In spite of the continuous increase in IT outsourcing activities globally, a major percentage of outsourcing deals failed or suffered from serious problems. In China regions where IT outsourcing practice is still at its initial stage, the situation is even serious: there lacks systematic guidance in terms of how to negotiate decent contracts and how to develop sound relationships. In view of this, the current research develops a research framework based on the theories in Economics, Management and Marketing fields, and investigates the effects of both relationship and contract on IT outsourcing success. To support the research framework, evidence was collected from two descriptive case studies conducted in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The case analysis implies the dimensionalities of relationship and contract. What is more, IT outsourcing success is mainly evaluated from the technological benefits client company could gain. A significant contribution of this study to theory is to look into IT outsourcing phenomenon with a balanced view and through an integrated theoretical lens. For practitioners, this research removes executives' doubts about simultaneously employing both relationship (soft side) and contract (hard side) as governance mechanisms in managing IT outsourcing deals.


Abstract Most incised valleys become more organized seaward through tributaries merging with the main trunk valley. Late Quaternary incised valleys on the Mississippi and Alabama inner continental shelf branch seaward, although they do coalesce towards the shelf break where they feed shelf-edge deltas. To link fluvial systems with their associated previously mapped incised valleys on the shelf, and evaluate the contribution of small coastal-plain valley systems to the lowstand systems tract, high-resolution seismic data and cores were collected from Mobile Bay, eastern Mississippi Sound, and the Mobile bay-head delta. These data show four unconformity-bounded stacked units, and this study focuses on the upper two regionally mappable units. The upper two unconformities were sampled in core as exposure surfaces, and, on the basis of stratigraphic position, depth of incision, and 14C dates, are interpreted as sequence boundaries. The shallowest sequence boundary (A) formed in response to the Oxygen Isotope Stage 2 sea-level lowstand, while the underlying sequence boundary (B) formed in response to an earlier lowstand (Stage 6?). A map of Sequence Boundary B shows a network of seaward-branching valleys, 20–35 m deep and 0.6–7.7 km wide, that extend across Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound. These valleys, which are bounded by well-developed terraces, are extensions of the piedmont Mobile fluvial system and the coastal-plain Fowl and La Batre fluvial systems. A map of the Stage 2 Sequence Boundary shows that all systems generally reoccupied their previous valley positions and are separated by interfluve plateaus. Valley fill between Sequence Boundary B and the Stage 2 Sequence Boundary is generally composed of a basal unit of alluvial sediments overlain by bay-head delta deposits; however, Stage 2 to 1 valley fill is composed entirely of central-basin sediments. The presence of bay-head delta deposits on the inner shelf indicates this depositional environment backstepped across the estuaries to modern positions. Backstepping likely occurred as the low-gradient paleovalleys were inundated, resulting in rapid rates of transgression. Fluvial gradients measured on Sequence Boundary B and the Stage 2 Sequence Boundary, below the modern Mobile bay-head delta plain and the estuaries, are very low (1.3–0.3 m/km). The Mobile bay-head delta and upper Mobile Bay are confined by steep topography, which opens basinward into the low-gradient shorelines surrounding lower Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound. During falling sea level, channel branching likely occurred as the low-gradient fluvial systems extended basinward beyond the confined topography. These channels incised as sea level fell below the steeper shelf break during the lowstand. Stage 2 valley morphology is partially influenced by the position of the underlying Stage 6 valleys. Both coastal-plain and piedmont valley systems exhibit compound fill, indicating that differentiation between these types of incised valleys cannot be based on valley-fill architecture alone.


Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) is a group of detoxicating enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of reduced glutathione with toxic metabolites. It has been referred to as playing a key role in health during this global pandemic that helps our body's cells fight against diseases like COVID-19. Certain active ingredients present in pesticides were found to produce an inhibitory effect against the enzyme activity of glutathione. Fludioxonil, a fungicide used for seed storage and in the extension of shelf life of the products, is said to weaken the glutathione levels. According to the Pesticide Action Network, fludioxonil residuum has been detected in certain fruits and vegetables including grapes, strawberries, cucumber, and carrot. Moreover, it was under the list of the "six most concerning pesticides" by Consumer Reports 2020.Therefore, it is best advised to practice a healthy lifestyle by eating organic foods to maintain glutathione levels in the body.


The National Grid Company plc. owns and operates the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, the day to day running of the network being carried out by teams of engineers within the national control room. The task of monitoring and operating the transmission network involves the transfer of large amounts of data and a high degree of cooperation between these engineers. The purpose of the research detailed in this paper is to investigate the use of interfacing techniques within the control room scenario, in particular, the development of an agent based architecture for the support of cooperative tasks. The proposed architecture revolves around the use of interface and user supervisor agents. Primarily, these agents are responsible for the flow of information to and from individual users and user groups. The agents are also responsible for tackling the synchronisation and control issues arising during the completion of cooperative tasks. In this paper a novel approach to human computer interaction (HCI) for power systems incorporating an embedded agent infrastructure is presented. The agent architectures used to form the base of the cooperative task support system are discussed, as is the nature of the support system and tasks it is intended to support.


Transformers have gradually become a key component for many state-of-the-art natural language representation models. A recent Transformer based model- BERTachieved state-of-the-art results on various natural language processing tasks, including GLUE, SQuAD v1.1, and SQuAD v2.0. This model however is computationally prohibitive and has a huge number of parameters. In this work we revisit the architecture choices of BERT in efforts to obtain a lighter model. We focus on reducing the number of parameters yet our methods can be applied towards other objectives such FLOPs or latency. We show that much efficient light BERT models can be obtained by reducing algorithmically chosen correct architecture design dimensions rather than reducing the number of Transformer encoder layers. In particular, our schuBERT gives 6.6% higher average accuracy on GLUE and SQuAD datasets as compared to BERT with three encoder layers while having the same number of parameters.


Elementary school counselors play an integral role in the academic, personal/social, and career development of all students, including gifted students.  The training and continuing education needs of elementary school counselors in relation to counseling the gifted learner, however, is relatively nonexistent in the professional literature and is nonexistent in most training programs.  This article explores the theoretical and empirical support for the need of counseling services for students identified as gifted at the primary level and the challenges in training for elementary school counselors. Recommendations for enhancing professional practice for elementary school counselors are offered, and future research and continuing education needs are examined.


Hoang, L. 2019. High Power Radio Frequency Solid-State Amplifiers and Combiners for Particle Accelerators. From module to system design approach. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 1881. 98 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0818-0. The rise of Big Science projects brings issues related to the energy consumption and the associated environmental impacts of such large-scale facilities. Therefore, environmentallysustainable developments are undertaken towards the adoption of energy savings and improved energy-efficient approaches. The advent of the superconducting (SC) radio frequency (RF) accelerating cavity is bringing answers to these issues. Such superconducting RF (SRF) cavity is made of niobium that allows much higher accelerating gradients with a minimization of the energy consumption. The SC RF technology is increasingly used in many modern particle accelerators, including: the European Spallation Source (ESS), the X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL), the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS)-II and the proposed International Linear Collider (ILC). The innovation of solid state PA technology pushes limits regarding packaging, efficiency, frequency capability, thermal stability, making them more attractive than other well-established alternative technologies, such as vacuum tube technology in mid-range power applications. Through the investigations of designs and techniques, this research goal of the thesis allows to improve solid-state based power generation systems from module to the overall system design. This thesis introduces the single-ended PA design approach in planar technology and at kilowatt level. The design solution unlocks different possibilities including: improved integration, layout flexibility for tuning, and suitably for mass productions that are demanded in future high peak power generation systems. The novel amplifier design is followed by time domain characterization to fully evaluate the pulse profiles of such amplifiers when delivering kilowatt output power level for operation in conjunction with SRF accelerating cavities. Amplitude and phase stability of those amplifiers are also investigated in time-domain. The extracted data can then be used as measurement-based model for predicting factors which could degrade the overall stability of the associated PA. Future RF power generation systems built around solid state PAs need also efficient combining strategies. Two engineering design solutions are investigated in this thesis aiming for midand highrange power combination. One solution is based on a combination of the Gysel structure using suspended strip-line technology for improved power handling capability. Another solution is implementing a radial combiner, which uses re-entrant cavity resonator at 352 MHz and door-nob geometry for coupling at inputs and at the output. These solutions facilitate the scaling up 400 kW for powering ESS spoke cavities while maintaining a high degree of efficiency in RF power generation. This thesis gives insights of system integration and tuning procedures with a demonstration of combining 8 modules, delivering a total of 10 kW output power. Along with the proposed combining solutions at higher power levels, the nominal power block of 10 kW is used as an elementary block to propose scaling up in power till the 400 kW nominal power required by ESS. Finally, this thesis focuses on implementing an optimal charging scheme for SRF cavities, which helps reducing the wasted energy and improves the overall efficiency operation at future accelerating facilities. Therefore, these results contribute further to the larger adoption of solid state technologies in the future power generation systems for particle accelerators.


This report examines the effects of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on the business environment. While the main focus is the 2008-12 period with possible incremental improvements, the report also takes a strategic perspective by looking beyond 2012. The analysis begins with the question of whether the EU ETS can be expected to achieve the declared objectives to create the necessary incentives for the power and energy-intensive sector for behavioural changes in the short and medium term and to encourage investment in low-carbon generation technologies in the long term. It then asks whether and how both design and implementation might be adapted to improve the EU ETS.


