Geoffrey Milne, Theatre Australia (Un)limited: Australian Theatre Since the 1950s (Amsterdam & New York: Rodopi, 2004) Though the situation is changing, texts about the history of Australian theatre practice are still few and far between. Most that are available, as Milne states in his prologue, focus on playtexts and playwrights. Whilst these works are important in their own right, without available information about the broader social and political context of production, studies that examine particular moments in isolation risk being selfreferential and cumulatively contribute to mystifying Australian theatre history. In the last few years a number of publications have appeared that have broadened the range of available information, such as the work of Michelle Arrow on women writers and Julian Meyrick on Nimrod Theatre Company. Cumulatively these studies provide the potential for a deeper understanding of the practices of Australian theatre beyond the mythologies and denials that are part of the residual cultural cringe and the legacy of imperialism and colonialism. This book by Geoffrey Milne is the tenth in the 'Australian Playwrights' series. As the title of the series suggests the initial focus was on studies of authors. Since Veronica Kelly became the series editor, it has been expanded to include historical, thematic and theoretical studies. These include Our Australian Theatre in the 1990s (1998), Body Show/s: Australian Viewings of Live Performance (2000), and Playing Australia: Australian Theatre and the International Stage (2003). Milne's text, focusing on the advent and practices of government subsidy to the performing arts, is an historical study. It provides a detailed and comprehensive overview of the history of the development of the theatre industry in relation to government funding and policy in Australia since the 1950s. It is a national study in two senses. Milne examines national organisations and institutions as well as state and territory organisations in all regions across the country. The focus is on institutions and funding practices and the essential development of infrastructure. Using the organisations and genres that national and state funding bodies include under the heading of theatre, Milne examines an impressively broad range of companies as a unified field. These organisations include companies that primarily produce spoken word drama, as well as other theatrical practices such as music theatre, circus, puppetry, community theatre and physical theatre. The range of companies he includes is extensive, encompassing small, medium and large companies, those based in both capital cities and regional centres, and companies that are subsidised and unsubsidised. As part of his focus on theatre as an organisational or institutional phenomenon, Milne also examines the dramatic repertoire and its writers in some detail in the context of the companies and organisations that nurtured and produced them. The book contains, as an epilogue, a systematic analysis of national repertoire patterns from 1968 to 1998. Milne draws on a broad range of resources for his comprehensive study. These include archival sources ranging from published print materials such as articles included with published plays, press reviews and articles, books about drama and dramatists, theatre and art magazines such as Theatre Australia and RealTime, government reports and web-based resources such as Ausstage. He also draws on personal archives and those of theatre companies for ephemera such as company brochures, mission statements, program notes, relevant correspondence, and pictorial records. Some of the photographs from the pictorial record are included in the book. This extensive archival research is further extended by Milne's personal discussions over a twelve-year period with hundreds of company directors, arts bureaucrats, theatre managers, journalists, playwrights, actors, designers, puppeteers and other theatre practitioners based all over Australia. …


Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus is a unique blend of two genres: Gothic and science fiction. While it follows the gothic convention of tale within tales, its epistolary framework and keeps intact its unrestrained lengthy articulations, it explores at the same time the innovative marvels of modern science. The fire that Prometheus stole form Zeus to help mankind is ingeniously replaced in the novel by the spark of electricity. The novel also puts to question some traditional social assumptions. [


The role of green roofs in reducing drainage fluxes is known, but despite extensive analysis in the literature, methods to predict the hydrologic performance for a given green roof composition are scarce. These methods are useful for the hydraulic design and for planning regulations that impose specific hydrological responses. This research investigates on the prediction of the drainage fluxes produced below a green roof with initial water content equal to its water retention capacity (worst-case scenario). Laboratory tests were performed to analyse the rainfall-drainage relationship for green-roof and single components (growing media and drainage storage layers) under specific rainfall intensities. Two types of largely used drainage/storage layers and growth media were analysed, both singularly and in combination. The experiments consider two rainfall events lasting 10 min with constant intensity. The results indicate that the Curve Number (CN) method (U.S. Soil Conservation Service) with a simple adaptation can be used to reproduce the green-roof hydrologic behaviour under antecedent moisture conditions comparable with those of the experiments. In fact, the water retention capacity, controlling the water-output initiation below the green roof, can be used as threshold variable of a step function, above which the CN method is applicable and below which drainage fluxes are practically null. Through this position, the CN assignment for a composite greenroof can be consistently estimated using the proprieties of the single components (drainage/storage layer and growing medium) and it provides values that are very close to those of waterproof media and quite higher than those suggested in companion researches. Drainage amounts are predicted with a standard error equal to 1.50 mm, which corresponds to 5.7% of the mean value observed. After rain initiation, the steady state condition of the drainage flux has proved to be markedly affected by the growing medium and drainage layer composing the system, which result effective in discriminating the green roof performance.


This study aims to highlight the impact of SAPTA and SAFTA on trade in the SSARC region. Fixed effects gravity model is estimated to cope with the unobserved heterogeneity that are country and time specific. The Poisson estimator is used to estimate the gravity model which deals with the inbuilt heteroskedasticity due to zeros in trade data. Results of the estimated elasticities show about 60 per cent, 50 per cent and 10 per cent increase in trade volume due to SAPTA, SAFTA and other trade agreements, respectively in the SAARC region.


The author describes the postcrania of the Miocene marsupials Ilaria illumidens and Ngapakaldia tedfordi and compares them with those of other vombatiforms and out-group marsupials. A cladistic analysis of postcranial characters shows Ilaria to be most closely related to the wombats, primarily on the basis of the highly derived manus. Ngapakaldia's postcranium is more plesiomorphic and most similar to the phalangeriform possums.


Over the last decades there is an increasing interest "in digging into" the vast amount of MRI data collected by modern scanners. In neuroradiology, the classic approach of looking at the images of different sequences, assigning qualitatively signal intensities to normal tissues or to disease processes, measuring dimensions and several other metrics, like relaxation times (T1, T2), diffusion tensor imaging scalars (FA, ADC, AD, RD), perfusion (CBV, CBF, MTT) and  magnetisation transfer imaging (MTR) continues to represent the fundamentals of our everyday practice. However, the improvement of the MRI technology provides subtle information at a voxel level, undetected even by the most keen, expert neuroradiologic eye, waiting to find its way out. If we really want to take full advantage of our data, we must admit that neuroimaging has become not a "one man's show" but rather an interdisciplinary team reminiscent of a small orchestra consisting of neuroradiologists, computer scientists, medical physicists and engineers.  The first step to a successful performance of such an orchestra is to create a common language, understandable to all parties, to express clearly "what I need to know and why" and "what I can offer and which are the limitations". This requires continuous education and learning of the basic principles, methods and ideas of the other disciplines. As a conductor, you are not required to play all the organs in the orchestra, but you should be able to coordinate them and evaluate their fine tuning and output. In the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research, it is noted that interdisciplinary team science broadens the scope of investigation into biomedical problems, yields fresh and possibly unexpected insights, and gives rise to new inter-disciplines that are more analytically sophisticated [1]. According to the NIH Roadmap, the traditional divisions within health research can impede the pace of discovery. There are numerous examples of the fruitful fusion of neuroradiology with other disciplines. Engineering for example has recently produced hybrid systems (PET/MRI, PET/CT), with potential to change medical imaging by providing combined anatomical-metabolic image information. Computer science has always been both a loyal servant and a driving force to radiology in all aspects of image reconstruction, visualisation, analysis and storage. Mathematics and informatics along with medical physics and biophysics have been able to provide detailed models of brain anatomy and function and extract information buried in noise or reveal complex relationships, hidden patterns and unexpected trends in the brain data. New fields (radiomics, connectomics) with their own bizarre creatures (textures, graphs, multivariate patterns, independent components) invade and challenge our conceptual framework. We strive to harness the power of the new tools, but we will never succeed alone. We need to reach out for help, to assemble a team that integrates information, techniques, perspectives, concepts, to advance fundamental understanding and solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice. Working alone is based on a common misconception that math and computers are never wrong, and you only have to buy or download a program and feed it with images to get the correct results. There are many reasons why this is not true. Devil is in the details and you need help from other disciplines to discover him. Never forget that both neuroimaging data and their analysis algorithms, despite their sophistication, remain essentially crude anatomical or physiological models of the human brain, the most complicated object in the known universe. They provide approximations of reality based on various assumptions and, although they are inherently wrong, we use them as extremely useful diagnostic and research tools. Our duty as neuroradiologists is to keep in mind these approximations and assumptions during our assessments. Take for example the tractography maps every modern MRI scanner produces with a few mouse clicks. They are beautiful and impressive 3D representations of the white matter tracts but their production is based on the simplified ellipsoid model of probability for water molecule diffusion and on the streamline algorithm. Both provide a good approximation only in the case of large parallel dense fibers. Additionally, diffusion images have been acquired with specific intensity of the diffusion gradients, which restrict the detection window of the diffusion processes. Add on top of that susceptibility and eddy currents distortions, subject motion, noise effect on quantification, partial volume effects [2] and the initial enthusiasm for the colourful tractography maps will soon be tempered. Every day neuroradiologists make hundreds of decisions impacting the well-being of their patients. Their job becomes increasingly challenging as the growing amount of images increases the workload, slows the reading time and undermines the diagnostic accuracy. New imaging technologies can alleviate the pressure and bring enormous benefits to the patients. They also present new opportunities to expand neuroradiologists' role as public health providers, but they require a remarkable transition in the working environment. A collaborative team can help them to face the new challenges, establish their pivotal role in the healthcare system, and provide faster, more efficient and more accurate interpretation services. Contrary to the speculations that Artificial Intelligence might one day replace (neuro)radiologists, we believe that the only neuroradiologists whose jobs may be threatened are the ones who refuse to become collaborative interdisciplinary team leaders and embrace the new technologies. According to a popular quote: "We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails". It would benefit our careers but more importantly the lives of our patients


Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized serologically by B cell hyperactivity and a panoply of autoantibodies against nuclear, cytoplasmic and cell surface antigens. It is thought that T cells are involved in this process and more recently it has been suggested that the CD4+ CD8+, i.e.double negative (DN) T cells, might be important. As a start to understanding the contribution of DN T cells to disease pathogenesis in SLE, the percentages of DN T cells were determined and it was found that otp but not y5 DNT cells were significantly increased in patients with SLE when compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (autoimmune controls) and healthy controls. To further establish their participation in the autoimmune reactions in SLE, the activation markers expressed by the DN T cells were examined. It was found that HLA-DR and CD69, and co-stimulatory molecules CD28 and CTLA-4 were all expressed by significantly higher percentages of DNT cells from patients with SLE, than those with RA or healthy controls (HC). More DN T cells from SLE patients were CD45RA+ than from controls, while CD45R0+ were reduced. DN T cells in patients with SLE also showed a more activated phenotype than their CD4+/ CD8+ counterparts. To understand the functional significance in SLE DNT cells, the percentages of SLE otp TCR+ DN T cells containing intracellular IL-4, a Th2 cytokine was determined. Higher percentages of SLE ap TCR DN+ T cells contained DL-4 constitutively than RA or HC. DN T cell populations from patients with SLE showed greater resistance to apoptosis in culture than the conventional CD4/CD8+ cells and DN T cells from healthy controls. High Bcl-2/Bax ratios and higher levels of Bcl-x observed in the DN T cells from patients with SLE could explain their resistance to apoptosis compared to the conventional T cells and DN T cells from healthy controls.


Iron deficiency anemia afflicts an estimated two billion people and iron deficiency approximately 4 billion people in developed countries and is even more common in developing countries. In Brazil, depending on the region and age, studies point to high prevalences of iron-deficiency anemia in children. The high growth speed, which requires a greater amount of iron, connected with an inadequate iron diet and early weaning contribute to the high prevalence, mainly within the first 2 years of life. Other risk factors, such as prematurity, low birth weight, early umbilical cord clamping and weaning from exclusive breastfeeding may contribute. The impact of iron deficiency on growth is controversial as several other variables contribute to improve or worsen the nutritional status. Alterations in the psychomotor and neural-cognitive development of infants with iron deficiency have been reported in various studies with the catch-up growth rate after treatment being controversial. Additionally, some studies have demonstrated a decrease in the intellectual development and cognitive acquisition in school age children and adolescents that is reverted after iron therapy. The best preventive measure is nutritional education, however due to the high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia, other measures should also be used as iron supplementation and food fortification with iron.


The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has completed the development of a low differential-pressure primary standard covering a range from 1 Pa to 13 kPa for operation with line pressures up to 200 kPa. The standard is based on an ultrasonic interferometer manometer (UIM) primary pressure standard and includes a test-instrument manifold with pressure control systems. The standard was found to be equivalent to low differential-pressure primary standards at three other national metrology institutes (NMIs) in a recent international key comparison. Initial performance of the standard was limited in large part by pressure instabilities. This problem has been addressed with the development of two types of active pressure control, one for calibrating pressure-measuring instruments such as capacitance diaphragm gauges, resonant silicon gauges and Bell-type micromanometers and the other for characterizing pressure-generating instruments such as conical-piston, ball and force-balanced piston gauges. The UIM is characterized by a standard (k = 1) uncertainty due to systematic effects of [(3 × 10−3 Pa)2 + (3.2 × 10−6P)2]1/2 where P is the pressure in pascal. Random uncertainties are dominated by pressure instabilities which can be controlled to a level that varies from standard deviations of 3 mPa at lowest differential pressures to about 60 mPa at full range. The NIST primary standard is described, along with results of comparisons with primary standards developed at other NMIs.


The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of lecture recording upon the instructional faculty. The following aspects are explored: 1) impact on class enrolment; 2) impact on class attendance; 3) usefulness of obtained statistical results for course improvement. The study is based upon data collected in a junior-level Electrical Engineering class with enrolment of 76 students. The data was collected using anonymous surveys and Blackboard's statistical tracking utility. The results from the survey show that providing lecture recordings does not have significant impact upon students' decision to attend lectures, but it has pronounced impact upon their enrolment decisions. Sections where video capture is used are likely to attract more students resulting in a larger class size compared to sections where no recordings are provided. Collected statistics of video usage were found useful in identifying the topics that students had most difficulty with. Video usage statistics seems to provide also a glimpse into the self-efficacy of students completing the course.


We introduce real q-convex functions on open subsets of the real Euclidean space. We study their properties and develop approximation techniques by continuous ones and by those who are real q-convex with corners. In the smooth case, a function is real q-convex if and only if its real Hessian has at most q negative eigenvalues. We compare these functions to their complex relatives: the q-plurisubharmonic functions defined on open sets of the complex Euclidean space. We show that each real q-convex function is q-plurisubharmonic. On the converse, each q-plurisubharmonic function, which is invariant in the imaginary part, is real q-convex. Another example for q-plurisubharmonic functions is given by those which are plurisubharmonic on leaves of a singular foliation by analytic sets of codimension q.

The q-plurisubharmonic functions are used to define q-pseudoconcave sets. These are closed subsets S of an open set D in the complex Euclidean space for which the negative logarithm of the distance function to S is q-plurisubharmonic on D minus S. We prove that (Hartogs) q-pseudoconcave graphs of certain continuous mappings locally admit a foliation by complex submanifolds of dimension q. We construct generalized convex hulls of compact sets with respect to subfamilies of q-plurisubharmonic functions and compare them to each other and to hulls already existing in the literature (such as Basener's hull or the rationally convex hull).

We verify that the Shilov boundary of a compact set for certain families of upper semi-continuous functions exists and coincides with the set of all peak points for the given family. As an application, we study the Shilov boundary of a convex body for q-plurisubharmonic functions and generalize Bychkov's result from 1981. More precisely, the complement of the Shilov q-boundary of a convex body K consists of all boundary points p with the following property: there exists an open neighbourhood U of p in the boundary of K such that each point z in U lies in some open part of a complex plane of dimension at least q+1.


This study compared the fitness of Black African early adolescents with and without mild mental retardation. Participants included 30 purposively selected early adolescent Black Africans with mild mental retardation aged 11-14 from three schools for children with mild mental retardation in Southern Botswana and 30 randomly selected early adolescents of similar ages without mental retardation. Participants were assessed on a number of standard fitness variables including the Rockport Walk Test. In general, when compared to participants without mental retardation, participants with mild mental retardation exhibited low levels of fitness. Based on study results, the Ministry of Education is called upon to urgently put in place policies and programs that would reverse the low level of fitness among adolescents with mild mental retardation.


Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a muscle-bone degenerative disease, which lacks a specific index for diagnosis. In our previous studies, we found that exosomes mediated the interaction mechanism between muscle and bone at the cellular level, and myoblast exosomes can transfer miR-27a-3p to promote osteoblast mineralization. Therefore, we suppose that the expression of miR-27a-3p in the serum exosomes of ALS patients also changes. In this study, we used healthy human serum as a sample to find out the conditions and methods for extraction and detection. Then through comparison of the expression of miR-27a-3p in the serum exosomes of 10 ALS patients and healthy subjects, we found that in the ALS patients miR-27a-3p was down-regulated, and may be involved in the development of ALS, and therefore has potential as a reference for the diagnosis of ALS in the clinic.


During attempts to prepare functionalized 5-iodopyridine derivatives the unexpected formation of iodo[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-c]pyridines was discovered. The conversion of 3-alkoxypyridin-4-ols into the corresponding 5-iodo compounds was achieved by reaction with one equivalent of iodine or tetramethylammonium dichloroiodate under basic conditions. When three equivalents of iodine were used in chlorinated solvents, after 5-iodination, subsequent reaction of the 3-alkoxy group took place to form a 1,3-dioxolane ring with the 4-hydroxyl group. Generation of the resulting iodo[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-c]pyridines is explained by a radical process known as the Hofmann–Loffler–Freytag reaction. Two 6-ethynylpyridine derivatives were examined in the iodination process to establish a route to pyridine-containing macrocycles. The pentasubstituted 5-iodopyridine derivative 21 could be prepared; however, attempts to achieve cyclotrimerization of this building block under different conditions were not successful. Reaction of 21 with copper chloride allowed isolation of a copper acetylide 22, which aggregates to a triangular trimeric complex containing four copper(I) ions such as [23·Cu]+ as monitored by ESI mass spectrometry.


