OBJECTIVES
Viral lower respiratory tract infection (vLRTI) contributes to substantial morbidity and mortality in children. Diagnosis is typically confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal specimens in hospitalized patients; however, it is unknown whether nasopharyngeal detection accurately reflects presence of virus in the lower respiratory tract (LRT). This study evaluates agreement between viral detection from nasopharyngeal specimens by RT-PCR compared with metagenomic next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) from tracheal aspirates (TAs).

DESIGN
This is an analysis of of a seven-center prospective cohort study.

SETTING
Seven PICUs within academic children's hospitals in the United States.

PATIENTS
Critically ill children (from 1 mo to 18 yr) who required mechanical ventilation via endotracheal tube for greater than or equal to 72 hours.

INTERVENTIONS
We evaluated agreement in viral detection between paired upper and LRT samples. Results of clinical nasopharyngeal RT-PCR were compared with TA RNA-Seq. Positive and negative predictive agreement and Cohen's Kappa were used to assess agreement.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Of 295 subjects with paired testing available, 200 (68%) and 210 (71%) had positive viral testing by RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal and RNA-Seq from TA samples, respectively; 184 (62%) were positive by both nasopharyngeal RT-PCR and TA RNA-Seq for a virus, and 69 (23%) were negative by both methods. Nasopharyngeal RT-PCR detected the most abundant virus identified by RNA-Seq in 92.4% of subjects. Among the most frequent viruses detected, respiratory syncytial virus demonstrated the highest degree of concordance (κ = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94), whereas rhinovirus/enterovirus demonstrated lower concordance (κ = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.44-0.66). Nasopharyngeal PCR was more likely to detect multiple viruses than TA RNA-Seq (54 [18.3%] vs 24 [8.1%], p ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Viral nucleic acid detection in the upper versus LRT reveals good overall agreement, but concordance depends on the virus. Further studies are indicated to determine the utility of LRT sampling or the use of RNA-Seq to determine LRTI etiology.


Abstract The present study investigates the effect of explicit teaching of segmentals and suprasegmentals in developing speaking skills for Farsi-English interpreter trainees. Three groups of student interpreters were formed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the University of Applied Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Participants were assigned to groups at random, but with equal division between genders (7 female and 7 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups prior to the experiment. Participants took a pretest of speaking skills before starting the program. The control group listened to authentic audio tracks in English and discussed their contents, watched authentic English movies, and discussed issues in the movies in pairs in the classroom. The first experimental group spent part of the time on theoretical explanation of, and practical exercises with, English suprasegmentals. The second experimental group spent part of the time on theoretical explanation of, and practical exercises with, English segmentals. The total instruction time was the same for all three groups, i.e. 12 hours. Students then took a posttest in speaking skills. The results show that the explicit teaching of suprasegmentals significantly improved the students' speaking skills more than that of the other groups. These results have pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, interpreting programs for training future interpreters, material producers and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy.


As with any black hole, asymptotically anti-de Sitter Kerr black holes are described by a small number of parameters, including a ``mass parameter'' M that reduces to the AdS-Schwarzschild mass in the limit of vanishing angular momentum. In sharp contrast to the asymptotically flat case, the horizon area of such a black hole increases with the angular momentum parameter a if one fixes M; this appears to mean that the Penrose process in this case would violate the Second Law of black hole thermodynamics. We show that the correct procedure is to fix not M but rather the ``physical'' mass E=M/(1−a2/L2)2; this is motivated by the First Law. For then the horizon area decreases with a. We recommend that E always be used as the mass in physical processes: for example, in attempts to ``over-spin'' AdS-Kerr black holes.


What is the "meaning" of terms, concepts, and ideas now extant in the information society and in digital culture? What theory of meaning can address, in satisfactory manner, the digital turn, which is, fundamentally, a conceptual revolution? This article submits that the only way to make sense of this revolution – and it does insist that it is a conceptual revolution – is by harnessing a meaning-as-use theory (with this conscription of "theory" being admittedly un-Wittgensteinian). Furthermore, although it may be unfeasible to formulate a bona fide theory of meaning here, as elsewhere, Wittgensteinian steps can be fruitfully taken in describing novel culturallinguistic circumstances and situations, thereby elucidating the digital use of terms and concepts. The applicability of "meaning as use" in the digital context will be presented, subsequently, as the best theory of meaning, perhaps the only one, that can address both the promise and the vagaries of digitization.


Gene expression studies in peripheral tissues from patients with neurodegenerative disorders can provide insights into disease pathogenesis, and identify potential biomarkers, an important goal of translational research in neurodegeneration. Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by reduced transcription of frataxin, a ubiquitously expressed protein. We studied in vitro lymphocytes from FRDA patients and carriers to identify a peripheral gene expression phenotype. Peripheral biomarkers related to disease status would be extremely valuable for assessing drug efficacy and could provide new pathophysiological insights.


Information encoded in DNA implicitly determines the sequence of processes at different organizational levels of living matter. Optical microscopy is a major source of knowledge about processes in living cells. Further progress in biology to a large extent depends on the perfection of microscopic methods based on the latest advances in laser and computer technologies. This review outlines modern functional imaging techniques for living cell microscopy with particular emphasis on dynamic coherent phase microscopy based on recording local fluctuations of refractive index. The measurement results produced with a laser phase microscope are reported.


Seneca9s Medea carries out a plan of revenge that follows a retaliation mechanism inspired both by fury and by an established principle of reciprocity. This principle follows the rules, described in Seneca9s
 De ira , of revenge aroused by anger. Medea had earlier been guilty of crimes against her own family, in order to assist Jason; she now maintains that she has fallen victim to the very same offenses.
 Therefore she now resolves to perpetrate similar crimes upon the husband who has decided to leave her. In retaliation for the loss of her father9s kingdom, of her brother Absyrtus, and of her own virginity
 she now kills Creon and his daughter, as well as her own children. Medea can thus create a fictitious link between the parts of her identity (her life as a virgo and her life as a rejected coniunx/mater )
 that have been thrown into disarray by her separation from Jason. In fact, the crimes she commits as a wife, in order to get rid of Jason, are just the inexorable consequence of the crimes she had committed
 as a girl, in order to join him. The separation which thus comes about conforms to the rules of a normal Roman divorce: the wife leaves her husband9s home as well as her children, but her dowry is returned
 to her. Towards the end of the tragedy, Medea goes so far as to say that she has retrieved the "dowry" of crimes she paid in order to become Jason9s wife, since she has recovered her father9s kingdom, her
 brother, and her virginity as well. This is no more than a wild illusion, but in considering its elaborate rhetorical form we gain an idea of the kind of balance which is the aim of Seneca9s Medea as she
 accomplishes her revenge.


Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a form of RNA that has been found to regulate mammalian transcription. This recently discovered RNA is a large class of ubiquitously expressed novel noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) reported to regulate gene expression by modulating the function of micro RNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). CircRNAs are believed to be able to serve as molecular markers of complex diseases. However, the understanding of their role in the development of diabetes is still limited.


In recent years, there have been an increasing interest in long-term monitoring of civil structures, as the research community has been alarmed by some tragic events and collapses of bridges and buildings that pointed out the vulnerability of some existing structures and the uncertainties in their analysis for monitoring and maintenance purposes. SHM is the measurement of the operating and loading environment; as well as the critical responses of a structure to track and evaluate the symptoms of incidents, anomalies, damage and/or deterioration which may affect operation, serviceability, safety and reliability. Although many damage detection techniques were applied to scaled models or specimen tests in controlled laboratory environments, the performance of these techniques in real operational environments is still questionable and needs to be validated. Often damage sensitive features employed in these damage detection techniques are also sensitive to changes of environmental and operation conditions of the structure. The objective of this study is to propose a new Time Varying Autoregressive (TVAR) modeling technique for SHM of largescale structures like bridges and buildings. TVAR model, a method by virtue of its nature is applicable for modeling data whose spectral content varies with time. The research is conducted to critically understand the effective performance of the structures under various loads and health conditions, and detect their operational anomalies using the proposed data-driven technique. In this research, an attempt is made to alleviate the use of system identification method where TVAR modeling is conducted directly on the data. The proposed method does not depend on the complicated algorithms and free of any other user-defined parameters. In pursuance of applying the proposed data-driven technique, the data collected on site are essentially paramount. Data inherently used are mainly obtained from experiments, as well as the data acquired from the Harbin Institute of Technology in fulfillment of a full-scale validation. The proposed TVAR technique detects not only the occurrence of structural damage, but also the location of damage. Whereas the TVAR developed captures the changes in the time domain, for comparison, Stochastic Subspace System Identification (SSI) method is applied to the experimental data. The method is used because it is an important tool that captures the frequency changes, as the SSI tracks the changes in the frequency domain. Using both experimental and full-scale studies, it is shown that the proposed TVAR technique and the comparable SSI method applied, can therefore be considered as a useful tool for SHM.


Radical reforms of the civil service during the 1980s and 90s have broken up the old unified hierarchical structures. In their place are peripheral agencies concerned with policy implementation and a central core comcerned with policy-making. The radical reforms are described and assessed in terms of the public choice and public management theories which underpin them. Bureau-maximizing and bureau-shaping models are used to predict the directions we should expect the reforms to take and their likely success. The key central chapter of the book examines the equivocal use of the term "efficiency" used to justify the managerial changes. This is the first textbook which critically examines theories of bureaucracy together with an introductory and descriptive account of the civil service today.