The U.S. beef industry has experienced considerable reductions in beef demand over the past 30 years. One possible factor in declining beef demand is lack of progress in the development of consistent, high-quality branded beef products. This article uses Nielsen Homescan data and hedonic models to estimate the value that U.S. consumers place on various beef attributes, including brand.


This book serves as a guide for local governments and private enterprises as they navigate the unchartered waters of investing in climate change adaptation and resilience. This book serves not only as a resource guide for identifying potential funding sources but also as a roadmap for asset management and public fi nance processes. It highlights practical synergies between funding mechanisms, as well as the confl icts that may arise between varying interests and strategies. While the main focus of this work is on the State of California, this book offers broader insights for how states, local governments and private enterprises can take those critical fi rst steps in investing in society's collective adaptation to climate change.


"The Story of the Stone" (c. 1760), also known as "The Dream of the Red Chamber", is one of the greatest novels of Chinese literature. The fifth part of Cao Xueqin's magnificent saga, "The Dreamer Awakes", was carefully edited and completed by Gao E some decades later. It continues the story of the changing fortunes of the Jia dynasty, focussing on Bao-yu, now married to Bao-chai, after the tragic death of his beloved Dai-yu. Against such worldly elements as death, financial ruin, marriage, decadence and corruption, his karmic journey unfolds. Like a sleepwalker through life, Bao-yu is finally awakened by a vision, which reveals to him that life itself is merely a dream, 'as moonlight mirrored in the water'.


Teaching the strategic management course can be a challenge for many professors. In most business schools, strategic management is a "capstone" course that requires students to draw on insights from various functional courses they have completed (such as marketing, finance, and accounting) in order to understand how top executives make the strategic decisions that drive whether organizations succeed or fail. Although students have taken these functional courses, many students have very little experience with major organizational choices. It is this inexperience that can undermine many students' engagement in the course.
Mastering Strategic Management by Dave Ketchen and Jeremy Short is designed to enhance student engagement in three innovative ways. .
The first is through visual adaptations of the key content in the book. It is well documented that many of today's students are visual learners. To meet students' wants and needs (and thereby create a much better teaching experience for professors), Mastering Strategic Management contains multiple graphic concept pages in ever section of every chapter of the book. Think of graphic concept pages as almost like info-graphics for key concepts in each section. This feature sets Mastering Strategic Management apart from any strategic management book on the market today. .
The second way Dave and Jeremy capture student interest through their textbook is by using a real-world company as the running example in each chapter. For example, Chapter 1 in Mastering Strategic Management utilizes Apple to harness the conceptual coverage of the chapter in a running, corporate, application to which students will relate. .
The third inventive way Mastering Strategic Management holds the attention of strategic management students is through the "strategy at the movies" feature in each chapter that links course concepts with a popular motion picture. In Chapter 1, for example, the authors describe how "The Social Network" illustrates intended, emergent, and realized strategies. .
You can expect Mastering Strategic Management by Dave Ketchen and Jeremy Short to cover all of the traditional topics that standard strategic management texts cover, but in an exciting way that will assist you in engaging your students in your course. See for yourself by checking out the book online today. .


Monitoring (physical) stress in professional fire fighters. It is important to measure physical performance and stress of people with physically demanding professions. This will prevent (too) high physical strain and stress that leads to a negative influence on decision-making which ultimately may causes overload. The Zephyr BioHarness is able to measure various physiological variables simultaneously. In the current study, the Zephyr was evaluated for two aspects: to validate different functions and to determine feasibility. In the first project, the respiratory and heart rate were validated using Polar and Coretex Metalyzer. The Zephyr appeared to be valid at different speeds ( r > 0.7) valid. In the rest period prior to the effort, the Zephyr was not valid. In the second project, the stress function of the Zephyr was investigated. During moments of increasing stress, the respiration rate increased significantly. Furthermore, there was also a trend for a decrease in the heart rate variability. The feasibility of the Zephyr BioHarness was investigated in professional fire fighters of the fire fighter squad if Groningen. Fire fighters wore the Zephyr during 24-hour shifts. In this way the fire fighters experienced the Zephyr during moments of sleep, rest and real. Heart rate, respiratory rate and heart rate variability demonstrated to be the best in seem important physiological variables to determine physical stress during the 24-hour shifts. On average, the Zephyr BioHarness seemed to be a good measurement tool that was able to monitor different relevant physiological variables simultaneously.


This paper presents a Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA) model for the cost optimization of the one-way and two-way reinforced concrete (RC) slabs according to ACI code. The objective function is the total cost of the slabs including the cost of the concrete and that of the reinforcing steel. In this paper, One-way and two-way slabs with various end conditions are formulated as ACI code. The two-way slabs are modelled and analyzed using direct design method. The problems are formulated as mixed-discrete variables such as: thickness of slab, steel bar diameter, and bar spacing. The presented model can be applied in design offices to reduce the cost of the projects. It is also the first application of the Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm to the optimization of RC slabs. In order to demonstrate the superiority of the presented method in convergence and leading to better solutions, the results of the proposed model are compared with the other optimization algorithms.


Make provision about the interception of communications, equipment interference and the acquisition and retention of communications data, bulk personal datasets and other information; to make provision about the treatment of material held as a result of such interception, equipment interference or acquisition or retention; to establish the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and other Judicial Commissioners and make provision about them and other oversight arrangements; to make further provision about investigatory powers and national security; to amend sections 3 and 5 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994; and for connected purposes.


Climate changes in the Pacific Northwest, USA, may cause both retreat of alpine glaciers and increases in the frequency and magnitude of storms delivering rainfall at high elevations absent significant snowpack, and both of these changes may affect the frequency and severity of destructive debris flows initiating on the region9s composite volcanoes. A better understanding of debris-flow susceptibility on these volcanoes' slopes is therefore warranted. Field mapping and remote sensing data, including airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), were used to locate and characterize initiation sites of six debris flows that occurred during an "atmospheric river" event (warm wet storm) on Mount Rainier, Washington, in November 2006, and data from prior studies identified six more debris flows that occurred in 2001–2005. These 12 debris flows had initiation sources at the heads of 17 gullies distributed over seven distinct initiation zones near the termini of glaciers, and all debris-flow initiation sites were located within areas exposed by glacier retreat in the past century. Gully locations were identified by their steep walls and heads on a 1-m digital elevation model (DEM) from LiDAR data collected in 2007–2008. Gullies in which debris flows initiated were differentiated from numerous non-initiating gullies primarily by the greater upslope contributing areas of the former. Initiation mechanisms were inferred from pre- and post-2006 gully width measurements from aerial photos and the LiDAR DEM, respectively, field observations of gully banks, and elevation changes calculated from repeated LiDAR, and these data indicate that debris flows were initiated by distributed sources, including bank mass failures, related to erosion by overland flow of water. Using gully-head initiation sites for debris flows that occurred during 2001–2006, a data model was developed to explore the viability of the method for characterization of debris-flow initiation susceptibilities on Mount Rainier. The initiation sites were found to occupy a restricted part of the four-dimensional space defined by mean and standard deviation of simulated glacial meltwater flow, slope angle, and minimum distance to an area of recent (1994–2008) glacier retreat. The model identifies the heads of most gullies, including all sites of known debris-flow initiation, as high-susceptibility areas, but does not appear to differentiate between areas of varying gully-head density or between debris-flow and no-debris-flow gullies. The model and field data, despite limitations, do provide insight into debris-flow processes, as well as feasible methods for mapping and assessment of debris-flow susceptibilities on periglacial areas of the Cascade Range.


Background: Oxidative stress in obese people is an important pathogenic mechanism of an obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. We evaluated the association between circulating leptin levels with biomarkers of oxidative stress in overweight and obese participants. Methods: This study was performed on 189 overweight and obese people aged 18-60 years old. Serum leptin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and amyloid A (SAA) concentrations were measured. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regressions were used to assess the relationships. Results: We found that among the biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in participants, serum hs-CRP and SAA were positively correlated with BMI (β=0.003, P<0.001 and β=7.83, P<0.001, respectively). This relationship remained significant even after controlling other oxidative stress and inflammatory indicators (β=0.003, p<0.001 for hs-CRP), but this association disappeared for SAA. In addition, serum hs-CRP was positively correlated with leptin (β=0.001, p=0.003). Regression analysis showed that there was no association between serum Hcy, SAA, TBARS and SOD with serum leptin concentrations Conclusion: Overall, the current study demonstrated that serum hs-CRP and SAA levels were independently correlated with BMI. Furthermore, serum hs-CRP was positively correlated with leptin. Focusing on such strategies may lead to promises for alleviating obesity and its co-morbidities.


Why do some men use physical violence against others? How do some men come to value physical violence as a resource? Drawing on in-depth ethnographic research conducted with men involved in serious violence and crime over a period of two years in the North of England, Anthony Ellis addresses these questions and the complex relationship between these men and their use of physical violence against others.