We study the k-wise independent relaxation of the usual model G(N,p) of random graphs where, as in this model, N labeled vertices are fixed and each edge is drawn with probability p, however, it is only required that the distribution of any subset of k edges is independent.This relaxation can be relevant in modeling phenomena where only k-wise independence is assumed to hold, and is also useful when the relevant graphs are so huge that handling G(N,p) graphs becomes infeasible, and cheaper random-looking distributions (such as k-wise independent ones) must be used instead. Unfortunately, many well-known properties of random graphs in G(N,p) are global, and it is thus not clear if they are guaranteed to hold in the k-wise independent case. We explore the properties of k-wise independent graphs by providing upper-bounds and lower-bounds on the amount of independence, k, required for maintaining the main properties of G(N,p) graphs: connectivity, Hamiltonicity, the connectivity-number, clique-number and chromatic-number and the appearance of fixed subgraphs. Most of these properties are shown to be captured by either constant k or by some k=poly(log(N)) for a wide range of values of p, implying that random looking graphs on N vertices can be generated by a seed of size poly(log(N)). The proofs combine combinatorial, probabilistic and spectral techniques.


Accounting is shaped by economic and political forces. It follows that increased worldwide integration of both markets and politics (driven by reductions in communications and information processing costs) makes increased integration of financial reporting standards and practice almost inevitable. The connection between tax and accounting is a complex topic with many dimensions. One explanation for this is changes within accounting on the international level. This creates a challenge for Auditing and a need to revisit the theoretical and practical foundations for the use of accounting as a starting point for audit of companies.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a standard format of financial reporting that is gaining momentum worldwide and is a single consistent accounting framework and is likely to become predominant Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) in times to come. The aim of this study is to research International literature to gain an insight into the basis and form of divergence between accounting transactions and auditing in relation to International Financial Reporting Standards.


Achtarandite, tetrahedral pseudomorph after a wadalite-like mineral, is represented by different types of pseudomorphs on the Wiluy deposit. As a result of processes and mechanisms of pseudomorphic substitution of wadalite (protoachtarandite) by hydrogarnet are white, predominantly hibschite pseudomorphs. Crystal chemical affinity of the protophase (wadalite) and metaphase (hibschite) and morphological particularities of achtarandite allowed to classify these pseudomorphs as the sponge pseudomorphs formed in the systems with isomorphic components. Peculiarities of the internal morphology, character of morphology and composition evolution of hydrogarnet from achtarandite pseudomorphs: {111} hibschite → {110} Fe-hibschite → {211} Ti-hydroandradite (GALUSKINA et al. 2001), allowed to distinguish successive formation stages of the sponge pseudomorphs and to determine mechanisms of structure formation corresponding to these stages. Sponge structure of pseudomorphs was forced by the substitution mechanisms (mechanisms of the simultaneous growth and dissolution) at the conditions of volume deficit of new-formed phase.


This paper presents two novel approaches to the design of two-dimensional (2-D) optical zero reference signals (ZRSs) that are robust against diffraction effects based on the parametric minimum cross-entropy (PMCE) method. Grating alignment systems require a 2-D optical ZRS to perform absolute measurements. A common method of acquiring 2-D optical ZRSs involves illuminating two identical superimposed 2-D zero reference codes (ZRCs). The output signal is the 2-D optical ZRS and can be represented as the autocorrelation of the 2-D ZRC transmittance. In ultrahigh-resolution systems, diffraction distorts the shadow of the first 2-D ZRC, degrading the autocorrelation and greatly reducing the amplitude of the 2-D optical ZRS. To improve the robustness of 2-D optical ZRSs against diffraction effects, this paper formulates two combinatorial optimization problems for the design of 2-D ZRCs with minimum diffraction effects: one of which is a maximization problem, and the other a minimization problem. Aiming at solving the two problems, this study proposes two schemes based on the PMCE method to search for an optimal 2-D ZRC. Simulation results reveal that there are 3.36-8.34% increases in the slope of the central peak of a 2-D optical ZRS and that there are 16.12-20.90% increases in the sum of the slope of the central peak and the effective signal amplitude of a 2-D optical ZRS, as compared with those obtained by the recently proposed cross-entropy method. The proposed PMCE-based schemes prove to search for 2-D ZRCs more effectively than existing solutions, while requiring less computational complexity.


Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a spiritual-hypnosis assisted therapy (SHAT) for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. All children, age 6–12 years (N=226; 52.7% females), who experienced the terrorist bomb blasts in Bali in 2002, and subsequently were diagnosed with PTSD were studied, through a longitudinal, quasi-experimental (pre-post test), single-blind, randomized control design. Of them, 48 received group SHAT (treatment group), and 178 did not receive any therapy (control group). Statistically significant results showed that SHAT produced a 77.1% improvement rate, at a two-year follow up, compared to 24% in the control group, while at the same time, the mean PTSD symptom score differences were significantly lower in the former group. We conclude that the method of spiritual-hypnosis is highly effective, economic, and easily implemented, and has a potential for therapy of PTSD in other cultures or other catastrophic life-threatening events.


Infrared (IR) imaging systems can be used for variety of civil and military applications such as medical imaging, surveillance, night vision and astronomy applications. In IR systems, readout electronic is a key element between detector and signal processing units. System performance parameters of readout electronic can be enumerated as follows: signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), linearity, input referred noise level and dynamic range. In this thesis, design of a CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for an array of 6x7 as a part of 576x7 full ROIC system, p-on-n type mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) long wave infrared (LWIR) detectors is presented. AMS 0.35 μ[micro]m, 4-metal 2-poly CMOS process is used in the design of ROIC. Preamplifier of ROIC is direct injection(DI) type due to noise performance. In order to increase SNR, time delay integration (TDI) on 7 detectors is applied with a supersampling rate of three. TDI stage implemented as current mode with current memories rather than capacitances to store integrated charges. This particular novel current mode TDI design in this thesis brings superior features over other topologies like high linearity, low area and very low power consumption in comparison with capacitor based topologies. 99.9% linearity is achieved with 2.5 times smaller area with very low power consumption (28 μ[micro]W per channel) compared to other topologies. ROIC has additional features of bidirectional TDI scanning, programmable five gain settings, and programmable integration time by serial/parallel interface. ROIC operated at 1 MHz with an output dynamic range of 3.75V and input referred noise of 1000 rms electrons.


One of the biggest perceived challenges in building megastructures, such as the space elevator, is the unavailability of materials with sufficient tensile strength. The presumed necessity of very strong materials stems from a design paradigm which requires structures to operate at a small fraction of their maximum tensile strength (usually, 50% or less). This criterion limits the probability of failure by giving structures sufficient leeway in handling stochastic components, such as variability in material strength and/or external forces. While reasonable for typical engineering structures, low working stress ratios—defined as operating stress as a fraction of ultimate tensile strength—in the case of megastructures are both too stringent and unable to adequately control the failure probability. We draw inspiration from natural biological structures, such as bones, tendons and ligaments, which are made up of smaller substructures and exhibit self-repair, and suggest a design that requires structures to operate at significantly higher stress ratios, while maintaining reliability through a continuous repair mechanism. We outline a mathematical framework for analysing the reliability of structures with components exhibiting probabilistic rupture and repair that depend on their time-in-use (age). Further, we predict time-to-failure distributions for the overall structure. We then apply this framework to the space elevator and find that a high degree of reliability is achievable using currently existing materials, provided it operates at sufficiently high working stress ratios, sustained through an autonomous repair mechanism, implemented via, e.g. robots.


U.S. agricultural exports rose to $53 billion in calendar year 2002, an increase of $30 billion in nominal dollars since 1976. In real terms, the average rate of export growth was 1.7 percent per year. U.S. export gains occurred mainly in high-value products (HVPs); bulk exports rose slightly, but suffered a significant loss of market share. Of the total HVP exports, processed HVPs (meats and grain products) accounted for the most growth; semiprocessed HVPs (feeds, hides, and oilseed products) were relatively stable; and raw HVPs (fruits, vegetables, and live animals) expanded slightly. Asia and the Americas surpassed Europe as the largest U.S. agricultural markets.


Swimming, water jogging, and aqua aerobics are lifetime physical activities that provide many health benefits comparable to those of walking and running. Research on the association between swimming and mortality is scarce, however. To evaluate the association between different types of physical activity and allcause mortality, we studied 40,547 men age 20–90 years who completed a health examination during 1971–2003. Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to estimate the relative risks according to physical activity exposure categories. A total of 3,386 deaths occurred during 543,330 man-years of observation. After adjustment for age, body-mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, and family history of cardiovascular disease, swimmers had 53%, 50%, and 49% lower all-cause mortality risk than did men who were sedentary, walkers, or runners, respectively (p < .05 for each). Additional adjustment for baseline prevalent diseases did not change the inverse association between different activities and all-cause mortality. In conclusion, swimmers had lower mortality rates than those who were sedentary, walkers, and runners.


A new current mode low-pass filter using three single output inverting second generation current conveyors (ICCII) is introduced. The circuit uses three, ICCII+ and realizes an inverting low-pass response. The same circuit can also use three ICCIIand realizes a non-inverting low-pass response. The proposed circuit employs four grounded resistors and two grounded capacitors and has independent control on Q and on the DC gain by varying a single grounded resistor. It is found that the proposed circuit can not be used with three CCII+ or with three CCII-. Two modified configurations using four identical single-output CCII and having very low input impedance are defined. It is found that the ICCII+ and the ICCIIare suitable for one of the two modified configurations. The CCII+ can be used with both of the modified configurations and the CCIIcan not be used with any of the proposed circuits with the same conveyor numbers. Spice simulation results using 0.5 μm CMOS transistors are included to support the theoretical analysis.


