system results in more fluent handovers versus two baselines. We also present findings from a user study (N = 9) demonstrating the effectiveness and usability of our approach with naive users in different scenarios. More information can be found at http://wyang.me/handovers.


Abstract. The dissolution of semi-volatile inorganic gases such as ammonia and nitric acid into the aerosol aqueous phase has an important influence on the composition, hygroscopic properties, and size distribution of atmospheric aerosol particles. The representation of dissolution in global models is challenging due to inherent issues of numerical stability and computational expense. For this reason, simplified approaches are often taken, with many models treating dissolution as an equilibrium process. In this paper we describe the new dissolution solver HyDiS-1.0, which was developed for the global size-resolved simulation of aerosol inorganic composition. The solver applies a hybrid approach, which allows for some particle size classes to establish instantaneous gas-particle equilibrium, whereas others are treated time dependently (or dynamically). Numerical accuracy at a competitive computational expense is achieved by using several tailored numerical formalisms and decision criteria, such as for the time- and size-dependent choice between the equilibrium and dynamic approaches. The new hybrid solver is shown to have numerical stability across a wide range of numerical stiffness conditions encountered within the atmosphere. For ammonia and nitric acid, HyDiS-1.0 is found to be in excellent agreement with a fully dynamic benchmark solver. In the presence of sea salt aerosol, a somewhat larger bias is found under highly polluted conditions if hydrochloric acid is represented as a third semi-volatile species. We present first results of the solver's implementation into a global aerosol microphysics and chemistry transport model. We find that (1) the new solver predicts surface concentrations of nitrate and ammonium in reasonable agreement with observations over Europe, the USA, and East Asia, (2) models that assume gas-particle equilibrium will not capture the partitioning of nitric acid and ammonia into Aitken-mode-sized particles, and thus may be missing an important pathway through which secondary particles may grow to radiation- and cloud-interacting size, and (3) the new hybrid solver's computational expense is modest, at around 10 % of total computation time in these simulations.


This project details the development of a novel and practical framework for the development of conversation agents (CAs), or conversation robots. CAs, are software programs which can be used to provide a natural interface between human and computers. In this study, 'conversation' refers to real-time dialogue exchange between human and machine which may range from web chatting to "on-the-go" conversation through mobile devices. In essence, the project proposes a "smart and effective" communication technology where an autonomous agent is able to carry out simulated human conversation via multiple channels. The CA developed in this project is termed "Artificial Intelligence Natural-language Identity" (AINI) and AINI is used to illustrate the implementation and testing carried out in this project. Up to now, most CAs have been developed with a short term objective to serve as tools to convince users that they are talking with real humans as in the case of the Turing Test. The traditional designs have mainly relied on ad-hoc approach and hand-crafted domain knowledge. Such approaches make it difficult for a fully integrated system to be developed and modified for other domain applications and tasks. The proposed framework in this thesis addresses such limitations. Overcoming the weaknesses of previous systems have been the key challenges in this study. The research in this study has provided a better understanding of the system requirements and the development of a systematic approach for the construction of intelligent CAs based on agent architecture using a modular N-tiered approach. This study demonstrates an effective implementation and exploration of the new paradigm of Computer Mediated Conversation (CMC) through CAs. The most significant aspect of the proposed framework is its ability to re-use and encapsulate expertise such as domain knowledge, natural language query and human-computer interface through plug-in components. As a result, the developer does not need to change the framework implementation for different applications. This proposed system provides interoperability among heterogeneous systems and it has the flexibility to be adapted for other languages, interface designs and domain applications. A modular design of knowledge representation facilitates the creation of the CA knowledge bases. This enables easier integration of open-domain and domain-specific knowledge with the ability to provide answers for broader queries. In order to build the knowledge base for the CAs, this study has also proposed a mechanism to gather information from commonsense collaborative knowledge and online web documents. The proposed Automated Knowledge Extraction Agent (AKEA) has been used for the extraction of unstructured knowledge from the Web. On the other hand, it is also realised that it is important to establish the trustworthiness of the sources of information. This thesis introduces a Web Knowledge Trust Model (WKTM) to establish the trustworthiness of the sources.

In order to assess the proposed framework, relevant tools and application modules have been developed and an evaluation of their effectiveness has been carried out to validate the performance and accuracy of the system. Both laboratory and public experiments with online users in real-time have been carried out. The results have shown that the proposed system is effective. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the CA could be implemented on the Web, mobile services and Instant Messaging (IM). In the real-time human-machine conversation experiment, it was shown that AINI is able to carry out conversations with human users by providing spontaneous interaction in an unconstrained setting. The study observed that AINI and humans share common properties in linguistic features and paralinguistic cues. These human-computer interactions have been analysed and contributed to the understanding of how the users interact with CAs. Such knowledge is also useful for the development of conversation systems utilising the commonalities found in these interactions. While AINI is found having difficulties in responding to some forms of paralinguistic cues, this could lead to research directions for further work to improve the CA performance in the future.