Using detailed life-history interviews and extended periods of observation with these men, Men, Masculinities and Violence describes their 'inner' subjective lives and experiences, exploring how they came to value violence, why they are willing to use it against others and risk serious harm to themselves in the process. Over the course of the book a picture emerges of a group of men that have experienced and perpetrated serious violence throughout their lives. This book advances a critical psychosocial understanding of such violence by situating these masculine biographies within their immediate contexts of de-industrialisation, fracturing working class community and culture, and broader shifts within the political economy of liberal capitalism.

With its synthesis of rich ethnographic material and new developments in criminological theory, this book is essential reading for students and academics interested in issues of gender and violence.


The Alabama Transportation Infrastructure Model (ATIM) is a discrete event simulation of major transportation routes. The model is currently being validated; however, due to limited data and projected changes in traffic patterns, common validation methods (comparison to real-world figures and utilizing historical data to forecast future trends) are impractical. Therefore, an alternative validation approach was developed, using a scenario planning technique known as extreme-world view that allows model developers to test a wider range of model inputs than using limited current or historical data. The model's response to a range of scenarios indicates it tracks expected real-world performance well.


We study how conflict in a contest game is influenced by rival parties being groups and by group members being able to punish each other. Our main motivation stems from the analysis of socio-political conflict. The relevant theoretical prediction in our setting is that conflict expenditures are independent of group size and independent of whether punishment is available or not. We find, first, that our results contradict the independence of groupsize prediction: conflict expenditures of groups are substantially larger than those of individuals, and both are substantially above equilibrium. Towards the end of the experiment material losses in groups are 257% of the predicted level. There is, however, substantial heterogeneity in the investment behaviour of individual group members. Second, allowing group members to punish each other after individual contributions to the contest effort are revealed leads to even larger conflict expenditures. Now material losses are 869% of the equilibrium level and there is much less heterogeneity in individual group members' investments. These results contrast strongly with those from public goods experiments where punishment enhances efficiency and leads to higher material payoffs.


The melting point of triacylglycerides (TAGs) under atmospheric pressure depends on both the fatty acid composition and crystalline structure of the polymorphic state, which are influenced by the temperature treatment history of the TAG. In this contribution, the additional effect of high hydrostatic pressure is described. Samples were placed in a temperature‐controlled cell and pressurized up to 450 MPa. The phase transition was investigated either by perpendicular light scattering and transmission or with a polarized‐light microscope. The high‐pressure polarized‐light microscope allows a precise determination of the melting point. The investigated TAGs showed a significant nonlinear increase of the melting point with pressure. Light scattering and transmission were used to observe the phase change in the high‐pressure cell. Similar to supercooling in temperature‐induced phase transition, we found a dramatic increase of the delay time in our pressure‐induced solidification. Even the dependency of this induction time on the control parameter pressure was similar to that in temperature‐driven crystallization. We propose that different crystalline structures may be obtained by superpressuring instead of supercooling.


Starting from the viscous Navier-Stokes-equations, governing conservation of mass and conservation of momentum, given inviscid irrotational conditions, the Full and Acoustic Potential Flow Equation is derived and thereby explained. The Finite Volume Method in two-dimensions is then applied before numerical estimations of the differential equations are done as well as the setting of the boundary conditions. Then the model is developed to be applied to the "Flow Over a Channel Bump"-problem. The Thesis is part of the course (SA105X) Degree Project in Vehicle Engineering, First Cycle.


One hundred years ago in Brazil the rituals of Candomble were feared as sorcery and persecuted as crime. Its cult objects were fearsome fetishes. Nowadays, they are Afro-Brazilian cultural works of art, objects of museum display and public monuments. Focusing on the particular histories of objects, images, spaces and persons who embodied it, this book portrays the historical journey from weapons of sorcery looted by the police, to hidden living stones, to public works of art attacked by religious fanatics that see them as images of the Devil, former sorcerers who have become artists, writers, and philosophers. Addressing this history as a journey of objectification and appropriation, the author offers a fresh, unconventional, and illuminating look at questions of syncretism, hybridity and cultural resistance in Brazil and in the Black Atlantic in general.


Revisiting C. Wright Mills' portrayal of grand theory in The Sociological Imagination, I extend his insights to reflect on theory more generally. Mills' critique of Talcott Parsons engages both the conceptual substance and rhetorical style of grand theory. I build on Mills to argue for the value of flexibly moving between (1) levels of generality and (2) registers of language, when using theory. Folklorists acquire theory from interactions in fieldwork as well as from disciplinary training and from larger interdisciplinary conversations. These different kinds of theory represent perspectives embedded in social worlds and associated power relations. Setting these different kinds of theory, with their associated viewpoints, into dialogue generates new formulations. Further, while theoretical concepts often form a specialized vocabulary that is a shorthand for the initiated but impenetrable to lay people, the ideas conveyed through this shorthand can usefully be translated, following Mills, into clear and intelligible language.


To make meaningful comparisons of the consequences of new modes of regulation in education for local autonomy in different national settings we need to a) be clear about what is meant by local autonomy and state control, b) be clear about why the balance between local autonomy and state control matters and c) produce good quality empirical data and analysis. The purpose of this article is to make a contribution to the first two of these tasks which are relatively neglected in the education research literature. The authors begin by unpacking some conceptual complexities involved in debating issues of autonomy and control, distinguishing between three dimensions of autonomy-control: loci and modes of autonomy, domains of autonomy-control and loci and modes of control. They then go on to illustrate some of the normative complexities surrounding issues of autonomy-control, using the case of individual teacher autonomy to explore arguments about the value of autonomy and control. Finally, the authors discuss the implications of these complexities for the task of policy analysis. In doing so, they seek to: 'trouble' the presumption that autonomy is necessarily good; challenge the notion that control and autonomy are discrete entities in some simple zero-sum relationship to one another, drawing attention to the ways in which control can be seen as 'productive' as well as 'destructive' of autonomy; and sketch out the multi-dimensional nature of cross-national comparative evaluation of regulation in education.


The island Province of Cebu is generally considered to represent one of the worst cases of extreme environmental degradation in the Southeast Asian region. Widespread dependence on woodfuels (biomass) by the island's 2.7 million inhabitants is often pointed to as a major cause of Cebu's environmental problems, prompting government and NGO officials in the region to call for tighter restrictions and regulation of the commercial woodfuel trade. This dissertation was designed to assess the economic and environmental impact of woodfuel production and use in Cebu by focusing on three aspects of the local woodfuel system. First, a household energy survey was administered to 603 Cebu City households in order to quantify residential sector woodfuel consumption and determine the social, economic and cultural factors most responsible for observed fuel-choice and fuel-use patterns. Second, approximately 100 rural and urban woodfuel traders were interviewed in order to examine how the commercial woodfuel trade functions. Third, rapid rural appraisal (RRA) surveys were conducted in eight woodfuel-producing regions of the province in order to investigate the impact that urban woodfuel demand was having on rural land use practices and resource management. Fuelwood, charcoal and other biomass fuels account for approximately 50% of energy consumption in Cebu City's residential sector. Fuelwood is used predominantly in low-income households, charcoal is used in households of all incomes for specialized cooking. The commercial woodfuel trade in Cebu is a wellestablished, highly specialized and competitive industry, providing income and employment to 40,000 rural and urban Cebuanos. The bulk of commercially-traded woodfuels in Cebu originate from intensivelymanaged agricultural and fallow lands, not from forests. The presence of urban woodfuel and other wood product markets serves as a strong incentive for increased tree-planting and management in rural areas. These results suggest that instead of being viewed as a problem to be controlled through punitive restrictions and regulation, commercial woodfuel markets in Cebu represent an opportunity to promote more widespread tree-planting and management on the island.


We derive generalization error bounds for traditional time-series forecasting models. Our results hold for many standard forecasting tools including autoregressive models, moving average models, and, more generally, linear state-space models. These non-asymptotic bounds need only weak assumptions on the data-generating process, yet allow forecasters to select among competing models and to guarantee, with high probability, that their chosen model will perform well. We motivate our techniques with and apply them to standard economic and financial forecasting tools---a GARCH model for predicting equity volatility and a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model (DSGE), the standard tool in macroeconomic forecasting. We demonstrate in particular how our techniques can aid forecasters and policy makers in choosing models which behave well under uncertainty and mis-specification.


Abstract This paper investigates the Iraqi supergun that was under construction in 1988. The gun was never completed so its performance will be investigated using a model constructed from information about the gun. The maximum range of the gun fired at 33 degrees to the horizontal was investigated and found to be 1406km. Its impact angle was found to be 61 degrees and its impact velocity 2640m/s.Â


"Scarlett Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a dramatic history of the South in the years leading up to and following the Civil War: a history that focuses on the women, black and white, rich and poor, who made up the fabric of southern life before the war and remade themselves and their world after it. Positing the household as the central institution of southern society, Edwards delineates the inseparable links between domestic relations and civil and political rights in ways that highlight women's active political role throughout the nineteenth century. She draws on diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, government records, legal documents, court proceedings, and other primary sources to explore the experiences and actions of individual women in the changing South, demonstrating how family, kin, personal reputation, and social context all merged with gender, race, and class to shape what particular women could do in particular circumstances. Meet Harriet Jacobs, the escaped slave who hid in a tiny, unheated attic on her master's property for seven years until she could free her children and herself. Marion Singleton Deveaux Converse, the southern belle who leaped out a second-story window to escape her second husband's "discipline" and received temporary shelter from her slaves. Sarah Guttery, a white, poor, unwed mother of two, whose hard work and clean living earned her community's respect despite her youthful transgressions. Aunt Lucy, who led her fellow slaves in taking over her master's abandoned plantation and declared herself the new mistress. Through vivid portraits of these and other slaves, free blacks, common whites, and the white elite, Edwards shows how women's domestic situations determined their lives before the war and their responses to secession and armed conflict. She also documents how women of various classes entered into the process of rebuilding, asserting new rights and exploring new roles after the war.An ideal basic text on society in the Civil War era, "Scarlett Doesn't Live Here Anymore" demonstrates how women on every step of the social ladder worked actively throughout the period to shape southern society in ways that fulfilled their hopes for the future. They used the resources at their disposal to fashion their own positive identities, to create the social bonds that sustained them in difficult times, and to express powerful social critiques that helped them make sense of their lives.


