Hyperspectral data has remarkable capabilities for automatic identification and mapping of urban surface materials because of its high spectral resolution. It includes a wealth of information which facilitates an understanding of the ground material properties. For identification of road surface materials, information about their relation to hyperspectral sensor measurements is needed. In this study an approach for classification of road surface materials using hyperspectral data is developed. The condition of the road surface materials, in particular asphalt is also investigated. Hyperspectral data with 4m spatial resolution of the city of Ludwigsburg, Germany consisting of 125 bands (wavelength range of 0.4542μm to 2.4846 μm) is used. Different supervised classification methods such as spectral angle mapper are applied based on a spectral library established from field measurements and in-situ inspection. It is observed that using the spectral angle mapper approach with regions of interest is helpful for road surface material identification. Additionally, spectral features are tested using their spectral functions in order to achieve better classification results. Spectral functions such as mean and standard deviation are suitable for discriminating asphalt, concrete and gravel. Different asphalt conditions (good, intermediate and bad) are distinguished using the spectral functions such as mean and image ratio. The mean function gives reliable results. Automatisierte Liegenschaftskarte (ALK) vector data for roads is integrated in order to confine the analysis to roads. Reliable reference spectra are useful in evaluation of classification results for spectrally similar road surface materials. The classification results are assessed using orthophotos and field visits information.


Abstract The Indian economy has witnessed four qualitatively different regimes of capitalist growth and distribution since independence. The first two regimes in the period (1951–80) operated under the hegemony of the Indian state, the third one under the mixed hegemony of the state and private capital (1980–91), and the last one under the hegemony of private capital (1991–2012). These four regimes are associated with very different growth and distributional dynamics, roles of the state, and ended with crises of diverse kinds that then ushered in new regimes. This paper attempts to show how Indian political economic history after independence is a patchwork of periods of short-lived stability that were in turn shaped and produced by various crises and contingencies. It is certainly the case that through this entire period, even as economic growth was achieved, there was an unmistakable emergence of private capital and professional classes as the dominant (without being hegemonic) classes that have become adept at using markets and the state to further their own interests. The authors argue that this dominance itself has come about through a series of contingent outcomes.


Currently, most widely tunable lasers rely on an external diffraction grating to tune the laser wavelength. In this paper we present the realization of a chip-scale Vernier tunable racetrack resonator filter on the Ge-on-SOI waveguide platform that allows for wide tuning (108 nm free spectral range) in the 5 µm wavelength range without any moving parts. The fabricated racetrack resonators have a loaded Q-factor of 20000, resulting in a side-peak suppression of more than 20 dB, which is more than sufficient for wavelength selection in an external cavity laser.


Recommended reading as part of the Chief of Naval Operation's Professional Reading Program!This now-classic novel by Richard McKenna enjoyed great critical acclaim and commercial success when it was first published in 1962. The winner of the coveted Harper Prize, it was on the "New York Times" bestseller list for seven months and was made into a popular motion picture that continues to be shown on television today.Set in China on the eve of revolution, the book tells the story of an old U.S. Navy gunboat, the San Pablo, and her dedicated crew of "Sand Pebbles" on patrol in the far reaches of the Yangtze River to show the flag and protect American missionaries and businessmen from bandits. The plot revolves around a newcomer to the boat, machinist's mate Jake Holman, a maverick and loner who dramatically alters the lives of the crew and the people they have come to save. A faithful engine-room coolie and a pretty young missionary help Holman gain an appreciation of China and its people and discover a world of humanity and promise he has never known. It is a story of old loyalties versus new values, of violence and tenderness, tragedy and humor, and it engages the reader from the first line to the last. This new paperback edition includes in informative introduction by Robert Shenk, written for the Naval Institute's Classics of Naval Literature edition in 1984.


Title of dissertation: Proton and Helium Spectra from the First Flight of the CREAM Balloon-Borne Experiment Young Soo Yoon, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Dissertation directed by: Professor Eun-Suk Seo Department of Physics and Institute for Physical Science and Technology Cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra have been measured with the balloonborne Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) experiment flown for 42 days in Antarctica in the 2004-2005 austral summer season. High-energy cosmic-ray data were collected at an average altitude of ∼38.5 km with an average atmospheric overburden of ∼3.9 g/cm. Individual elements are clearly separated with a charge resolution of∼0.15e (in charge units) and∼0.2e, respectively, for protons and helium nuclei. The measured spectra at the top of the atmosphere are represented by a power law with a spectral index of -2.66 ±0.02 for protons from 2.5 TeV to 250 TeV and -2.58 ±0.02 for helium nuclei from 630 GeV/nucleon to 63 TeV/nucleon. The measured proton and helium spectra are harder than previous measurements at a few tens of GeV/nucleon. Possible explanations of this spectral hardening could be the effect of a relatively nearby source or the effect of spectral concavity caused by interactions of cosmic rays with the accelerating shock. The helium flux is higher than that expected from extrapolation of a power-law fit to the lower-energy data. The relative abundance of protons to helium nuclei is about 8.8 ±0.5 in the range from 2.5 TeV/nucleon to 63 TeV/nucleon. In this thesis, the analysis of proton and helium spectra will be discussed.


Given the plethora of frameworks and models available in this area, not all could be evaluated here. This paper takes seven popular frameworks and examines aspects of IT evaluation with particular emphasis on Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The frameworks were selected from the most well known of IT evaluation research including Delone and McLean, 1992, Seddon et.al. 1999, Farbey et.al, 1999, Levy et.al., 1998. Most of the frameworks were developed for large organisations and therefore those chosen were evaluated for their applicability to the world of SMEs. These are categorised into four areas: people issues, technology focus, evolutionary position and management aspects. The conclusion is reached that the use of a multi-framework is needed for all organisations. This presents severe difficulties in larger organisations, as the problems of communications can be a stumbling block to completing the evaluation. However, this paper proposes that SMEs may find it easier to take parts of 'tested' frameworks used by larger companies and apply them. The communication links within SMEs are neither as complex nor as highly developed as in large organisations that may make this an appropriate approach.


We all need to think more like entrepreneurs. Seeking and seizing opportunities, boldly taking risks, quickly changing course?achieving success today requires the kind of action-first, fake-it-?til-you-make-it ethos celebrated in the tech industry.

 This formula is not typically a female one. Women tend to be cautious. We overthink our next moves, become paralyzed by fear, and simply don't act. We might be safer . . . but we're also stuck.

 But, what if women embraced the startup model? What if we had the confidence to take chances, even if we knew we may fail fabulously? What if instead of agonizing over which step to take, we leapt forward quickly? Fearless and Free empowers women, showing us how we can all use lessons from Silicon Valley to pivot in our careers?and unlock a world of possibilities.

 Author Wendy Sachs talked to a wide range of women who faced down fears, roadblocks, and failures?to reinvent themselves. Spanning industries and ages?from media maven Jill Abramson to Aminatou Sow of the Tech LadyMafia?the book weaves their insights and experiences together with current research and actionable advice. You'll learn how to:

 Capitalize on your skills and expand them

 Grow comfortable with being uncomfortable

 Sell your story

 Engineer serendipity

 Nurture your network

 Shake off setbacks

 Brand yourself?without bragging

 Build momentum

 Compete with digital natives

 And more

 Being disciplined is no match for being disruptive. Whether you want out of a shrinking industry or into a business of your own creation, Fearless and Free helps you dream big?and act now.


We made plant physiology examinations in Arkaso winter oilseed rape hybrid substance: relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) and leaf area index (LAI) measurements. The experiment was set in University of Debrecen Agricultural Sciences Center at Latokepi Experimental Station in four replications, in two different sowing times (I. sowing date on 08/22/2014 and II. sowing date on 09/09/2014 sowing againhappened because of the incomplete germination in the second subtance 01/10/2014) Three different plant density 200, 350 and 500 thousand ha-1, under the same nutrient supply, 45 cm row spacing. The experiment was green crop of winter wheat. The relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) and leaf area index (LAI) measurements were made in seven different times. We measured the maximum value of chlorophyll content in the first sowing time at 500, and the second sowing time at 350 thousand ha-1 plant density. The measurement results proved that there was a linear relationship between the number of plants and the LAI. The maximum leaf area index values we measured in both the sowing time at 500 thousand ha-1 reached.


Orexin receptors are involved in many processes including energy homeostasis, wake/sleep cycle, metabolism and reward. Development of potent and selective ligands is an essential step for defining the mechanism(s) underlying such critical processes. The goal of this study was to further investigate the structure-activity relationships of these peptides and to identify truncated form of the orexin peptides active at OX1. Truncation studies have led to OXA (17-33) as the shortest active peptide known to date with a 23-fold selectivity for OX1 over OX2. Alanine, D-amino acid and proline scans have highlighted the particular importance of Tyr17, Leu20, Asn25 and His26 for agonist properties of OXA(17-33). The conformation of the C-terminus might also be a defining factor in agonist activity and selectivity of the orexin peptides for the OX1 receptor.