The article presents two dimensions of the relationship between cinema and Polish independence. The first part was devoted to the situation of Polish cinema after 1918. I describe the film market, the political situation, relationship between the state and cinematography, films that were then created and their impact on national identity. Then I focus on films in which independence has become a movie theme. I divide them into three periods: until 1939, the People's Republic of Poland and after 1989. I draw attention to their political and historical contexts, functions and film form, and I discuss the meaning and interpretation of each films.


The 3rd Int'l Conference on Financing for Development is being hosted in Addis Ababa from the 13-16 July. This guide provides sources of information supporting a global partnership for financing people-centered sustainable development


Aims: Social prescribing continues to grow and change across healthcare services in Wales; however, research of the day-to-day performance of social prescribers is limited. This study aimed to explore which roles are perceived to be the most important and frequently used by social prescribers in Wales and compare these results to reports in studies of services in other countries in order to support future role development and potential standardisation. Methods: This study used the Group Concept Mapping via the Concept Systems Global Max™ software to collect and analyse all data from both participants and literature. Results: There was a total of 101 statements generated (119 participants, 84 literature) ranging from generic interpersonal skills to specialised training (cognitive behavioural therapy). These statements were then sorted by conceptual similarity into seven clusters (Providing a Specialist Service, Working in a person-centred way, Skills, Connecting Clients with Community, Collaborative Working, Evaluating and postprogramme duties, and Networking/Community). Statements were rated based on their perceived importance and frequency, with the 'Skills' cluster having the highest overall average and 'Providing a Specialist Service' having the lowest. Conclusions: Reports indicate that in general there is variation in the roles performed by individual participants in Wales; however, greater variation was observed between participants and literature suggesting geographical divergence in practice. In the top 12 highest rated statements for both frequency and importance, individualistic traits such as empathy and 'being a listener' are favoured over specialised methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy and behaviour change taxonomy. Results suggest that local need plays a part in the choices and performance of social prescribers and as such should be considered in future standardisation.


By a variety of exposure routes it is possible that the toxic heavy metals cadmium, arsenic and mercury could enter the diet of farm animals and hence contaminate food products derived from those animals. Therefore, there is a need to be able to assess the likely levels of contamination in animal tissues if exposed to contaminated feed and also to estimate how rapidly an animal will decontaminate once the source of contamination is removed from the feed. The development of dynamic models to predict changes in the degree of heavy metal contamination in tissues of ruminants have been hindered by the lack of data on the transfer and excretion rates of these metals from tissues. A study is described during which dairy cows were given a single intraruminal administration of 109Cd, 73As and 203Hg and measurements made of the subsequent concentrations of the radioisotopes in body tissues and milk. The resultant data were used to adapt previously developed compartment models describing the behaviour of the metals in sheep for use with dairy cows. Two changes were made to the sheep models: (i) a new excretion route was included to describe transfer to milk; (ii) the rate coefficients (with the exception of those involving gut absorption and transfer) were adjusted according to the ratio of the metabolic live-weights (live-weight (kg)0·75) of the sheep to that of the cattle. The models predicted levels of the metals in the cattle tissues and milk reasonably well.


The present article analyses the Arctic Sunrise arbitration, which concerns the lawfulness of the boarding and seizure of the Dutch-flagged vessel, Arctic Sunrise, during a protest against the oil rig Prirazlomnaya in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation. Even though the Arctic Sunrise vessel was three nautical miles from the rig, the Greenpeace activists on board were arrested, detained and charged with piracy, which was later replaced with a charge of aggravated hooliganism. Peaceful protest at sea is an internationally recognised lawful use of the sea, related to the freedom of navigation, and it is therefore subject to the limitations defined by, inter alia, the law of the sea. This necessitates a balancing of the right to protest at sea with other legitimate interests, including safety of navigation and the safety and security of artificial islands, installations and structures located on the continental shelf or in the exclusive economic zone of a State. According to the award, the coastal State should tolerate some level of nuisance caused by civilian protest as long as it does not amount to an interference with the exercise of its sovereign rights. In order to protect its sovereign rights, a coastal State may respond appropriately against acts of protest provided such measures are reasonable, necessary and proportionate. The Arctic Sunrise case raises a number of interesting legal questions concerning the phenomenon of acts of protest at sea, questions that have not been adequately explored to date. This paper aims to analyse the difference between acts of protest at sea, piracy and maritime terrorism, the limits on the right to protest at sea, and the connection between the law of the sea and the protection of human rights.


This thesis describes the chemical arld,biological investigation of the extracts of six different marine invertebrate organisms collected along the South African
coastline. The work on these extracts has resulted in the isolation and structural elucidation of twenty-one previously undescribed secondary metabolnes;
The history of marine natural product chemistry in South Africa has not previously been reviewed and so a comprehensive review covering the literature from
the 1940's up until the end of 1995 is presented here.
The marine ascidian Pseudodistoma species collected in the Tsitsikamma Marine Reserve was shown to contain four new unsaturated amino alcohols [47], [48], [49] and [50] which were isolated as their acetyl derivatives. These compounds
exhibited strong antimicrobial activity.
Four new pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids, the tsitsikammamines A [90] to 0 [93],were isolated from a new genus of Latrunculid sponge collected in the Tsitsikamma
Marine Reserve. These highly pigmented compounds also possessed strongantimicrobial activity.
An investigation of two phenotypic colour variants of the soft coral Capnella thyrsoidea resulted in the isolation of the known steroid 5α-pregna-1,20-dien-3-one [97] and an additional six new metabolites, 16β-hydroxy-5α-pregna-1 ,20-dien-3-one 16-acetate [98], 3α,16β-dihydroxy-5α-pregna-1,20-diene 3,16-diacetate [99] and four xenicane diterpenes, the tsitsixenicins A [100] to D [103]. This is the first reported isolation of xenicane diterpenes from the soft coral family Nephtheiidae. Tsitsixenicin A and B showed good anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting superoxide production in both rabbit and human cell neutrophils.
A further four new metabolites were isolated from two soft corals which could only be identified to the genus level and were designated Alcyonium species A and species B. Alcyonium species A was collected in the Tsitsikamma Marine Reserve and yielded two new polyhydroxysterols, cholest-5-ene-3β, 7β, 19-triol 19-acetate [121] and cholest-5,24-diene-3β,7β, 19-triol 19-acetate [122]. The soft coral Alcyonium species

B was collected off Aliwal Shoal and was found to contain two known xenicane
diterpenes, 9-deacetoxy-14,15-deepoxyxeniculin [110] and zahavin A [16], and two
new xenicane diterpenes, 7 -epoxyzahavin A [123] and xeniolide C [124]. Compounds
[110], [16] and [123] exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity and compounds [110]
and [16] showed good antithrombotic activity.
The endemic soft coral A/cyanium fauri collected at Riet Point near Port Alfred
yielded the new sesquiterpene hydroquinone rietone [141] in high yierd, fogether with
the minor compounds 8'-acetoxyrietone [142] and 8'-desoxyrietone [143]. Rietone
exhibited moderate activity in the NCl's in-vitro anti-HIV bioassays.


By using robustness methods we design HCRs that explicitly include scientific uncertainty. Under scientific uncertainty –when the perceived model can be generated by a nearby op- erating model– robust HCRs are designed assuming that the (inferred) operating model is more persistent than the perceived model. As a result, a robust HCR has a steeper ratio between fishing mortality and biomass than a non robust one. We prove that constant effort HCRs are not robust. Moreover, rather than decreasing fishing mortality reference points for exploitation, the optimal robust response to scientific uncertainty is to increases biomass precautionary limit points when knowledge about the stock status decreases. Finally, we show that robustness can be implemented if fishing mortality is increased faster than lin- early –by a factor of 2-fold– when a stock is assessed as above 0.5BMSY. We illustrate our findings by designing HCRs for 17 ICES stocks using this rule of thumb.


This thesis is based on the initial phase of a project that developed an in-depth collision database and performed an analysis of police reported side-impact collisions for the City of Toronto intersections between 1998 and 2000. Currently, collision data exists through several different sources in Ontario. The development of a database involving the amalgamation of collision forms, the selection of data fields, and the collection of real collision data from selected, thoroughly investigated side impact collisions involving late model vehicles (1998 and newer), is described. For analysis, Statistical Analysis Software Release 8.02 was used to investigate causation and causal factors of side impact collisions. Statistically significant collision factors determined by fault propensity included apparent driver action, driver age, front seat passenger age, maximum posted speed, approximate vehicle speed, road character, and number of lanes. For intersection collision propensity, statistically significant findings included the system used, presence of flashing signals, intersection legs, roadway volume, and intersection leg road classifications. It is anticipated that the findings from this analysis can provide insight into significant factors in side-impact collisions that will be applied with greater focus to the in-depth collision database, once developed. Traffic accidents