Introduction: Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) also widely known as Near Patient Testing (NPT), is pathology testing performed at or near the site of patient care, offering several advantages over traditional pathology testing: it is portable, provides rapid results, uses smaller sample sizes and can be used for patient self-testing (PST). Due to these differences, it is conceivable that the implementation of POCT in place of laboratory testing could have an impact on patient experience; therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate this impact. The specific objectives of the study are to identify where and how POCT is currently used, to assess its impact on patient outcome and experience within a community setting and to evaluate its performance in the community setting.
Methods: A survey was performed to gain insight on the extent to which POCT is used within UK primary care, how well established it is and general attitudes toward its use. A cross-sectional study, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted with patients receiving local authority provided NHS Health Checks in the community, where POCT is used to measure cholesterol and glucose. The analytical and operator performance of the POCT used was also assessed.
Results: UK primary care staff were aware of POCT; 86% of respondents reporting that their surgery used some form of POCT on a regular basis. It appeared, however, that POCT operators were not always trained and that the quality of results obtained was not always considered. The use of POCT in community-based NHS Health Checks was well received and enabled the screening of individuals who would not normally access healthcare. However, the programme as a whole did not instigate significant improvements in the cardiovascular health of the participants, unless the participant was referred for further testing. The POCT used produced results that were significantly different from the reference value, producing clinically significant changes in outcome.
Conclusion: The use of POCT should be tightly managed in every setting, including the community. This management should include regular quality checks to ensure patient results are accurate and that clinical management decisions are appropriate.


Some modern Western interpreters of Buddhist teachings and philosophy claim that the original teachings of the Pali Canon were staunchly anti-metaphysical. In this article I exa-mine the early Buddhist worldview and demonstration that this assertion is deeply mistaken. Whilst the early teachings of the Buddha clearly rejected dogmatic metaphysical positions which the Buddha characterised as being 'extreme', he also implicitly, yet clearly, taught a subtle metaphysical view of the process of reality which is consistent with the modern quantum 'epiontic' (epistemological perception creates ontology) perspective of 'quantum Darwinism.' Central to this viewpoint is 1) a non-materialism which indicates that the ultimate process of reality is of the nature of mind; 2) the assertion that the ultimate nature of reality lies between the extremes of 'existence' and 'non-existence', 'eternalism' and 'nihilism'; 3) the assertion that the epiontic mechanism operates as 'kamma', or 'karma', a central mechanism for the functioning of conditioned samsaric (cycle of dissatisfactory lives) reality. On the basis of these fundamental insights the doctrines of 'rebirth' and 'dependent origination' are shown to be crucial metaphysical components of the overall early Buddhist worldview as taught by the Buddha. These doctrines are also shown to be consistent with modern quantum theory. On the basis of this investigation recent claims that the 3-lifetimes model of dependent origination is mistaken are shown to be desperately misleading.


Papernumber: 3386-11628-1-SM.docx Killing the Modern Theatre: A New Medium to Augment Stage Performances Richard Buckner 1214 Calle Violeta, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, email@example.com ABSTRACT Paul Simon, in " The Dangling Conversation ," asked "Is the theatre really dead?" Yes, traditional theatre of the literary, mechanistic age is. Consequently, the play script and its format are dead because we have moved to the electrical, electronic, digital (EED) age and theatre is no longer just humans on a stage delivering dialogue, action and possibly song with realistic or even impressionistic sets. This paper shows how Electronic Digital Displayed Script With Embedded Multi-Media (EDDSWEMM), in a way, acts as a " Bridge Over Troubled Water " from the new EED age to the old literary age. In fact, the whole of society has changed, and theatre needs to follow. Marshall McLuhan, the Toronto philosopher, stated that the societal impact of a new medium is far greater than its content. And, that a new medium requires a new form; it opens doors for new content that includes the content of the old print media. A crisis is that changing a play script format for any reason is tantamount to professional suicide. This paper follows up on my 2017 presentation at ISSS in Vienna, Austria, of "MS Windows Productivity Research Applied to Theatre"--a peer reviewed paper that lays a scientific foundation for projecting an electronic, digital script with embedded multimedia. It showed how the construct "Viewability," that I named, applies to theatre and script projection. Projection is a form of display of information. Drama displays, by human dialogue and action, the information in a script. Microsoft Word is used to write a script, and by means of Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), visual multimedia--represented by icons--may be embedded in the script.  Display may be initiated by double clicking on icons in the text. Similarly, sound may be embedded and "played" by double clicking on music icons. In the interest of increased Viewability, non executable production cues may add additional information to the script. Stage drama is synchronized with the projected script. The resulting script, displayed on a monitor, also acts as a new digital-literary genre for the individual reader or actor rehearsing at home. Its presentation lies somewhere between the old, formatted as for a typewriter, literary based paper script and a traditional full production augmented by EDDSWEMM. This paper shows that there are many reasons for EDDSWEEM forecast by McLuhan's follow up and popularization of Understanding Media ... in a subsequent book, The Medium is the Massage ... . I identify additional reasons such as the obvious advantage to the deaf. McLuhan did not extensively treat theatre as a medium for communication. I review the Dramatists Guild modern play script format and show that it is part and parcel of the old literary/mechanical age. My proposed new EDDSWEMM format includes the content of the old (sacred) script format. The possibilities of additional content using EDDSWEMM are wide open. Risk aversive producers and theatres often look for tried and true literary works to ensure a gate, but if they want something new and are to survive, they will have to provide material that bridges EED to the old age. Directors, playwrights and audiences are always looking for new material but are locked into the old format; projection at least provides a reason to begin delivering dramatic material in new ways. Visualization, in this paper, is by projection of this paper. EDDSWEMM requires technical resources that exceed those that Microsoft currently provides for document production. Hopefully, this problem will be resolved as part of future research and can be reported in the next ISSS conference. I would like to dedicate this paper to Harrison Holmes Cochran, without whose interest, encouragement and kindness I would have never made it to this point.


Control Theory Wikipedia Control Theory In Control Systems Engineering Is A Subfield Of Mathematics That Deals With The Control Of Continuously Operating Dynamical Systems In Engineered Processes And Machines. The Objective Is To Develop A Control Model For Controlling Such Systems Using A Control Action In An Optimum Manner Without Delay Or Overshoot And Ensuring Control Stability . May 4th, 2019


The European project NearCO2 is investigating European public perceptions of carbon capture and storage (CCS) via case studies (both CCS and analogous energy infrastructure), surveys, and focus groups. The overall aim of the project is to investigate and develop communication strategies that are designed to convey the advantages and risks of CCS to stakeholders and to the public, which strategies may also be used to involve these parties in local decision-making on CCS projects. This report describes the results of the first phase of investigation, which focuses on lessons learned from CCS and analogous developments in recent years. Eight case studies are reviewed to help determine the nature of the communications and consultation strategies used by project developers as part of the energy project approval processes. The chosen range of case studies represents a number of different regulatory environments throughout the European Union and a number of different technologies. The consideration of a number of different contextual factors as part of a multi-case study approach has helped to identify factors involved in the relationship between communications and project outcomes, as a means of informing consultation exercises for future CCS projects.


This paper focuses on information acquisition and individual decision making in ambiguous situations and presents a novel experimental design which may help to tackle open questions from a fresh perspective. Instead of giving subjects the choice between risky and ambiguous Ellsberg urns, we let them choose between a safe option and a risky lottery, whose risk is a priori unknown to subjects. By acquiring information about the probability distribution of the lottery's payoffs, subjects can reduce or even eliminate the ambiguity and turn the decision situation into one of risk. Under the assumption that an ambiguity averse subject should reduce ambiguity within a decision process we predicted that these subjects would request more information. Moreover, we investigate whether the relation between attitudes towards risk and ambiguity is linked to intuitive and deliberate thinking. Based on a detailed analysis of subjects' information acquisition and decision processes we do not find that those subjects showing ambiguity aversion in an urn experiment based on Halevy (2007) significantly reduce the ambiguity more than others. More intuitive subjects acquire less information and are more likely to avoid the risky lottery. Intuition seems to be negatively correlated with risk aversion, but not with ambiguity aversion. Moreover, we find a positive correlation between risk and ambiguity aversion.