Karstic caves are created by water eroding and corroding rocks that can be dissolved. Since both the spring areas of caves (normally at the valley bottom) as well as the recharge is controlled by superficial processes, the morphology of the cave bears strong links to these influences. Lowering of local base levels promotes the development of horizontal phreatic cave passages at progressively lower elevations, resulting in the formation of multi-level karst systems. Upon the next lowering of base level, these upper systems become fossilized, and sediment trapped within them may remain preserved for millions of years. Dating these sediments gives clues regarding the time when the passages were last active, and thus may yield age information for old valley floors. The present paper presents cosmogenic nuclide datings of twelve samples from eight caves in the central part of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria. Besides three samples that gave no results, most of the obtained ages are at the Mio-Pliocene boundary or within the Pliocene, as was expected before sampling. No multi-level caves could be sampled at different elevations, thus, the obtained valley deepening rates are averages between the age of sediment deposition and the present-day valley floor. However, the valley deepening rates of 0.12 to 0.21 km/Ma are in accordance to previous findings and corroborate a comparatively slow evolution of base level lowering in the Eastern Alps compared to the fast (Late Quaternary) evolution in the Central and Western Alps.


Abstract Anterior knee pain is a frequent clinical problem. It provides a common challenge to diagnose and manage. Basic science studies have provided insight into the origin of anterior knee pain and refined understanding of the anatomy. Clinical evaluation has progressively focused on the contribution of the entire lower extremity to patellofemoral function. Nonsurgical management has been refined by the concept of the "envelope of function" and by increased understanding of the neuromuscular control of the knee. Indications for lateral release have been clarified and narrowed. Although anteromedial transfer of the tibial tuberosity is helpful in certain circumstances, reports of postoperative fracture have led to less aggressive rehabilitation protocols. Chondral resurfacing of the patellofemoral joint and patellofemoral arthroplasty are evolving. Emphasis should remain on nonsurgical management, which is sufficient in most patients.


Bellwether Education Partners' report, A New Agenda, calls for a "rational" and "rigorous" research agenda for teacher education. Although the report's rationale is not fully explicated, it asserts that programs are "blindly swinging from one popular reform to the next" and that decades of inputand outcome-based research has failed to improve teacher education. Instead, the report calls for "rapid cycle evaluations." Regrettably, this depiction of past research includes mischaracterizations and also omits a wide swath of relevant literature about teacher education. Further, the report does not adequately explain what "rapid cycle evaluations" would entail or how they would work to improve teacher preparation program design, nor does the report offer a research foundation for this approach. The report also fails to recognize the socio-political context of teacher education, wherein programs are often left scrambling to meet competing accountability expectations. A New Agenda leaves practical questions unanswered, muddies the waters about promising research avenues, and ignores important bodies of literature in teacher education. Ultimately it represents a missed opportunity to offer guidance to either policymakers or institutions. Review of A New AgeNdA: ReseARch To Build A BeTTeR TeAcheR PRePARATioN PRogRAm


The former Zn-ore smelting activity in Viviez (Aveyron, France) resulted in multimetallic contamination of the upper Lot River system (SW France). This study addresses for the first time the metals/metalloids mobility in impacted riverside fluvial soils due to reducing conditions during long-term flooding events. Six impacted riverside fluvio-soils were sampled along the Riou Mort and Lot rivers. Their levels of contamination decrease with the distance from the contamination source. Higher enrichment factors (EF) relative to French average soil metallic content occur 1 km far from the contamination source and vary from 3 for Sn, to 5 for As, 9 for Sb, 27 for Pb, 40 for Zn and 63 for Cd. At 20 km downstream from the contamination source, EF still reach a value of 3 for Cd and Zn. A micro-physical mineralogical characterisation of contaminated soils revealed a variety of metal-bearing phases: metallic compounds, oxides and sulphides, Fe oxides, glass and silicates as well as coke. Sequential chemical extraction experiments were conducted on the most contaminated soil in order to identify which mineral phases were the best candidates to release metals/metalloids. At the end of experiments more than 70 % of total Cd and As, 55 % of Zn and Sb, and 40 % of Pb and Sn were extracted from the soil. Only Cd appeared as readily mobilised, with 33 % of its total amount being extracted in the first steps of experiments. Under reducing conditions, iron oxyhydroxides, franklinite and multimetallic oxides are the best candidates, in decreasing order of importance, for metals/metalloids release from the soil.


—Apple fruit texture is a key quality trait orienting consumer choice and agro-industrial processes. Among the several factors at different scales involved in texture, cell walls and their constitutive hemicelluloses are determinant in controlling the mechanical properties of the cells and tissues. In this report, the dynamic of cell wall composition and hemicelluloses fine structure during fruit development and ripening was studied from different apple genotypes collected over 2 years. Typical loss of cell wall galactose was observed along apple expansion and ripening. The combination of cell wall enzymatic hydrolysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed important hemicelluloses modifications along the fruit construction and maturation affecting both xyloglucan and the manor amount of glucomannans. Similar modifications were observed for individuals collected over the two years. The fine-tuning of hemicelluloses structure during apple development and ripening appears as an addition mean by which the fruit controls its mechanical properties and resulting texture.


The results of preliminary experiments with relatively low power electron beam interacting with plasma in GDT device are discussed. The beam was injected into the device through one of the end mirrors. In the experiments, the problems related to the beam transport through the magnetic mirror were addressed.


The principal concern of this thesis is the extent to which male and female characters in Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native (1878), Henry James's The Europeans (1878) and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence (1920) succeed in contributing to, or halting, the processes of change in their respective societies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In combination, these three novels provide a particularly apt opportunity to look at issues of gender and social change at specific points in time, and within a transatlantic context, through the representation of attitudes and actions by individuals within the narratives. The study is divided into three chapters, an introduction and a conclusion. Each chapter addresses one novel through three main areas of enquiry that aim to build a detailed understanding of the role of gender in the relevant social settings. The first area of study concerns the serialisation of the novels, with attention to the visual imagery that accompanied the texts in the case of Hardy and Wharton. The illustrations which accompanied the first, serialised versions of The Return of the Native and The Age of Innocence disclose concealed themes. They also provide added insight into the expectations of the period. The second area of enquiry explores the setting of each novel: Egdon Heath in Hardy's English west-country Wessex, Boston for James and New York in the case of Wharton. Those settings are discussed in relation to historical indicators within the works, including public gathering places which are portrayed as points of social pressure. A study of characterisation in the novels concludes each of the three chapters. The focus is on individuals, representing certain social categories, that are either struggling to attain a degree of autonomy over their lives or trying to maintain a status quo that would enable them to keep their social position. The conclusion brings into the thesis a conversation about technical devices and further contextual considerations that the three authors deployed in order effectively to portray how men and women of their respective societies reacted to changes at different levels of their everyday lives. A main contribution to knowledge in this study lies in the examination of serialisation and the use of illustrations in light of the role of gender in social change. Despite cultural differences between the American and the British societies portrayed , Hardy, James and Wharton as major authors of their time share a number of concerns about male and female interactions within vastly changing societies. Furthermore, this investigation aims to establish an example that might prompt future comparisons of more global writers from different periods and parts of the world; in particular, asking how they differently reflect change in diverse social contexts.


Introduction: The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), is a neuropeptide and an incretin that helps regulate glucose and insulin concentrations. The effects of acute aerobic exercise however on the response of GLP-1 are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute aerobic exercise on glucagon -like peptide-1 (GLP-1) serum levels, glucose and insulin in women with type II diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: In this study, 20 patients with type II diabetes were enrolled in two groups (experimental and control). The experimental group underwent aerobic training one times (running on treadmill) with moderate intensity 65-75% HR max to exhaustion. Blood samples before exercise, immediately after and 24 hours after exercise were collected for measuring GLP-1, glucose and Insulin. Results: Results showed that none of sampling time effects on GLP-1, glucose and insulin were significant (p>0.05). also, Pearson correlation showed that was significant relationship between GLP-1 changes levels and glucose (p<0.05). Conclusion: Results indicate that in women with type II diabetes, acute aerobic exercise, with moderate intensity to exhaustion immediately and 24 hours after exercise has no effect on serum levels of GLP-1, glucose and insulin.


Peer victimization has been linked to maladjustment in school-age children. However, the field is less clear about how different parameters of peer victimization (e.g., frequency, stability) confer risk to children. In this study, I evaluated the extent to which key parameters (operationalized as distinct peer victimization indices) predicted internalizing maladjustment in 4 grade children (N = 445). From self-, teacher-, and peer-reported victimization data gathered at three time points within an academic year, I generated the following indices: Mean Level, Stability, CrossInformant Agreement, and Informant Source. Controlling for baseline internalizing scores, hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that: a) only self-reported Mean Level and Stability, and Cross-Informant Agreement at Time 3 (T3) predicted internalizing outcomes; b) teacherand peer-reported victimization did not predict internalizing adjustment; c) victimization self-reports at T3 were the best predictors of internalizing maladjustment; d) predictive utility of the indices was modest at best; and e) internalizing functioning at T1 accounted for most of the variance explained by the models. Post-hoc analyses found: a) gender moderated the relation between victimization self-reports and internalizing outcomes; and b) race/ethnicity moderated the relation between peer-reports and internalizing outcomes. Results were discussed through the lens of conceptual frameworks (e.g., information processing models, social ecological models) hypothesized to play a role in the development of internalizing maladjustment as a direct or indirect consequence of peer victimization. Limitations, implications for research and practice, and future directions were discussed.