ABSTRACT In recent years state and local governmental interest groups have become active in filing amicus curiae briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court. During the same period, the Court has demonstrated a renewed interest in federalism issues. A review of the state and local government interest group participation in thirty-seven cases between 1995 and 1998 shows that those organizations were more unified in cases raising issues of intergovernmental policy and program implementation than in the major federalism disputes. This article suggests that the increase use of the courts to settle technical intergovernmental issues portends new roles for state and local officials. INTRODUCTION This article explores recent efforts of subnational governmental associations to influence decisions of the United States Supreme Court through amicus curiae briefs and examines thirty-seven cases decided between 1995 and 1998 in which the State and Local Legal Center-part of the Academy of State and Local Governments-filed amicus briefs. It then examines six high profile federalism cases during the period in which the Center was generally less involved. The focus is on the issues raised, the level of success of the Center, and the relationship between the politics of amicus briefs and the broader political system. The mid-1990s have witnessed some dramatic decisions by the United States Supreme Court that have expanded the authority of states and limited the power of Congress. In U.S v. Lopez 115 S.Ct. 1424 (1995), the Court declared unconstitutional a federal stature (the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1990) on the ground that Congress had exceeded its power to regulate commerce among the states. In Printz v. U.S. 117 S.Ct. 2365 (1997), the Court voided portions of another measure (the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1995) because it imposed federal duties on state executive officers so as to impair their independence. These and other decisions have significantly altered the premise of Garcia v. San Antonio, 469 U.S. 528 (1985) in which the Court held that states and localities should look to the political process not to the courts to protect their place in the federal system. That decision now seemed of less significance. As the Supreme Court entertained major federalism disputes, an important development was the way in which the subnational governments presented issues to the courts. Until the early 1980s, states and localities rarely filed amicus curiae briefs. A plaintiff or respondent jurisdiction fighting a case having major repercussions for a broad category of governments and their officials typically found little formal support from sister jurisdictions in the Supreme Court. To illustrate, the Court in Maine v. Thiboutot 448 U.S. 1 (1980) significantly broadened the coverage of Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 by holding that the Section provided an enforcement mechanism for rights provided citizens in all federal statutes, not only civil rights measures. Although the decision had general applicability to the states, when Maine defended its position in the Supreme Court, only one other state (Pennsylvania) contributed an amicus brief on its behalf (Baker and Asperger, 1982:371). Another problem was the perception that the advocacy of subnational governments needed improvement. A comment by Justice Powell in a 1974 address to federal circuit judges that, in criminal cases, state and local governments were "frequently outgunned and overmatched by the defense" was widely quoted (Baker and Asperger, 1982:368). The advocacy problem seemed to be a factor in the sometime poor record compiled by state and local governments when pitted against organizations with greater experience in Supreme Court litigation. One study determined that, in the period 1976-79, the American Civil Liberties Union filed amicus briefs in about three-quarters of the cases while the state and locality won in less than one-quarter (Ibid. …


Chlamydia spp. are intracellular obligate bacterial pathogens that infect a wide range of host cells. Here, we show that C. caviae enters, replicates, and performs a complete developmental cycle in Drosophila SL2 cells. Using this model system, we have performed a genome-wide RNA interference screen and identified 54 factors that, when depleted, inhibit C. caviae infection. By testing the effect of each candidate's knock down on L. monocytogenes infection, we have identified 31 candidates presumably specific of C. caviae infection. We found factors expected to have an effect on Chlamydia infection, such as heparansulfate glycosaminoglycans and actin and microtubule remodeling factors. We also identified factors that were not previously described as involved in Chlamydia infection. For instance, we identified members of the Tim-Tom complex, a multiprotein complex involved in the recognition and import of nuclear-encoded proteins to the mitochondria, as required for C. caviae infection of Drosophila cells. Finally, we confirmed that depletion of either Tom40 or Tom22 also reduced C. caviae infection in mammalian cells. However, C. trachomatis infection was not affected, suggesting that the mechanism involved is C. caviae specific.


This study presents an evaluation and modeling exercise of the size fractionated aerosol particle number concentrations measured nearby a major road in Helsinki during 23 August–19 September 2003 and 14 January–11 February 2004. The available information also included electronic traffic counts, on-site meteorological measurements, and urban background particle number size distribution measurement. The ultrafine particle (UFP, diameter<100 nm) number concentrations at the roadside site were approximately an order of magnitude higher than those at the urban background site during daytime and downwind conditions. Both the modal structure analysis of the particle number size distributions and the statistical correlation between the traffic density and the UFP number concentrations indicate that the UFP were evidently from traffic related emissions. The modeling exercise included the evolution of the particle number size distribution nearby the road during downwind conditions. The model simulation results revealed that the evaluation of the emission factors of aerosol particles might not be valid for the same site during different time.


Beginning in 2008, many Greek banks began to face liquidity strains and capital problems as a result of the global financial crisis. In October 2008, Eurozone leaders released a declaration requiring all participating nations to ensure adequate liquidity, facilitate ease of funding, and recapitalize banks. On November 7, 2008, the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance submitted a draft law, Law 3723, to the European Commission to fulfill the above directives through the Bank of Greece (BOG). While Law 3723 consisted of three main "pillars," the focus for this case is pillar II, the credit guarantee scheme, otherwise known as the guarantee scheme. The guarantee scheme allowed eligible banks to guarantee their newly issued senior debt for a fee that was based on the maturity of the debt and the risk profile of the issuing institution. All credit institutions (or branches of foreign banks) licensed by the BOG were eligible to participate in the scheme. Few banks participated in the scheme until the onset of the sovereign debt crisis in late 2009. Following this onset, Greek banks borrowed heavily pursuant to the guarantee scheme. All four systemically important Greek banks participated, along with other regional banks. Greece raised the guarantee scheme's commitment limit several times, ultimately increasing it from €15 billion in 2008 to €93 billion in 2016. The number of banks participating in the scheme decreased beginning in 2013. As of October 2020, the Greek credit guarantee scheme is still operational and has a current expiration date of November 30, 2020.


Recruitment of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum philippi, 1845 was studied on artificial recruitment panels along the leeward coast of the island of Curacao, southern Caribbean. Data were compared with historical data from the same coast that were collected before (1982-1983) and after (1984) the Caribbean-wide mass mortality of Diadema in October 1983. Average recruitment rates observed in 2005 were equal to 2.2 times lower compared to those observed before the D. antillarum die-off (1982 and 1983), but 56.5 times higher than those observed after the die-off in 1984. The increase in recruitment rates between 1984 and 2005 was 5-51 times greater than the increase in abundance of adult individuals over the same period. This suggests that despite the largely recovered recruitment rates of this important reef herbivore, unknown sources of high post-settlement mortality currently prevent a similar recovery of its adult population.


Online testing is a popular practice for tertiary educators, largely owing to efficiency in automation, scalability, and capability to add depth and breadth to subject offerings. As with all assessments, designs need to consider whether student cheating may be inadvertently made easier and more difficult to detect. Cheating can jeopardise the validity of inference drawn from the measurements produced by online tests, leading to inaccurate signals and misperceptions about what students know and can do. This paper extends theoretical understanding about cheating behaviours to link online test design choices and their influence on a student's capability and willingness to cheat. This research reviews the literature on cheating theories and a typology construction methodology to relate common online test design choices to their cheating threat consequence. In doing so, the typology offers educators designing online tests general normative guidance aimed at reducing threats to assessment inference validity, and academic integrity in general, brought about by student cheating. While we admit that cheating cannot be completely eliminated in online testing, the guidance provided by the typology can assist educators to structure online tests to minimise cheating.


Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) and soil organic matter (SOM) can be important factors in soil fertility, cycling of nutrients, and plant productivity. It is still unclear whether greater AM fungi abundance is advantageous for plant productivity under nutrient-poor tropical soils despite the relatively common lack of phosphorus (P) and the purported benefit of AM fungi in obtaining and exchanging P with plants for carbon. We explored whether AM fungi and/or SOM augmented plant productivity in different field soils to test the hypotheses that AM fungi were important contributors to plant productivity and that the contribution by AM fungi is higher on soils with lower organic matter and presumably lower nutrient availability compared to soils with higher organic matter. We conducted a factorial experiment in the greenhouse with potted soils of either high or low organic matter (SOM) collected from each of three different land uses, grazed by wildlife in a protected area (Serengeti National Park, Tanzania), grazed by livestock, and cropland. Half the soils were sterilized to remove soil microbes, including AM fungi. Two grass species, Zea mays and Themeda triandra, were grown for 12 weeks in 8 replicates of each soil type and sterilization treatment. About 52.4% and 62.6% of Z. mays roots grown in non-sterilized soils were colonized by AM fungi in low and high SOM, respectively, and 38.1% and 46.7% of T. triandra roots grown in non-sterilized soils were colonized by AM fungi in low and high SOM respectively. Overall, the production of both plant species was significantly higher on control soils than sterilized soils, indicating that AM fungi likely contributed to productivity, and on soils with higher SOM. However, the separate contribution to the productivity of SOM and soil microbes varied significantly among plant species and soils from different land uses. Zea mays productivity increased most strongly to higher SOM, and declined with sterilization in agricultural, but not livestock or wildlife grazed soils. In contrast, T. triandra production was largely insensitive to SOM or sterilization except on wildlifegrazed soils, where it increased most strongly in unsterilized soils. Soil microbe impacts on productivity, therefore, may be driven more by host plant species than by lower nutrient supply, as associated with lower SOM. Furthermore, the results suggest that efforts to enhance productivity in uncultivated lands should perhaps focus on altering plant species composition, while efforts to enhance productivity in agriculture soils might not depend on beneficial soil microbes or additional fertilizer but instead on effective crop rotations to reduce soil pathogens.