Researchers at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA have discovered that the presence and integrity of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr), which mediates the inhibitory action of opioid growth factor (OGF) on cell proliferation, is a key to understanding the progression and treatment of human ovarian cancer. Transplantation of human ovarian cancer cells that were molecularly engineered to have a reduced expression of OGFr, into immunocompromised mice, resulted in ovarian tumors that grew rapidly. This discovery, reported on page 167 of this issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides fresh new insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of a lethal cancer that is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in the USA, and has a death rate that is unchanged for over 75 years. The OGF (also-termed [Met]-enkephalin)–OGFr axis plays a fundamental role in cancer, development and cellular renewal by regulating cell proliferation. An important question addressed in this study relates to the requirement of this peptide–receptor system for the progression of carcinogenesis. Human ovarian cancer cell lines that were genetically modified to underexpress OGFr grew far more rapidly in tissue culture than control (empty vector/wildtype) cell lines. Moreover, the addition of OGF to cultures of these genetically modified cells did not respond to the inhibitory peptide and change cell number, indicating that the loss of OGFr interfered with the function of the OGF– OGFr axis with respect to regulating cell proliferation. Immunocompromised mice injected with ovarian cancer cells that had a reduction in OGFr displayed tumors much earlier than controls, and these tumors grew faster than controls. Putting this information together with knowledge that the pathway for OGF–OGFr regulation of cell proliferation in ovarian cancer is by way of increasing the cyclindependent inhibitory kinase proteins p16 and p21, we now can understand that minimizing the quantity of OGFr results in an increase in the number of cells entering the G1/S phase of the cell cycle. This has the net effect of increasing the progression of tumorigenic events. These results reveal the critical nature of OGFr in human ovarian cancer, and that the receptor along with its ligand, OGF, is essential for determining the course of these neoplasias. The research team was comprised of Dr Ian S Zagon, Distinguished University Professor, and Dr Patricia J McLaughlin, Professor, along with Dr Renee N Donahue in the Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences. Drs Zagon and McLaughlin discovered that endogenous opioids serve as growth factors, and have been pioneers in translating their findings from the bench to the bedside. Dr Zagon states that 'Over 75% of women are initially diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. Despite excellent initial response to cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, 65% of these patients relapse within two years. However, only palliative care is available for these patients. With evidence from Phase I and II clinical trials as to the success of OGF for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer and knowledge presented herein that the OGF-OGFr axis is a critical determinant of the course of ovarian neoplasia, the present study raises the possibility of using this information to modulate the OGF-OGFr pathway with (i) exogenous OGF; (ii) imiquimod to upregulate OGFr; and/or (iii) low dose naltrexone (LDN) to increase OGF and OGFr, as a therapeutic strategy for ovarian carcinoma'. Co-author Dr McLaughlin adds that 'A major problem in ovarian cancer is the need for diagnostic markers – both for early diagnosis and to monitor treatment modalities. Since some of the signaling pathways for OGF-OGFr are known (e.g. karyopherin b, Ran, p16, p21), the components of this system would represent a worthwhile focus in designing diagnostic assays'. Dr Donahue, who conducted the ovarian cancer studies and its relationship to the OGF–OGFr axis for her doctoral dissertation, states that 'Ovarian cancers frequently have a methylation of p16 that is associated with an increased progression of ovarian cancer and a loss of OGFr in ovarian tumors. The diminished expression of OGFr and its repercussions on tumorigenesis, only adds to the concern about the need for information concerning genetic and epigenetic changes that may impact the course of disease and its treatment. Our findings also hold potentially ominous overtones for those individuals taking naltrexone for addictive disorders. The dosage used for treatment of addiction blocks opioid receptors continually. The present findings that diminishing the OGF-OGFr axis by depleting the receptor exacerbates tumorigenesis, could place these patients using naltrexone at risk for accelerating disease processes that involve cell proliferation'. Dr Steven R Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine, said 'This compelling evidence confirms the absolute requirement for OGFr (and OGF) as a tonically active inhibitory regulatory mechanism in ovarian cancer. As a corollary, amplifying the OGF-OGFr pathway is a novel and highly effective biotherapeutic strategy to suppress the progression of these deadly cancers'.


Remediation of metal-contaminated soils and waters using nanoparticles is highly limited by their strong tendency to aggregate in soil solution and natural water. In order to enhance the remediation of Hg0-contaminated soil solution and groundwater by Se nanoparticles (SeNPs), the effects of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the stability of SeNPs and Hg0 removal were investigated. EPS from the selenite-reducing bacterium Citrobacter freundii Y9 were found to make SeNPs more negatively charged by strong adsorption, which significantly enhanced the stability of SeNPs. The protein, carboxylate, polysaccharide and lipid components of the EPS were involved in the adsorption to SeNPs. Fluorescence quenching titration measurements implied that the binding of proteinaceous substances in the EPS to SeNPs was static quenching. EPS can therefore enhance the remediation efficiency of SeNPs for soil solution and groundwater contaminated with Hg0. This study highlights that bacterial EPS can be used as an effective natural dispersant for SeNPs, therefore improving the efficiency of mercury immobilization in contaminated waters.


Trial by trial fluctuations in attentional control can lead to failures of working memory (WM), in which the subject is no better than chance at reporting the items from a recent display. In three experiments, we used a whole-report measure of visual WM to examine the impact of pre- and post-trial information on the rate of these failures. We hypothesized that subjects' knowledge about the upcoming task load (pre-trial) or instantaneous feedback about performance (post-trial) would reduce failures and improve average WM performance. In each experiment, subjects remembered an array of colored objects (~200 ms) across a blank delay (~1300 ms) and then reported the identity of all items. We defined performance failures as the trials in which subjects were at chance for reporting all items in the array (0 or 1 correct items). To manipulate pre-trial information, we presented subjects (N=18) with a cue before the memory array that was either informative (the set-size) or uninformative (an "X") about the upcoming trial load (2 to 8 items). We found that failure rate and overall performance were identical for both conditions, suggesting that subjects could not take advantage of this pre-trial information. To test the impact of post-trial information, we compared no feedback to feedback about the number of items correct (N=15) after each trial. Feedback decreased failure rates from 15% to 10%. In the third experiment (N=49), we used a point-based incentive structure in the feedback condition in which failure trials resulted in lost points and consistent successful performance received "streak" points. Again feedback decreased failure rates from 11% to 6% and benefitted all subjects irrespective of average capacity. Together, these results suggest that while pre-trial knowledge of task load is ineffective, post-trial feedback is highly effective at decreasing the rate of WM failures within a session. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Early literacy and language development are crucial to future learning and development and, for children with disabilities, these skills can be fostered through various elements in early care and education settings. Using data from the South Carolina Bridges to Early Learning Project, this study investigates the relationships between classroom environments, curriculum experiences, teachers' education, training and practices and children's time of IEP implementation with literacy and language progress. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, considering Process, Person, Context and Time as all being pertinent to children's development, is used to frame the study. Although correlational analyses did not present significant findings for environment, experiences or teachers, a t-test comparing growth based on children's gain scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Third Edition indicates that timing of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) implementation is vital to children with disabilities early literacy and language development. The implications for results of factors contributing to early literacy and language development for children with disabilities is discussed.


We investigated the status of the apolipoprotein E allele in 538 participants in the incidence phase of the ongoing Shanghai Survey of Dementia, including 103 demented subjects, 72 with mild cognitive impairment and 363 cognitively normal. The apo E ϵ4 allele was present in 10.2% of control subjects and the allelic frequency did not change between ages 60 to 96 years. The apo E ϵ4 allelic frequency was increased both in those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (25.4%) and those with vascular dementia (VaD)(22.2%), but not in those with other dementing illnesses or the cognitively impaired. All of the subjects homozygous for apo E ϵ4 were demented, three were diagnosed as having AD, and three met NINDS/AIREN criteria for VaD. The increased apo E ϵ4 allelic frequency in clinically diagnosed VaD patients suggests that some of the infarcts are secondary to congophilic angiopathy. The adjusted odds ratio of developing AD in this community-derived study for persons with at least one apo E ϵ4 allele was 4.1 (95% CI: 2.2, 7.7). Thus, the apo E ϵ4 risk of developing AD in this Chinese cohort is similar to that in western community studies.