Environmental and cultural changes in the Central Andean region can most successfully be understood through multidisciplinary approaches, combining archaeological and historical research with detailed reconstruction of past climate and vegetation. Here we present a multi-proxy dataset from a small, infilled lake basin in the Cuzco region of Peru that reflects the ecosystem dynamics of both terrestrial and semi-aquatic/aquatic communities. Marcacocha (altitude 3355 m) has a morphology and location that renders it extremely sensitive to environmental change. Organic sediments cored from the centre of the basin have provided a unique insight into how this lake system has responded to local/regional climatic forcings and anthropogenic pressures over the last 4200 years. A series of quasi-periodic, sustained arid episodes have been identified using sedge pollen abundances as a proxy for lake-level variations. Many of these episodes correspond to periods of significant cultural turnover in the independently-dated archaeological record. In particular, data point to the importance of a warm and arid interval that began ~AD 900, which may correspond to the Northern Hemisphere Medieval Warm Period. This interval, which lasted until the end of the 15th century, saw the decline of the Wari Empire (and the Tiwanaku around Lake Titicaca) at ~AD 1100 and allowed the development of the Inca State, the largest Empire ever seen in the New World (~AD 1400-1532). Verifying how these arid climatic periods may have impacted on human societies is difficult, however, given that pre-Spanish Andean cultures failed to develop any form of written record. We therefore present a new method of reconstructing rural socio-economic shifts from the analysis of the frequency of oribatid mite remains. Oribatid mites are soil-dwelling microarthropod detritivores, some of which inhabit areas of grassland pasture. One of the primary controls governing their abundance in such habitats is the level of animal dung present. We propose that past fluctuations in mite remains can be related to the density of domestic animals using the pasture and, by extension, may provide a proxy for broad-scale social and economic change through time. The 6-yr resolution of the Marcacocha record is ideal for testing this hypothesis, by comparing the timing and magnitude of mite fluctuations since the 1530s with a series of well-documented socio-economic shifts in the region that relate to past political and climatic pressures. Results demonstrate remarkable correspondence between the two datasets, providing the confidence to extend the record back a further 3700 years.


Abstract Diabetes mellitus, in particular Type 2 diabetes, can be classified as a chronic disease of lifestyle. A lifestyle intervention programme is therefore an essential component of the primary and secondary prevention (management) of diabetes mellitus. The main indication for referral to a lifestyle intervention programme is any patient with either pre-diabetes or established diabetes mellitus. Following a comprehensive initial assessment, patients are recommended to attend either a group-based programme (medically supervised or medically directed, depending on the severity of the disease and the presence of any co-morbidities) or a home-based intervention programme. The main elements of the intervention programme are nutritional intervention, exercise training (minimum of 150 minutes at moderate intensity per week), psychosocial support and education. Regular monitoring should be conducted during training sessions, and a follow-up assessment is indicated after 2–3 months to assess progress and to re-set goals. Longer-term (5–6 months) intervention programmes are associated with better long-term outcomes.


Verbs and prepositions pose significant challenges in second language learning, as languages differ in how they map these relational terms onto events. Second language learners must put aside their language-specific lens to uncover how a new language operates, perhaps having to rediscover semantic distinctions typically ignored in the first language. The current study examines how the acquisition of these novel mappings are affected by characteristics of the learner and of the language to be learned. English monolinguals and DutchEnglish bilinguals learned novel terms that corresponded to containment and support relations of either English, Dutch, or Japanese. Results show that English distinctions are learned best across groups, potentially reflecting predispositions in human cognition. No differences were found between monolinguals and bilinguals in any language condition. The characteristics of the language to be learned appear to play a prominent role in the acquisition of novel semantic categories.


A software repository provides a central information source for understanding and reengineering code in a software project. Complex reverse engineering tools can be built by analyzing information stored in the repository without reparsing the original source code. The most critical design aspect of a repository is its data model, which directly affects how effectively the repository supports various analysis tasks. This paper focuses on the design rationales behind a data model for a C++ software repository that supports reachability analysis and dead code detection at the declaration level. These two tasks are frequently needed in large software projects to help remove excess software baggage, select regression tests, and support software reuse studies. The language complexity introduced by class inheritance, friendships, and template instantiations in C++ requires a carefully designed model to catch all necessary dependencies for correct reachability analysis. We examine the major design decisions and their consequences in our model and illustrate how future software repositories can be evaluated for completeness at a selected abstraction level. Examples are given to illustrate how our model also supports variants of reachability analysis: impact analysis, class visibility analysis, and dead code detection. Finally, we discuss the implementation and experience of our analysis tools on a C++ software project.


The frequency shifts of the vibrational and rotational transitions of H2, D2, and HD mols. trapped in solid Ar are calcd. at zero temp. and at pressures 0 ? P ? 373 kbar. The pure vibrational and rotational-vibrational transition frequencies are strongly red-shifted in the solid at P = 0, compared to gas-phase values, and the agreement with Raman scattering measurements is generally good. The calcd. pure rotational transitions also show a small red shift at P = 0 in the solid and are in generally good agreement with the measurements of Jodl and Bier, (1984), but less so with those of Prochaska and Andrews (1977). The calcd. local-mode frequencies of the impurity mols. in the solid at P = 0 are also in good agreement with expt., esp. when thermal corrections are considered. With increasing pressure all transition frequencies and the local-mode frequencies are strongly blue-shifted with respect to P = 0 solid values. [on SciFinder (R)]


This paper investigates the effects of local leading-edge geometry on unsteady aerofoil interaction noise. Analytical results are obtained by extending previous work for parabolic leading edges to leading edges of the form $x^{m}$ for $0<m<1$ . Rapid distortion theory governs the interaction of an unsteady vortical perturbation with a rigid aerofoil in compressible steady mean flow that is uniform far upstream. For high-frequency gusts interacting with aerofoils of small total thickness this allows a matched asymptotic solution to be obtained. This paper mainly focusses on obtaining the analytic solution in the leading-edge inner region, which is the dominant term in determining the total far-field acoustic directivity, and contains the effects of the local leading-edge geometry. Experimental measurements for the noise generated by aerofoils with different leading-edge nose radii in uniform flow with approximate homogeneous, isotropic turbulence are also presented. Both experimental and analytic results predict that a larger nose radius generates less overall noise in low-Mach-number flow. By considering individual terms in the analytic solution, this paper is able to propose reasons behind this result.


Distributed fiber optic sensing presents unique features that have no match in conventional sensing techniques. The ability to measure temperatures and strain at thousands of points along a single fiber is particularly interesting for the monitoring of elongated structures such as pipelines, flow lines, oil wells, and coiled tubing. Sensing systems based on Brillouin and Raman scattering are used, for example, to detect pipeline leakages, to verify pipeline operational parameters and to prevent failure of pipelines installed in landslide areas, to optimize oil production from wells, and to detect hot spots in high-power cables. Recent developments in distributed fiber sensing technology allow the monitoring of 60 km of pipeline from a single instrument and of up to 300 km with the use of optical amplifiers. New application opportunities have demonstrated that the design and production of sensing cables are a critical element for the success of any distributed sensing instrumentation project. Although some telecommunication cables can be effectively used for sensing ordinary temperatures, monitoring high and low temperatures or distributed strain presents unique challenges that require specific cable designs. This contribution presents advances in long-range distributed sensing and in novel sensing cable designs for distributed temperature and strain sensing. This paper also reports a number of significant field application examples of this technology, including leakage detection on brine and gas pipelines, strain monitoring on gas pipelines and combined strain and temperature monitoring on composite flow lines, and composite coiled tubing pipes.


An analytic atomic independent particle model adjusted to experimental single-particle energy levels is used to generate wave functions for the valence and excited states of N ii. Using these wave functions in conjunction with the Born approximation and the Russell-Saunders LS-coupling scheme, we calculate optical oscillator strengths for various transitions from the 2p2(3P0) ground state of N ii. The results are compared with available experimental data and other calculations.


Key documents such as the European Water Framework Directive and the U.S. Clean Water Act state that public and stakeholder participation in water resource management is required. Participation aims to enhance resource management and involve individuals and groups in a democratic way. Evaluation of participatory programs and projects is necessary to assess whether these objectives are being achieved and to identify how participatory programs and projects can be improved. The different methods of evaluation can be classified into three groups: (i) process evaluation assesses the quality of participation process, for example, whether it is legitimate and promotes equal power between participants, (ii) intermediary outcome evaluation assesses the achievement of mainly nontangible outcomes, such as trust and communication, as well as short‐ to medium‐term tangible outcomes, such as agreements and institutional change, and (iii) resource management outcome evaluation assesses the achievement of changes in resource management, such as water quality improvements. Process evaluation forms a major component of the literature but can rarely indicate whether a participation program improves water resource management. Resource management outcome evaluation is challenging because resource changes often emerge beyond the typical period covered by the evaluation and because changes cannot always be clearly related to participation activities. Intermediary outcome evaluation has been given less attention than process evaluation but can identify some real achievements and side benefits that emerge through participation. This review suggests that intermediary outcome evaluation should play a more important role in evaluating participation in water resource management.