The paper discusses recent drastic changes in the composition of Polish gammarid fauna, that occurred at the end of 20th century. This change was caused by the invasion of five alien species – four of Ponto-Caspian origin (Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, D. villosus, Obesogammarus crassus and Pontogammarus robustoides) and one of American origin (Gammarus tigrinus). Probable invasion routes are presented.


We report the first catalytic enantioselective allylboration of α-ketiminoesters to afford chiral α-allyl-α-aryl and α-allyl-α-trifluoromethyl amino esters in excellent isolated yields and with high optical purity. This operationally simple allylation proceeds under ambient conditions with indium(I)-iodide/BOX-type ligand (5–10 mol%) and can be performed on a gram scale. A proposed qualitative model for the high stereoselectivity indicates that the origin of selectivity is likely due to attractive interactions between the substrate and the BOX ligand. Using a different BOX-type ligand reverses the reaction's absolute sense of enantioselectivity. The allylated products are easily converted to enantiomerically enriched α-substituted proline derivatives.


Background and Aim: Relationship is an essential aspect of human life. During the course of illnesses and hospitalization, student-patient relationship significantly contributes to patient satisfaction and nursing care quality. The objective of the present study was to identify the factors affecting student-patient relationship from the perspectives of patients. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2013 on 100 patients hospitalized in Imam Reza (PBUH) and Valiasr (PBUH) teaching hospitals, Birjand, Iran. Data collection was done by using a researcher-made instrument on patients' perspectives on factors affecting student-patient relationship which included the four subscales of personal, social, environmental, and clinical factors. Data analysis was performed by using the SPSS software (v. 16.0), the measures of descriptive statistics, and the inferential statistics tests such as the independent-samples t, the one-way analysis of variance, the Mann-Whitney U, and the Kruskal-Wallis. The level of significance was set at below 0.05. Results: The most and the least significant factors affecting student-patient relationship were respectively environmental factors (with a mean of 3.74±0.98) and personal factors (with a mean of 3.22±0.71). There was a significant correlation between social factors and participants' gender and history of hospitalization as well as between environmental factors and participants' marital status (P<0.05). Conclusion: Study findings suggest that the main factors affecting student-patient relationship are environmental factors, particularly poor environmental condition. Therefore, the effects of these factors should be moderated in order to enhance patients' satisfaction with nursing services.


Blending is a type of word formation in which two or more words are merged into one so that the blended constituents are either clipped, or partially overlap. An example of a typical blend is brunch, in which the beginning of the word breakfast is joined with the ending of the word lunch. In many cases such as motel (motor + hotel) or blizzaster (blizzard + disaster) the constituents of a blend overlap at segments that are phonologically or graphically identical. In some blends, both constituents retain their form as a result of overlap, for example, stoption (stop + option). These examples illustrate only a handful of the variety of forms blends may take; more exotic examples include formations like Thankshallowistmas (Thanksgiving + Halloween + Christmas). The visual and audial amalgamation in blends is reflected on the semantic level. It is common to form blends meaning a combination or a product of two objects or phenomena, such as an animal breed (e.g., zorse, a breed of zebra and horse), an interlanguage variety (e.g., franglais, which is a French blend of français and anglais meaning a mixture of French and English languages), or other type of mix (e.g., a shress is a type of clothes having features of both a shirt and a dress).
 Blending as a word formation process can be regarded as a subtype of compounding because, like compounds, blends are formed of two (or sometimes more) content words and semantically either are hyponyms of one of their constituents, or exhibit some kind of paradigmatic relationships between the constituents. In contrast to compounds, however, the formation of blends is restricted by a number of phonological constraints given that the resulting formation is a single word. In particular, blends tend to be of the same length as the longest of their constituent words, and to preserve the main stress of one of their constituents. Certain regularities are also observed in terms of ordering of the words in a blend (e.g., shorter first, more frequent first), and in the position of the switch point, that is, where one blended word is cut off and switched to another (typically at the syllable boundary or at the onset/rime boundary). The regularities of blend formation can be related to the recognizability of the blended words.


Physical and questionnaire data were collected from 95 workstations at an open-plan office building in Michigan, USA. The physical measurements encompassed thermal, lighting, and acoustic variables, furniture dimensions, and an assessment of potential exterior view. Occupants answered a detailed questionnaire concerning their environmental and job satisfaction, and aspects of wellbeing. These data were used to test, via mediated regression, a model linking the physical environment, through environmental satisfaction, to job satisfaction and other, related, measures. In particular, we demonstrated a significant link between overall environmental satisfaction and job satisfaction, mediated by satisfaction with management and with compensation. Analysis of physical data was limited to the lighting domain. Results confirmed the important role of window access at the desk in satisfaction with lighting, particularly through its effect on satisfaction with outside view.


The continual increase in elephant numbers across southern Africa raises concern, though the interventions to manage these populations are more contentious. Within small, enclosed reserves active management is necessary to limit elephant impact. Various management tools exist with which to control fluctuations in elephant population numbers or density and simulate natural large stochastic events to control population growth. During this study, undertaken in the Munyawana Conservancy, KwaZulu-Natal, and Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province, South Africa, several management options were implemented. In order to lower the population numbers, family groups were translocated from the Munyawana Conservancy to other reserves, while to reduce population growth rate an immunocontraception was implemented. Both conservation areas introduced older bulls to normalise the bull population age structure, and expanded the conservation area by inclusion of new land to reduce population density. The influence of these management interventions on the elephant population were measured by their social, behavioural, spatial and movement responses. The older bull introduction was successful as bulls set up exclusive bull areas. There was a quick, subtle affect on the bull groups" size immediately after the older bull introduction, while there was no immediate change within the resident bulls" musth behaviour or duration. During area expansion, elephants appeared to perceive the new unexplored area as a threat although this threat became reduced through time as they became more familiar with it. The spatial scale of response was relatively small, while the temporal scale of response was relatively large. Rotational immunocontraception was shown to be a successful tool to alter herd structure by aging the population and maintaining a low population growth rate. The process of immunocontraception darting had no significant effect on herd associations and movement rates, accordingly the duration of the disruption effects were short lived. During multi-management interventions, no differences were found within the elephant social grouping. Management interventions may pose unforeseen social risks and different populations may respond differently to management induced stress. Therefore, interventions need to be considered for each elephant population which will achieve the conservation area"s objectives with the most effective outcome, but with lowest holistic impact.


AIM
To highlight the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment and bilateral equalization of the vertical occlusal dimension, along with the correction of asymmetric cervical and masticatory muscle activities in patients with Class III malocclusion with lateral deviation of the mandible and severely asymmetric condyle and ramus.

METHODS
Two normally growing and one nongrowing Japanese patients with severe lateral deviation of the mandible, asymmetric vertical occlusal dimension, and severely asymmetric temporomandibular joints are discussed. In addition to orthodontic treatment, all patients received physiotherapy of the cervical muscles and gum-chewing training for elimination of the masticatory muscular imbalance. Patients also had postural training during treatment. All patients were treated with a bite plate to equalize the bilateral posterior vertical dimension, followed by full multi-bracketed treatment to establish a stable form of occlusion and to improve facial esthetics.

RESULTS
This interdisciplinary treatment approach resulted in normalization of stomatognathic function, elimination of temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms, and improvement of facial appearance and posture. In growing patients, the significant response of the fossa, condyle, and ramus on the affected side during and after occlusal correction contributed to the improvement of cervical muscle activity. In contrast, less improvement was observed in the growing patient who did not receive physiotherapy of the neck muscles, postural training, or masticatory habit training during the posttreatment period. The nongrowing patient showed little morphologic improvement of the cervical spine, condyle, and fossa during treatment and after retention, even with physiotherapy of the neck muscles and attention to posture and masticatory habits.

CONCLUSION
Based on these results, early occlusal improvement, combined with physiotherapy to achieve muscular balance of the neck and masticatory muscles, was found to be effective. It is important to assess the morphology and function of the neck muscles and cervical spine prior to occlusal therapy in patients with an asymmetric vertical dimension, lateral deviation of the mandible, and asymmetric temporomandibular joint structures. Therapy should correlate orthopedic and surgical patient management as needed.


The characteristics of highly directional electromagnetic beams generated by planar sources of different states of spatial coherence are investigated by using variations of Gaussian Schell-model beams. Azimuthally symmetric beams with the electric vector polarized in the azimuthal direction and dipolar beams with linearly polarized electric fields are treated. The effect on the shape of the beam of decreasing the coherence length of the source distribution is discussed.


Latitudinal patterns in biotic interactions, including herbivory, have been widely debated during the past years. In particular, recent meta-analysis questioned the hypothesis that herbivory increases from the poles towards the equator. Our study was designed to verify this hypothesis by exploring latitudinal patterns in abundance and diversity of birch-feeding insect herbivores belonging to the leafminer guild in northern Europe, from 59° to 69°N. We collected branches from five mature trees of two birch species (Betula pendula and B. pubescens) at each study site (ten sites for each of five latitudinal gradients) twice per season (in early and late summer of 2008–2011) and attributed all mines found on leaves of these branches to a certain taxon of insects. Latitudinal patterns were quantified by calculating Spearman rank correlation coefficients between both abundance and diversity of leafmining taxa and latitudes of sampling sites. In general, both abundance and diversity of leafminers significantly decreased with latitude. However, we discovered pronounced variation in patterns of latitudinal changes among study years and leafminer taxa. Variation among study years was best explained by mean temperatures in July at the northern ends of our gradients. During cold years, abundance of leafminers significantly decreased with latitude, while during warm years the abundance was either independent of latitude or even increased towards the pole. In the northern boreal forests (66° to 69°N), herbivores demonstrated larger changes in densities in response to temperature variations than in the boreo-nemoral forests (59° to 62°N). Our data suggest that climate warming will result in a stronger increase in herbivory at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes.