This article explores the inequities inherent in the current corporate income tax structure. The author argues that notions of vertical and horizontal equity are violated in the current tax code. In particular, tax payers are taxed differently depending on the type of business entity that they invest in, which violates notions of horizontal equity; and higher income investors are allowed to invest in certain entities with lower tax consequences, that are not available to lower income investors, which violates notions of vertical equity. Hedge funds, partnerships, limited liability companies, and a variety of other business choices are only available to accredited investors who earn high incomes or have a certain amount of wealth. This makes the double tax on corporations unfair from both a vertical and a horizontal equity standpoint. Various approaches to alleviating the double tax and inequitable tax burden are introduced and analyzed including complete integration proposals which would eliminate the corporate income tax at the corporate level and partial integration proposals which, in some circumstances, would allow for dividend deductions at the shareholder level. Proposals face various criticisms including administrability concerns, loss of revenue and allowing certain tax-exempt and foreign investors to escape any sort of taxation on their earnings. The author explores each of these criticisms and introduces her own integration proposal which seeks to alleviate equity and fairness objections to the current corporate income tax structure while keeping in mind the present concerns over integration which includes a deduction for dividends and proposes to tax all income from any type of investment at the investor's personal ordinary income tax rate.


UNLABELLED
Previous studies have shown that cycling can directly influence neuromuscular control during subsequent running in some highly trained triathletes. A relationship between this altered neuromuscular control of running and musculoskeletal pain and injury has been proposed; however, this link has not been investigated.

PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of cycling on neuromuscular control during subsequent running in highly trained triathletes with and without exercise-related leg pain (ERLP).

METHODS
Participants were 34 highly trained triathletes: 10 triathletes with a history of ERLP and 24 training-matched control triathletes with no history of ERLP. Knee and ankle kinematics and leg muscle recruitment were compared between a baseline run (no prior exercise) and a transition run (preceded by cycling; i.e., run vs cycle run).

RESULTS
Knee and ankle joint kinematics were not different between baseline and transition runs for any triathletes: absolute mean difference (+/-95% confidence interval) was 1.49 degrees +/- 0.17 degrees. However, muscle recruitment was different between baseline and transition runs, defined by absolute mean difference in EMG amplitude > or = 10%, in 5 of 24 control triathletes (11/130 muscles exhibited altered recruitment) and in 5 of 10 triathletes with a history of ERLP (12/50 muscles exhibited altered recruitment). This represents a relative risk of 2.40 (0.89-6.50; P = 0.089) when defined by athletes and 2.62 (1.34-6.01; P < 0.01) when defined by muscles. The magnitude of change in muscle recruitment between baseline and transition runs was not different between control (14.10% +/- 2.34%) and ERLP triathletes (16.31% +/- 3.64%; P = 0.41).

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates an association between ERLP in triathletes and their neuromuscular control when running off the bike.


Surface fronts and mesoscale eddies are two classes of ocean structures that engender significant pattern in the habitats of marine organisms. Both are sites where mechanical energy of the physical system may be accessible for augmenting trophic energy available to biological organisms. Accordingly, they may offer opportunities for exceptional local productivity and growth of species particularly adapted to excelling in such highly-productive rapid-growth/high-mortality situations. The major relevant physical mechanisms involved are presented. A widespread attraction of many types of fish to floating objects drifting in the ocean is cited as an apparent adaptive response to the desirable aspects of surface fronts. An apparent contrary tendency for certain important marine fish species to be particularly successful in relatively poorly productive situations, where slower growth may be offset by much lower early life predation mortality, is also noted. Competing tradeoffs between (1) early life nutrition and resulting growth, and (2) mortality of early stages due to predation are suggested. These tradeoffs are posed and illustrated via a "predator pit" conceptual framework. Illustrations of the evident reproductive habitat choices of several populations of large temperate tunas are briefly presented. It is concluded that the time may have come for a general shift in the approach of at-sea fish larval ecological investigations from the conventional focus on associations with environmental properties on a "macro" scale to intensive investigations of the real-time progressions of linked physical-biological interactions occurring on a "meso" (and smaller) scale.


Digital image content authentication addresses the problem of detecting any illegitimate modification on the content of images. To cope with this problem, a novel semifragile watermarking scheme using the pinned sine transform (PST) is presented in this paper. The watermarking system can localize the portions of a watermarked image that have been tampered maliciously with high accuracy as well as approximately recover it. In particular, the watermarking scheme is very sensitive to any texture alteration in the watermarked images. The interblock relationship introduced in the process of PST renders the watermarking scheme resistant to content cutting and pasting attacks. The watermark can still survive slight nonmalicious manipulations, which is desirable in some practical applications such as legal tenders. Simulation results demonstrated that the probability of tamper detection of this authentication scheme is higher than, and it is less sensitive to legitimate image processing operations such as compression than that of the equivalent DCT scheme.


State-of-the-art speaker identification and verification (SIV) systems provide near perfect performance under clean conditions. However, their performance deteriorates in the presence of background noise. Many feature compensation, model compensation and signal enhancement techniques have been proposed to improve the noise-robustness of SIV systems. Most of these techniques require extensive training, are computationally expensive or make assumptions about the noise characteristics. There has not been much focus on analyzing the relative importance, or 'speaker-discriminative power' of different speech zones, particularly under noisy conditions. In this work, an automatic, text-independent speaker identification (SI) system and speaker verification (SV) system is proposed using Line Spectral Frequency (LSF) features. The performance of the proposed SI and SV systems are evaluated under various types of background noise. A score-level fusion based technique is implemented to extract complementary information from static and dynamic LSF features. The proposed score-level fusion based SI and SV systems are found to be more robust under noisy conditions. In addition, we investigate the speaker-discriminative power of different speech zones such as vowels, non-vowels and transitions. Rapidly varying regions of speech such as consonant-vowel transitions are found to be most speaker-discriminative in high SNR conditions. Steady, highenergy vowel regions are robust against noise and are hence most speaker-discriminative in low SNR conditions. We show that selectively utilizing features from a combination of transition and steady vowel zones further improves the performance of the score-level fusion based SI and SV systems under noisy conditions.


Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium spp. are aggressive soil-borne fungal pathogens responsible for seed rot and seedling damping-off of many crops. With increased environmental and public concern over the use of chemicals, biological control of these diseases has been attracting more attention. However, success with this strategy depends on the development of effective antagonists, which requires repeated in vitro and in vivo tests. Bacillus spp. were isolated from a soil sample obtained from a field where sorghum and tef had been grown for at least two years. Potential Bacillus isolates were screened for their ability to inhibit in vitro growth of R. so/ani and Pythium sp. Among 80 isolates tested, endospore forming Bacillus spp. H44 and H51 gave highest antifungal activity against the two test-pathogens in three consecutive tests. Results demonstrated that both H44 and H51 have potential as biocontrol agents against diseases caused by these two pathogenic fungi. The interaction between three isolates of Trichoderma (T. harzianum Eco-T, Trichoderma spp. SY3 and SY4) and Pythium sp. were investigated using in vitro bioassays together with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Visual observation on the dual culture tests revealed that hyphal growth of Pythium was inhibited by these antagonists soon after contact between the two organisms within 3-4 days of incubation. The ESEM investigations showed that all three isolates of Trichoderma grew toward the pathogen, attached firmly, coiled around and penetrated the hyphae of the pathogen, leading to the collapse and disintegration of the host's cell wall. Degradation of the host cell wall was postulated as being due to the production of lytic enzymes. Based on these observations, antibiosis (only by EcoT) and mycoparasitism (by all three isolates) were the mechanisms of action by which in vitro growth ofPythium sp. was suppressed by these Trichoderma isolates. The reduction of seedling diseases caused by R. solani and a pythium sp. were evaluated by applying the antagonists as seed coating and drenching antagonistic Bacillus spp. (B81, H44 and H51) and Trichoderma (T. harzianum Eco-T and Trichoderma spp. SY3 and SY4). On both crops, R. so/ani and Pythium sp. affected stand and growth of seedlings severely. With the exceptions of H51, applications all of isoltes to seeds reduced damping-off caused by R. solani in both crops. Application of Eco-T, H44 and SY3 to sorghum controlled R. solani and Pythium sp. effectively by Yielding similar results to that of Previcur®. On tef, biological treatments with Eco-T and SY4 reduced seedling damping-off caused by R. solani and Pythium sp., respectively, by providing seedling results similar to the standard fungicides, Benlate® and Previcur®. Most other treatments gave substantial control of the two pathogens on tef. Overall, Bacillus sp. H44 and T harzianum Eco-T were the best biocontrol agents from their respective groups in reducing damping-off by the two pathogens. In all instances, effects of application method on performance of biocontrol agents and adhesive on emergence and growth of seedlings were not significant. A field trial was conducted at Ukulinga Research Farm at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to determine efficacy of biological and chemical treatments on growth promotion and reduction of damping-off incited by R. solani and Pythium sp., and to evaluate the effects of a seed coating material, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), on seedling emergence and disease incidence. Seeds of sorghum and tef were treated with suspensions of antagonistic Bacillus H44 or T harzianum Eco-T, or sprayed with fungicides, Benlate® or Previcur®. Application of Benlate® and Previcur® during planting significantly increased the final stand and growth of sorghum seedlings. Seed treatments with both H44 and Eco-T substantially controlled damping-off caused by Pythium, resulting in greater dry weights of seedlings than the standard fungicide. However, they had negative effects when they were tested for their growth stimulation and control of R. solani. The CMC had no significant effect on germination and disease levels. These results showed that these antagonists can be used as biocontrol agents against Pythium sp. However, repeated trials and better understanding of the interactions among the antagonists, the pathogens, the crop and their environment are needed to enhance control efficiency and growth promotion of these antagonists. Some of these biocontrol agents used in this study have the potential to diseases caused by R. solani and Pythium sp. However, a thorough understanding of the host, pathogen, the antagonist and the environment and the interactions among each other is needed for successful disease control using these antagonists.


Indonesia faces a decreasing in fossil energy reserves about 3% every year and has not been matched by the discovery of new energy reserves. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the use of renewable Energy to meet energy needs. Renewable energy is energy derived from sustainable natural processes. Indonesia located in the tropical area, it has a lot of potential ocean energy. OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) is one of many renewable energy sources from the ocean. OTEC or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion is one of the latest technologies that used the temperature difference between deep and shallow seawater. OTEC system generally used ammonia (NH3) as working fluid. Ammonia is used because it has a relatively low boiling point compared to water. OTEC system consists of evaporators, turbines, generators, condensers, and pumps. This research, the authors focused on the design of lab-scale OTEC turbines. 2 stage turbine will be varied the tilt which is 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 degree. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used in this research to simulate the OTEC Turbine. Based on the simulation results, the highest efficiency and net power is a 2 stage 40 degree turbine with 57.45% of efficiency and 287.25 kW of generated power.


Voice-controlled intelligent personal assistants, such as Cortana, Google Now, Siri and Alexa, are increasingly becoming a part of users' daily lives, especially on mobile devices. They introduce a significant change in information access, not only by introducing voice control and touch gestures but also by enabling dialogues where the context is preserved. This raises the need for evaluation of their effectiveness in assisting users with their tasks. However, in order to understand which type of user interactions reflect different degrees of user satisfaction we need explicit judgements. In this paper, we describe a user study that was designed to measure user satisfaction over a range of typical scenarios of use: controlling a device, web search, and structured search dialogue. Using this data, we study how user satisfaction varied with different usage scenarios and what signals can be used for modeling satisfaction in the different scenarios. We find that the notion of satisfaction varies across different scenarios, and show that, in some scenarios (e.g. making a phone call), task completion is very important while for others (e.g. planning a night out), the amount of effort spent is key. We also study how the nature and complexity of the task at hand affects user satisfaction, and find that preserving the conversation context is essential and that overall task-level satisfaction cannot be reduced to query-level satisfaction alone. Finally, we shed light on the relative effectiveness and usefulness of voice-controlled intelligent agents, explaining their increasing popularity and uptake relative to the traditional query-response interaction.


Many randomized controlled intervention trials have demonstrated that lowering glycemia (1,2), LDL cholesterol (3), and blood pressure (4) will markedly benefit the complications from diabetes. Based on these data, the American Diabetes Association has recommended the following targets for glycemic, lipid, and blood pressure outcome measures, A1C <7.0%, LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dl, and blood pressure <130/80 mmHg, respectively (5).

Most diabetic patients do not meet these recommended goals. Approximately half of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohort met the glycemic goal (6). In other larger reported populations, 21–43% of patients had A1C levels >9.5%, only 22–46% of diabetic patients met the LDL cholesterol goal, and 29–33% met the blood pressure goal (7). Far fewer, 2–10%, met the combined American Diabetes Association goals for glycemia, lipids, and blood pressure (7).

Many approaches have been tried to improve diabetes care but, with one exception, have been mostly ineffective. These include simply reminding patients about appointments; providing laboratory information on the patient to the physician, even when specific treatment recommendations for the individual patient were included; case management when the case manager could not make independent treatment decisions; education of physicians; and multifaceted quality improvement interventions in the practice setting (7).

The small amount of time a physician has to spend with a patient is an important limiting factor. This was amply illustrated in a study (8) in which eight process measures agreed upon by the physician group and whether the patient was due to receive them were displayed on the physicians' computer screens at the time of the patient visit. The measures due were performed or ordered only one-third of the time. Physicians pinpointed lack of time and other problems that needed attention as primary obstacles to carrying out the agreed-upon recommendations.

