In the survey of the need for occupational health services in 163 small firms, a specific survey by qualified occupational hygienists was considered necessary in 99 places of work (55%) employing 1,715 persons. Noise, lighting and thermal conditions, as well as exposure to chemical substances, were assessed and measured. The survey required 80 person-days. Noise was the main problem. Hearing tests were required for 480 workers (28%), four-fifths of whom were employed in industry. The worst sources of noise were machines and tools (e.g., lathes, vibrators, stone drills, and pneumatic tools). Insufficient lighting was observed in 43 workplaces, half of which were in industry and half in service establishments. The most common causes were dirty lamps or lamps out of order or the lack of supplementary lights for specific areas. Thermal conditions were satisfactory except in ten firms where, according to recommended criteria, the temperature and relative humidity were too low. Since the measurements were taken mainly during the winter, the results reflect the effect of the coldest weather on the work environment. Solvents were the most common chemical hazards. They were found in 38 places of work including shops manufacturing metal and wood products, service stations, automobile repair shops, and laundries. One hundred and twenty employees (9%) were exposed to solvents, some only temporarily. Periodic health examinations were required for 55 workers by reason of solvent exposure. Eighty-one employees were exposed to allergenic substances, mainly concrete workers and persons working with epoxy resins or flour dust. Forty-one workers handled substances listed as carcinogens. Most of them worked in metal shops or other plants in which oil mist was present. Paint sprays also contained carcinogenic agents. In planning a survey of a workplace with potential or known problems, the staff of the health center or the company itself is advised to contact the nearest regional institute of occupational health.


It is shown that the n-player lottery contest admits a best-response potential (Voorneveld, 2000). This is true also when the contest technology reflects the possibility of a draw. The result implies, in particular, the existence of a non-trivial two-player zero-sum game that is best-response equivalent to a game with identical payoff functions.


Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an important active component of honey bee propolis that possesses a plethora of biological activities. Propolis is used safely in traditional medicine as a dietary supplement for its therapeutic benefits. This review highlights the recently published data about CAPE bioavailability, anti‐inflammatory, neuroprotective; hepatoprotective and cardioprotective activities. CAPE showed promising efficacy both in vitro and in vivo studies in animal models with minimum adverse effects. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in multiple target organs. Despite this fact, it has not been yet investigated as a protective agent or a potential therapy in humans. Investigation of CAPE efficacy in clinical trials is strongly encouraged to elucidate its therapeutic benefit for different human diseases after performing full preclinical toxicological studies and gaining more insights into its pharmacokinetics. © 2013 IUBMB Life, 65(8):699–709, 2013


In non-linear systems, where explicit analytic solutions usually can't be found, visualisation is a powerful approach which can give insights into the dynamical behaviour of models; it is also crucial for teaching this area of mathematics. In this paper we present new software, Fireflies, which exploits the power of graphical processing unit (GPU) computing to produce spectacular interactive visualisations of arbitrary systems of ordinary differential equations. In contrast to typical phase portraits, Fireflies draws the current position of trajectories (projected onto 2D or 3D space) as single points of light, which move as the system is simulated. Due to the massively parallel nature of GPU hardware, Fireflies is able to simulate millions of trajectories in parallel (even on standard desktop computer hardware), producing "swarms" of particles that move around the screen in real-time according to the equations of the system. Particles that move forwards in time reveal stable attractors (e.g. fixed points and limit cycles), while the option of integrating another group of trajectories backwards in time can reveal unstable objects (repellers). Fireflies allows the user to change the parameters of the system as it is running, in order to see the effect that they have on the dynamics and to observe bifurcations. We demonstrate the capabilities of the software with three examples: a two-dimensional "mean field" model of neuronal activity, the classical Lorenz system, and a 15-dimensional model of three interacting biologically realistic neurons.


More than a dozen composite mafic-granitic dikes crop out along the northern margin of the San Isabel batholith, Wet Mountains, Colorado. The dikes crosscut and contain xenoliths of 1441 Ma granitic dikes and are in turn intruded by, but probably are coeval with, late-stage granitic dikes of the 1360 Ma San Isabel batholith. Only two other mafic representatives of the mid-Proterozoic anorogenic suite are known from Colorado. In the field, the dikes contain up to one-third granitic material by volume. Textures range from a swirling, lacy, mortarlike granite within basalt to subovoid pillows of basalt in granite. Many of the pillows contain small ovoids of the granite. The mutual inclusions and rounded to cuspate liquidlike contacts with minor mechanical mixing strongly indicate that these dikes formed through commingling of mafic and granitic liquids. The mafic dikes have the mineralogy and chemistry of lamprophyres, containing andesine, amphibole, biotite, sphene, and magnetite, with minor quartz and epidote and rare K-feldspar. Chemically, they average average 52% SiO2, and they are enriched in incompatible elements including the light rare earth elements. They are tholeiitic, compositionally similar to within-plate basalts with rift affinity. They partially mixed with the granite to produce intermediate-composition rock with 56% SiO2. The granite is a monzogranite with biotite, hornblende, and sphene. Its mineralogy and chemistry are characteristic of the San Isabel batholith. The lamprophyres may be related to mantle-derived mafic liquids that were hypothesized to have melted lower crust to produce the San Isabel batholith. The lamprophyres may have migrated up around the margin of the batholith and mixed with late-stage granite to form these composite dikes.