The measurement of video quality for lossy and low-bitrate network transmissions is a challenging topic. Especially, the temporal artifacts which are introduced by video transmission systems and their effects on the viewer's satisfaction have to be addressed. This paper focuses on a framework that adds a temporal distortion awareness to typical video quality measurement algorithms. A motion estimation is used to track image areas over time. Based on the motion vectors and the motion prediction error, the appearance of new image areas and the display time of objects is evaluated. Additionally, degradations which stick to moving objects can be judged more exactly. An implementation of this framework for multimedia sequences, e.g., QCIF, CIF, or VGA resolution, is presented in detail. It shows that the processing steps and the signal representations that are generated by the algorithm follow the reasoning of a human observer in a subjective experiment. The improvements that can be achieved with the newly proposed algorithm are demonstrated using the results of the Multimedia Phase I database of the Video Quality Experts Group.


This study set out to investigate the impact of macroeconomic indicators on stock prices in Nigeria. Since none of the previous writers in this area looked at the study at the individual firm's level, the research work is therefore unique as it uses a different methodology to consider it at the micro level. Secondary data on stock prices of selected firms and six macroeconomic variables between 1985:1 and 2009:4 were used for the analysis. The macroeconomic indicators used in the research work are: money supply (BRDM), interest rate (INTR), exchange rate (ECHR), inflation rate (INF), oil price (OIL) and gross domestic product (GDP).The pooled or panel model was used to examine the impact of macroeconomic variables on stock prices of the selected firms in Nigeria. This model was considered appropriate for its ability to combine both time series and cross-sectional data.  The empirical findings of the study revealed that macro economic variables have varying significant impact on stock prices of individual firms in Nigeria. Apart from inflation rate and money supply, all the other macroeconomic variables have significant impacts on stock prices in Nigeria The study therefore concluded with empirical evidences that trends in macroeconomic variables can be used to predict movement of stock prices to a great extent in Nigeria. Keywords: Macroeconomic Indicators, Stock Market, Pooled or Panel Model,


This study is part of a series of inquiries being made to ascertain the extent and prac- tical usefulness of the part played by Asian nations in their individual and collective contribution to the norms-formulating functions of Asian States as members of the global community. The current paper is confined to the three areas of jurisdictional immunities in the practice of States under contemporary international law. The first part relates to Asian practice and the practice of other nations affecting Asian com- munities in regard to the Immunities of States and their Property from the jurisdic- tion of other national entities. The second part deals with the current practice of diplomatic and consular immunities, available also to ad hoc or Special Missions. The third part concerns the immunities accorded by States to international organi- zations or in connection with the exercise of their official functions. The final part contains concluding observations calling for meticulous care and attention to find a practical approach to the nature and extent of immunities needed and the necessity to maintain a delicate balance between the interests of the donors and recipients of immunities so as to avoid possible abuses. Asian and non-Asian nations alike are equally grantors and beneficiaries of immunities under review.


OBJECTIVE: To assess parental knowledge regarding lifelong congenital cardiac care (LLCCC). BACKGROUND: National guidelines recommend that nearly 50% of adult survivors with congenital heart disease (CHD) receive LLCCC; the number of adults who receive such care seems far less. Inadequate parental knowledge of LLCCC might contribute to care interruption. METHODS: In this multicenter study, we administered a questionnaire to parents of children with moderate and complex CHD to assess knowledge of LLCCC. RESULTS: A total of 500 parents participated; the median age of their children was 10 years (range: 2–18 years). Most parents (81%) understood that their child would need LLCCC, but only 44% recognized that their child's cardiology care should be guided by an adult congenital heart specialist in adulthood. More than half (59%) of the parents stated that their current cardiology team had never spoken to them about LLCCC, but 96% wished to learn more. Variables associated with parental LLCCC knowledge included previous discussions regarding LLCCC, underlying cardiac surgical diagnosis, and level of parental education. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of parents of children with moderate and complex CHD lack knowledge about LLCCC, but almost all of them have a desire to learn more about the care their child will need as an adult.


In a large scale real-time distributed system, a large number of components and the time criticality of tasks can contribute to complex situations. Providing predictable and reliable service is a paramount interest in such a system. For example, a single point failure in an electric grid system may lead to a widespread power outage like the Northeast Blackout of 2003. System design and implementation address fault avoidance and mitigation. However, not all faults and failures can be removed during these phases, and therefore run-time fault avoidance and mitigation are needed during the operation. Timing constraints and predictability of the system behavior are important concerns in a large scale system as well.
This dissertation proposes several distributed fault tolerance mechanisms using multi-agent technologies to predict and mitigate faults with various frequencies and severities. Some faults are frequently observed over time and some are not. In general, frequent fault types often cause relatively less severe consequences. Rare faults, however, are extremely difficult to predict, yet the consequences can be catastrophic. A rare fault—often indicated by repeated doses of common faults—causes severe harm.
In our preliminary study, we design distributed rational agents using a probabilistic prediction mechanism to discover faults in the CMS experiments at CERN. All fault-mitigating activities of the agents and application tasks are guaranteed by the urgency-based priority scheduling policy with multiple steps of feasibility tests. The experiment shows that the distributed approach provides 15% more system availability than centralized approaches.
This dissertation also explores the problem of predicting rare events. Many adaptive fault tolerant mechanisms attempt to predict faults through learning from data. However, in order to train the system, we need a significant amount of training data, which is not easily available for rare fault events. We use the PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) system failure data collected from about 1,000 nodes over 4 years. We find that the severity of observed fault events is power-law distributed and there are certain associations among these events.
Based on the power-law observation, we generate training data for the machine learning algorithm developed in this dissertation. The algorithm incorporates the power-law distribution principle, Bayesian inference, and logistic regression to predict rare events as well as common ones. The logistic regression is used to predict the probability of each type of events and the Bayesian inference is used for finding associations among events.
A new learning algorithm is deployed with fully distributed agents using a rational decision model. The simulation study based on the PNNL data shows that the new prediction algorithm provides 15$\%$ better system availability than the prediction using the simple update method that was used in our preliminary study; and it achieves more than 10 times less system loss caused by rare faults.
Finally, we developed a comprehensive simulation library, named SWARM- eTOSSIM for cyber-physical systems research. The library provides a framework suitable for simulating power-aware real-time distributed networked systems with powerful simulation controls and graphical interface. We downsized the new fault-mitigation mechanism so that it can be ported to devices with limited resources, such as sensor network elements.


Humanitarian logistic organizations struggle to make strategic and tactical decisions due to their lack of resources, the unpredictability of humanitarian events and the lack of readily available information; the existing tools that assist optimal decision making require large amounts of precise information. As a consequence of all these challenges, most of the work in humanitarian logistics concentrates on the operational level that can only offer short term benefits. Alternatively, optimal strategic decisions maximize the resources of humanitarian organizations making them more flexible and effective in the long term; this directly impacts the ability to help the millions of people in need. This thesis presents a model that assists the largest humanitarian organization in the world, The World Food Programme, to make optimal strategic decisions. The model uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process, a multiple attribute decision tool that provides structure to decisions where there is limited availability of quantitative information. This methodology uses a framework that determines and prioritizes multiple criteria by using qualitative data and it scores each alternative based on these criteria. The optimal alternative will be the one that has the highest weighted score. This model solves the challenges that The World Food Programme, as any other humanitarian organization face when making complex strategic decisions. The model, not only works with easily acquired information but, it is also flexible in order to consider the ever-changing dynamics in the humanitarian field. The application of this model focuses on the optimization of warehouse locations for the World Food Programme in the Somali region of Ethiopia. However, this model can easily be scaled in order to be used in any other decision making process in the humanitarian field. Table of


This study applies wavelet coherency analysis to explore the relationship between the U.S. economic growth volatility, and income and wealth inequality measures over the period 1917 to 2015 and 1962 to 2014. We consider the relationship between output volatility during positive and negative growth scenarios. Wavelet analysis simultaneously examines the correlation and causality between two series in both the time and frequency domains. Our findings provide evidence of positive correlation between the volatility and inequality across high (short-run)- and low-frequencies (long-run). The direction of causality varies across frequencies and time. Strong evidence exists that volatilities lead inequality at low-frequencies across income inequality measures from 1917 to 1997. After 1997, however, the direction of causality changes. In the time-domain, the time-varying nature of long-run causalities implies structural changes in the two series. These findings provide a more thorough picture of the relationship between the U.S. growth volatility and inequality measures over time and frequency domains, suggesting important implications for policy makers.