The one approach …


The selenocosmiine genus Coremiocnemis Simon 1892 is revised for the first time with six new species included. Five new species are from West Malaysia: C. brachyramosa sp. nov. from Gunung Ledang, Johor; C. gnathospina sp. nov. and C. hoggi sp. nov. from Fraser's Hill, Selangor; C. jeremyhuffi sp. nov. from Tapah, Perak, Fraser's Hill, Selangor to Pahang and C. obscura sp. nov. from Taiping, Perak to Cameron Highlands, Pahang. C. kotacana sp. nov. is described from Aceh Teneggara, Sumatra, being the first record of this genus outside Malaysia or Australia. A lectotype and paralectotype are designated for C. cunicularia (Simon 1892). All but two of Abraham's non-type C. valida Pocock 1895 (Abraham 1924) specimens held in both the NHM and RMBR are newly transferred to C. cunicularia. Abraham's two remaining specimens are removed from Coremiocnemis. C. valida is redescribed, its former dubious locality is resolved. Zoogeographic considerations of all species are discussed and resolved. Ontogenetic variation within Coremiocnemis is discussed. Several new characters are introduced. Subfamilial relationships with proposed sister genera Selenocosmia Ausserer 1871 and Lyrognathus Pocock 1895 are discussed. A key to species is provided.


Haptophytes are a key phylum of marine protists, including ~300 described morphospecies and 80 morphogenera. We used 454 pyrosequencing on large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) fragments to assess the diversity from size‐fractioned plankton samples collected in the Bay of Naples. One group‐specific primer set targeting the LSU rDNA D1/D2 region was designed to amplify Haptophyte sequences from nucleic acid extracts (total DNA or RNA) of two size fractions (0.8–3 or 3–20 μm) and two sampling depths [subsurface, at 1 m, or deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) at 23 m]. 454 reads were identified using a database covering the entire Haptophyta diversity currently sequenced. Our data set revealed several hundreds of Haptophyte clusters. However, most of these clusters could not be linked to taxonomically known sequences: considering OTUs97% (clusters build at a sequence identity level of 97%) on our global data set, less than 1% of the reads clustered with sequences from cultures, and less than 12% clustered with reference sequences obtained previously from cloning and Sanger sequencing of environmental samples. Thus, we highlighted a large uncharacterized environmental genetic diversity, which clearly shows that currently cultivated species poorly reflect the actual diversity present in the natural environment. Haptophyte community appeared to be significantly structured according to the depth. The highest diversity and evenness were obtained in samples from the DCM, and samples from the large size fraction (3–20 μm) taken at the DCM shared a lower proportion of common OTUs97% with the other samples. Reads from the species Chrysoculter romboideus were notably found at the DCM, while they could be detected at the subsurface. The highest proportion of totally unknown OTUs97% was collected at the DCM in the smallest size fraction (0.8–3 μm). Overall, this study emphasized several technical and theoretical barriers inherent to the exploration of the large and largely unknown diversity of unicellular eukaryotes.


This note provides a guide for exploring interfirm rivalry through the dyadic lens and for predicting competitive responses using the awareness-motivation-capability perspective, with the goal of expanding strategists understanding and management of competitive engagements at the most basic level. Competitive dynamics is the analysis of competition at the action and response level to predict how a firm will act or react against opponents. Understanding engagements at this level is essential because this is where firms enact their strategies, test their opponents mettle and capabilities, defend their reputations, and signal their toughness--that is, where business rivalry occurs. The dyadic or pair-wise approach of competitive dynamics makes possible focused analysis that complements Michael Porters conventional industry structure and its extension, the strategic groups approach.


This sixth edition of Beginning Ubuntu Linux introduces all of usnewbies, power users and system administratorsto the Natty Narwhal Ubuntu release. Based on the bestselling fifth edition, this edition introduces the new Unity interface while not neglecting the finely-tuned administration techniques fornew userspresent in previous editions. Whether you aim to use it in the home or in the office, youll be introduced to the complete world of Ubuntu Linux, from simple word processing to using cloud services. Youll learn how to control the Ubuntu system which you just installed as you are guided through common tasks, such as configuring the system's graphical user interface, listening to audio CDs and MP3s, producing documents, using VoIP and chat, and of course, general system maintenance.Emilio also introduces the improved software center andUbuntu's multitouch capabilities.This book supplies a series of comprehensive tutorials on Ubuntu administration and securityessential for any Ubuntu userwhile not neglecting matters pertaining to office applications and the Cloud. What youll learn Use Ubuntu as a daily desktop on your laptop or PC Complete office tasks, such as creating Microsoft Office-compatible documents and spreadsheets, using e-mail, and managing contacts Listen to MP3s, manage pictures and CDs, and watch movies using a user-friendly Linux desktop Configure Ubuntu's printer- and file-sharing features to share resources seamlessly with other computers on your network Configure and use Ubuntu's multitouch capabilities Administer and secure your Ubuntu machine Who this book is for Everyone interested in or already using Ubuntuno exceptions.


A system is autonomous if it uses its own information to modify itself and its environment to enhance its survival, responding to both environmental and internal stimuli to modify its basic functions to increase its viability. Autonomy is the foundation of functionality, intentionality and meaning. Autonomous systems accommodate the unexpected through self-organizing processes, together with some constraints that maintain autonomy. Early versions of autonomy, such as autopoiesis and closure to efficient cause, made autonomous systems dynamically closed to information. This contrasts with recent work on open systems and information dynamics. On our account, autonomy is a matter of degree depending on the relative organization of the system and system environment interactions. A choice between third person openness and first person closure is not required.


The term syncretism refers to a situation where two distinct morphosyntactic categories are expressed in the same way. For instance, in English, first and third person pronouns distinguish singular from plural (I vs. we, he/she/it vs. them), but the second person pronoun (you) doesn't. Such facts are traditionally understood in a way that English grammar distinguishes between the singular and plural in all persons. However, in the second person, the two distinct meanings are expressed the same, and the form you is understood as a form syncretic between the two different grammatical meanings.
 It is important to note that while the two meanings are different, they are also related: both instances of you refer to the addressee. They differ in whether they refer just to the addressee or to a group including the addressee and someone else, as depicted here.
 a.you (sg) = addressee

 b.you (pl) = addressee + others

 The idea that syncretism reflects meaning similarity is what makes its study interesting; a lot of research has been dedicated to figuring out the reasons why two distinct categories are marked the same.
 There are a number of approaches to the issue of how relatedness in meaning is to be modeled. An old idea, going back to Sanskrit grammarians, is to arrange the syncretic cells of a paradigm in such a way so that the syncretic cells would always be adjacent. Modern approaches call such arrangements geometric spaces (McCreight & Chvany, 1991) or semantic maps (Haspelmath, 2003), with the goal to depict meaning relatedness as a spatial proximity in a conceptual space. A different idea is pursued in approaches based on decomposition into discrete meaning components called features (Jakobson, 1962).
 Both of these approaches acknowledge the existence of two different meanings, which are related. However, there are two additional logical options to the issue of syncretism. First, one may adopt the position that the two paradigm cells correspond to a single abstract meaning, and that what appear to be different meanings/functions arises from the interaction between the abstract meaning and the specific context of use (see, for instance, Kayne, 2008 or Manzini & Savoia, 2011). Second, it could be that there are simply two different meanings expressed by two different markers, which accidentally happen to have the same phonology (like the English two and too). The three approaches are mutually contradictory only for a single phenomenon, but each of them may be correct for a different set of cases.