To promote the massive video content delivery and to realize the long-term overall cost, the caching and computing functions have to be installed at some intermediate nodes within the networks. This paper presents a cache-aware multicast beamforming design for multicell multigroup multicast, where information-centric networking and mobile edge computing techniques are brought in the multicell multicast system to cache and transcode the contents passing through the nodes. The proposed cache-aware multicast beamforming design jointly optimizes the multicast mode, the caching strategy, and the network-wide beamforming vector, and focuses on minimizing the energy cost of the caching, computing, and communications. To make the formulated problem tractable, a two step method is proposed in this paper, where the first step is devoted to the cache-aware multicast approach design, while the second step is focused on the sparse multicast beamforming design. Furthermore, in order to promote the stabilization of the system, we further design a robust joint optimization strategy for the scenario with the imperfect channel state information. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of our proposed schemes.


The major outer membrane proteins (MOMPs) of several Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes (B, D, G, H, and L2) and of the C. psittaci meningopneumonitis strain were purified by preparatory sodium dodecyl sulfate-(SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isolated SDS-polypeptide complexes, which varied in their apparent subunit molecular weights, were used as immunogens to raise hyperimmune rabbit antisera. The specificities of these antisera were determined both by rocket immunoelectrophoresis with the soluble SDS-polypeptide complex as antigen and by micro-immunofluorescence with whole organisms. By rocket immunoelectrophoresis, each of the soluble C. trachomatis MOMPs was immunologically related; however, no immunological cross-reactions occurred with the C. psittaci meningopneumonitis polypeptide, indicating that the MOMPs are antigenically distinct among members of these two chlamydial species. The same antisera were highly reactive with intact organisms by micro-immunfluorescence, demonstrating that at least some of the antibodies raised with SDS-polypeptide complexes reacted with native antigenic sites of these surface proteins. By micro-immunofluorescence, anti-MOMP sera remained species specific; but, unlike the results observed by rocket immunoelectrophoresis, distinct differences in the reactivity and specificity of these antisera were observed among C. trachomatis serotypes. C. trachomatis isolates were separated into two distinct serogroups on the basis of their reactivity with anti-MOMP sera. B complex organisms (B, Ba, D, E, F, G, K, L1, L2, and L3) all reacted strongly with anti-MOMP sera of the B, D, G, and L2 serotypes. In contrast, these same antisera were poorly reactive with the C complex serotypes A, C, H, I, and J. Anti-H MOMP serum was the most serospecific, since high-antibody titers were found only against the homologous H serotype organism. These findings indicate that MOMPs of different strains of C. trachomatis are antigenically complex and that antigenic heterogeneity exists among the surface-exposed portions of the protein.


1033 and S33C are wrought medium-carbon non-alloy steels that are used in the normalized, cold worked, or quenched and tempered condition. 1033 and S33C may also be flame or induction hardened. These steels are widely used for small, moderately stressed parts that require higher strength levels than can be achieved by the lower carbon grades, and also for applications where a combination of moderate strength and good toughness is required. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, hardness, elasticity, and tensile properties. It also includes information on corrosion resistance as well as forming, heat treating, machining, and joining. Filing Code: CS-236. Producer or source: Data Survey.


Canopy structure significantly affects ecosystem function by influencing light attenuation, and thus there is a great need to characterize changes in canopy structural attributes such as leaf area index (LAI). This study presents an evaluation of a set of anisotropic vegetation indices (VIs) used in the estimation of LAI in the growth cycle of wheat. An analytical two-layer canopy reflectance model (ACRM) was used to simulate a range of bidirectional reflectance with different LAI variations and view zenith angles (VZAs). A number of indices, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), the hot spot - dark spot index (HDS), the hot spot – dark spot NDVI (NDVIHD), and a new proposed hot spot – dark spot difference index (HDDI), were selected and compared for linearity with increasing LAI in the sensitivity study. Simulation results indicated that EVI was a better candidate than NDVI for LAI estimation in linearity. HDS560 and HDS670 showed nonmonotonical patterns with increasing LAI, and better resistance to saturation limits was observed for both HDS750 and HDS870. Indices of NDVIHD (NDVIHD870 and NDVIHD750) were found to have low sensitivity at high LAI values, with a clear saturation for LAI values above 3. For the two new angular indices, HDDI705 was found to have a relatively linear relationship in an LAI range of 1–5. HDDI750 showed the best linear relationship with LAI, and no saturation was observed for LAI values in the range 1–8. A validation study was conducted for the growth cycle of two types of wheat. NDVI and EVI showed reasonable potential in the estimation of LAI, with determination coefficients R2 of 0.68 and 0.78, respectively, and corresponding root mean square errors (RMSE in LAI units) of 0.79 and 0.66. Band selection was demonstrated to have significant effects on HDS indices. HDS560 showed a very low correlation with LAI (R2 = 0.40, RMSE = 0.85), and no correlation was found between HDS670 and LAI. However, both HDS750 and HDS870 can provide moderate estimates of LAI, with R2 values of 0.76 and 0.73, respectively, and corresponding RMSE values of 0.61 and 0.65. For the NDVIHD indices, low determination coefficients R2 of 0.51 and 0.47 were obtained (RMSE = 0.81 and 0.88). For the two new angular indices, significant correlations (R2 = 0.84 and 0.85, respectively, and RMSE = 0.48 and 0.45) were observed for HDDI705 and HDDI750. These preliminary results provide certain insights for the development of future multi-angle remote sensing models for LAI estimation with satellite observations in other ecosystems.


The benefits of applying object-oriented modeling techniques to represent engineering design information are now well recognized. Various approaches for modeling engineering design data and knowledge based on those techniques have been recently proposed. We argue that the object-oriented paradigm, which is class-centered, is inadequate for capturing the dynamic nature of engineering design data and knowledge because of its lack of support for schema evolution, object evolution, representing partial and inconsistent information, and representing semantic and user-defined relationships. We propose an object-centered approach for modeling engineering design information based on description logic. Description Logic is a knowledge representation paradigm which uses a `description language' to represent knowledge and data and a `description classifier' to make inferences from these descriptions. Description logic languages support the intentional definitions of classes, relationships, and objects. In this paper, we present the advantages of using description logic for representing engineering data and knowledge. We discuss how a description logic implementation of the object-centered approach can be used in two areas which deals with engineering information: 1) the representation of engineering design product models during design, and 2) the representation of the knowledge contained in engineering design standards and specifications.


Mutations in the G protein subunit Gαi3 prevent the endothelin receptor from coupling to the appropriate G protein in patients with auriculo-condylar syndrome. Gαi gets in the way of Gαq Signaling by G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulates various aspects of development and adult physiology, and mutations in GPCR signaling pathway components cause disease. Some patients with auriculo-condylar syndrome (ACS), who have defects in craniofacial development, have mutations in the heterotrimeric G protein subunit Gαi3. Developmental analysis of transfected Xenopus embryos and biochemical analysis in mammalian cells revealed that the Gαi3 mutations associated with ACS enable Gαi3 to bind inappropriately to the endothelin receptor ETAR and block the binding of another G protein, Gαq/11. Although able to bind ETAR, Gαi3 mutants lacked enzymatic activity, thereby preventing intracellular propagation of the endothelin signal. The findings show that dominant-negative mutations in one G protein can impair another and cause disease. Auriculo-condylar syndrome (ACS), a rare condition that impairs craniofacial development, is caused by mutations in a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway. In mice, disruption of signaling by the endothelin type A receptor (ETAR), which is mediated by the G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein) subunit Gαq/11 and subsequently phospholipase C (PLC), impairs neural crest cell differentiation that is required for normal craniofacial development. Some ACS patients have mutations in GNAI3, which encodes Gαi3, but it is unknown whether this G protein has a role within the ETAR pathway. We used a Xenopus model of vertebrate development, in vitro biochemistry, and biosensors of G protein activity in mammalian cells to systematically characterize the phenotype and function of all known ACS-associated Gαi3 mutants. We found that ACS-associated mutations in GNAI3 produce dominant-negative Gαi3 mutant proteins that couple to ETAR but cannot bind and hydrolyze guanosine triphosphate, resulting in the prevention of endothelin-mediated activation of Gαq/11 and PLC. Thus, ACS is caused by functionally dominant-negative mutations in a heterotrimeric G protein subunit.


The goal of this study is to provide a tool for better control over aggregation of neuronal cells in culture. By enhancement of cell-substrate adhesion to artificial (flat electrode array) surfaces, accompanied by weakened neuronal cell-cell adhesion, we aim to inhibit neuronal aggregation and migration. An improved control over cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion in neuronal cultures would be important in the development of devices in which a selective and durable contact between 2D electrode systems and neural tissue is a necessity. An example of such a device is the 'cultured probe', an implantable electrode array pre-cultured with neurons. We investigated the applicability of electric impedance sensing (IS) for the monitoring of cell-cell adhesion in developing neuronal cultures. Comparison of microscope-evaluation of cell coverage and cell spreading with simultaneous impedance measurements showed the superiority of the latter method. IS showed to be a simple technique sensitive enough to detect small changes in developing cultures. The combination of IS and microscopy was adopted for the investigation of cell-cell adhesion in response to blocking of cell adhesion molecules. Soluble extracellular domains of the cell adhesion molecules N-CAM, N-Cadherin and L1 were used for the inhibition of cell-cell adhesion in neuronal cultures. Especially the N-Cadherin protein and antibody showed to be effective in aggregation inhibition on surfaces coated with PEI, PLL, laminin and fibronectin. We also studied the neuron adhesive properties of surfaces with immobilized L1, NCAM and N-Cadherin protein or antibodies. Surfaces with immobilized N-CAM and N-Cadhering protein or antibodies show good neuron adhesive properties, but neuronal adhesion on L1 modified surfaces (both protein and antibodies) was very poor. In the second part of chapter 5 we studied the effect of adding soluble CAMs to neurons cultured on immobilized CAM surfaces. Competition between soluble CAMs and immobilized CAMs of the same origin was observed, since all the applied CAMs bind homotypically. Neurons cultured on immobilized antibodies were less affected by addition of soluble CAM blockers of the same type compared to neurons cultured on immobilized proteins, indicating that antibody-protein bonds are more stable compared to protein-protein bonds.