Landslide is one of the most dangerous hazards worldwide. It could be caused by several factors and could have a massive destructive impact on the environment. A landslide event occurred in one of the urban cities in Indonesia. In the middle of 2002, a landslide disaster due to rainfall occurred in the Ciliwung River's floodplain, precisely in the South Jakarta area. The landslide profoundly affected large areas of the region and seriously injured many people. Several circumstances that could trigger landslide occurrences are the building load in the settlement area around the river, increase in the rainfall intensity, slope, and soil characteristics in the Ciliwung River area. This research proposes a combination of nonstructural and structural disaster mitigation methods for water-related landslide by investigating the safety factor (SF) of the river bank's slope in one of the impacted sites, i.e., the area under the main bridge of Grand Depok City regency. This site is located in the boundary area between Depok City and South Jakarta. The authors simulate analytical and numerical modeling to estimate the SF of the slopes. This research concludes that the minimum SF in the analyzed location is recognized as a safety criterion for society. The condition becomes less secure when an earthquake occurs. Furthermore, high rainfall intensity could become the worst scenario that generates considerable damage. The proposed structural mitigation for river bank with anchor or snail increases the SF. However, this reinforcement program is not recommended because of its high cost and ineffectiveness in solving problems. Hence, green infrastructure (GI) is highly suggested for nature-based mitigation to prevent rainfall-triggered landslides in the Ciliwung River area. The authors conduct the preliminary design of the study and recommend further analysis of GI or soil bioengineering to ensure its effectiveness and applicability in the research area.


A common method of managing the complexity of both technical and organizational relationships in a large software project is to use branches within the source code management system to partition the work into teams and tasks. We claim that the files modified on a branch are changed together in a cohesive way to accomplish some task such as adding a feature, fixing a related set of bugs, or implementing a subsystem, which we collectively refer to as the goal of the branch. Further, the developers that work on a branch represent a virtual team. In this paper, we develop a theory of the relationship between goals and virtual teams on different branches. Due to expertise, ownership, and awareness concerns, we expect that if two branches have similar goals, they will also have similar virtual teams or be at risk for communication and coordination breakdowns with the accompanying negative effects. In contrast, we do not expect the converse to always be true. In the first step towards an actionable result, we have evaluated this theory empirically on two releases of the Windows operating system and found support in both.


Major strands of science and technology studies (STS) in recent decades have been the 'social shaping of technology' (SST) and 'social construction of technology' (SCOT) movements, whose adherents maintain that technological systems are determined just as much by social forces as by technological ones. Taking this 'co-construction' notion as a starting point, and putting a focus on the user, I look at some examples of the use of proprietary software in which the learner, instead of being constrained by a rather deterministic pedagogy of educational technology, can exploit the functionality of the software in ways far removed from the original design. For example, spreadsheets can be used to incorporate modelling assumptions directly to simulate digital signal transmission, or the workings of the binomial function. Audio editing software can be used to teach about the technology of music by allowing the student to explore waveform characteristics. The manipulation of images, if combined with a teaching of the principles behind data compression, can engender a deep understanding of the processes involved. And translation software can be used for language learning in a way very different from what was envisaged by the designers. Educational technology has tended to suffer from an emphasis on, and excessive claims for, technological innovation and novelty. Film, radio, television, programmed learning, interactive video discs, CD-ROMs, a 'computer in every classroom', 'one laptop per child', the web, computer-mediated communication, smartboards; and now mashups, Second Life, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter – all have all been seen as radical new technologies that would revolutionize learning. Here I make the case for the social construction of educational technology by users and teachers, based on exploiting to far better effect the possibilities of mature, often proprietary, software not originally designed for pedagogical purposes. The approach outlined here not only helps students gain experience with the sort of software they are likely to encounter in their professional life, but also fosters and sustains a healthy spirit of enquiry that too often is lacking in much educational software. Although the examples presented have been situated in the context of the individual learner, similar principles can be applied to a whole range of networked educational technologies.


This essay appears in the first book to examine feminist curatorship in the last 40 years. It undertakes an extended reading of Cathy de Zegher's influential exhibition, Inside the Visible, An Elliptical Traverse of 20th Century Art. In, of and From the Feminine (1995) which proposed that modern art should be understood through cyclical shifts involving the constant reinvention of artistic method and identified four key moments in 20th century history to structure its project. The essay analyses Inside the Visible's concept of an elliptical traverse to raise questions about repetitions and recurrences in feminist exhibitions of the early 1980s, the mid 1990s and 2007 asking whether and in what ways questions of feminist curating have been continuously repeated and reinvented. The essay argues that Inside the Visible was a key project in second wave feminism and exemplified debates about women's time, first theorised by Julia Kristeva. It concludes, however, that 'women's time' has had its moment, and new conceptions of feminism and its history are needed if feminist curating is not endlessly to recycle its past. The essay informs a wider collaborative project on the sexual politics of violence, feminism and contemporary art, in collaboration with Edinburgh and one of the editors of this collection.


This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an 8-week supervised exercise program on physiological measurements during treadmill walking, muscle strength, functional performance, and health status in older adults limited in physical function. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG, N = 13) or a control group (CG, N = 11), and were evaluated before and after the exercise program (EG) or 8-week period (CG). Evaluations included a progressive treadmill lest, strength testing, the Physical Performance Test (PPT), and the SF-36 Health Survey. The exercise program consisted of 3 sessions per week of brisk walking and strengthening exercises. The EG demonstrated increases in cardiorespiratory fitness and increases in treadmill walking time. The EG also demonstrated increases in force production in 3 of the 6 muscle groups that were tested. Both the EG and CG demonstrated improvements in PPT scores and in 2 health concepts on the SF-36 Health Survey.


Introduction: Postmenopausal estrogen deficiency, disturbance of the antioxidant defense system, and free radical production lead to oxidative stress. This results in metabolic disturbances affecting the liver. Therefore, it is important to properly evaluate the benefits of antioxidant administration and exercise on oxidative stress in the liver. The main purpose of this study was to compare the effects of aerobic training with vitamin C and estradiol on oxidative stress in the liver among ovariectomized and normal rats. Materials & Methods: In total, sixty-four female rats were divided into two groups of normal (n=32) and ovariectomized (n=32). Each group was subdivided randomly into four subgroups consisting of sham, training, training+vitamin C, and training+estradiol. The experimental protocol was five 60-min running sessions for six weeks on a treadmill with average intensity and 55% Vo2max. Moreover, the rats were subjected to the injection of 250 mg and 0.25 mg/kg vitamin C and estradiol, respectively. Liver oxidative damage was determined by the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase


This paper presents the real-time simulation of modular multilevel converter (MMC) systems on a hybrid simulation platform. An FPGA-based real-time simulator is used to augment the capabilities of a processor-based simulator to enable the real-time simulation of MMC-based systems. The FPGA-based simulator is used to simulate the MMC while the rest of the power system is simulated on a processor-based simulator from RTDS technologies. The FPGA-based simulator has a massively parallel, customized, hardware architecture that is tailored to the solution of the mathematical model of the modular multilevel converter. The paper also presents the implementation of the sorting and submodule selection techniques required to maintain the capacitor voltages balanced.


The current recession is providing an opportunity to observe and model risk dimensions that were viewed as extremely low probability events a priori. Those probabilities of severe illiquidity, market failure, default rates, and high unemployment are clearly being revised upwards. In this issue of the Journal of Fixed Income,we begin with an article by Vineer Bhansali,Yonathan Schwarzkopf,andMarkWise.They derive a model for the term structure of swap spreads and volatilities.Their hazard rate model for swap spreads depends on the level of the yield curve, the steepness of the yield curve,market volatility, and the fraction of risky debt in the economy. The model provides a good fit in normal and stressed environments for the United States, the United Kingdom,and Japan. In the next article, Naohiko Baba provides empirical evidence of a spillover effect from the money market turmoil to the short-term FX swap market and the long-term cross-currency basis swap market. These dynamics are explained by continuous revisions in market expectations of the time length of the turmoil. Themortgage-backed securities market is essential to a well-functioning housing market.In the next article, Jinyong Kim investigates the liquidity risk of theMBSmarket relative to U.S.government and agency securities. Jinyong defines a measure of liquidity risk to be a relatively large drop in total transactions during short periods of time.After abstracting from non-liquiditydriven market risk factor transactions, the negative tail of liquidity-driven transactions suggest that MBS securities have greater liquidity risk. In a high volatility market, it's important to focus on valuation models. In the next article,Choong Chua,Krishna Ramaswamy,and Robert Stine propose a model for forward Eurodollar rates that is a function of longterm, maturity-specific (preferred habitat), and date-specific (shocks to expectations of future spot rates) components. They provide both statistical (out of sample forecasts) and trading strategy justifications for the model. In the next article, Takaaki Ozeki, Yuji Umezawa, Akira Yamazaki, and Daisuke Yoshikawa value residential mortgage-backed securities with a proportional hazard model to describe prepayment risk. The model is extended to price interest-only and principal-only derivatives. Finally,Michael Stein,Roland Füss, and Wolfgang Drobetz provide insights on optimal portfolio construction when adding fixed income hedge funds to a traditional bond portfolio. In contrast to the problems associated with the multivariate normal distribution assumption, their model employs copula opinion pooling.Both an investor's subjective view and risk tolerance are significant determinants of the hedge fund allocation.Varying the maximum acceptable expected shortfall yields a wide spectrum of hedge fund allocations from 0% to 85%. We hope you enjoy this issue of The Journal of Fixed Income.Your continued support of the Journal is greatly appreciated.