Structural economic and family-demographic shifts, as well as socio-economic integration processes at the EU level have led to profound transformations of the established social policy models in Europe in the past two decades. Notwithstanding the considerable variations across nations and regime types, two salient developments could be observed here. In the first place, many governments have implemented a strategy of proactive 'social investment' [SIS], either alongside or in replacement of their established social security programmes. By applying a life- course approach to protecting citizens against new social risks, the core of this strategy is to combine public investments in individuals' human capital with measures that aim to maximize the utilisation of such skills, primarily by easing the reconcilability of work and family life. Simultaneously, there has been a shift towards the increased macroeconomic and political importance of private property assets in defining the economic well being of individuals. Facilitated by the rapid growth of property values and the financialization of housing markets prior to the Global Financial Crisis of 2007/2008, households have been encouraged and expected to take on high levels of mortgage debt with the promise of holding high levels of housing wealth in the future. At first glance, it seems that we are dealing with two conflicting policy developments here; after all, social investment relies on a strong welfare state, while the accumulation of private property wealth as a welfare resource realigns with the notion of policy retrenchment. This contribution aims to illustrate that the fault lines between the two approaches are, however, not that clear-cut. More precisely, using comparative national-level statistics for all OECD member states, it will show empirically and discuss theoretically in which contexts and under which circumstances they may instead be understood as complementing welfare readjustment strategies towards a more radical form of productive welfare capitalism.


Measurements of biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) extend a novel route for monitoring lung physiology and provide a beneficial insight into the pathophysiology of a specific disease. From the medicinal point of view, biomarkers present in EBC depict rather the processes occurring in lungs than those in the entire system. Therefore, particular profiles of exhaled biomarkers (e.g. cys-LTs, LTB 4 , 8-isoprostane, etc.) apparently reveal information exclusively applicable to differential lung disease diagnoses. This chapter describes the developed analytical method being applied to a clinical study for differential diagnostics of various phenotypes of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, etc. In particular, having determined cys-LTs and LXs by the described method, and having applied them as biomarkers of bronchial asthma, their distinctive potential was demonstrated to differentially diagnose the specific disease, clearly suggesting this method to be reckoned as a beneficial alternative to existing diagnostic methods. Consecutively, the developed method was expanded to other asthma markers as aldehydes, nitrotyrosine, 8-isoprostane, PGE 2 , adenosine and finally, a supplementary study was carried out, engaging in detecting serotonin. The multi-marker screening and importance in the diagnostics of pulmonary diseases are referenced in the text as well.


Mouse monoclonal antibodies to type VII collagen followed by goat anti-mouse IgG–fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate (original magnification ×200). Eligible for 1 MOC SA Credit From the ABD This Dermatopathology Diagnosis in our print edition is eligible for 1 self-assessment credit for Maintenance of Certification from the American Board of Dermatology (ABD). After completing this activity, diplomates can visit the ABD website (http://www.abderm.org) to self-report the credits under the activity title "Cutis Dermatopathology Diagnosis." You may report the credit after each activity is completed or after accumulating multiple credits.


Objective. To assess the efficacy of pegloticase on pain, physical function, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with refractory chronic gout. Methods. Subjects in 2 replicate, 6-month, randomized controlled phase III trials received intravenous infusions of pegloticase 8 mg twice monthly (biweekly group), pegloticase alternating with placebo (8-mg monthly group), or placebo. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), patient global assessment of disease activity (PtGA), and pain by visual analog scale were completed at weeks 1 (baseline), 13, 19, and 25. Prespecified pooled analyses of patient-reported outcomes were performed by combining values for each treatment group (biweekly treatment, monthly treatment, and placebo) at Week 25. Results. Of 212 patients enrolled, 157 (74.1%) completed treatment. At entry, mean age was 55.4 years (range 23–89 yrs) and mean plasma uric acid was 9.7 mg/dl; most were male (81.6%) and white (67.5%). Subjects reported an average of 9.8 flares in the previous 18 months. Baseline SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) scores were > 1.5 SD below US normative values. At Week 25, mean changes from baseline in PtGA, pain, HAQ-DI, and PCS scores were statistically significant and exceeded minimum clinically important differences (MCID) in the biweekly treatment group, compared with little to no improvement in placebo group. Statistically significant improvements greater than or equal to MCID were reported in 6 of 8 SF-36 domains. Monthly pegloticase resulted in significantly improved PtGA, HAQ-DI, PCS, and 3 SF-36 domains. Conclusion. Pegloticase therapy resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in PtGA, pain, physical function, and HRQOL.


Fires, floods, accidents, celebrity lifestyles, heroic acts of humble people, cute acts by family pets and the weather. Television's non-news about non-events takes up an increasingly large part of contemporary broadcast journalism, but is regularly dismissed by television pundits as having no place on our screens. To its critics, this 'other news' distracts our attention with trivialities and entertainment values, and undermines journalism's relationship with the workings of democracy. Yet, in spite of these protests, this 'lite news' remains as entrenched and as popular as ever. InTabloid Television, John Langer argues that television's 'other news' must be recognised as equally important as 'hard news' in the building of a genuinely comprehensive study of broadcast journalism. Using narrative analysis, theories of ideology, concepts from genre studies and detailed textual readings, 'other news' is explored as a cultural discourse connected with story-telling, gossip, social memory, the horror film, national identity and the cult of fame. Langer's study also examines the political role played by an allegedly non-political news and explores the links between this type of news and recent broadcasting trends towards 'reality television'. Tabloid Television, Popular Journalism and the 'Other News' provides an eclectic and intriguing look at one of the most maligned areas of television news. By offering an extended and thoroughly grounded analysis of actual news stories, John Langer locates the question of representational power as one of the central concerns of the media studies agenda and offers some interesting speculation about where television news may be heading.


The human gait is a discriminative feature capable of recognising a person by their unique walking manner. Currently gait recognition is based on videos captured in a controlled environment. These videos contain challenges, termed covariate factors, which affect the natural appearance and motion of gait, e.g. carrying a bag, clothing, shoe type and time. However gait recognition has yet to achieve robustness to these covariate factors. To achieve enhanced robustness capabilities, it is essential to address the existing gait recognition limitations. Specifically, this thesis develops an understanding of how covariate factors behave while a person is in motion and the impact covariate factors have on the natural appearance and motion of gait. Enhanced robustness is achieved by producing a combination of novel gait representations and novel covariate factor detection and removal procedures. Having addressed the limitations regarding covariate factors, this thesis achieves the goal of robust gait recognition. Using a skeleton representation of the human figure, the Skeleton Variance Image condenses a skeleton sequence into a single compact 2D gait representation to express the natural gait motion. In addition, a covariate factor detection and removal module is used to maximise the mitigation of covariate factor effects. By establishing the average pixel distribution within training (covariate factor free) representations, a comparison against test (covariate factor) representations achieves effective covariate factor detection. The corresponding difference can effectively remove covariate factors which occur at the boundary of, and hidden within, the human figure.


Green tea contains many polyphenol substances with exceptional antioxidant activity, and is consumed widely throughout the world. Green tea aqueous extract and its polyphenols, of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) predominates, have been studied extensively in animal models for their anti-neoplastic properties. EGCG and green tea polyphenols (GTP) have been shown to inhibit skin tumor initiation, promotion, and progression by a number of mechanisms, including, but not limited to: inhibition of DNA binding by carcinogens, radical scavenging, inhibition of cytochrome P-450, maintenance of cellular communication, and inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism. It is evident that the consumption of green tea is beneficial in the prevention of cancer in these models; however, the question remains whether use of oral or topical green tea preparations will have a preventative effect on human skin cancers, and should be answered by well-designed human clinical and epidemiological studies. (Alt Med Rev 1996;1:31-42.)


Green computing is a new paradigm of designing the computer system which considers not only the processing performance but also the energy efficiency. Power management is one of the approaches in green computing to reduce the power consumption in distributed computing system. In this paper, we first propose an optimal power management (OPM) used by a batch scheduler in a server farm. This OPM observes the state of a server farm and makes the decision to switch the operation mode (i.e., active or sleep) of the server to minimize the power consumption while the performance requirements are met. An optimization problem based on constrained Markov decision process (CMDP) is formulated and solved to obtain an optimal decision of OPM. Given that OPM is used in the server farm, then an assignment of users to the server farms by a job broker is considered. This assignment is to ensure that the cost due to power consumption and network transportation is minimized. The performance of the system is extensively evaluated. The result shows that with OPM the job waiting time can be maintained below the maximum threshold while the power consumption is much smaller than that without OPM.


This article presents the findings of the first field experiment on age discrimination in the Swedish labour market. Pairs of matched applications, one from a fictitious 31-year-old male applicant and one from a fictitious 46-year-old male applicant, were sent to employers with job openings for restaurant workers and sales assistants. Employers' responses to the applicants were then recorded. The experimental data provide clear and strong evidence of significant ageism in the Swedish labour market. On average, the younger applicant received over 3 times more responses from employers looking to hire a restaurant worker and over 4 times more responses from employers looking to hire a sales assistant than the older applicant. Therefore, the older applicant received significantly fewer invitations for interviews and job offers than the younger applicant in both occupations examined.