Accumulation of foamy lipid-laden histiocytic cells is most often seen in the skin and tendons, usually associated with congenital or acquired hyperlipidaemia, as seen in patients with diabetes mellitus, obstructive jaundice, and familial hypercholesterolaemia. The pathogenesis of xanthomatous lesions in other sites, including the urinary bladder,1 prostate,2 and gastrointestinal tract seems to be less consistent. Within the gastrointestinal tract the gastric mucosa is the most frequently cited location. Involvement of the oesophagus and bowel has rarely been described. Only three such cases largely confined to the small bowel have previously been documented. We here present an additional small bowel example accompanied by a short review of the existing literature in English on gastrointestinal xanthomatous lesions, including a discussion on its possible pathogenesis.

Histologically, the lesion is unique and a correct diagnosis does not pose significant difficulties. Identification of diverse phagocytosed cytoplasmic deposits in other histiocytic lesions may require ancillary studies. More importantly, malignant lesions composed of clear cells or signet ring cells, primary or metastatic,3 4 need consideration. With a high index of suspicion coupled with appropriate histochemical and immunohistochemical reactions, the correct diagnosis will easily be accomplished. The process is characterised by aggregates of foamy histiocytes, unaccompanied by fibrosis or giant cells as seen in xanthogranulomatous lesions.5 Well-defined clusters of such foamy histiocytes have been labelled xanthoma.6–8 The diffusely infiltrating counterpart has been termed xanthomatosis.9 10 When forming a bulky mass lesion, the label xanthomatous pseudotumour has been applied11 12 and the subtle collection of xanthoma cells is often referred to as xanthelasma.13 In this letter we collectively refer to these lesions, which may be related, as xanthomatous lesions (XAN).

A woman in her 70s with a CT-verified ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm was admitted for surgery. Her past …


SAINT analyses and identifies incentives to improve levels of collaboration between cooperative and regulatory approaches to information sharing. Analysis of the ecosystems of cyber-criminal activity, associated markets and revenues drive the development of a framework of business models appropriate for the fighting of cyber-crime. The role of regulatory approaches as a cost benefit in cyber-crime reduction is explored within a concept of greater collaboration to gain optimal attrition of cyber-criminal activities. Experimental economics aid SAINT in designing new methodologies for the development of an ongoing and searchable public database of cyber-security indicators and open source intelligence. Comparative analysis of cyber-crime victims and stakeholders within a framework of qualitative social science methodologies deliver valuable evidences and advance knowledge on privacy issues and deep web practices. Equally, comparative analysis of the failures of current cyber-security solutions underpins a model for greater effectiveness and improved cost-benefits. SAINT advances the metrics of cyber-crime through the construct of a framework of a new empirical science that challenges traditional approaches and fuses evidence-based practices with


Orientation: Assessment centres (ACs) are a popular method of assessment in South Africa, as they offer a practical link to the required job, directly observed through candidate behaviour. Content is often borrowed from the USA, so research into the applicability of that content in South Africa is justified. Research purpose: This study aimed to determine whether a selected USA-developed virtual assessment centre (VAC) measured what it claims to, and to determine whether the content is suitable for South Africa. Motivation for the study: A solid pre-statistical foundation of content forms the backbone of assessing validity. Content validation analysis is well suited to analysing the relevance of AC simulations in a specific cultural context. Too often content validation is either implied, or insufficiently explained. Research design, approach and method: A content evaluation schedule was developed, consisting of 50 items covering seven content validation dimensions. Thirteen subject matter experts and nine functional experts were tasked to assess an imported VAC using this schedule. Main findings: This study provides support that the VAC appears to measure what it purports to, and that overall, the content is suitable for use in South Africa. Practical/managerial implications: Content created in the USA can be assessed for relevance and applicability for South Africa through content validation. Contribution/value-add : This study contributes to AC literature and assessment methodology by demonstrating the importance and utility of content validation. Importers and developers of AC content may use this study's techniques to validate content to meet legislative requirements and ensure domain relevance.


A Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic plate was manufactured to have internal damages of different types. A nonlinear ultrasound technique was used to scan the plate. Non-contact transmitters of own design were used as transducer, and a contact sensor was used to measure the wave in the composite. Scanning was made perpendicularly with the sensor being on the same side as the transducer. The technique can be adapted in accuracy and speed.


A distributed feedback Bragg grating waveguide all-optical switch design relying on the ultrafast cross modulation effect of the intersubband transitions in InGaAs/AlAs/AlAsSb coupled double quantum wells is demonstrated. The pump-induced phase modulation to the signal light is converted to intensity modulation efficiently on chip with the help of the grating structures. To our best knowledge, the switching dynamic characteristics of such design are reported for the first time. With a 400 μm long grating waveguide, 3 dB modulation depth with switching energy of 5.5 pJ and recovery time of 4.5 ps is obtained for the switch-off operation.


In support of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, this project sought to identify the significance of nonlinear aerodynamic phenomena in regards to LCO of a straked delta wing design. Previous works include unsteady Navier-Stokes aeroelastic analysis of various wing designs and flight test of F-16 transonic LCO with interest focused on oscillatory SITES behavior. The research presented within this investigation further expanded the understanding of unsteady aerodynamics by performing aeroelastic analysis of a wing oscillated in pitch with an Euler-based, boundary layer coupled numerical method (ZEUS). The wing was tested for a multitude of LCO parameters such as median AoA, oscillation amplitude, oscillation frequency, Mach number, and the type of numerical solver used. Computed pressure data sets were analyzed along the wing's surface at 4 chordwise stations along the wing's span. Results indicate that oscillatory shock migration occurs in response to the pitching motion of the wing. ZEUS has the capability to run either a fully inviscid solution or a boundary layer coupled solution (BLC). While the use of both methods found shock migration to occur, the BLC solution predicted more significant shock migration. The inviscid solution predicted more aggressive shocks located further aft on the wing than the BLC solution. In regards to oscillation amplitude, increasing the amplitude resulted in a greater range of shock migration than lower amplitude cases. Both oscillation frequencies tested did not show any noteworthy differences. The aforementioned findings support the theory that potential oscillatory shock migration can occur during certain cases of transonic LCO. In addition, it was concluded that based on the flow solver used (ZEUS), shock movement during LCO is not purely a function of viscosity (SITES), although the modeling of viscous effects does affect the range of shock migration.


In this paper we study high-speed pattern effect-free cross-gain modulation (XGM) in quantum-dot vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (QD-VCSOA) with and without considering Auger effect. XGM is examined for the different surface densities of QDs and bias currents. We show that appearance of the pattern effect strongly depends on the bias current and surface density of QDs. Pattern effect is improved at higher injection current or low dot density. However, at higher currents since Auger scattering is stronger it fills the higher state of QD and causes the drop of stimulated emission resulting in lower modulation efficiency.


Digital video is becoming increasingly prevalent. Unfortunately, editing video remains difficult for several reasons: it is a time-based medium, it has dual tracks of audio and video, and current tools force users to work at the smallest level of detail. Based on interviews with professional video editors and observations of the use of our own editor, we have developed new interaction techniques for digital video based on semantic zooming and lenses. When copying or cutting a piece of video, it is desirable to select both ends precisely. However, although many video editing tools allow zooming into a fine level of detail, they do not allow zooming at more than one location simultaneously. Our system provides multiple lenses on the same timeline, so the user can see more than one location in


Alzheimer's disease is the premier neurodegenerative disorder and form of dementia affecting tens of millions today. Animal models have provided vital insights into the mechanism and course of this pathology but answers regarding the vulnerability of select brain areas to the disease, which can direct efforts towards an effective treatment, remain elusive. What we do know is that the cognitive dysfunction leading to death in the late stages is mediated by the spread of amyloid- β pathology and formation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. This pathology first presents itself and most likely take root in the entorhinal cortex.In this study, we used the McGill-R-Thy1-APP rat model to perform single-cell whole cell electrophysiological recordings to find whether there is a difference in entorhinal cortex neurons belonging to transgenic rats positive for the Alzheimer's phenotype compared to normal rats. Recordings in 37 layer II neurons from the medial and lateral entorhinal cortices revealed no overall differences in physiological or morphological properties. However, we did find medial entorhinal cells from transgenic brains to be significantly depolarized in comparison to the rest. Further studies in rats from a range of ages would be required to confirm this finding and have the potential to reveal early changes in the intrinsic network of the probed region at a cellular level. This work also identified different cell types in the LEC and MEC, information that will undoubtedly be useful in further characterisation of this novel rat model.


Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of financial crises on the youth unemployment rate (YUR). The authors consider different types of financial crises (systemic banking crises, non-systemic banking crises, currency crises and debt crises) and different groups of countries, according to their income level. Design/methodology/approach - After a review of the existing (theoretical and empirical) literature on the determinants of the YUR in general and at the occurrence of economic crises, the authors present empirical estimations on the impact of past financial crises on young workers. The relationship between financial crises and YUR is investigated by employing fixed effects panel estimation on a large panel of countries (about 70) around the world for the period 1980-2005. The "persistence" over time of the impact is also investigated. Finally the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel is estimated, confirming the significance of the results. Findings - According to the authors' empirical estimates, two key results are relevant: financial crises have an impact on the YUR that goes beyond the impact resulting from GDP changes; and the effect on the YUR is greater than the effect on overall unemployment. The inclusion of many control variables – including in particular GDP growth – does not change the sign and significance of the key explanatory variable. The results suggest that financial crises affect the YUR for five years after the onset of the crises; however, the most adverse effects are found in the second and third year after the financial crisis. Research limitations/implications - Although fully aware of the peculiarities of the last crisis, the authors believe that the econometric results facilitate a better understanding of the impact of the 2007-2008 financial crisis on the youth labour market. Practical implications - The main policy implication is that effective active labour market policies and better school-to-work transition institutions are particularly needed to reduce the risk of persistence and structural (long-term) unemployment, since young people have been worst affected by the last crisis. Originality/value - There are many studies on the characteristics and causes of youth unemployment; considerable research has also been carried out into the labour market impact of financial crises. This paper brings the two strands of literature together, by econometrically investigating the impact of financial crises on YUR.


We present a deterministic, log-space algorithm that solves st-connectivity in undirected graphs. The previous bound on the space complexity of undirected st-connectivity was log 4=3 ( ) obtained by Armoni, Ta-Shma, Wigderson and Zhou [ATSWZ00]. As undirected st-connectivity is complete for the class of problems solvable by symmetric, non-deterministic, log-space computations (the class SL), this algorithm implies that SL = L (where L is the class of problems solvable by deterministic log-space computations). Our algorithm also implies log-space constructible universal-traversal sequences for graphs with restricted labelling and log-space constructible universal-exploration sequences for general graphs.


Relevant and reliable data from the surroundings in addition to the vibration measurements are required to achieve effective diagnosis and prognosis when a vibration‐based maintenance (VBM) policy is used. The main conclusion is that the variation in the machine load and speeds influences the amplitudes of rolling element bearing defect frequencies. Therefore, changes in the machine speed and load should be considered when interpreting vibration spectra. This will improve the effectiveness and accuracy of fault diagnosis and prediction of the time to maintenance action. The paper classifies stoppage times and highlights the reasons behind them. Also, it discusses the consequential economic losses incurred by unplanned stoppages. During the period covered by this study (58 days), the total stoppage time was about 76.6 days and caused appreciable economic losses of about 2.3 million SEK.


This thesis presents the design, fabrication, characterisation and testing of a chemically modified electrothermally actuated microgripper. The chemical modification involves the integration of a potentiometric ion selective electrode (ISE) onto a bare electrode fabricated within the tip of the microgripper. This microgripper sensor device is intended for use in the application of detecting, in real time, the movement of key ions that are involved in intercellular communication from a mechanically stressed cell.
An optimised fabrication route for the specifically designed microgrippers, which have tip dimensions of 10 – 60 µm, is described in detail. The fabrication route delivers a high yield (95%) of operational unmodified devices. An 1800 ± 20 µm2 bare gold electrode that is fabricated at the tip of the microgripper is modified into an all solid state ISE that uses PEDOT as the ion-to-electron solid contact. Suitable ionophores that selectively detect K+, Na+ and Ca2+ are used to fabricate potassium, sodium and calcium ion selective microgripper sensor devices.
The quality control and testing characteristics that follow the guidelines defined by IUPAC are performed to ascertain the sensitivity, selectivity and stability of the microgripper sensor devices. Good selectivity is achieved, with limits of detection of 2.4 x 10-4 M, 1.8 x 10-4 M and 2.0 x 10-5 M for the K+, Na+ and Ca2+ devices respectively. Proof of concept experiments of the real life testing of the K+ ISE device used to mechanically stress mouse oocytes gave preliminary measurements that indicate that stress signalling occurs via a switch on mechanism, and that there is a small increase in K+ concentration as applied stress increases. Due to the high systematic error within the calibration process the magnitude of this concentration increase is unknown. The Na+ and Ca2+ ISE devices suffer from interference and sensitivity restrictions respectively so a signal response vs. applied cell stress relationship of these ions is currently unobtainable.


Cassia alata is used traditionally to cure various diseases like ulcers, stomach pain and fever. The potential of antidermatophytic, free radical scavenging and cytotoxic activity of ethanol leaves extracts of C. alata was studied. The preliminary phytochemical screening assay elucidates that presence of carbohydrates, tannin, phenol, saponin, flavonoid, steroid, terpenoids, glycosides, and alkaloids. Further phytochemical extraction was done by GC-MS, HPLC and FTIR. GC-MS analysis confirms that the presence of two major compounds namely Hexadecanoic acid and Oleic acid with four minor compounds. HPLC techniques revealed that the presence of two major compounds observed in two different retention time. FTIR spectrum revealed that the presence of carboxylic groups, alkanes, aldehydes and aliphatic amines in the ethanol extract of C. alata leaves. Cytotoxic effect of ethanol extract was assayed at different concentrations like 10, 25, 50 and 100 μg/ml against human epithelial carcinoma (A431). At100 μg/ml of ethanol concentration, 93.26±5.44 (%) and 82.45±2.44 (%) percentage of cancer cells were inhibited by ethanol extract and standard drug, respectively. Microscopic images of cancer cells treated with ethanol extract confirm the morphological changes and shrinkages of cells leads to cell death. These results were suggesting that Cassia alata exhibit high potential antioxidant, antidermatophytic and cytotoxic activity and also it could serve as alternative new resources for manufacturing new drugs against newly evaluating diseases.


Asset pricing theories, particularly the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) asserts that the expected returns on any particular capital asset consists
of only two components, namely the returns on a risk-free security and a
premium for the risk. This study reexamines the CAPM by incorporating two
important variables, namely the bid-ask spread as a measure of the transaction
costs and firm size to test on the validity of both variables in the equilibrium
asset returns model. Using the Generalized Linear Regression method as
described in Kmenta (1986), this study finds a positive significant relationship between the stock returns and bid-ask spreads as a measure of the transaction
costs for all the three regression models, namely all-companies, average-size
companies and ten size-sorted portfolios models. The findings confirm the
theoretical conjecture that bid-ask spreads are priced in the asset returns, and
stocks with higher bid-ask spreads carry a liquidity premium in their prices. The
results suggest that by decreasing the transaction costs will generate a greater
order flow, which in turn increase the frequency of the market. Nevertheless, the
negative relation between the firm size and stock returns can only be found in
two out of the three regression models, that is, the all-companies and average size
companies models. The results corroborate previous studies where small
firm anomaly exist in the asset pricing model in the KLSE market. However, the
size effect is found to be insignificant in explaining the portfolios returns in the
ten size-sorted portfolios model. Thus, this study evidenced the ability of the
spread variable in explaining the variation in the stock returns as compare to the
firm size variable in the KLSE market.


AIM
To describe symptoms and other aspects of health-related quality of life (QoL) prior to and 5 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in relation to a history of hypertension.

METHODS
Patients who underwent CABG in western Sweden were approached prior to surgery and 5 years after the operation. Health-related QoL was estimated with the Physical Activity Score, the Nottingham Health Profile and the Psychological General Well-Being Index.

RESULTS
In patients with a history of hypertension (n = 740) the 5-year mortality was 16.9% versus 12.4% among patients with no history (n = 1257; p = 0.004). Of 1717 patients available for the survey, 876 (51%) responded both prior to and 5 years after CABG. Of these, 36% had a history of hypertension. Compared with the situation prior to surgery there was an improvement in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients in terms of physical activity, symptoms of dyspnea and chest pain and other estimates of health-related QoL. However, physical activity and dyspnea improved less in hypertensive than in non-hypertensive patients.

CONCLUSION
Five years after CABG, a marked and significant improvement in terms of symptoms and other aspects of health-related QoL was observed among both hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients. However, improvement in physical activity was less marked in patients with a history of hypertension. Overall, a history of hypertension seemed to have a minor impact on improved well-being 5 years after coronary surgery. However, because of the limited response rate the results may not be applicable in a non-selected CABG population.


[1] The impact of the heterogeneous lower mantle on the geomagnetic field is under debate, especially the question of whether high‐latitude intense geomagnetic flux patches currently observed at the core surface are stationary, oscillating, or drifting on longer time scales. While the correlation between the location of these patches with that of similar patches found in the time‐averaged paleomagnetic field may suggest stationary behavior, their variability over archaeomagnetic time scales together with their weaker signature in the average paleomagnetic field relative to the present geomagnetic field precludes such a scenario. Here we use numerical dynamos with an imposed heat flux boundary condition based on lower mantle tomography to study the behavior of such intense magnetic flux patches. We design an algorithm to detect centers of intense flux patches and track their time evolution. We find that the time‐dependent nature of those patches comprises oscillatory motion about statistically preferred locations imposed by mantle control, with episodic drift from one preferred location to the other corresponding to an azimuthal migration of fluid downwelling structures that concentrate surface magnetic flux. This statistical behavior provides a possible explanation for both the observed variability of high‐latitude patches on the archaeomagnetic time scale and the similar locations of the current patches and the weaker patches seen in the paleomagnetic field. Our simulations also show that the patches exhibit more time dependence and less coherency in the southern hemisphere, leading to a weaker time‐averaged patch signature in that hemisphere.