Large vocabulary continuous Mandarin speech recognition has been an important problem for speech recognition researchers for several reasons [1], [3]. First of all, it is a tonal language that requires special treatment for the modeling of tones. There are five tones in Mandarin which are necessary to disambiguate between confusable words. Secondly, the difficulty of entering Chinese by keyboard presents a great opportunity for speech recognition to improve computer usability. Previous approaches to modeling tones have included using a separate tone classifier [1] and incorporating pitch directly into the feature vector [3]. In this paper, we describe a large vocabulary Mandarin speech recognition system based on Microsoft's Whisper system. Several alternatives in modeling tones and their error rates on continuous speech are compared. The experimental result shows a character error rate of 7.32% on a test set of 50 speakers and 1000 sentences when no special tone processing is performed in the acoustic model. When the final syllable model set is expanded to include tones, the error rate drops to 6.43% (error rate reduction of 12.2%). When pitch information and the larger final syllable set are used in combination, the error rate is 6.03% (cumulative error rate reduction of 17.6%). This result suggests that other sources of information such as energy and duration can also contribute toward disambiguating between different tones.


Olive Wellwood is a famous writer, interviewed with her children gathered at her knee. For each of them she writes a separate private book, bound in different colours and placed on a shelf. In their rambling house near Romney Marsh they play in a story-book world - but their lives, and those of their rich cousins, children of a city stockbroker, and their friends, the son and daughter of a curator at the new Victoria and Albert Museum, are already inscribed with mystery. Each family carries their own secrets. Into their world comes a young stranger, a working-class boy from the potteries, drawn by the beauty of the Museum's treasures. And in midsummer a German puppeteer arrives, bringing dark dramas. The world seems full of promise but the calm is already rocked by political differences, by Fabian arguments about class and free love , by the idealism of anarchists from Russia and Germany. The sons rebel against their parents' plans; the girls dream of independent futures, becoming doctors or fighting for the vote. This vivid, rich and moving saga is played out against the great, rippling tides of the day, taking us from the Kent marshes to Paris and Munich and the trenches of the Somme. Born at the end of the Victorian era, growing up in the golden summers of Edwardian times, a whole generation grew up unaware of the darkness ahead. In their innocence, they were betrayed unintentionally by the adults who loved them. In a profound sense, this novel is indeed the children's book.


In three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits, the effect of process variations on clock skew differs from 2D circuits. The combined effect of inter-die and intra-die process variations on the design of 3D clock distribution networks is considered in this article. A statistical clock skew model incorporating both the systematic and random components of process variations is employed to describe this effect. Two regular 3D clock tree topologies are investigated and compared in terms of clock skew variation. The statistical skew model used to describe clock skew variations is verified through Monte-Carlo simulations. The clock skew is shown to change in different ways with the number of planes forming the 3D IC and the clock network architecture. Simulations based on a 45-nm CMOS technology show that the maximum standard deviation of clock skew can vary from 15 ps to 77 ps. Results indicate that simply increasing the number of planes of a 3D IC does not necessarily lead to lower skew variation and higher operating frequencies. A multigroup 3D clock tree topology is proposed to effectively mitigate the variability of clock skew. Tradeoffs between the investigated 3D clock distribution networks and the number of planes comprising a 3D circuit are discussed and related design guidelines are offered. The skew variation in 3D clock trees is also compared with the skew variation of clock grids.


Production of β-xylosidase by a cycloheximide and 2deoxy-D-glucose-resistant mutant of Kluyveromyces marxianus PPY125 was studied when cultured on growth media containing galactose, glucose, xylose, cellobiose, sucrose and lactose as carbon sources. Xylose, cellobiose, lactose and sucrose were the key substrates. Both K. marxianus PPY125 and its mutant (M 125) supported maximum β-xylosidase specific product yield (YP/X) following growth on xylose. Basal level of activity was observed in non-induced cultures grown on glucose. The mutant produced 1.5 to 2-fold more β-xylosidase than that produced by the wild cells. Synthesis of β-xylosidase was regulated by an induction mechanism in both wild and mutant cells. Addition of glucose did not inhibit the synthesis of β-xylosidase in both parental and mutant cultures in the presence of corn steep liquor. Partially purified enzyme showed good stability when incubated at 60oC and was quite stable at pH 5.0-7.0. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the enzyme derived by the mutant M125 was more thermostable as evidenced by higher midpoint inactivation temperature, lower activation energy demand for β-xyloside hydrolysis, as well as lower enthalpy and entropy demand for reversible denaturation of enzyme.


Crushed brick used in historic brick-lime mortars and plasters (Horasan) were characterized for understanding their properties to develop intervention mortars for conservation. Brick powders were separated from original mortars and plasters, and analyzed by XRD, SEMEDS, TGA and pozzolanic activity (PA) measurements. The results showed that the microstructures of brick powders were not completely vitrified, and their XRD analysis failed to show the peaks for high temperature (T>900C) phases. PA measurements of all brick powders showed an ample amount of artificial pozzolan property. Consequently, brick powders aimed for conservation of historic mortars must have high clay contents in addition to being low-fired (T<900C) in order to produce maximum conversion into amorphous phase for ideal PA values.


A review of six theatre and film versions of Titus Andronicus notes varied approaches to the text: Peter Brook's stylized symbolism, Ninagawa Yukio's victim art, Jane Howell's mimetic realism, Julie Taymor's postmodern absurdism, Wang Chia-ming's playful parody, and Christopher Dunne's Gothic horror. Tang Shu-wing's approach in Titus Andronicus 2.0 (Hong Kong: Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio, 2009) shows his rejection of sensationalist and consumerist presentations of the violence in the script. Tang's minimalism de-dramatizes violence via the narrative form of tale telling, and then poeticizes it through the performance of the poetic body, creating a profound and thought-provoking production.


In 2016, "knowledge payment" had become the most popular Internet phenomenon in China. As we all know, knowledge content is an intangible information product, which is essentially different from the physical product. We cannot judge its quality directly from the external features. When the quality of knowledge products cannot be directly judged, what are the factors affected by the consumer in the process of making a purchase decision? This article studies the factors that may affect the willingness to pay for consumers in the knowledge pay platform. We use Python to collect "Zhihu live" data and analyze it through the SPSS tool. The results show that online social capital of knowledge sharers has a significant positive impact on consumers' willingness to pay, but there is no significant effect of offline social capital and knowledge price on consumers' willingness to pay.


Phenotypic and genetic parameters among udder traits (udder depth, UD; median suspensory line, MS; fore udder attachment, FUA; rear udder height, RUH; rear udder width, RUW), final score (FS), and milk production traits (305-day milk yield, 305 DM; 305- day milk-fat yield, 305 DF; 305-day milk-protein yield, 305 DP) were estimated using a derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood procedure with an animal model. The results showed that heritability estimates for selected traits ranged from 0.11 to 0.24. Strong positive genetic correlations were observed for MS, RUH, and RUW with FS (0.42-0.72). A positive genetic relationship was also estimated between MS and 305 DM (0.79). The genetic correlation between UD and 305 DM was -0.20. Positive genetic correlations were found between RUW and milk production traits (0.44-0.89). RUH also had positive genetic relationships with 305 DM (0.27) and 305 DF (0.16). Moderate positive genetic correlations were estimated between FS and milk production traits (0.25-0.35). The genetic parameters calculated from field records will provide valuable information for genetic improvement in type and milk production traits of Holstein cattle in southern China.


Here, we have developed a novel fluorescence strategy for sensitive detection of uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) activity based on G-quadruplex formation by using a label-free DNA hairpin probe. In the presence of UDG, it catalyzed the hydrolysis of the uracil bases in the hairpin DNA, resulting in the conformational transition of the hairpin structure. Then, the probe DNA can be recognized quickly by the thioflavin T (ThT) dye resulting in an increase in fluorescence. This strategy could detect UDG activity as low as 0.01 U mL−1. In addition, the strategy was also applied for the detection of UDG activity in HeLa cell lysate. It is simple and of low cost without the requirement of labeling with a fluorophore–quencher pair. Furthermore, UDG activity inhibition by uracil glycosylase inhibitor (UGI) is shown, demonstrating the potential for the discovery and characterization of UDG-targeted drug candidates in pharmaceutical development.


Banking sector remains an essential portion of any economy and it is among the main drivers. It is one of the sectors that assists to achieve Kenya`s Vision 2030. Control measures of interest rates in Kenya due to accommodative economic plan with different administration has remained the basis of concern for the banking sector for a long period. A number of research have been performed in regard to the influence of market interest rate control on the income of registered banks within Kenya. However, only few authors have supported exploration on the topic of market terms of interest rates influence viability of listed money-making banks in developing economies particularly in Kenya. It was based on this contextual that this research was carried out. The research intended to scrutinize the influence of market interest rates on viability of listed money-making banks within Kenya. The four particular objectives were; to explore influence of real level of interest on viability of registered commercial banks at NSE in Kenya; to explore the influence of nominal interest rate on profitability of listed money-making banks within Kenya; to find out the influence of interbank level of interest on viability of listed profitmaking banks within Kenya and evaluate the controlling influence of bank size on correlation amid market interest rate and viability of listed commercial banks within Kenya. Longitudinal research design was embraced in this panel data. The scholar targeted eleven listed money-making banks in Kenya. Only listed banks were chosen for this research from 2003 to 2017. Eventually, 165 bank year data was involved in the sample. Data validity and reliability was undertaken to test for accuracy and consistency of the research instruments by involving professionals in finance. Document analysis was used to collect secondary data that related to market interest rate and profitability. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models were used and outcomes were within reach as depicted on tables and diagrams. The hypotheses testing for real interest rate, nominal interest rate, interbank rate and bank size was below 5% and significant. On the findings real interest rate, interbank rate, nominal interest rate and bank size have positive relationship on viability of listed money-making banks. The researcher found out that the estimated coefficient are positive for real, interbank and size and negative for nominal. It shows that real, interbank and size possess a progressive notable influence on ROA at 10% level whereas nominal has a negative notable influence on ROA at 10% level. The research results show that concentration on market interest rates influence banks' profitability positively and the influence is relatively significant. The study recommends there is obligation of the government to continuously monitor interest rate levels because it would aid to protect borrowers from exploitation by registered money-making banks at NSE in Kenya. Therefore, listed commercial banks should adopt other avenues for income generation and increase their bank size to be more profitable.