Defects in information technology (IT) services will have greater negative impacts on social and economic activities in the future, since the risks of such defects are increasing due to their wider applications and the growth of IT systems' complexity and scale. In this paper, upon surveying the current state of affairs and seeing that little progress has been made towards understanding and reducing defects in IT services that influence social and economic activities, despite a number of efforts including upgrading software and hardware quality, we propose a new approach to understanding the dependability of IT services by discussing a dependability model. The model consists of not only functions for legacy system dependability but also two types of functions (additional safety and safety operation). Next we evaluate the efficacy of these two types of functions relative to IT dependability, both qualitatively and quantitatively, by using 42 actual cases of IT accidents obtained by the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan. Moreover, based on the verification, we examine the ways in which improvement of IT dependability associated with social and economic infrastructure, previously dependent on the skill of individual engineers, is eventually achieved as a result of organizational activities.


»Historical Social Research: Eine internationale wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift für die Anwendung formaler Methoden auf die Geschichte. Ein Überblick«. In this introduction to HSR Supplement 26, the findings of the journal Historical Social Research from 2004 to 2014 are presented. With the journal being in its 40th year of existence, one could split the journal's history into three phases: First, the constitutional period (1976-1988), then, second, the establishing period (1988-2000). The third period consists of the last 10-14 years. It may be characterized by processes of focusing, digitalization and internationalization, and it is this third period which is the subject of this article. In a short overview, some developments with respect to the contents are highlighted. Afterward, some structural changes in HSR publication formats and journal management are given. Finally, the article presents some bibliometric analyses, particularly concerning download and citation statistics.


The Willandra Lakes complex is one of the few locations in semi-arid Australia to preserve both paleoenvironmental and Paleolithic archeological archives at high resolution. The stratigraphy of transverse lunette dunes on the lakes' downwind margins record a late Quaternary sequence of wetting and drying. Within the Willandra system, the Lake Mungo lunette is best known for its preservation of the world's oldest known ritual burials, and high densities of archeological traces documenting human adaptation to changing environmental conditions over the last 45 ka. Here we identify evidence at Lake Mungo for a previously unrecognised short-lived, very high lake filling phase at 24 ka, just prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. Mega-lake Mungo was up to 5 m deeper than preceding or subsequent lake full events and represented a lake volume increase of almost 250%. Lake Mungo was linked with neighboring Lake Leaghur at two overflow points, creating an island from the northern part of the Mungo lunette. This event was most likely caused by a pulse of high catchment rainfall and runoff, combined with neotectonic activity which may have warped the lake basin. It indicates a non-linear transition to more arid ice age conditions. The mega-lake restricted mobility for people living in the area, yet archeological traces indicate that humans rapidly adapted to the new conditions. People repeatedly visited the island, transporting stone tools across water and exploiting food resources stranded there. They either swam or used watercraft to facilitate access to the island and across the lake. Since there is no evidence for watercraft use in Australia between initial colonization of the continent prior to 45 ka and the mid-Holocene, repeated visits to the island may represent a resurrection of waterfaring technologies following a hiatus of at least 20 ky.


The aim of the study was to compare the effects of phosphorus fertilisers of different solubility and different phosphorus doses. The material was collected from 8 field experiments situated on drained peatlands in southern and central Finland (60°–65° N). The sites were drained, oligotrophic pine fens and pine bogs, which had been fertilised between 1961 and 1977 with different combinations of N, K and P. In 1991–94 stand measurements and foliar and peat sampling were carried out on 162 sample plots. Apatite, rock phosphate and superphosphate affected basal area growth to a rather similar extent. However, apatite slightly surpassed superphosphate and rock phosphate at the end of the study period in two hollow-rich S. fuscum bogs. Higher doses of phosphorus did not significantly increase the basal area growth. The foliar phosphorus concentrations clearly reflected the effect of the P fertilisation. Especially on the pine bogs basic fertilisation with 66 kg P/ha maintained the needle phosphorus concentrations at a satisfactory level for more than 25 years after fertilisation. The amount of phosphorus in the 0–20 cm peat layer was not significantly increased either by basic fertilisation or refertilisation. The phosphorus reserves in the peat in the individual experiments were between 88 and 327 kg/ha. There was a strong correlation between the amounts of phosphorus and iron in the peat. Large amounts of iron in peat may reduce the solubility and availability of phosphorus. According to the foliar phosphorus concentrations in the basic-fertilised plots, the need for refertilisation seems to be unnecessary during the 25-year postfertilisation period at least. None of the basic fertilisation treatments seriously retarded the basal area growth compared to the refertilised treatments. There seems to be a greater shortage of potassium than of phosphorus, because the foliar potassium concentrations and the amounts of potassium in the 0–20 cm peat layer were very low in several of the experiments.


Objective Risk assessment for operative mortality is mandatory for all cardiac operations. For some operation types such as aortic valve repair, EuroSCORE II overestimates the mortality rate and a new scoring system (German AV score) has been developed for a more accurate assessment of operative risk. In this study, we aimed to validate German Aortic Valve Score in our clinic in patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement. Methods A total of 35 patients who underwent isolated open aortic valve replacement between 2010 and 2013 were included. Patients with concomitant procedures and transcatheter aortic valve implantation were excluded. Patients' data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients' risk scores EuroSCORE II were calculated online according to criteria described by EuroSCORE taskforce, Aortic Valve Scores were also calculated. Results The mean age of patients was 61.14±13.25 years (range 29-80 years). The number of female patients was 14 (40%) and body mass index of 25 (71.43%) patients was in range of 22-35. Mean German Aortic Valve Score was 1.05±0.96 (min: 0 max: 4.98) and mean EuroSCORE was 2.30±2.60 (min: 0.62, max: 2.30). The Aortic Valve Score scale showed better discriminative capacity (AUC 0.647, 95% CI 0.439-0.854). The goodness of fit was x2HL=16.63; P=0.436). EuroSCORE II scale had shown less discriminative capacity (AUC 0.397, 95% CI 0.200-0.597). The goodness of fit was good for both scales. The goodness of fit was x2HL=30.10; P=0.610. Conclusion In conclusion, German AV score applies to our population with high predictive accuracy and goodness of fit.


At a time in which the integrity of the medical profession is perceptibly challenged, emergency physicians (EPs) have an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to both their patients and their practice through acceptance of a virtue-based ethic. The virtue-based ethic transcends legalistic rule following and the blind application of principles. Instead, virtue honors the humanity of patients and the high standards of the profession. Recognizing historical roots that are relevant to the modern context, this article describes 10 core virtues important for EPs. In addition to the long-recognized virtues of prudence, courage, temperance, and justice, 6 additional virtues are offered unconditional positive regard, charity, compassion, trustworthiness, vigilance, and agility. These virtues might serve as ideals to which all EPs can strive. Through these, the honor of the profession will be maintained, the trust of patients will be preserved, and the integrity of the specialty will be promoted.


The main objective of the present study is to test various methods for describing the absorption spectra of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and to determine the numerical values of some optical parameters of CDOM in lakes with diverse water quality. First, the parameters of an exponential model in different spectral intervals were determined. In addition, the suitability of some other models for the approximation of CDOM spectra was estimated. Specific absorption coefficients of CDOM were calculated from the absorption coefficients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. The experimental initial data were differences between spectral attenuation coefficients of filtered and distilled water. Two datasets were used: 1) for 13 Estonian and 7 Finnish lakes (altogether 404 spectra between 350 and 700 nm) measured by the Estonian Marine Institute (EMI); 2) for 10 Finnish lakes (73 spectra) measured by the Finnish Environment Institute (FEI).

The spectra of CDOM absorption coefficients ( aCDOM ) were calculated from experimental data taking into account the correction due to scattering properties of colloids in the filtered water. The total content of CDOM in natural waters of Estonian and Finnish lakes was expressed by means of aCDOM at the wavelength of 380 nm. It varied significantly, from 0.71 to 19.5 m−1, the mean value (of all the investigated lakes) being around 6.6 m−1. Slopes of the exponential approximation varied widely, from 0.006 to 0.03 nm−1. Averaged over all lakes values of slope for the interval 380-500 nm obtained from the EMI dataset are close to those obtained from the FEI dataset: from 0.014 nm−1 (without correction) to 0.016-0.017 nm-1 (with different types of correction). These results are in good correspondence with most published data.

Attempts to describe the spectra in the region of 350-700 nm by means of hyperexponential functions (∽ exp(- αλη )) show that: (1) η λ1, where λ1 will be chosen taking into account the real shape of aCDOM spectra.

The mean value of the specific absorption coefficient ( a*CDOM ) at the wavelength 380 nm obtained in this study (0.44 L mg−1 m−1) is close to the values published in the literature, if we assume that a*CDOM (380) is calculated using the data of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The optically non-active fraction of DOM in our study was high and therefore a*CDOM (380) was considerably higher (1.01 L mg−1 m−1) than a*CDOM (380).

The results of the present work could be used in the modeling of underwater light field as well as in the interpretation of radiation measurements and optical remote sensing results.


Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides administrative and judicial remedies for victims of discrimination in employment. Employers, engaged in "an industry affecting commerce" and having fifteen or more employees who work at least twenty weeks out of the year, are subject to the statutes strictures. Unions are also subject to the statute if they have fifteen or more members, operate an office or hiring hall, and represent employees. One remedy available under Title VII is an award of back pay from the date of the alleged violation. Back pay may be defined as court-awarded compensation for the loss of earnings resulting from a discriminatory employment practice. Modeled after similar provisions in the National Labor Relations Act, the back pay provision of Title VII, like the entirety of the statute, has a two-fold purpose. First, it provides employers with incentive to comply with the statute. Second, by furnishing the victim of discrimination with compensation for wages lost as a result of the violation, it makes the plaintiff whole. Initially intended as an instrument of compensation, the back pay award has become a formidable weapon in the hands of employee plaintiffs. The metamorphosis has been hastened by recent case law developments. The purpose of this Note is to review these developments, and to determine whether this increase in the award's potency is desirable.