Agriculture will need to significantly intensify in the next decades to continue providing essential nutritive food to a growing global population. However, it can have harmful environmental impacts, due to the use of natural and synthetic resources and the emission of greenhouse gases, which alter the water, carbon and nitrogen cycles, and threaten the fertility, health and biodiversity of landscapes. Because of the spatial heterogeneity of resource productivity, farming practices, climate, and land and water availability, the environmental impact of producing food is highly dependent on its origin. For this reason, food trade can either increase or reduce the overall environmental impacts of agriculture, depending on whether or not the impact is greater in the exporting region. Here, we review current scientific understanding of the environmental impacts of food trade, focusing on water and land use, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In the case of water, these impacts are mainly beneficial. However, in the cases of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, this conclusion is not as clear. Overall, there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive, integrated approach to estimate the global impacts of food trade on the environment. Second, research is needed to improve the evaluation of some key aspects of the relative value of each resource depending on the local and regional biophysical and socio–economic context. Finally, to enhance the impact of such evaluations and their applicability in decision-making, scenario analyses and accounting of key issues like deforestation and groundwater exhaustion will be required.


While healthcare experiences an economic slowdown, demanding job conditions, imminent leadership retirements and expected staff vacancies are critical, initiatives are being introduced to maintain efficient leadership and optimum patient results. However, there is still a gap in whatever is known about the relationship among nursing leadership and outcomes of the patient. Published study papers in English only which analysed nurses' leadership activities in formal leadership roles and patient results were chosen from 5 online bibliographic databases. For all including research, qualitative analyses, data retrieval and interpretation were performed. A total of 15 research met and maintained our inclusion requirements. Present research supports associations between optimistic forms of collaborative leadership and improved patient interaction and reduced patient mortality, drug failures, lack of restriction and hospital-acquired infection. The results record proof of a favourable association between relational leadership and a range of outcomes for patients, while prospective research of leadership models that explore processes of effect on outcomes is warranted. Efforts by organisations and people to build expertise in change and partnerships improve corporate approaches for optimizing patient care. The goal was to explain the results of a longitudinal research analysis investigating the connection between the activities of nursing leadership and the experiences of patients.


Construction projects are known for their complexity characteristics, such as a large number of stakeholders, uncertainty, and a dynamic work environment. These characteristics imply that different approaches for safety management can be useful under different circumstances. For example, low severity occupational accidents are fairly common in most construction sites, and therefore these events offer useful learning opportunities. In turn, resilience across managerial and operational levels is probably ubiquitous in construction sites, regardless of being taken for granted and neglected as a source of learning. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the joint use of how Safety-I and Safety-II in construction, giving rise to more effective safety management. This paper explores how Safety-I and Safety-II can be jointly adopted in construction. The discussion is based on two case studies, one from Brazil and another from Norway, in which two safety practices – safety planning and event reporting - were analysed from the perspectives of Safety-I and Safety-II. We conclude that these two perspectives can be integrated into established practices allowing organisation to learn from accidents, incidents as well as from everyday operations.


ROBERT BROWNING'S A DEATH IN THE DESERT, WHICH FIRST APPEARED IN THE collection Dramatis Personae, published in May 1864, is a poem of exceptional interest, intimately related to the intellectual life of its time. The date of composition is uncertain. Relatively long at 687 lines, the blank-verse poem consists largely of the spiritual last testament of the dying St. John, the evangelist and last surviving apostle. St. John's speech, intellectually dense and often extremely concentrated, almost elliptical in expression--together with introductory and concluding narrative passages in the person of the narrator-witness (who is probably, though not certainly, Pamphylax)--is presented as the contents of an ancient Greek parchment manuscript: the elaborate framing device is introduced in the opening parenthetical interpolation (ll. 1-12), enclosed in square brackets, in the person of the manuscript's early Christian owner. In A Death in the Desert Browning engages urgently, though always implicitly, with modern questions of religious belief and doubt--as contemporary readers and reviewers immediately recognized. The poem needs to be read in the context of the profound crisis of religious belief of the early 1860s, in which both the Essays and Reviews controversy (1) and the deeply disturbing intellectual influence of modem, mainly German, Biblical criticism played an important part. Browning attempts to "take on"--the phrasal verb, with its suggestion of energetic combativeness, seems peculiarly apt--and answer the various insistent, questioning voices of modern doubt and skepticism, including the Biblical critics, by reaffirming the inner spiritual truth of Christianity, the primacy of the individual spiritual life actively lived, and the essential "acknowledgment of God in Christ" (l. 474). (2) In the later part of his speech, with surprising severity, the apostle admonishes his followers of the terrible spiritual death that is the inevitable consequence of the intellectual rejection of God and God's love, a theme later picked up by the impersonal narrator in the last half-line of the concluding parenthetical interpolation, "But't was Cerinthus that is lost" (l. 687). Much remains to be said about the intellectual background of A Death in the Desert, (3) particularly the religious and theological controversies with which Browning very deliberately engages: an obvious example is the extended discussion (ll. 443-473) in St. John's speech of miracles and the question of the cessation of miracles during the apostolic period, which needs to be seen clearly in relation to the vigorous contemporary debate on miracles, given new urgency by Baden Powell's essay "On the Study of the Evidences of Christianity" in Essays and Reviews. (4) Several specific influences have been insufficiently recognized or not at all. Browning's extremely bold choice of St. John as speaker was doubtless influenced by the fact that the Biblical critic David Friedrich Strauss, as well as several of his Tubingen contemporaries (notably the historical critic Ferdinand Christian Baur) (5) had attempted to disprove the apostolic authorship and authenticity of St. John's Gospel; Ernest Renan, whose Vie de Jesus appeared in June 1863 (Browning read the highly controversial book, with some distaste and bewilderment, in the following November), (6) strongly suggests that the Gospel is a deliberate fraud, though characteristically his position has about it a degree of evasive ambivalence. (7) The First Epistle of St. John, traditionally supposed to have been written by the apostle in extreme old age, provided a suggestive partial model, with its urgent warnings to believers about the "antichrists" who deny Christ's "truth." In A Death in the Desert "love" and "truth," both words that carry a special spiritual force in the Johannine writings--the First Epistle, indeed, largely turns on these two difficult concepts--are used with striking frequency and allusive deliberateness. …