UZUNOVA, E., M. GEORGIEVA, M. NIKOLOVA, S. STUDENKOV and I. TRAYKOV, 2010. Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) distribution and abundance in litoral zones of Sand Pit Lakes. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 16: 275-283 The distribution and abundance of invasive fish species Lepomis gibbosus L. inhabiting littoral zones of sandpit lakes was investigated. The study was carried out during May and June – in active breeding period for pumpkinseeds. The investigated water bodies are located along the Lesnovska River, tributary of Iskar River, Danube drainage basin. The pumpkinseed was observed in all water bodies except Chepintci Lake. The mean abundance of pumpkinseed varied between 0.2 and 24.5 (CPUE). The highest abundance was recorded in Negovan Lake. The mean total length of pumpkinseed was relatively low for all investigated sites and varied between 4.9 and 7.4 cm, corresponding to an average age of 0.7 and 2.09 years respectively. The character of a bottom and density of water vegetation significantly correlated with pumpkinseed abundance.


Urban hardscapes can be defined as human-altered surfaces in contact with the earth in urban areas other than alterations for horticulture. Hardscape covers large portions of the urban surface area, and has potentially large influence on air emissions, truck traffic and its associated problems, and the potential for flooding. Modeling the inflows of hardscape materials and the outflows of demolished hardscape and other rock-based products from buildings and other civil infrastructure is expected to provide a means to find solutions for reducing these flows and their impacts. Modeling of urban hydrology with respect to the effects of hardscape on surface and groundwater flows from precipitation is expected to provide a means to find solutions that will reduce the risk of flooding and improve groundwater recharge. The goal of this white paper is to advocate that researchers and policy-makers use the analytical approach of combining urban (UM), material flow analysis (MFA) and elements of life cycle assessment (LCA) to measure and improve the efficiency of urban hardscape in large urbanized areas with respect to environmental impacts affecting global warming, safety and quality of life through use of alternative hardscape structure and materials and more permeable hardscape. The white paper provides details on the proposed UM-LCA framework. Additionally, several data sources and modeling tools were identified that can be used in the UM-LCA framework to quantify material and energy flows and environmental impacts including water flows. An effort was also made to identify data for a few of the cities in California in order to demonstrate parts of the data collection and presentation process. The framework developed is not limited to a single U.S. state, rather it can be used in any geographic region of the U.S. View the NCST Project Webpage


In this paper we present a study where we visually analyzed science citation data to investigate the competitiveness of world countries in selected categories of science. The dataset that we worked on in our study includes the number of papers published and the number of citations made in the ESI (Essential Science Indicators) database in 2004. The dataset lists these values for practically every country in the world. In analyzing the data, we employ methods and software tools developed and used in the data mining and information visualization fields of the Computer Science. Some of the questions for which we look for answers in this study are the following: (a) Which countries are most competitive in the selected categories of science? (i.e. Engineering, Computer Science, Economics & Business) (b) What type of correlations exist between different categories of science? For example, do countries with many published papers in the field of Engineering science also have many papers published on Computer Science or Economics & Business? (c) Which countries produce the most influential papers? This analysis is needed since a country may have many papers published but these papers may be cited very rarely. (d) Can we gain useful and actionable insights by combining science citation data with socioeconomic and geographical data?


Castor canadensis Kuhl (North American beavers) are central place foragers who
 collect woody plants and building materials from their surroundings and return to a main
 body of water containing a lodge or food cache. It has been suggested that beavers dredge
 water-filled canals to extend access to foraging areas; however, the possibility that
 these engineered transportation routes function as extensions to the beavers' "central
 place" has yet to be considered. Our objective in this study was to gain a better
 understanding of the formation and utilization of canals by beavers and thus further
 elucidate the complex foraging behavior of these ecosystem engineers. During 2004–2011, we
 mapped beaver ponds, canals, and cut stumps in eight groundwater-fed wetlands, from at
 least four separate colonies, in Indianapolis, IN. We found that the mean length, depth,
 and width of the beaver-dredged canals were 604.3 6 493.1 m, 28.0 6 22.2 cm, and 107.7 6
 107.1 cm respectively. Two of the canal systems were mapped for multiple years and their
 length, depth, and width increased over time and supported the prediction that beavers
 continuously "engineer" these canal systems to extend their foraging area into new
 locations. In addition, and in contrast to previous studies, we found that the number of
 beaver-cut stumps was negatively related to distance from canals, but not from the body of
 water containing their lodges. We recommend that studies of optimal foraging in beavers
 take canals into account, where applicable, when relating foraging to distance from the
 "central place."


This Chapter investigates Chinese consumer perception and motives regarding luxury consumption. The authors propose to segment the Chinese luxury market by relating traditional cultural values to brand preference for both Western brands and Chinese brands. The implications of the results are linked to an analysis of selected Chinese luxury brands in order to explore the possible avenues that could lead Chinese luxury brands to success in both the home market and potential global markets. Luxury consumption in emerging markets is strongly influenced by western consumer culture, however few studies have investigated the psychology and behavior of these consumers. China is one of the most important emerging luxury markets, in this study, we aim to investigate Chinese consumers' motives and behaviors regarding luxury consumption by projecting them into a context of global consumer culture. We firstly validated a scale of luxury value perceptions in China and the U.S. to better capture Chinese consumers' luxury consumption motivations. A segmentation of the Chinese luxury consumers is then carried out, characterizing different consumption tendency. Secondly, to elicit the influence of western culture on Chinese consumers' luxury consumption, we compared the preferred luxury brands of acculturated sample (Chinese living in the U.S.) to those preferred by the mainland Chinese sample. Implications from these results are linked to an analysis of selected Chinese luxury brands, to explore the possible avenues that may lead Chinese luxury brands to success.


In clinically suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs), empirical antibiotic treatment is usu- ally started long before the laboratory results of urine culture and antibiogram are available. Although molecular diagnostic approaches are being applied to the diagnosis of many infections, UTIs are generally diagnosed by traditional culture methods. Patient care could greatly benefit from the development of a rapid, accurate, inexpensive test that could be done at patient's bedside, allowing the practitioner to plan targeted, more effective therapy. Such a test would potentially reduce incorrect or unnecessary use of antibacterial drugs and reduce the emergence of bacterial resistance. In response to this pressing and unmet clinical need, several methods have been developed in the last few years. Among these, the new point-of-care test (POCT) for detecting UTIs named Micro Biological Survey (MBS) UTI CHECK holds promise, as it allows semi-quantitative determination of bacterial load in urine leading to a fast detection of UTIs and to evaluation of bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. This new technology operates through a colorimetric survey performed in low-cost, ready-to-use, disposable vials, in which 1 ml of urine is inoculated without any preliminary treatment and requiring neither specialized personnel nor a specialized equipment.


This thesis examines pectic metabolism by oat coleoptile sections. Pectin accounts for 5 per cent of the dry weight of such sections. Approximately 5 per cent of the pectin is cold water soluble--70 per cent alcohol insoluble. Approximately 50 per cent of the carboxyl groups of this fraction are methyl esterified. Hot water solubilizes from the cell wall a highly esterified pectin fraction which represents 15 per cent of the total. In the remaining hot water insoluble pectin, only 30 per cent of the pectic carboxyl groups are combined as esters. Pectins, once formed, are metabolized very slowly. There is little or no mixing of the various pectic fractions during a 15-hour period. The methyl ester group of pectin is supplied by the methyl group of methionine. Oat coleoptile sections, either intact or as homogenates, form S-methylmethionine and methionine sulfoxide from methionine. Both of these compounds are also active as methyl donors for the formation of pectic esters. Indoleacetic acid accelerates both incorporation of the methyl of methionine into methyl ester moieties and the incorporation of glucose into galacturonic acid residues of water soluble pectins. This increase is a measure of an accelerated rate of pectin synthesis. Indoleacetic acid does not increase the rate of synthesis of the water insoluble pectins. Evidence is presented which favors the supposition that the methyl ester groups are formed before polymerization of the galacturonic acid residues. In vitro incorporation of the methyl of methionine into methyl ester groups of pectin has not been achieved. Limited success has been obtained with the in vitro incorporation of glucose into galacturonic acid residues of water soluble pectins.


Isoflurane is currently the most common volatile anaesthetic used in laboratory mice, whereas in human medicine the more modern sevoflurane is often used for inhalation anaesthesia. This study aimed to characterize and compare the clinical properties of both anaesthetics for inhalation anaesthesia in mice. In an approach mirroring routine laboratory conditions (spontaneous breathing, gas supply via nose mask, preventing hypothermia by a warming mat) a 50 min anaesthesia was performed. Anaesthetics were administered in oxygen as carrier gas at standardized dosages of 1.5 minimum alveolar concentrations, which was 2.8% for isoflurane and 4.9% for sevoflurane. Both induction and recovery from anaesthesia proceeded quickly, within 1–2 min. During anaesthesia, all reflex testing was negative and no serious impairment of vital functions was found; all animals survived. The most prominent side-effect during anaesthesia was respiratory depression with hypercapnia, acidosis and a marked decrease in respiration rate. Under anaesthesia, heart rate and core body temperature remained within the normal range, but were significantly increased for 12 h after anaesthesia. Locomotor activity, daily food and water consumption and body weight progression showed no abnormalities after anaesthesia. No significant difference was found between the two anaesthetics. In conclusion, isoflurane and sevoflurane provided an equally reliable anaesthesia in laboratory mice.