Background: Recently, there has been growing interest in the emotional aspects of teaching and learning in general education and in physical education (PE). Scholars have argued that high-quality teaching and learning depend on a teacher's knowledge of students' emotions (Hargreaves 1998, 2000, 2002; McCaughtry 2004; McCaughtry and Rovegno 2003; Owens and Ennis 2005; Poulou 2007; Sutton and Wheatley 2003). To this end, three course modules in social and emotional learning (SEL) were added to the degree programme for PE students in Finland. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine student teachers' retrospective perceptions of implementing social and emotional strategies to build emotional understanding with students during a one-year teaching practicum. Participants and setting: The participants were 17 (eight women and nine men) PE student teachers at a university in central Finland in the fourth or fifth year of their PETE programme. The present study used a descriptive and interpretive case study methodology. Data collection: The data were collected via an open-ended questionnaire and focus group interviews. The focus was to gather information on participants' self-reported perceptions of implementing SEL. Data analysis: The unit of analysis was an expression or sentence which addressed a student's or a student teacher's emotions. The data were analysed inductively by individual case analysis and group level analysis. Reliability: Three strategies were used to enhance the reliability of the interpretations: (1) data triangulation to ensure that findings were accurate; (2) scrutinizing the data for discriminate cases; and (3) member checks by two of the participating student teachers. Findings: Physical education student teachers found using the SEL strategies for building emotional understanding was positive yet difficult. Positive experiences were reported aroused when the student teachers responded to students' emotions and when they expressed their own emotions to their students. Responding to students' emotions by using SEL strategies facilitated student teachers' communication with adolescents and helped students to accomplish assigned tasks. The student teachers' expression of their own emotions reportedly reduced students' off-task and inappropriate behaviour. In addition, the student teachers' emotional self-expression helped them to re-focus on teaching after a conflict with students. The challenges using SEL related to difficulties remembering which strategies to use, reacting to the diversity of students' emotions while organising a lesson, incorporating SEL instinctively into their teaching and managing their own surges of emotion. As a whole, all student teachers pointed out the importance of practising strategies on emotional understanding and they wanted more SEL studies in their teacher education programme. Conclusions: The findings provided some evidence for the value of SEL as a component of a teacher education programme. These student teachers found the strategies to enhance their emotional understanding helpful for themselves and their students. We recommend experiences on social and emotional learning to be included in teacher education programmes in helping newly qualified teachers to handle the emotional aspects of their work more effectively.


Dehulled faba beans were evaluated as an alternative to soybeans as a protein source for laying hens using 240 individually caged birds, 50 weeks of age. Two basal feeds were formulated to the same nutrient specifications but with one containing no faba beans and the other containing 200 g dehulled faba bean meal/kg. The experiment was divided into two parts: a dilution series, and a choice feeding treatment. The dilution series consisted of increasing concentrations of faba beans, the five levels in the series being 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg of food. The sixth treatment was a choice between the two basal feeds. Although food intake increased linearly with faba bean inclusion, reflecting a need by the hens to consume more in an attempt to obtain sufficient of some unidentified limiting nutrient, laying performance was the same on all feeds in the dilution series. Hens consumed the same amount of each basal feed when given a choice between the two, suggesting that no anti-nutritional factors were present in the faba beans used in this trial. It can be concluded, from a nutritional point of view, that dehulled faba bean meal may be used successfully as an alternative to soybeans as a source of amino acids for laying hens as long as the levels of antinutritional factors present are very low, as was the case in this trial, and as long as accurate estimates of the AME and the digestible amino acid contents of the ingredient are used when formulating feeds containing faba beans. If faba beans can be grown and then used locally in areas unsuitable for soybean production, the reduced transport cost could make this an attractive alternative to soybeans. Keywords: Anti-nutritional factors, protein sources, choice feeding


My research focuses on the experience of policy development and implementation. It draws on my involvement in a government policy taskforce, the development of an organisation's strategy to the taskforce's recommendations and the commissioning of frontline services.

The research material is my personal experience contained in a number of narrative accounts of important happenings. These are then used as a basis to engage with literature and conversation with practitioners, academics and fellow researchers. It is from this iterative process that the argument develops. The approach is therefore qualitative and reflexive in nature. I have argued against the traditional separation between the content of research and methodology. This is on the basis that human experience does not distinguish between the two as we make sense of new emerging situations.

The research has been heavily influenced by analogies drawn from complexity sciences as a way of increasing our understanding of ongoing human interaction, namely complex responsive processes of relating (Stacey et al, 2000).
By paying careful attention to the experience of policy development and implementation over an extended period of time I am illuminating that the development of policy can often be seen in literature and in the techniques people use as an activity that is isolated from the work of frontline staff. For example, a policy group is formed, policy or a strategy is drafted and the work is then seen to be done. This can be demonstrated by paying attention to the modus operandi of how policy and strategy groups work and how performance criteria are established. When it comes to frontline practice, policy is often silent to the multitude of unfolding interconnected possibilities that present themselves to practitioners as they seek to go about their activities. The way that policy is often presented implies that there is linearity from policy to implementation.

Drawing on Elias's notion of Involvement and Detachment (1987) I am highlighting a paradoxical relationship between policy and implementation. In introducing the notion of paradox, there is a "vitality" that is required to prevent a collapse to one of the two ends of a continuum; for example a conscious or unconscious rejection of policy in favour of embracing frontline practice, or an over reliance on policy to blindly drive through organisational change.
In spending three years looking at the policy and implementation I argue that it is more helpful to consider policy and implementation as a "flow", rather than a series of discrete activities that are seen to be completed before moving to the next policy area. In looking at policy as something that occurs over a span of time (as opposed to an isolated bounded activity) there is an opportunity to prevent the collapse of the paradox outlined above.

By accepting the concept of paradox and considering policy from a temporal perspective, rather than one that is a spatially bound system, the issue of policymaking practice can be considered. There are books and management experts that recommend that managers should "walk the walk", and get closer to frontline activity. My research has sought to add clarity here, arguing for an experiential and temporal form of reflexivity of practice (as opposed to reflective practice). In this context working and being present with frontline practitioners, paying very careful attention to the experience of the unfolding contingent nature of activity influences the practice of policy making. This is a different experience from simply being present, and being seen to be present.

It would be ironic for my research to be converted into a policy document with key elements extracted and condensed into bullet points to be applied like a rule. Instead my research is best kept alive in evoking stories and reminiscences between people as they make sense of their experience of policymaking and implementation together.


Abstract The Oregon Mathematics Leadership Institute (OMLI) project served 180 Oregon teachers, and 90 administrators, across the K-12 grades from ten partner districts. OMLI offered a residential, three-week summer institute. Over the course of three consecutive summers, teachers were immersed in a total of six mathematics content classes– Algebra, Data & Chance, Discrete Mathematics, Geometry, Measurement & Change, and Number & Operations—along with an annual collegial leadership course. Each content class was designed and taught by a team of expert faculty from universities, community colleges, and K-12 districts. Each team chose a few "big ideas" on which to focus the course. For example, the Algebra team focused on algebraic structure and properties of the concept of a group, while the Data & Chance team centered their activities on the exploration of ideas of central tendency and variation using statistics and data analysis software packages. The content in all of the courses was addressed through deep investigation of the mathematics of tasks that had been selected and adapted from resources for K-12 mathematics classrooms. In addition to mathematics content, the courses were designed with specific attention to socio-mathematical norms, issues of status differences among learners, and the selection and implementation of group-worthy tasks for group work. The faculty attended sessions grounded in the work of Elizabeth Cohen on strategies for working with heterogeneous groups of learners (Cohen, 1994; Cohen et al, 1999) which was central to the OMLI design and implementation. Institute faculty modeled these strategies in the Institute classrooms and made their moves as transparent as possible, so that the teachers would be able to grapple with these strategies during the Institute and plan for implementation in their own classrooms. The Data & Chance course also modeled uses of technology in instruction using Tinkerplots. Generalization and justification were emphasized as mathematical ways of learning and knowing, and institute faculty conducted classroom discussions that intentionally modeled pushing for generalization and justification.


The purpose of this research was to allow Latina immigrants living in the southern United States to document and critique their family and community conditions through photographs and stories of their everyday lives. This research informed by feminist and critical science theory, used photovoice, a participatory action research method, with eight participants. Using interpretive inquiry, key themes were identified and illustrated the participants' experiences. "Improvements with sacrifices" was identified as the overarching theme, with additional key themes of "centrality of family," "hopes for children," and "need for community." This research was empowering for the participants, as it affirmed their community strengths, described their challenges, and provided them with an avenue to share their stories with others.


The random-access machine invented by Aho, Hopcroft, and Ullman is one of the several known versions of abstract register machines, which are an important computation model. Using a formal framework developed for this architecture in our previous work, we consider a challenging example – a search program that computes the maximum of an integer array of an arbitrary size. Here we present its specification in PVS and complete deductive verification, which turned out to be rather difficult. We have also proved its best-case and worst-case complexity measures as a function on the size of the array. We hope that our use of deductive verification for this example is both novel and appropriate, because the fully automated techniques, such as model-checking, are not perfectly suitable either for the verification of infinite-state programs or for the analysis of their complexity.