Introduction The Lincolnshire Home Deaths Project Group brought together organisations from across the county to develop new ways of working that were patient focussed and to ensure that end of life services dovetailed. This included a night care pilot which identified the need for an assessment and communication tool endorsed by the health and social care community to enable the needs led prioritisation of resource in end of life care. Aims and Methods To enable clear, accurate and effective communication of need across organisations to support the allocation and re-allocation of available night care resources for patients at the end of life based on their clinical need. The 'responsive need' tool was devised by members of the group using the work of two organisations, Marie Curie Cancer Care and St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and the Gold Standards prognostic indicators as a resource. Results The tool has become the common 'currency' of communication countywide and is incorporated into SystmOne palliative care template. It has enabled the provision of end of life care according to need, and stopped unmet need for complex patients in the pilot area. Given clinicians confidence that the care will be there when the patient needs it; releasing care and supporting new ways of working. Conclusion The responsive need tool has supported choice at the end of life for patients and would be of interest to both those commissioning and providing end of life care.


A global history of U.S. nuclear espionage from its World War II origins to today's threats from rogue states. For fifty years, the United States has monitored friends and foes who seek to develop the ultimate weapon. Since 1952 the nuclear club has grown to at least eight nations, while others are making serious attempts to join. Each chapter chronologically focuses on the nuclear activities of one or more countries, intermingling what the United States believed was happening with accounts of what actually occurred in each country's laboratories, test sites, and decision-making councils. Jeffrey T. Richelson weaves recently declassified documents into his interviews with the scientists and spies involved in the nuclear espionage. The book reveals new information about U.S. intelligence work on the Soviet/Russian, French, Chinese, Indian, Israeli, and South African nuclear programs; on the attempts to solve the mysterious Vela Incident; and on current efforts to uncover the nuclear secrets of Iran and North Korea. The book also includes spy satellite photographs never before extracted from the national archives.The updated paperback edition includes analysis of the diplomatic maneuvering and intelligence activities that have taken place over the last year in the continued attempt to halt Iran's quest for nuclear weapons.


Abstract. We have analysed time-slice simulations from 17 global models, participating in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP), to explore changes in present-day (2000) hydroxyl radical (OH) concentration and methane (CH4) lifetime relative to preindustrial times (1850) and to 1980. A comparison of modeled and observation-derived methane and methyl chloroform lifetimes suggests that the present-day global multi-model mean OH concentration is overestimated by 5 to 10% but is within the range of uncertainties. The models consistently simulate higher OH concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) compared with the Southern Hemisphere (SH) for the present-day (2000; inter-hemispheric ratios of 1.13 to 1.42), in contrast to observation-based approaches which generally indicate higher OH in the SH although uncertainties are large. Evaluation of simulated carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations, the primary sink for OH, against ground-based and satellite observations suggests low biases in the NH that may contribute to the high north–south OH asymmetry in the models. The models vary widely in their regional distribution of present-day OH concentrations (up to 34%). Despite large regional changes, the multi-model global mean (mass-weighted) OH concentration changes little over the past 150 yr, due to concurrent increases in factors that enhance OH (humidity, tropospheric ozone, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and UV radiation due to decreases in stratospheric ozone), compensated by increases in OH sinks (methane abundance, carbon monoxide and non-methane volatile organic carbon (NMVOC) emissions). The large inter-model diversity in the sign and magnitude of preindustrial to present-day OH changes (ranging from a decrease of 12.7% to an increase of 14.6%) indicate that uncertainty remains in our understanding of the long-term trends in OH and methane lifetime. We show that this diversity is largely explained by the different ratio of the change in global mean tropospheric CO and NOx burdens (ΔCO/ΔNOx, approximately represents changes in OH sinks versus changes in OH sources) in the models, pointing to a need for better constraints on natural precursor emissions and on the chemical mechanisms in the current generation of chemistry-climate models. For the 1980 to 2000 period, we find that climate warming and a slight increase in mean OH (3.5 ± 2.2%) leads to a 4.3 ± 1.9% decrease in the methane lifetime. Analysing sensitivity simulations performed by 10 models, we find that preindustrial to present-day climate change decreased the methane lifetime by about four months, representing a negative feedback on the climate system. Further, we analysed attribution experiments performed by a subset of models relative to 2000 conditions with only one precursor at a time set to 1860 levels. We find that global mean OH increased by 46.4 ± 12.2% in response to preindustrial to present-day anthropogenic NOx emission increases, and decreased by 17.3 ± 2.3%, 7.6 ± 1.5%, and 3.1 ± 3.0% due to methane burden, and anthropogenic CO, and NMVOC emissions increases, respectively.


It is widely acknowledged that research in higher education fulfills a double function. First, it is a reliable means to the true knowledge for its own sake. Secondly, it is an effective instrument used for educational purposes. Moreover, any serious kind of university education is based on research which liberates, shapes and extends students" intellectual capacities by helping to develop a higher level of thinking related with the skills of critical and creative thought. Therefore integration of studies and  research is highly appreciated as one of the main principles that guides academic practice in highereducation institutions. But how things are in reality? How do students find the research to be usefull for their learning? How is research applied for the purposes of education in university day to day life? What  methods of teaching are worth to be used by scholars in order to help students to attain the higherlevel of thinking? These are the very issues that any university teacher is concerned with. So the article "Using research for educational purposes in higher education" tries to describe and analyse the results that were obtained by scientific literature review as well as survey research carried out in Law university of Lithuania. Some of the conclusions that the article offers are following: 1. There can be observed three levels that explain developments of integration between studies and research in higher education: 1) progressive – taking the direction of "know what should be" while teaching and learning is based on modern technologies of research and education; 2) identical – taking the direction of "know what is going on" while teaching and learning is based on contemporary technologies of research and education; 3) traditional – taking the direction of "know what used to be" while teaching and learning is based on the past technologies of research and education. 2. In spite of that the majority of undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students are interested in general and modern knowledge related with research methodology and procedures. In particular it is true about the students who write final papers, theses or dissertations. They find that more and better formal as well as informal instruction on how to carry out research would be especially helpful for students" efforts to form their own ideas. Students would like teachers to use teaching methods which encourage independent learning as well. On the other hand the bigger part (53,5 per cent) of students would prefer seminars being organized in the modes of problem solving as well as rational discussion. 3. By trying to interfere effectively in learning processes with research university teachers should pay more attention to students" educational needs. In particular to the need for better instruction in this way that is understood by students. Students" preferences for teaching methods and modes that encourage their independent learning should also be bared in mind.


In 1954, French critic Rene Etiemble controversially put forward a ground-breaking thesis that exposed a hitherto unrecognised threat to the integrity and rigour of Rimbaud scholarship: namely, that objective evaluation of his poetry was becoming increasingly impeded by the profusion of highly subjective powerful myths about his short, but eventful life. This article has three aims: first, to retrace the origins and lingering impact of the most dominant myths surrounding Arthur Rimbaud –specifically the contrasting myths of the 'Catholic convert' and the 'rebel artist'; secondly, through a comparative analysis of the works on Rimbaud published by Jack Kerouac and Stephane Mallarme, to explore the extent to which the Beat author and the Symbolist poet respectively colluded with, or questioned these myths; thirdly, to conclude that Mallarme's text emerges as the more balanced and convincing of the two: first, because contrary to Kerouac's excessive self-identification with Rimbaud, especially through the seductive myth of the rebel artist, it adopts a critical distance that amply fulfils Etiemble's timely call for a 'de-mythologised' approach to this poet as the prerequisite for any accurate assessment of his poetry; secondly, and more broadly, because by portraying Rimbaud as a poet whose literary reputation owes as much to the preconceptions and agendas of outside influences beyond his control than to his intrinsic artistic merits, Mallarme's text is equally prescient in its identification of the pitfalls of our modern-day celebrity culture.


ABSTRAT An experimental study of composite columns of hollow circular aluminum tubes enhanced with a fi bers reinforced polymer (FRP) sheet and filled by lightweight concrete are presented in this paper. The study's scope is introducing and developing lightweight columns to be advantageous in lightweight and size limited structures. The test results discuss ed the influence of internal and external confinement effectiveness introduced by lightweight concrete and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) retrofitting sheet, respectively. The column specimens were subjected to uniform axial compression load. Structural aluminum alloy circular hollow section has been used in this investigation. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is used to piling aluminum tubes. Light weight expansion clay aggregate (LECA) is used to fabricate light weight concrete filling aluminum tubes. The strengths, shortening displacement, axial strains, lateral strains, and failure modes of columns were presented. The test results indicated that confinement and composite action between the constituent materials resulted in enhanced compressive strength, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the proposed composite column. Finally, a simplified design equation is proposed to predict the compressive load capacity of this type of composite column.