PURPOSE
This randomized controlled split-mouth clinical trial evaluated the short-term survival rate of indirect resin composite and ceramic laminate veneers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 10 patients (mean age: 48.6 years) received 46 indirect resin composite (Estenia; n = 23) and ceramic laminate veneers (IPS Empress Esthetic; n = 23) on the maxillary anterior teeth. Veneer preparations with incisal overlap were performed and existing resin composite restorations of good quality were not removed but conditioned using silica coating (CoJet) and silanization (ESPE-Sil). Enamel and dentin were etched and rinsed; adhesive resin (ExciTE) was then applied. After cementation (Variolink Veneer), restorations were evaluated at baseline and thereafter every 6 months for up to 3 years using modified USPHS criteria.

RESULTS
Seventeen laminate veneers were bonded onto intact teeth and 29 on teeth having existing resin composite restorations. In total, 3 failures were observed in the form of debonding (n = 1) and fracture (n = 2) in the group of resin composite laminate veneers. No significant difference was observed between the survival rates of composite and ceramic laminate veneers (Estenia: 87%, IPS Empress Esthetic: 100%; p > 0.05). The overall survival rate was 93.5% (Kaplan-Meier). Of the 43 laminate veneers, minor voids and defects were observed in 6 of the composite and 3 of the ceramic veneers. Slight staining at the margins (n = 3) and slightly rough surfaces were more frequently observed for the resin composite laminate veneers (n = 18) up to the final recall.

CONCLUSION
Early findings of this clinical trial on two veneer materials showed statistically similar survival rates. Surface quality changes were more frequent in the composite veneer material.


The research question of this study is whether or not companies can improve the relationship with their investors by voluntarily extending the scope of their risk disclosure. The novel aspect of this research is that it analyses the relationship between companies and investors in a unique crisis situation. This thesis explains and tests the relationship between listed European insurance groups that disclose risk information in their annual financial statements and the reaction of the capital market during the recent sub-prime loan crisis. It covers the disclosure periods 2007 and 2008 of thirteen insurance groups that file their financial reports according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Based on literature it is assumed that during a crisis situation investors estimate the value of the company they have invested in and decide whether or not they sell their shares or hold on to them. Research studies indicate that investors demand company-specific information about the investment risk, measurement of financial instruments and forecasts that are up to date and specific to the crisis situation. To analyses the relationship between listed companies and investors the thesis measures their disclosure performance and the capital market response towards it. A self administered risk disclosure performance index is used that is based on accounting disclosure requirements and specified to the crisis. It measures the discretionary disclosure of companies about mortgage portfolio-based financial instruments. These instruments caused financial distress of banks that spread to a global economic crisis. The thesis measures the reaction of the capital market towards the disclosed risk information by applying the event study methodology at the peak of the crisis situation. The statistical analysis of the relationship indicated that voluntary risk disclosure is not well recognized by investors as reported in the literature. It found out that investors had recognized those listed European insurance groups that have been most severely affected by the financial crisis. Investors came to that conclusion even before the researched companies disclosed risk information about their financial instruments in annual group financial statements. The statistical research has been extended using structured-interviews with experts that represent significant users of financial information. This qualitative approach seeks to verify and explain the statistical results. The results of the interviews with professional users of financial information such as financial analysts, managers of rating agencies and bankers have shown that they do not depend on risk information from annual financial statements of respective companies. They seek to get risk information in the event of a crisis by directly addressing the management of insurance groups. This enables them to gain comments on the impact of upcoming problems in the financial market from these managers. These results imply that theories about the relationship between disclosing companies and the capital market are different in crisis situations when psychological factors influence the behaviour of both companies and the capital market. These factors are difficult to separate and need further research. Practical implications of this research study arise for regulators and standard setters. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


Kinship coefficients and FST, which measure genetic relatedness and the overall population structure, respectively, have important biomedical applications. However, existing estimators are only accurate under restrictive conditions that most natural population structures do not satisfy. We recently derived new kinship and FST estimators for arbitrary population structures [1, 2]. Our estimates on human datasets reveal a complex population structure driven by founder effects due to dispersal from Africa and admixture. Notably, our new approach estimates larger FST values of 26% for native worldwide human populations and 23% for admixed Hispanic individuals, whereas the existing approach estimates 9.8% and 2.6%, respectively. While previous work correctly measured FST between subpopulation pairs, our generalized FST measures genetic distances among all individuals and their most recent common ancestor (MRCA) population, revealing that genetic differentiation is greater than previously appreciated. This analysis demonstrates that estimating kinship and FST under more realistic assumptions is important for modern population genetic analysis.


JVRB, 11(2014), no. 3. - Spatial tracking is one of the most challenging and important parts of Mixed Reality environments. Many applications, especially in the domain of Augmented Reality, rely on the fusion of several tracking systems in order to optimize the overall performance. While the topic of spatial tracking sensor fusion has already seen considerable interest, most results only deal with the integration of carefully arranged setups as opposed to dynamic sensor fusion setups.

A crucial prerequisite for correct sensor fusion is the temporal alignment of the tracking data from several sensors. Tracking sensors are typically encountered in Mixed Reality applications, are generally not synchronized. We present a general method to calibrate the temporal offset between different sensors by the Time Delay Estimation method which can be used to perform on-line temporal calibration. By applying Time Delay Estimation on the tracking data, we show that the temporal offset between generic Mixed Reality spatial tracking sensors can be calibrated.

To show the correctness and the feasibility of this approach, we have examined different variations of our method and evaluated various combinations of tracking sensors. We furthermore integrated this time synchronization method into our UBITRACK Mixed Reality tracking framework to provide facilities for calibration and real-time data alignment.


The study of protozoa cultivated in artificial media has contributed in relatively small measure to our knowledge of their biology. Notwithstanding the numerous efforts made in this direction only a few protozoa have been succcessfully grown in artificial cultures in laboratories, and in many cases it has been necessary to make repeated inoculations, from one animal to another, in order to maintain certain protozoa alive.
In fact, successful culture of pathogenic protozoa has been made only within the last twenty years. Moreover, the failure of the first attempts at general use of cultures, and the results of these attempts, incorrectly interpreted, have been partially responsible for chilling the enthusiasm which accompanied the first fruitful investigations in this field of proto-zoology.
Alongside the brilliant results of Novy and McNeal, who first successfully cultivated trypanasoma in artificial media, the partially successful results of Bass with hematozoa, and of Ziemann with piroplasma, we must place the first fruitless attempts at amoeba culture, which led countless investigators to false interpretations, and also the failures in attempts to cultivate many other protozoa.


While current toolkits for analysis of flow-records such as SiLK are powerful and versatile, real-time analysis of flow records at very large flow collection installations continu es to be a challenge. In this paper we present a new approach for summarization and analysis of flow records. Through the use of approximate data structures, a large bulk of flow records is reduced to a compact representation that is 100 times smaller in volume than the original flow records. The techniques are suitable for implenting a small number of predefined queries that are evaluated repeatedly in a period ic manner. The operations involved in summarization and query processing are fast enough to keep up with 2.5 million flows per second in a software implementation running on general purpose hardware.


Nanocomposite materials are currently attracting much interest due to their possibility of global property improvement – mechanical strength, toughness, electrical breakdown strength, electrical erosion resistance and flame retardancy. In order to disperse montmorillonite clay (MMT) into polyethylene
(PE), the clay sheets need to be rendered organophilic. Masterbatches with a high level (~40 %wt) of organomodified clay can then be dispersed into a host by a simple mechanical process. Two chemically different masterbatches were
purchased: Nanoblend 2101 from PolyOne Corp. and C30PE from Nanocor Inc. These were let down using a RandcastleTM single screw extruder with a patented mixing device to provide elongational flow. Wide angle X-ray diffraction was used together with transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the particle dispersion, which consisted of intercalated clay organised in clusters up to one micron in diameter. The performance of these materials was assessed in terms of AC ramp breakdown statistics, dielectric spectroscopy, dynamic and tensile mechanical properties. Nanoblend masterbatch consistently improved the breakdown statistics, more than overcoming the inherent demerit of extrusion, which mildly
aged the unfilled material (as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.) On the other hand, even low loading levels of Nanocor could result in reduced breakdown strength and increased scatter. Furthermore, both sets of materials demonstrated large dielectric losses at power frequencies and poorer performance under mechanical tension. These materials would therefore require considerable development before they could confidently be used commercially. The nature of the PE-MMT interactions was examined by investigating the crystallisation kinetics and resulting morphologies with differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. By varying the masterbatch
type, loading level and crystallisation temperature, it was possible to study a wide range of supercrystalline morphologies using a permanganic etching technique. This is a useful contribution to the field of nanocomposites research. It is known that the morphologies of polymers can affect their mechanical properties and electrical treeing behaviour, and so it is possible
that controlled crystallisation could provide a route toward designer materials with optimised behaviour.