This article examines two American books for children: Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (1851) and Elizabeth Stoddard's Lolly Dinks's Doings (1874). In both books, fairy tales or myths are framed by a contemporary American setting in which the stories is told. It is in these realistic frames with an adult storyteller and child listeners that metafictional features are found. The article shows that Hawthorne and Stoddard use a variety of metafictional elements. So, although metafiction has been regarded as a postmodernist development in children's literature, there are in fact instances of metafiction in nineteenth-century American children's literature.


This exhibition related to an individual experience of metastasised bowel cancer and the visceral social and emotional responses to such a condition. Funding from the Wellcome Trust was awarded for the research and to make new work, with Eric Clark (consultant surgeon) as scientific advisor. Initially based on collective research, (with Alistair Skinner) the final works were presented by Meynell alone.

A recurrent theme of the exhibition was that of copying, reproduction and breakdown of reproduction (cell mutation), i.e. order and disorder. For example, the formation of a tumour was represented by performance artist Gary Stevens replicating himself with increasingly ridiculous dress and demeanour, across a bank of video screens. Cross-disciplinary imaging techniques producing different meanings were the motivation for watercolours made of biopsy material employing methodologies common to both science and art. Schematic diagrams referencing both fields mapped instructions for the insertion of a Hickman line (permanent intravenous catheter for chemotherapy) in a format visually evoking 'pop art'. These images were then etched into slate. A facsimile of a Hickman Line was cast in metal and sutured into a gallery wall, a metaphor for the body's invasion by a foreign object.

Funded by a Wellcome Trust Science on Screen and Stage Award £44,000

The research was conducted and presented over several years in different phases. Meynell's preliminary results were presented by Dr Andrea Phillips (Goldsmiths College) at the 'Sci-Art' symposium, Liverpool Biennial, 2002.

Meynell, Skinner and Clark contributed research explored by this project to 'Science Art & the Personal' edited by Bergit Ahrends, published by The Wellcome Trust, London, 2004.


Background. Undergraduate students at universities have different learning styles. To perform optimally, both they and their educators should be made aware of their preferred learning styles and problem-solving abilities. Students have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, interests, ambitions, levels of motivation and approaches to studying and educators should therefore aim to become more aware of the diverse approaches to learning. Objective. To identify the various learning styles and problem-solving abilities of physiotherapy students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods. Undergraduate physiotherapy students ( N =246) who were registered for the 2012 academic year participated in the study. Three valid and reliable questionnaires, including the Index of Learning Styles (ILS), the Problem-Solving Style Questionnaire (PSSQ) and the Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ), were used. Responses were analysed statistically to establish the association between learning styles and problem-solving ability. Results. A response rate of 72% was reported ( n =177). For first-, second-, third- and fourth-year students the response rates were 65/85 (76%), 53/67 (79%), 31/58 (53%) and 28/36 (78%), respectively. Forty-five (25%) participants were male, 124 (70%) were female and 8 (0.04%) did not indicate their gender. The prominent learning styles were feeling (PSSQ), kinaesthetic (LSQ) and visual-verbal (ILS). Males were prone to using the kinaesthetic learning style and females to a more visual learning style. The feeling group constituted 47% of the sample (39% males and 43% females). Conclusion. The majority of  students seem to learn by doing, although facts are important to them. It therefore might be important to first teach physiotherapy students concepts and then assist them to apply these in practice.


Background Although there are several available management strategies for treatment of both acute pain of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), it is difficult to treat them adequately. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intravenously administrated vitamin C on acute pain and its preventive effects on PHN in patients with HZ. Methods Between September 2011 and May 2013 eighty-seven patients who were admitted for HZ were assessed according to age, sex, underlying diseases, duration of pain and skin lesion, dermatomal distribution, and PHN. It was a randomized controlled study, in which 87 patients were randomly allocated into the ascorbic acid group and control group. Each patient received normal saline infusion with or without 5 g of ascorbic acid on days 1, 3, and 5 then answered questionnaires that included side effects and pain severity using visual analogue scale on days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. After discharge, the severity of pain was obtained at out-patient clinic or by telephone on weeks 2, 4, 8, and 16. Results There was no differences in severity of pain on patients' age, sex, underlying diseases, duration of pain and skin lesion and dermatomal distribution between two groups (p>0.05). Since 8th week, pain score in ascorbic acid treatment group was significantly lower than control group (p <0.05). The incidence of PHN was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to control group (p=0.014). The changes of overall pain score was significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion Intravenously administered ascorbic acid did not relieve acute HZ pain; but is effective for reducing the incidence of PHN.


Excerpt] Corporate campaigns are increasingly used by unions to fight recalcitrant employers, and campaign tactics—like protests at stockholders meetings—are spreading. With the continuing employer assault on established unions and the tremendous difficulties facing workers attempting to organize, a further increase in corporate campaign activity can be expected. Recently the AFL-CIO endorsed them, recommending that "unions should develop the research and other capabilities needed to mount an effective corporate campaign, and organizers should be trained in the various types of corporate campaign tactics." This follows the example of several of the Federation's departments and a variety of international unions. The Food & Allied Service Trades (FAST) Department and the Industrial Union Department (IUD) are already assisting affiliates with corporate campaigns. Unions such as the Carpenters, the Steelworkers, the Auto Workers, the United Food & Commercial Workers, the Clothing and Textile Workers and the Service Employees have developed internal corporate campaign expertise. What can be expected from this increased corporate campaign activity is unclear. It is unlikely as some proponents seem to suggest, that corporate campaigns will prove a winning strategy in almost every situation and will single-handedly reverse labor's current woes. It is equally unlikely that corporate campaigns will replace strikes and erode workplace militancy, as some detractors claim. This article discusses the limitations and possibilities of private sector corporate campaign strategies. What can we expect from them? For what purposes and in which situations?


According to literary and epigraphic sources, the institution of the gymnasion thrived in Sicily from the 3rd century BC onwards, in the realm of Hieron II as well as in the Late Republican Roman province. This paper critically discusses whether the boom of the gymnasion is also reflected in the archaeological record and the emergence of a clearly discernible building typology. Focusing on five cities of Hieron's realm in eastern Sicily (Syracuse, Morgantina, Megara Hyblaea, Neaiton, and Akrai), it is examined whether gymnasia can be safely identified, what plan, decoration, and function they had, and whether changes between the 3rd century BC and later periods can be observed. It is shown that none of these cities provides evidence of a securely identifiable, fully known gymnasion, however.


Objective: To report on a female patient who presented for chiropractic care with depression. Clinical Features: 49 year old female who presented with a history of depression, asthma, high stress, mood and gastrointestinal changes. Intervention and Outcome: Over a period of 7 months, a specific, conservative chiropractic adjustment regimen for the correction of vertebral subluxation was administered to the patient. The care plan was altered in accordance to outcome measures and over this time period the patient exhibited a considerable decrease in presenting symptomology alongside a substantial increase in self rated quality of life. Self-rated health/wellness (SRHW) surveys were taken prior to care and at subsequent progress visits assessing four domains of health (Physical state, Emotional/Mental state, Stress and Life Enjoyment) as well as Overall Quality of Life. Static and Thermal EMG were performed using the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance (CLA) Insight surface EMG and thermal scanning technology. Improvements were noted in SRHW and surface EMG and thermal scanning over the 7 months of care. Conclusions: While under chiropractic care subjective and objective improvements in physical, mental and social wellbeing were documented in a patient with a history of depression, asthma, high stress, mood and gastrointestinal changes


With software systems increasingly being employed in critical contexts, assuring high reliability levels for large, complex systems can incur huge verification costs. Critical system developers often encounter serious difficulties in satisfying reliability requirements at competitive and acceptable cost and time. Currently, it is not clear how engineers should plan an effective verification strategy oriented to improve the final reliability, since it is not trivial to figure out what activities mainly impact the reliability-cost trade-off and how much they affect reliability. Most often, crucial choices in the verification activity are left to the engineers� intuition, which base their decisions on personal expertise and on past experience, due to the lack of convincing approaches coping with them. However, when dealing with high reliability targets and tight time/cost constraints, engineers responsible for verification should have quantitative evidences of the consequences of their choices, and base their decision on them. One fundamental aspect in a reliability-oriented verification process concerns the identification of the most critical parts of the system, i.e., the major contributors to its unreliability. This is crucial to conveniently distribute efforts for verification. However, even suitably allocating efforts, engineers should know what verification techniques most impact the final reliability, and what techniques are most suited for the features of the system under test. Hence, the proper selection of verification techniques that best adapt to the specific system being developed is another critical challenge to be addressed. Coping with these issues, engineers could tune a verification process for their systems simply following a quantitative reasoning able to highlight cost/benefits of each choice. Based on these considerations, the thesis proposes a solution to carrying out an effective verification specifically oriented to improve reliability. It intends to provide engineers with quantitative means that should be adopted and embedded in their process, to allow them conveniently allocating efforts and selecting techniques for the system under test. The thesis first identifies the major open challenges to be faced, by trying to figure out what are the most crucial steps that engineers need to take for an effective planning. Then, to cope with them, it proposes: i) an optimization model to allocate verification effort to different system components in order to achieve a required reliability level at minimum verification costs; ii) an approach, based on empirical analyses, to quantitatively support the selection of the best verification techniques; iii) a procedure to improve verification processes in the considered class of systems, able to iteratively refine results across the developed projects.