Climate change poses one of the greatest challenges for human society in the twenty-first century, yet there is a major disconnect between our actions to deal with it and the gravity of the threat it implies. In a world where the fate of countries is increasingly intertwined, how should we think about, and accordingly, how should we manage, the types of risk posed by anthropogenic climate change?
The problem is multi-faceted, and involves not only technical and policy specific approaches, but also questions of social justice and sustainability. In this volume the editors have assembled a unique
range of contributors who together examine the intersection between the science, politics, economics and ethics of climate change. The book includes perspectives from some of the world's foremost commentators in their fields, ranging from leading scientists to political theorists, to high profile policymakers and practitioners. They offer a critical new approach to thinking about climate change, and help express a common desire for a more equitable society and a more sustainable way of life.


An interesting practical consideration for decoding of serial or parallel concatenated codes with more than two components is the determination of the lowest complexity component decoder schedule which results in convergence. This correspondence presents an algorithm that finds such an optimal decoder schedule. A technique is also given for combining and projecting a series of three-dimensional extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) functions onto a single two-dimensional EXIT chart. This is a useful technique for visualizing the convergence threshold for multiple concatenated codes and provides a design tool for concatenated codes with more than two components.


Password-based authentication is widely used today, despite problems with security and usability. To control the negative effects of some of these problems, best practice mandates that servers do not store passwords in clear, but password hashes are used. Password hashes slow down the password verification and thus the rate of password guessing in the event of a server compromise. A slower password hash is more secure, as the attacker needs more resources to test password guesses, but at the same time it slows down password verification for the legitimate server. This puts a practical limit on the hardness of the password hash and thus the security of password storage.
 We propose a conceptually new method to construct password hashes called "useful" password hashes (UPHs), that do not simply waste computing cycles as other constructions do (e.g., iterating MD5 for several thousand times), but use those cycles to solve other computational problems at the same time, while still being a secure password hash. This way, we are convinced that server operators are willing to use slower password hashes, thus increasing the overall security of password-based authentication.
 We give three constructions, based on problems from the field of cryptography: brute-forcing block ciphers, solving discrete logarithms, and factoring integers. These constructions demonstrate that UPHs can be constructed from problems of practical interest, and we are convinced that these constructions can be adapted to a variety of other problems as well.


: Data comes from diversified sources in a distributed computing environment. Outlier detection in such environment is challenging as it involves a strategy to mine outliers. Parallel processing of data available in multiple sources can provide outliers in short span of time. In fact speed with which outlier are mined and interpreted to make well informed decisions is very important in many real world applications like disease outburst detection in healthcare domain. Towards this end, in this paper, we proposed a framework known as Distributed Distance-based Detection of Outliers (D30). The framework guides the process of discovering outliers from large data sets. An algorithm named Distributed Outlier Detection (DOD) is proposed to achieve this. The algorithm exploits the notion of outlier detection solving set to have effective detection of outliers. Two synthetic datasets known as G2d and G3d and a real dataset from NASA named 2Mass are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm. We built a prototype application to demonstrate proof of the concept. The empirical results revealed that the proposed algorithm is capable of finding outliers effectively. The algorithm showed better performance when compared with other state of the art outlier detection algorithm that employs distributed approach in mining outliers.


Children who are blind experience deficits in fitness and motor skills (Lieberman and McHugh, 2001; Skaggs and Hopper, 1996; Skellenger, Rosenblum and Jaeger, 1997). In addition children who are blind possess low self-efficacy (Craft and Hogan, 1985). Skill level, opportunities and self-efficacy may increase with proper instruction. Children in general benefit from instruction, yet there is limited research on modt:ling techniques a11g self-efficacy for children who are blind. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of brailling and physical guidance teaching techniques on the self-efficacy of children )VhO are blind during goal ball skills. In addition, the study determined which sources of self-efficacy, proposed be Bandura (1997), had the greatest effect on the self-efficacy of the participants of the study. The self-efficacy of children who are blind was analyzed using two different teaching methods for the sport of goal ball Counselors in a one-week summer camp were paired with campers who are blind I: I and randomly assigned a teaching technique. Braillin? and physical guidance both coupled with explanation were studied to detennine whether or not !hey helped in increasing self-efficacy in goal ball skills and which one elicited a greater improvement. This study also analyzed the sources of efficacy. A pre posttest self-efficacy questionnaire (5 point Likert Scale) was used for the self-efficacy, open ended questions were used to determine sources, and counselor journals were also used in collecting information for the sources. Results detemtined that both brailling and physical guidance significantly (p< .05) increased self-efficacy scores. The results provide evidence that both brailling and physical guidance have an effect on the self-efficacy of participants who are blind. Both physical guidance and brailling significantly increased the participant's efficacious level within gtoups. Self-efficacy score differences (between pre and post-test) between physical guidance and brailling was not examined and it was not determined whether these pre/post test scores differences were significant. When looking at the statistical outcomes of brailling vs. physical guidance in pretest and posttest scores, the results reveal tliat there were no signi.ficant,differences between physical guidance and brailling in pretest scores or posttest scores. When analyzing the sources of self-efficacy, verbal persuasion and vicarious experience (Bandura, 1997) increased, past performance remained the same, and physiological state had no effect after the one week intervention was completed. Baseq. on the results of the current study, the following conclusions can be made: 1. Modeling techniques for participants who are blind in goal ball, enhanced self-efficacy for the participants in both physical guidance and brailling groups. 2. Both physical guidance ~d brailling enhanced every participant's self-efficacy. Although a stronger case was found with physical guidance, no significant differences were found between the two modeling techniques. 3. The sources of efficacy that influenced the participant's self-efficacy the most were vicarious experience in the lead with 76%, past performance 54%, verbal persuasion 45% and physiological state accounted for less than 100/o. ..


China's meteoric emergence in the last decade and its profound impact on the economic performance of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has eclipsed the importance of the region's other Asian partners. Yet, LAC`s governments can only ignore them at their own peril. These countries remain a major source of opportunities for trade and investment and Korea is a case in point. It has a one trillion dollar economy, with an impressive growth record (a 7% annual average growth since the early 1960s) and a population of nearly 49 million, sitting on a very limited pool of natural resources.


In teleosts, locomotor and physiological activities are controlled by biological
synchronizers which can be triggered by endogenous or exogenous cues; the
light–dark cycle is one of the most common synchronizers (Vera et al.,
2006). The pineal organ processes changes in the light related hormonal signals
such as melatonin which has been associated with the mediation of physiological
processes (Pavlidis et al., 1999) and the transduction of light information to
reproductive and growth processes in fishes (Bayarri et al., 2004). In many vertebrate
species blood melatonin concentration is low during the photophase
(light phase) and elevated during the scotophase (dark phase). Reiter (1989)
defined the three main melatonin synthesis profiles as A, B and C; Type C is
characterized by a prolonged peak during most of the scotophase and is the
most common melatonin production pattern in fishes. No studies on melatonin
levels in seahorses have been reported in the literature. It is known, however,
that seahorses (Hippocampus sp.) display a clear diurnal activity pattern
(Ouyang, 2005; Karina et al., 2006; Sheng et al., 2006). The aims of this study
on adult pot-bellied seahorses Hippocampus abdominalis Lesson, 1827, were to


Epidemiologic studies from several countries have found that mortality rates associated with the metabolic syndrome are inversely associated with coffee consumption. Metabolic syndrome can lead to arteriosclerosis by endothelial dysfunction, and increases the risk for myocardial and cerebral infarction. Accordingly, it is important to understand the possible protective effects of coffee against components of the metabolic syndrome, including vascular endothelial function impairment, obesity and diabetes. Coffee contains many components, including caffeine, chlorogenic acid, diterpenes and trigonelline. Studies have found that coffee polyphenols, such as chlorogenic acids, have many health-promoting properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and antihypertensive properties. Chlorogenic acids may exert protective effects against metabolic syndrome risk through their antioxidant properties, in particular toward vascular endothelial cells, in which nitric oxide production may be enhanced, by promoting endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression. These effects indicate that coffee components may support the maintenance of normal endothelial function and play an important role in the prevention of metabolic syndrome. However, results related to coffee consumption and the metabolic syndrome are heterogeneous among studies, and the mechanisms of its functions and corresponding molecular targets remain largely elusive. This review describes the results of studies exploring the putative effects of coffee components, especially in protecting vascular endothelial function and preventing metabolic syndrome.


The laser beam is a small, flexible and fast polishing tool. With laser radiation it is possible to finish many outlines or geometries on quartz glass surfaces in the shortest possible time. It's a fact that the temperature developing while polishing determines the reachable surface smoothing and, as a negative result, causes material tensions. To find out which parameters are important for the laser polishing process and the surface roughness respectively and to estimate material tensions, temperature simulations and extensive polishing experiments took place. During these experiments starting and machining parameters were changed and temperatures were measured contact-free.