ABSTRACT Many scholars argue that economic interdependence and more extensive economic ties between countries decreases the risk of violent conflict between them. However, despite considerable research on the "capitalist peace" at the macro or dyadic level, there has been less attention to its possible individual-level microfoundations or underpinnings. We argue that public perceptions about economic ties with other states and the costs of conflict should influence the expected constraints on the use of force for leaders. Actual high interdependence and potential economic costs may not suffice to create political constraints on the use of force if people are unaware of the degree of interdependence or fail to understand the benefits of trade and the likely economic costs of disruptive conflict. We examine the linkages between individual perceptions about economic interdependence and their views on conflict and peace through a survey experiment, where we ask respondents in Japan about approval for belligerent actions in a territorial dispute with China and varying information about economic ties. Our findings indicate that greater knowledge and information about economic interdependence affects attitudes about territorial disputes and increases support for peaceful solutions with China.


Long-distance migratory animals must contend with global climate change, but they differ greatly in whether and how they adjust. Species that socially learn their migration routes may have an advantage in this process compared to other species, as learned changes that are passed on to the next generation can speed up adjustment. However, evidence from the wild that social learning helps migrants adjust to environmental change is absent. Here, we study the behavioral processes by which barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) adjust spring-staging site choice along the Norwegian coast, which appears to be a response to climate change and population growth. We compared individual-based models to an empirical description of geese colonizing a new staging site in the 1990s. The data included 43 years of estimated annual food conditions and goose numbers at both staging sites (1975–2017), as well as annual age-dependent switching events between the two staging sites from one year to the next (2000–2017). Using Approximate Bayesian Computation, we assessed the relative likelihood of models with different "decision rules", which define how individuals choose a staging site. In the best performing model, individuals traveled in groups and staging site choice was made by the oldest group member. Groups normally returned to the same staging site each year, but exhibited a higher probability of switching staging site in years with larger numbers of geese at the staging site. The decision did not depend on food availability in the current year. Switching rates between staging sites decreased with age, which was best explained by a higher probability of switching between groups by younger geese, and not by young geese being more responsive to current conditions. We found no evidence that the experienced foraging conditions in previous years affected staging site choice. Our findings demonstrate that copying behavior and density-dependent group decisions explain how geese adjust their migratory habits rapidly in response to changes in food availability and competition. We conclude that considering social processes can be essential to understand how migratory animals respond to changing environments.


PURPOSE: To verify and compare the occurrence of repair strategies used in the fricative consonants of Brazilian Portuguese, and to analyze the strategies applied for each fricative according to the severity of phonological disorders. METHODS: Participants were 87 subjects of both genders, with ages between 4 years and 8 years and 11 months. All children used repair strategies involving at least one of the fricative consonants (/f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, , ), with minimal occurrence of 40%. Data are from the phonological assessments conducted before phonological therapy, and the severity of phonological disorders was determined by the Percentage of Consonants Correct - Revised. Data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: There was progression in the use of repair strategies according to the production complexity of the phoneme. Repair strategies were found in all severities of phonological disorders, and the strategies that most affect speech intelligibility were found in more severe degrees. CONCLUSION: The more complex the fricative, the more repair strategies are used, and the more severe the phonological disorder, the more occurrences these strategies have.


In October 1962, a set of blurred surveillance photographs brought the world to the brink of nuclear apocalypse during the Cuban missile crisis. The pictures themselves demonstrated little, and explanatory captions were necessary to identify the danger for the public. In the following months, two artists with antithetical backgrounds arrived at a similar aesthetic: Andy Warhol, who began his career as a commercial artist in New York City, turned to the silkscreened replication of violent photographs. Gerhard Richter, who began as a mural painter in socialist Dresden, East Germany, painted blurred versions of personal and media photographs. In A Conspiracy of Images, author John J. Curley explores how the artists' developing aesthetic approaches were informed by the political agency and ambiguity of images produced during the Cold War, particularly those disseminated by the mass media on both sides. As the first scholarly consideration of the visual conditions of the Cold War, A Conspiracy of Images provides a new and compelling transatlantic model for Cold War art history.


Erythrina variegata and some other species of genus Erythrina are known to act on central nervous system.
In India, Erythrina variegata is the species generally used by the traditional practioners of south India for the treatment of mental illness. The anxiolytic effect of aqueous extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was evaluated by using elevated plus-maze(EPM) model, light-dark transition (LDT) model and open field test (OFT), while Pentylene tetrazole (PTZ),Maximal electroshock (MES) induced convulsions models were used to assess anticonvulsant activity in male swiss albino mice. Pretreatment with aqueous extract and estimation of GABA in rat brain tissues also performed to study the effect of aqueous extract (100, 200 mg/kg) on GABA levels of brain. Aqueous extract showed significant anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activity and also showed significant modulation of GABA levels in cerebellum and also in whole brain other than cerebellum.


Much research in the study of U.S. politics has argued that female candidates for elected office are treated differently—and often worse—than male candidates in the press and by the public. Although these patterns do not doom women to electoral failure, they raise a formidable series of obstacles that often complicate women's path to elective office, slowing the move toward gender parity in representation. Broad changes to the American political landscape, as well as methodological limitations of previous work, however, suggest the need for an updated assessment. We rely on a detailed content analysis of local newspaper coverage from nearly 350 U.S. House districts and nationally representative survey data from the 2010 midterms to provide a comprehensive evaluation of whether women experience a more hostile campaign environment than do men. We find that candidate sex does not affect journalists' coverage of, or voters' attitudes toward, the women and men running for office in their districts. Rather, reporters' portrayals and citizens' assessments of candidates stem primarily from partisanship, ideology, and incumbency, not the sex of the candidate. Although our results differ from much of the existing literature, we regard them as a valuable point of departure for answering pressing questions about gender and representation in contemporary politics, both in an American and comparative context.


This thesis analyzes three research questions that belong to the field of corporate finance. The first and the second parts of this thesis examine predictions of the trade-off theory of capital structure. This theory postulates that firms balance the benefits and costs of debt versus equity and as a result, choose target capital structures. The third research question analyzes the determinants of the
decision of a firm to sell its accounts receivable to a factor.
According to the trade-off theory, the tax advantage of debt at the corporate level encourages firms with high marginal tax rates to bear more debt whereas the tax advantage of equity at the investor level leads to a lower debt ratio for firms with high personal tax rates. This thesis provides new evidence that taxes affect the capital structure choice of firms. Following the Graham methodology to simulate marginal tax rates, we find a statistically and economically significant positive relationship between the marginal tax benefit of debt (net and gross of investor taxes) and the debt ratio. A 10% increase in the net (gross) marginal tax benefit of debt causes a 1.5% (1.6%) increase in the debt ratio, ceteris paribus.
Firms that face transaction costs may not adjust to their target capital structures immediately but instead the adjustment takes a period of time. The speed of adjustment to target capital structure has important implications for the relevance of the target capital structure for the firms' choice of financing. Recent studies show that a standard partial adjustment model with the debt ratio as the
dependent variable cannot distinguish between mechanical mean reversion and adjustment to target capital structure. We propose a new approach that uses the net increase of debt as the dependent variable and uses only ex-post information to estimate the target capital structure. Simulation experiments show that this approach is mainly unaffected by mechanical mean reversion and hence able to provide a meaningful test for the target adjustment hypothesis. We estimate a speed of adjustment to target capital structure of 28% per year.
The third part of this thesis analyzes a firm's decision of whether to accounts receivable internally, use full-service factoring or enter into an in-house factoring contract. Our model is primarily based on a theory of the firm that stresses a supplier's need for financing, risk and financial flexibility. We find that high-risk firms with a strong need for short-term financing and restricted access to bank credit are more likely to use factoring. Larger firms typically prefer in-house factoring, whereas smaller firms tend to rely on full-service factoring. The firm's desire to attain independence from banks plays an important role in decisions regarding factoring.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two rehydration beverages on fluid restoration and metabolism on subsequent exercise following exerciseand heat-induced dehydration. Twelve male subjects were dehydrated by ~3 % of body mass with exercise and heat exposure. In a randomly assigned, counterbalanced design, subjects were rehydrated at room temperature with either 175 ml of chicken noodle soup (SOUP: Campbell Soup Company, Camden, NJ) or an artificially sweetened placebo (CON) at the beginning of the 120 min rehydration period and 20 min later. Water was ingested every 20 min during the remaining 100 min of rehydration. Soup contained 161.0 mmol/l Na, 5.3 mmol/l K, and 32.6 g total carbohydrate. CON contained 14.4 mmol/l Na, 16.0 mmol/l K, and no carbohydrate. Total fluid ingestion was matched with body fluid loss during dehydration. After rehydration, subjects performed 30 min of steady state exercise at 68% VO2peak. Subjects then performed a time trial in which they accumulated as rapidly as possible the amount of work equal to 30 min of exercise at 70% VO2peak in a thermo-neutral environment (25 C and 40% relative humidity). There was no significant difference in percent recovery of body mass during rehydration (CON: 79.4 ± 3.3%; SOUP: 80.9 ± 3.4%). Time trial performance was significantly improved in SOUP (30.6 ± 0.8 min) compared with CON (33.2 ± 1.4 min; p=0.031). The rate of carbohydrate oxidation tended to be higher in SOUP (2.33 ± 0.09 g/min) compared with CON (2.18 ± 0.11 g/min; p=0.076). No differences in heart rate or ratings of perceived exercise were found during post-rehydration exercise. These results


In postmodern societies the symbolic vacuum, a result of the loss of a unified religious tradition, calls for substitutes in the form of fragmentary and isolated memories. By drawing from the reservoir of those memories in an arbitrary and subjective way, privatised (de- institutionalised) religion creates a kind of symbolic bricolage. Can such a bricolage become more than a mere 'counterfeit' of collective meaning that religion once used to provide? Can religious tradition, based on a broken continuity of memory, still bring about a matrix of the ways of expressing one's faith? If so, how? This twofold study seeks to explore those and similar questions by means of showing, firstly, in what sense religion can be conceived of as memory which produces collective meanings (Part One) and, secondly, what may happen when individualised and absolutised memories alienate themselves from a continuity of tradition, thus beginning to function as a sort of private religion (Part Two). Being the second part of the study in question, this article aims at exploring the postmodern crisis of religious memory, which includes the pluralisation of the channels of the sacred and the differentiation of a total religious memory into a plurality of specialised circles of memory. Firstly, it examines the three main aspects of the current crisis of continuity at large, namely the affirmation of the autonomous individual, the advance of rationalisation, and the process of institutional differentiation. Secondly, the plurality of the channels of the sacred is discussed in light of religion's apparently unique way of drawing legitimisation from its reference to tradition. This is followed by two illustrations of the reconstruction of religious memory. In the final section of the article, a theological reflection on possible directions that may be taken in the face of the postmodern crisis of religious memory is offered.