Attending the Interdisciplinary Dialogue on the Global Refugee Crisis in relation to our Bachelor of Social Work course on Intercultural Practice started us on our journey of discovery and learning. It brought the headline news of refugees, settlement, and crisis to our door steps.  It changed us from observers to participants in trying to understand the issue and finding solutions.  We wanted to learn more and explore further.
In this presentation, we wanted to share our journey of discovery from why we participated in the forums and what we learned about the Global Refugee Crisis to how we viewed things as social work students.  We hoped to link the lessons we learned to our personal lives and academic lives as well as to our ongoing growing professional identity.
Our goal is to continue the dialogue on Global Refugee Crisis, by putting ourselves in the role of active actors of social change.
As future social workers and as responsible members of humanity, we will endeavor to continue to learn, reflect and above all to be agents of change to make this world a place where the well-beings and dignity of everyone is ensured.
Discipline: Social Work
Faculty mentor: Dr. Valerie Ouedraogo


In this thesis are described the populations of waders (Aves: Charadrii) occurring on the Ribble Estuary, Lancashire, special reference being made to the eleven species comprising the bulk of the shore wader population. The daily routine of these birds is described including the time spent in feeding. The feeding areas are described together with the foods taken from gut and pellet analysis and direct observation. The distributions of invertebrates, and especially those of major importance as wader food, are described as well as the factors affecting these distributions. Variations in density of prey in relation to O. D., general geography of the estuary, and time of year are included. Depth distribution and variations in prey size are outlined for the main species. Food intake was studied in the eight main waders. Daily intake through the year is described. in relation to energy requirements. Variations of feeding rates with several factors are included. All data are combined to enable calculation of the total biomasses of the main prey taken by waders in the course of a year. These are compared with total minimum annual production of the prey. Future work, including a computer study based on these and extra data, is outlined.


There is an increasing recognition that the growth of cities is inevitable and the solution to urban problems depends heavily on effective urban planning, infrastructure development and management. Rapid and often unplanned population growth is often associated with population demands that outstrip infrastructure and service capacity and leading to environmental degradation. This study, therefore sought to put into perspective impacts of population growth on infrastructure and service provision in Eastleigh neighbourhood. Its main themes were first, to understand trends in population growth; secondly, to understand the impact of population growth on infrastructure and services; thirdly, to explore available initiatives and their effectiveness in guaranteeing sustainable infrastructure and effective services in the neighborhood. The study interviewed 30 households, 20 businesses and 3 institutions in infrastructure development and service delivery. For households, simple random sampling technique was adopted while for institutions and businesses a purposive technique was utilized. The data was analysed with the aid of computer packages SPSS and Microsoft Excel programs. The packages generated outputs that were illustrated using percentages and bar graphs.


In this research, I intended to analyze the agent suffixes in Old Church Slavonic, trying to find out if there is any kind of motivation for the use of every morphological mark. Due to the wide extent of the subject, I focused on a semantic domain: the names of profession that can be found in the four "canonical" OCS Gospel manuscripts: Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and Liber Savvae. As it is a well known fact, OCS is a language of translation from Greek. That's why first of all it was necessary to check the Greek words translated by the OCS names in order to determine whether the Slavic suffixes and mechanisms of word formation could have been motivated by the Greek ones (see table 1). Besides, I considered some other criteria: the lexical base on which are formed the OCS names of profession (see table 2), as well as the different types of action expressed by every agent name (see table 3).
Comparing the mentioned suffixes with the Greek morphological marks, we observe that there is not a clear correspondence between them (see table 1). OCS names of profession cointaing the suffix -nikŭ translate Greek nouns with almost all the suffixes included in the research (except -ōnēs), and in three of them (-eus, -tēs, -os), being the majority option. But it shows a similar number of examples in all of them. Nevertheless, it's clear that suffix -nikŭ is the most productive. OCS nouns in -tel'ĭ and -ĭcĭ render more often Greek nouns in -tēs, and -ĭcĭ together with -ar'ĭ show a preference for Greek compound words. However, while -ĭcĭ forms itself compound words (two of which translate Greek derived words), -ar'ĭ never does. Regarding the calques, we observe a high number of them in the names of profession in -nikŭ. The proportion of calques is even higher in the nouns in -tel'ĭ and -ĭcĭ. Just the terms ending in -ar'ĭ are not very prone to calques, including on the contrary three loanwords.
If we take a look at the second table, we can see that -tel'ĭ and -ĭcĭ are clearly deverbals and -ar'ĭ a denominal, while a big amount of the names of profession in -nikŭ are based on a nominal stem, and only a few of them have an adjectival/participial or verbal base. Like this, it seems to be a denominal that later would have spread to other categories. This spread could have been motivated by the merger of the suffix -nikŭ with the adjectival ending -inŭ as well as by a participial meaning of denominals in -nikŭ. As for the deverbals in -nikŭ most of them are derived from stative and/or prefixed verbs.
Switching to the third criterion, we remark a sort of distribution of some types of action among the different suffixes (see table 3). This way, we see how the actions of producing and transforming are concentrated in the suffix -tel'ĭ, while the meanings of standing, possessing and not agent are expressed mostly by nouns in -nikŭ.
 To summarize, the results of this research could suggest a motivation of the usage of some OCS suffixes, but they are not conclusive and the study should be extended to the agent nouns of the whole "canonical" OCS.


A new photoeffect has been detected, consisting of stimulated transport of the atoms adsorbed on the surface of solids. The effect is produced by transforming the electronic excitation of the adatoms into their motion over the substrate. It is established that, when the surface is nonuniformly illuminated, the adatoms are removed from the illuminated region. The coefficients of dark and photostimulated diffusion are determined by analyzing the escape kinetics of the adatoms from the illumination region and the restoration of equilibrium after the irradiation is switched off. The energy height of the diffusion-activation barrier and the length of the photostimulated hops of the adatoms are estimated. © 2004 Optical Society of America


Current Android applications (apps) often use Security Socket Layer(SSL)/Transport Layer Security(TLS) protocols to transmit users' information, as the implementation of SSL/TLS secures the transmission of sensitive information. However, for various reasons, Android developers fail to properly implement SSL/TLS during the development of an app, resulting in security risks. The improper implementations include trusting all certificates, trusting all domain names, or ignoring certificate verification errors. These improper implementations may result in Man-In-The-Middle(MITM) attacks or phishing attacks. In this work, we are motivated to detect vulnerabilities in implementation of SSL/TLS in Android apps by designing and implementing a tool called DCDroid (Detecting SSL/TLS Certificate verification vulnerabilities in Android apps) with the combination of static analysis and dynamic analysis. We focus on four types of vulnerable schema and locate the potential vulnerable code snippets in apps with static analysis. In dynamic analysis, we prioritize the triggering of User Interface(UI) components based on the results with static analysis to confirm the misuse of SSL/TLS. The dynamic analysis benefits from the static analysis and removes false positives. With DCDroid we analyze 960 apps from Google Play and 1253 apps from 360app. The experimental results show that 457 (20.65%) apps contain potential security risks in the implementation of SSL/TLS. Guided by the static analysis, we further confirm that 248 (11.21%) out of 2213 apps are truly vulnerable to MITM and phishing attacks. By analyzing the categories, ranks and version evolution of these detected vulnerable apps, we find that apps of News&Books are more likely to introduce SSL/TLS risks. We also find that the fix cycle of the risk is very long. We provide suggestions on SSL/TLS certificate verification to Android developers in order to deal with the SSL/TLS certificate verification vulnerabilities.