Liver cirrhosis represents the end stage of most chronic inflammatory liver diseases and is a major global health burden. Despite the enormous relevance of cirrhotic disease, pharmacological strategies for prevention or treatment of hepatic fibrosis are still limited, underlining the need to establish a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of hepatic cirrhosis. Recently, miRNAs have emerged as a new class of RNAs that do not withhold the information to encode for proteins but regulate whole gene expression networks during different physiological and pathological processes. Various authors demonstrated that miRNA species are functionally involved in the regulation of chronic liver damage and development of liver cirrhosis in inflamed livers. Moreover, circulating miRNA patterns were suggested to serve as blood-based biomarkers indicating liver injury and progression to hepatic cirrhosis and cancer. Here we summarize current findings on a potential role of miRNAs in the cascade leading from liver inflammation to liver fibrosis and finally hepatocellular carcinoma. We compare data from animal models with findings on miRNAs dysregulated in human patients and finally highlight a potential use of miRNAs as biomarkers for liver injury, fibrosis and cancer.


A multiband bandpass microwave photonic filter (MPF) whose passband number and position can be selected is theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed MPF is based on a wide-band optical source (WBOS) and a two-order high-birefringence fiber loop mirror (HB-FLM), which serves as a slicing filter. Two segments of high-birefringence fiber (HBF) with the lengths of 3 m and 6 m are used in the HB-FLM, and three typical spectral periods or their combinations can be independently achieved by simply adjusting the polarization controllers (PCs) in the HB-FLM. Subsequently, the light source is sliced with uniform or mixing wavelength spacing. A coil of single-mode fiber (SMF) is then used to act as a dispersive medium to introduce time delay between taps. Thus, a single or multiband bandpass response is obtained at the output of a high-speed photodetector (PD). In addition, the passband centered at dc frequency is removed due to the use of phase modulation. All of the radio frequency (RF) characteristics of the proposed MPF show good agreement with the theoretical prediction. It has the merits of good flexibility, high spectrum efficiency, and great potential of extension.


Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and water-extractable organic carbon (WOC) – as sensitive and important parameters for soil fertility and C turnover – are strongly affected by land-use changes all over the world. These effects are particularly distinct upon conversion of natural to agricultural ecosystems due to very fast carbon (C) and nutrient cycles and high vulnerability, especially in the tropics. The objective of this study was to use the unique advantage of Mt. Kilimanjaro – altitudinal gradient leading to different tropical ecosystems but developed all on the same soil parent material – to investigate the effects of land-use change and elevation on MBC and WOC contents during a transition phase from dry to wet season. Down to a soil depth of 50 cm, we compared MBC and WOC contents of 2 natural (Ocotea and Podocarpus forest), 3 seminatural (lower montane forest, grassland, savannah), 1 sustainably used (homegarden) and 2 intensively used (maize field, coffee plantation) ecosystems on an elevation gradient from 950 to 2850 m a.s.l. Independent of landuse, both MBC and WOC strongly increased with elevation on Mt. Kilimanjaro corresponding to ecosystem productivity and biodiversity. Through the agricultural use of ecosystems MBC and WOC contents decreased – especially in surface layers – on average by 765 mg kg-1 for MBC and 916 mg kg-1 for WOC, compared to the respective natural ecosystems. The decrease with depth was highest for forests > grasslands > agroecosystems and also was positively correlated with elevation. We conclude that MBC and WOC contents in soils of Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystems are highly sensitive to land-use changes, especially in topsoil. The MBC and WOC contents were considerably reduced even in sustainable agricultural systems. Since MBC and WOC are very fast reacting and sensitive C pools, we expect a decrease in other soil C pools accompanied by a strong decrease in fertility and productivity due to changes in land use from natural to agricultural ecosystems.


A new strategy for the fabrication of an electroluminescence sensor was proposed based on the incorporation of electroluminescence (ECL) detection and the molecular imprinting technology (MIT). The sensor fabrication consisted of two steps, the first one was the immobilization of the light emitting material Ru(bpy)32+ on a GC electrode with the well-established Nafion/the multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite film method and the second step involves re-modification of the Ru(bpy)32+/Nafion/MWCNT electrode with a thin film of molecularly imprinted sol–gel polymers with methamphetamine (MA) as the template molecules. The as-prepared sensor exhibited a very high sensitivity and excellent selectivity toward the target molecule MA. A detection limit as low as 4.0 × 10−15 M was achieved for MA with a wide calibration range from 1.0 × 10−10 to 1.0 × 10−14 M. The high sensitivity of the sensor allowed the drugs in a closed container to be detected by their odors.


Psychiatric diagnosis is one of the most important topics within the broad field of psychiatry. Clear, accurate definitions of the various disorders are essential for clinicians around the world to be confident that they are classifying patients in the same way, thereby enabling comparisons of treatment regimens and their outcomes. There are two major classification systems in use, one produced by the World Health Organization, the WHO International Classification of Diseases, Mental Disorders Chapter, and one by the American Psychiatric Association, the well known Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Both of these are being revised so this book from the prestigious World Psychiatric Association is especially timely.
In this book, leading experts in the field provide a broad and integrated coverage of the concepts, structure and context of psychiatric diagnosis. It begins by addressing mental health and illness around the world from historical, philosophical and cultural perspectives. Health is approached comprehensively, to include such aspects as resilience, resources and quality of life. The book then covers major specific psychopathology topics in Section II, including new categorizations and dimensional approaches. Section III concentrates on the complex problem of comorbidity, a primary challenge for modern diagnostic classifications in psychiatry. Finally, Section IV reviews emerging international diagnostic systems in psychiatry, considering innovative models and adaptations.
This book will be essential reading for anyone involved in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.


A growing clinical literature indicates that there is a link between substance abuse and stress. One explanation for the high co-occurrence of stress-related disorders and drug addiction is the self-medication hypothesis, which suggests that a dually diagnosed person often uses the abused substance to cope with tension associated with life Stressors or to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression resulting from a traumatic event. However, another characteristic of self-administration is that drug delivery and its subsequent effects on the hypotha lamic-pituitar-y-adrenal (HPA) axis are under the direct control of the individual. This controlled activation of the HPA axis may produce an internal state of arousal or stimulation that is ac tually sought by the individual. During abstinence, exposure to Stressors or drug-associated cues can stimulate the HPA axis and thereby remind the individual about the effects of the abused substance, thus producing craving and promoting relapse. Stress reduction, either alone or in combination with pharma cotherapies targeting the HPA axis, may prove beneficial in


Conventional approaches providing anonymous Internet access to end users rely on chains of proxy servers called Mix-nets [82], that are based on a small set of static mixes. Some disadvantages of these approaches are, for example, weak resistance against blocking by government-level firewalls, poor scalability, and issues related to traffic analysis. The most well-known and established representative of this class of systems is Tor [21]. On the other hand, there are a few new systems that try to circumvent these issues by using peer-to-peer approaches, however, most of them lack a user base of sufficient size, which is vital for any anonymity system to work reliably. In this thesis, The Anonymous Peer-to-Peer Proxy (Tap) is presented, which addresses those issues. Tap builds on the design and know-how of Tor, but brings it to the peer-to-peer world. Instead of using a small set of dedicated servers to provide the anonymizing overlay network, Tap uses all participating clients as servers as well. This approach is much more resistant to blocking due to the large amount of daily changing nodes. The geographical diversity of node addresses makes it more difficult for adversaries to observe all participating nodes and therefore impairs the ability to perform attacks based on traffic analysis. Furthermore, it scales very well because each additional client also adds his own resources to the network. To address the problem of a small user base in new systems, Tap is bundled with a popular peer-to-peer file-sharing client. As users tend to adopt new releases rapidly, a network with thousands of users could be established within a few weeks. It also provides an excellent opportunity to replace Tor's central directory servers, which are used to locate Tor routers and their corresponding keys. Tap uses the filesharing client's mechanisms to get to know other nodes and the client's distributed hash table infrastructure to look up their respective keys.


We analyze the software stack of popular mobile advertising libraries on Android and investigate how they protect the users of advertising-supported apps from malicious advertising. We find that, by and large, Android advertising libraries properly separate the privileges of the ads from the host app by confining ads to dedicated browser instances that correctly apply the same origin policy. We then demonstrate how malicious ads can infer sensitive information about users by accessing external storage, which is essential for media-rich ads in order to cache video and images. Even though the same origin policy prevents confined ads from reading other apps' externalstorage files, it does not prevent them from learning that a file with a particular name exists. We show how, depending on the app, the mere existence of a file can reveal sensitive information about the user. For example, if the user has a pharmacy price-comparison app installed on the device, the presence of external-storage files with certain names reveals which drugs the user has looked for. We conclude with our recommendations for redesigning mobile advertising software to better protect users from malicious advertising.


The failure of frictional interfaces and the spatiotemporal structures that accompany it are central to a wide range of geophysical, physical and engineering systems. Recent geophysical and laboratory observations indicated that interfacial failure can be mediated by slow slip rupture phenomena which are distinct from ordinary, earthquake‐like, fast rupture. These discoveries have influenced the way we think about frictional motion, yet the nature and properties of slow rupture are not completely understood. We show that slow rupture is an intrinsic and robust property of simple non‐monotonic rate‐and‐state friction laws. It is associated with a new velocity scalecmin, determined by the friction law, below which steady state rupture cannot propagate. We further show that rupture can occur in a continuum of states, spanning a wide range of velocities from cminto elastic wave‐speeds, and predict different properties for slow rupture and ordinary fast rupture. Our results are qualitatively consistent with recent high‐resolution laboratory experiments and may provide a theoretical framework for understanding slow rupture phenomena along frictional interfaces.