We propose a novel approach for nonlinear regression using a two-layer neural network (NN) model structure with sparsity-favoring hierarchical priors on the network weights. We present an expectation propagation (EP) approach for approximate integration over the posterior distribution of the weights, the hierarchical scale parameters of the priors, and the residual scale. Using a factorized posterior approximation we derive a computationally effcient algorithm, whose complexity scales similarly to an ensemble of independent sparse linear models. The approach enables flexible definition of weight priors with different sparseness properties such as independent Laplace priors with a common scale parameter or Gaussian automatic relevance determination (ARD) priors with different relevance parameters for all inputs. The approach can be extended beyond standard activation functions and NN model structures to form flexible nonlinear predictors from multiple sparse linear models. The effects of the hierarchical priors and the predictive performance of the algorithm are assessed using both simulated and real-world data. Comparisons are made to two alternative models with ARD priors: a Gaussian process with a NN covariance function and marginal maximum a posteriori estimates of the relevance parameters, and a NN with Markov chain Monte Carlo integration over all the unknown model parameters.


The iron-cobalt based alloys (especially Permendur) have been widely used for the application requiring high saturation induction, high permeability, low coercive force and high Curie temperature. Although the quantity of material so used has not been large, the reduction in the size and weight of apparatus that can be accomplished by its use has had an important effect on technical developments. Magnetic characteristics of Fe-50Co ring samples produced by the conventional powder metallurgy process with spray drying method were investigated. After pure elemental powders of iron and cobalt were mixed, these powders were granulated by spray drying method using organic binder consisting of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) and plasticizer in the range from O.1wt% to 0.5wt% of PVA, in order to improve the powder flowability during feeding and compacting. The resulting magnetic properties are superior to those of the MIM (Metal Injection Molding) 49Fe-49Co-2V alloy, and its magnetic induction at a magnetic field of 2000A/m exhibits the same value as that of commercial wrought 49Fe-49Co-2V alloy. Results show that the present method is an excellent process of producing near-net-shape parts with high saturation induction and low coercivity.


A thesis submitted to the department of accounting and finance of Addis Ababa University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Accounting and Finance


Background and Aims: Changes in different polyphenol families during grape ripening and vinification were determined in Tannat grapes. This was done to establish a polyphenol profile for Tannat grapes during ripening and for young wines. Methods and Results: We demonstrated, by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) analysis, that the content of flavan-3-ols in Tannat seeds was higher than that reported for a large number of other grape varieties analysed. Forty per cent of the total flavan-3-ols in seeds were galloylated compounds, whereas the flavan-3-ol profile in skins was characterised by the absence of galloylated forms. Prodelphinidins in skins ranged between 30 and 35% with very low values for epigallocatechin. Epicatechin gallate was not detected in Tannat wine and galloylated forms represented a low percentage of total flavan-3-ols. Tannat grapes had very high concentrations of anthocyanins in skins with levels increasing during ripening. Eleven phenolic acids were identified in Tannat grape skins and wines, but only gallic and protocatechuic acids were found in the seeds. Conclusions: Tannat wines were shown to have one of the highest levels of phenolic compounds reported for vinifera grape varieties. The profiles for different polyphenol families present in Tannat grapes (skins and seeds) and wines were determined. Significance of the Study: The results presented will help to better understand the phenolic winemaking potential of this variety and its functional properties within food chemistry.


The purpose of this thesis is to reveal how an intimate relationship with God can bring internal and external success. The research will demonstrate that success from a relativistic society does not always produce overall success. Through a secular approach, success is defined differently by each human being and formed by his or her own perception of the subject. However, through a biblical worldview approach, one can achieve internal and external success brought about by a relationship with God. First, the research will recognize a few of the many man-made theories of success and analyze the different components that are within those theories. Then, it will explore a biblical approach to success defined by a faith and relationship with God. Through a comparison of a secular approach to success and a biblical approach to success, one can see the benefits and the deep fulfillment that arises when one lets faith determine the outcomes of one's life. When believers commit their whole lives to God and trust in Him to establish their steps, not only do they receive lifelong success, but also the final success of eternal life.


Sammy's had a bad week - his wallet's gone, along with his new shoes, he's been arrested then beaten up by the police and thrown out on the street - and he's just gone blind. He remembers a row with his girlfriend, but she seems to have disappeared. Things aren't looking too good for Sammy and his problems have hardly begun.


The Newfoundland and Labrador Government is currently in the process of implementing a comprehensive plan for the restructuring of the province's educational system. This study is an investigation into the influences of educational reform policies on the construction of school curriculum in Newfoundland and Labrador. Specifically, it investigates the role of music education in the reorganized school system. – To examine and help further our understandings of the role of arts education in school curriculum, this study uses specific sites and examples from music education. It has attempted to achieve three things: -- 1. To create a sense of the reality of music education in terms of current policy and practice in the Newfoundland and Labrador education system -- 2. To create a sense of the intent and mind-set behind policies and practices associated with current educational reform -- 3. To create a sense of the reality of arts and music education as interpreted by various stakeholders within the educational system. -- Critical theory has provided a method of analysis into the issue of curriculum construction and the role of music education in the Newfoundland and Labrador education system. It has raised many questions regarding the complex issue of reform currently underway in the education system of this province. The use of critical theory in this investigation and analysis is important to the process of understanding the Newfoundland and Labrador education system. Specifically, it challenges accepted definitions and searches for new meanings into the issue of prioritizing curriculum. -- This study uses seven elements drawn from Harvey (1990) as a basis for critical analysis. These elements include abstract generalization, totality, essence, praxis, ideology, structure, and history. -- The research has revealed that as part of current educational reform, the shift in the province's educational paradigm to a focus on ''returning to the basics" in the school system puts the future of music and arts education at risk. The need to consider very carefully the ideologies behind current policies and terms such as "basic" and "quality" education, to whom and for whom, has emerged from this investigation. -- The future of music and arts courses in current educational reform is vague at best. After many years of significant progress in the area of music education programs in Newfoundland and Labrador, a decrease in value or importance represents a significant loss to the educational process. With the institution of more effective communication and consulting processes, better alignment between stated perceptions and values with practice, and the general support of all stakeholders in the education system, music and arts education can remain an integral component of school curriculum and continue to be a significant contributor to current educational reform.


Abstract. Documenting the physical characteristics of historic structures is the first step for any preventive maintenance, monitoring, conservation, planning and promotion action. Metric documentation supports informative decision-making process for property owners, site managers, public officials, and conservators. This information serves also a broader purpose, over time, it becomes the primary means by which scholars, heritage professionals, and the general public understand a site that radically changed or disappeared. Further, documentation supports monitoring as well as the character-defining elements analysis, relevant to define the values of the building for the local and international community. The awareness of these concepts oriented the digital documentation and training activities, developed between 2016 and 2017, for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) in Bahrain. The developed activities had two main aims: a) support the local staff in using specific recording techniques to efficiently document and consequently preserve built heritage sites with appropriate accuracy and in a relatively short period; b) develop a pilot project in collaboration with BACA to validate the capacity of the team to accurately document and produce measured records for the conservation and management of Bahrain built heritage. The documentation project has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts from BACA, Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), Carleton University, Canada and a contracted researcher from the Gicarus Lab, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) in Italy. In the training activities, the participants have been exposed to a wide range of recording techniques, illustrating them the selection criteria for the most suitable one, according to requirements, site specifications, categories of values identified for the various built elements, and budget. The pilot project has been tested on three historical structures, both with strong connotations in the Bahrain cultural identity: the Shaikh Isa bin Ali house, Aljazzaf house and the Siyadi Majlis. These two buildings, outstanding examples of Bahrain architecture as well as tangible memory of the country history, have been documented employing several digital techniques, including: aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, rectifying photography, total station and 3D laser scanning.