The present study examined the prevalence of gender stereotypes displayed in photograph uploads of newborns in the mobile social media application, Instagram. A quantitative content analysis was performed on a sample of 120 of the most recent photograph uploads with the hashtag streams "#newbornbabyboy" and "#newbornbabygirl". 60 of these images consisting of each newborn females and males, collected between the 26th and 27th of March, 2014. Results showed that newborn baby boys were only portrayed in a gender-stereotypical manner where the most predominant clothing colour worn was blue. For girls, the results also revealed a gender-stereotypical pattern as pink was the most displayed clothing colour. There was no significant difference found between male and female newborns in how often they were accessorized. The primary source of the photograph uploads were most often the babies' mothers.


The molecular immunopathogenesis of West Nile virus (WNV) infection is poorly understood. Here, we characterize a mouse model for WNV using a subcutaneous route of infection and delineate leukocyte subsets and immunoregulatory factors present in the brains of infected mice. Central nervous system (CNS) expression of the chemokine receptor CCR5 and its ligand CCL5 was prominently up-regulated by WNV, and this was associated with CNS infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T cells, NK1.1 cells and macrophages expressing the receptor. The significance of CCR5 in pathogenesis was established by mortality studies in which infection of CCR5 / mice was rapidly and uniformly fatal. In the brain, WNV-infected CCR5 / mice had increased viral burden but markedly reduced NK1.1 cells, macrophages, and CD4 and CD8 T cells compared with WNV-infected CCR5 / mice. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes from WNVinfected CCR5 / mice into infected CCR5 / mice increased leukocyte accumulation in the CNS compared with transfer of splenocytes from infected CCR5 / mice into infected CCR5 / mice, and increased survival to 60%, the same as in infected CCR5 / control mice. We conclude that CCR5 is a critical antiviral and survival determinant in WNV infection of mice that acts by regulating trafficking of leukocytes to the infected brain.


Mistimed exposure to light has been demonstrated to negatively affect multiple aspects of physiology and behavior. Here we analyzed the effects of chronic exposure to abnormal lighting conditions in mice. We exposed mice for 1 year to either: a standard light/dark cycle, a "light-pollution" condition in which low levels of light were present in the dark phase of the circadian cycle (dim light at night, DLAN), or altered light cycles in which the length of the weekday and weekend light phase differed by 6 h ("social jetlag"). Mice exhibited several circadian activity phenotypes, as well as changes in motor function, associated particularly with the DLAN condition. Our data suggest that these phenotypes might be due to changes outside the core clock. Dendritic spine changes in other brain regions raise the possibility that these phenotypes are mediated by changes in neuronal coordination outside of the clock. Given the prevalence of artificial light exposure in the modern world, further work is required to establish whether these negative effects are observed in humans as well.


The objective of this article is to analyze the criteria and conditions of division of competence between territorial municipalities and other subjects of public governance as well as theoretical aspects of competence establishment of territorial municipalities and sub-national governance structure. The first part of the article examines the criteria and terms of division of competence between territorial municipalities and other subjects of public governance. The second part analyzes theoretical aspects pertaining to size and competence establishment of territorial municipalities. The third part deals with the peculiarities of establishing the number of sub-national governance levels and competence of territorial municipalities. After analyzing the scientific literature it can be stated that when shaping and improving the public governance system of a specific country, it is beneficial to parallely assess and combine the competence components of public governance structure and governance subjects, which are inter-related through ties of mutual dependence. Although guidelines are offered in economic theories for structurization of sub-national governance and establishment of the competence of territorial municipalities, the structure of sub-national governance and competence of territorial municipalities varies significantly from one country to another, subject to a variety of situational variables. A conclusion was therefore made that it is practically impossible to establish an optimal size of territorial municipalities and the number of levels of sub-national governance due to the complicated assessment of diverse and changing conditions for production and organization of public goods, the cost structure of public goods produced and organized by territorial municipalities, qualitative aspects and the scope of externality.


An optical isolator for transverse electric (TE) polarized light is demonstrated by adhesive bonding of a ferrimagnetic garnet die on top of a 380 nm thick silicon waveguide circuit. Polarization rotators are implemented in the arms of a nonreciprocal Mach-Zehnder interferometer to rotate the polarization to transverse magnetic in the nonreciprocal phase shifter regions. Calculation of the nonreciprocal phase shift (NRPS) as a function of bonding layer thickness experienced by the TM mode in the interferometer arms is presented, together with the simulation of the robustness of the polarization rotator. Experimentally, 32 dB isolation is measured at 1540.5 nm wavelength using a magnetic field transverse to the light propagation directions. This paves the way to the cointegration of laser diodes and optical isolators on a silicon photonics platform.


Supply chain integration is a promising approach to cross-enterprise process improvement that is still not well understood. This research investigates the level of sophistication (maturity) of supply chain integration in New Zealand from the systems uncertainty perspective. Uncertainty levels of value streams are evaluated using the 'uncertainty circle' concept, thereby enabling benchmark comparisons of value stream performance. A sample of 21 NZ process industry value streams is assessed using a so-called Quick Scan Audit Methodology (QSAM). and the uncertainty results compared with those obtained from 21 value streams in the UK automotive sector. This benchmarking revealed that value streams in New Zealand are weakly integrated and have control mechanisms which are significantly looser than those of the UK sample, even though they face higher uncertainty on the control and demand sides. In contrast, crosscountry differences in supply and process uncertainty are marginal. While providing insights into the general health of New Zealand value streams, the authors acknowledge that the sample is not a comprehensive representation of every NZ value stream.


The lack of C1 inhibitor function that results in excessive production of bradykinin causing the angioedema seen in hereditary angioedema (HAE) is well established. Several drugs have been developed to treat and prevent attacks in patients suffering from HAE due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE). Plasma-derived C1INH has been used to replace the deficiency of C1 inhibitor (C1INH) and has been approved for both treatment of attacks and for prophylactic therapy to prevent attacks. Plasma kallikrein inhibitor (ecallantide) and bradykinin receptor antagonist (icatibant) are both effective for treatment of acute attacks, but their short half-life limits the use for prophylaxis. Androgens, in particular danazol, are effective for long-term prophylaxis, but adverse event profile can limit its use. Recombinant C1 inhibitor derived from transgenic rabbits has recently been approved for use in treatment of C1-INH-HAE attacks and is effective and appears safe with minimal adverse event profile.