Ginseng root is used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for its alleged tonic effect and possible curative and restorative properties. There are increasing evidences in the literature on the potential role of ginseng in treating cardiovascular diseases. We herein examine the history of ginseng usage and review the current literature on a myriad pharmacological function of ginseng on the cardiovascular system. From the published studies involving cell cultures and animal models, ginseng is shown to have potential benefits on the cardiovascular system through diverse mechanisms, including antioxidant, modifying vasomotor function, reducing platelet adhesion, influencing ion channels, altering autonomic neurotransmitters release, improving lipid profiles, and involving in glucose metabolism and glycemic control. In addition, the relevant clinical trials regarding the effects of ginseng on the cardiovascular disease are summarized, particularly in managing hypertension and improving cardiovascular function. Finally, the controversies in the literature and the possible adverse interactions between ginseng and other drugs are discussed. This review underscores the potential benefit effects of ginseng on cardiovascular diseases, highlights the gaps in our current research, and emphasizes the necessity for more rigorous systemic investigation.


ABSTRACT Methane emissions from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) fed lichens (mainly Cladonia stellaris) and a concentrate feed were determined using open-circuit respirometry. The lichen diet was low in crude protein (< 2.6% of dry matter [DM]), starch (6.0% DM) and acid detergent lignin (2.0% DM) compared to the concentrate feed (12.7, 22.5 and 7.2% DM, respectively), and high in neutral detergent fibre (82.2% DM versus 34.8% DM in concentrate feed). The feeds were offered in equal amounts (ca. 0.440 kg DM) 2 h after initiating methane recordings in the respiration chamber. The reindeer were adapted to these diets for > 4 weeks prior to experiments and methane emissions recorded for two separate 23 h periods for each diet. Methane emissions increased on average by 0.93 g/h (or by 5.8 times) in the first hour after feeding the concentrate feed, while emissions remained unchanged after the intake of lichens. Mean methane emissions from reindeer (n = 5) were 7.5 ± 0.54 (SE) g CH4 day−1 when fed lichens, compared to a higher emission (p = 0.001) of 11.2 ± 0.54 g CH4 day−1 on the concentrate diet. The mean proportion of gross energy intake lost as methane was 5.2 ± 0.37% on the lichens and 7.6 ± 0.37%, or some 50% higher, on the concentrate feed. This difference was significant (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that it is of environmental importance to preserve the lichens on the tundra and minimize supplementary feeding with concentrate diets, in order to reduce methane emission.


BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of disability and mortality globally. Premature fatal and non-fatal CVD is considered to be largely preventable through the control of risk factors by lifestyle modifications and preventive medication. Lipid-lowering and antihypertensive drug therapies for primary prevention are cost-effective in reducing CVD morbidity and mortality among high-risk people and are recommended by international guidelines. However, adherence to medication prescribed for the prevention of CVD can be poor. Approximately 9% of CVD cases in the EU are attributed to poor adherence to vascular medications. Low-cost, scalable interventions to improve adherence to medications for the primary prevention of CVD have potential to reduce morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs associated with CVD.

OBJECTIVES
To establish the effectiveness of interventions delivered by mobile phone to improve adherence to medication prescribed for the primary prevention of CVD in adults.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and two other databases on 7 January 2020. We also searched two clinical trials registers on 5 February 2020. We searched reference lists of relevant papers. We applied no language or date restrictions.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials investigating interventions delivered wholly or partly by mobile phones to improve adherence to cardiovascular medications prescribed for the primary prevention of CVD. We only included trials with a minimum of one-year follow-up in order that the outcome measures related to longer-term, sustained medication adherence behaviours and outcomes. Eligible comparators were usual care or control groups receiving no mobile phone-delivered component of the intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures recommended by Cochrane. The main outcomes of interest were objective measures of medication adherence (blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol), CVD events, and adverse events. We contacted study authors for further information when this was not reported.

MAIN RESULTS
We included 14 trials with 25,633 randomised participants. Participants were recruited from community-based primary and tertiary care or outpatient clinics. The interventions varied widely from those delivered solely through short messaging service (SMS) to those involving a combination of modes of delivery, such as SMS in addition to healthcare worker training, face-to-face counselling, electronic pillboxes, written materials, and home blood pressure monitors. Some interventions only targeted medication adherence, while others additionally targeted lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Due to heterogeneity in the nature and delivery of the interventions and study populations, we reported most results narratively, with the exception of two trials which were similar enough to meaningfully pool in meta-analyses. The body of evidence for the effect of mobile phone-based interventions on objective outcomes of adherence (BP and cholesterol) was of low certainty, due to most trials being at high risk of bias, and inconsistency in outcome effects. Two trials were at low risk of bias. Among five trials (total study enrolment: 5441 participants) recording low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), two studies found evidence for a small beneficial intervention effect on reducing LDL-C (-5.30 mg/dL, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.30 to -2.30; and -9.20 mg/dL, 95% CI -17.70 to -0.70). The other three studies found results varying from a small reduction (-7.7 mg/dL) to a small increase in LDL-C (0.77 mg/dL). All of which had wide confidence intervals that included no effect. Across 13 studies (25,166 participants) measuring systolic blood pressure, effect estimates ranged from a large reduction (MD -12.45 mmHg, 95% CI -15.02 to -9.88) to a small increase (MD 2.80 mmHg, 95% CI 0.30 to 5.30). We found a similar range of effect estimates for diastolic BP, ranging from -12.23 mmHg (95% CI 14.03 to -10.43) to 1.64 mmHg (95% CI -0.55 to 3.83) (11 trials, 19,716 participants). Four trials showed intervention benefits for systolic and diastolic BP with confidence intervals excluding no effect, and among these were all three of the trials evaluating self-monitoring of blood pressure with mobile phone-based telemedicine. The fourth trial included SMS and provider support (with additional varied features). Seven studies (19,185 participants) reported 'controlled' BP as an outcome, and intervention effect estimates varied from negligible effects (odds ratio (OR) 1.01, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.34) to large improvements in BP control (OR 2.41, 95% CI: 1.57 to 3.68). The three trials of clinician training or decision support combined with SMS (with additional varied features) had confidence intervals encompassing benefits and harms, with point estimates close to zero. Pooled analyses of the two trials of interventions solely delivered through SMS were indicative of little or no beneficial intervention effect on systolic BP (MD -1.55 mmHg, 95% CI -3.36 to 0.25; I2 = 0%) and small increases in controlled BP (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.65; I2 = 0%). Based on four studies (12,439 participants), there was very low-certainty evidence (downgraded twice for imprecision and once for risk of bias) relating to the intervention effect on combined (fatal and non-fatal) CVD events. Two studies (2535 participants) provided low-certainty evidence for the effect of the intervention on cognitive outcomes, with little or no difference between trial arms for perceived quality of care and satisfaction with treatment. There was moderate-certainty evidence (downgraded due to risk of bias) that the interventions did not cause harm, based on six studies (8285 participants). Three studies reported no adverse events attributable to the intervention. One study reported no difference between groups in experience of adverse effects of statins, and that no participants reported intervention-related adverse events. One study stated that potential side effects were similar between groups. One study reported a similar number of deaths in each arm, but did not provide further information relating to potential adverse events.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is low-certainty evidence on the effects of mobile phone-delivered interventions to increase adherence to medication prescribed for the primary prevention of CVD. Trials of BP self-monitoring with mobile-phone telemedicine support reported modest benefits. One trial at low risk of bias reported modest reductions in LDL cholesterol but no benefits for BP. There is moderate-certainty evidence that these interventions do not result in harm. Further trials of these interventions are warranted.


AIM
The present study was designed to determine the effect of a 4-month oral treatment with tablets of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on seminal analysis in nine adult normal men aged 24-44 years old.

METHODS
Nine men received tablets of Maca (1500 or 3000 mg/day) for 4 months. Seminal analysis was performed according to guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTS
Treatment with Maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count per ejaculum, motile sperm count, and sperm motility. Serum hormone levels were not modified with Maca treatment. Increase of sperm count was not related to dose of Maca.

CONCLUSION
Maca improved sperm production and sperm motility by mechanisms not related to LH, FSH, PRL, T and E2.


Water distribution networks are one of the most important infrastructures in urban areas. Evaluating their real hydraulic performance after being damaged by earthquake loadings is crucial for future planning. In this study, pipeline damage caused by seismic wave propagation is modelled using relationships obtained from 1994 Northridge earthquake. Damaged network is hydraulically analysed using the head driven simulation method (HDSM). This analysis helps to obtain actual performance of the water distribution network damaged by seismic waves, without the usual need to handle negative nodal pressures generated from demand driven simulation method. Pressure performance indicator and the total leakage of the network are used as indicators to show the hydraulic performance of the system. Comparison of the damages from different seismic scenarios and the hydraulic indicators of the network, illustrate the probable condition of the water distribution network after the earthquake. The proposed methodology is applied on a reservoir zone of the Tehran water distribution network. The results indicate the degree of damage in terms of pipe burst and leak points in this network.


Along the ancient Silk Road where Europe, Asia, and Russia converge stands the four-thousand-year-old homeland of a peaceful people, the Uyghurs. Their culture is filled with music, dance, family, and love of tradition passed down by storytelling through the ages. For millennia, they have survived clashes in the shadow of China, Russia, and Central Asia. Rebiya Kadeer's courage, intellect, morality, and sacrifice give hope to the nearly eleven million Uyghurs worldwide on whose behalf she speaks as an indomitable world leader for the freedom of her people and the sovereignty of her nation. Her life story is one of legends: as a refugee child, as a poor housewife, as a multimillionaire, as a high official in China's National People's Congress, as a political prisoner in solitary confinement for two of nearly six years in jail, and now as a political dissident living in Washington, DC, exiled from her own land.