Eye-movement patterns are often utilized in studies of visual perception as indices of the specific information extracted to efficiently process a given stimulus during a given task. Our prior work, however, revealed that not only the stimulus and task influence eye-movements, but that visuomotor (start position) factors also robustly and characteristically influence eye-movement patterns to faces (Arizpe, et al, 2012). Here we manipulated lateral starting side and distance from the midline of face and line-symmetrical control (butterfly) stimuli in order to further investigate the nature and generality of such visuomotor influences. First we found that increasing starting distance from midline (4, 8, 12, 16 degrees visual angle) strongly and proportionately increased the distance of the first ordinal fixation from midline. We did not find influences of starting distance on subsequent fixations, however, suggesting that eye-movement plans are not strongly affected by starting distance following an initial orienting fixation. Further, we replicated our prior effect of starting side (left, right) to induce a spatially contralateral tendency of fixations after the first ordinal fixation. However, we also established that these visuomotor influences did not depend upon the predictability of the location of the upcoming stimulus, and were present not only for face stimuli but also for our control stimulus category (butterflies). Finally, for faces, we found a relationship between left starting side (right sided fixation pattern tendency) and increased recognition performance, which likely reflects a cortical right hemisphere (left visual hemifield) advantage for face perception. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


AIM
To elucidate first-line managers' descriptions and reflections regarding their staff's access to empowering structures using Kanter's theory of structural empowerment.

BACKGROUND
Good structural conditions within workplaces are essential to employees' wellbeing, and their ability to access empowerment structures is largely dependent on the management.

METHOD
Twenty-eight first-line managers in elderly care were interviewed. Deductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data.

RESULTS
Managers perceived that staff had varying degrees of access to the empowering structures described in Kanter's theory - and that they possessed formal power in their roles as contact persons and representatives. The descriptions mostly started from the managers' own actions, although some started from the needs of staff members.

CONCLUSION
All managers described their staff's access to the empowering structures in Kanter's theory as important, yet it seemed as though this was not always reflected on and discussed as a strategic issue.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
Managers could make use of performance and appraisal dialogues to keep up to date on staff's access to empowering structures. Recurrent discussions in the management group based on such current information could promote staff's access to power through empowering structures and make job definitions a strategic issue in the organisation.


In this paper, we present an approach to deal with the maximization of the approximate median discovery significance (AMS) in high energy physics. This paper proposes the maximization of the Weighted AUC as a criterion to train different models and the subsequent creation of an ensemble that maximizes the AMS.

The algorithm described in this paper was our solution for the Higgs Boson Machine Learning Challenge and we complement this paper describing the preprocessing of the dataset, the training procedure and the experimental results that our model obtained in the challenge. This approach has proven its good performance finishing in ninth place among the solutions of 1785 teams.


Due to their inherent properties Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are finding their way in diversity of applications. As these are infrastructureless networks, normal traditional routing algorithms are not applicable to MANETs. Many routing algorithms have been proposed for MANETs till now. Vector Routing Protocol (VRP) is proposed for efficient utilization of limited bandwidth in MANETs.
Providing security to the network layer in MANETs is gaining importance nowadays. The two main functions of network layer are ad hoc routing and data forwarding. Due to the inherent properties of MANETs there is huge scope to attack on functions of network layer. Attacks on network layer can be broadly classified in two categories namely routing attacks and packet forwarding attacks. The attacks which try to modify the routing data and mislead the routing protocols are treated as routing attacks. These attacks are specific to the routing protocol used by the MANETs. Packet forwarding attacks on other hand do not disrupt the routing protocol, instead they cause the data packets intentionally inconsistent with routing states. Examples of these attacks are an intermediate node on the path, dropping the data packet, modifying the contents of the packet etc.
In this Thesis we consider only on packet dropping attack on VRP algorithm. We proposed a solution to mitigate the effects of malicious nodes on VRP. Our proposed solution 'Secured VRP' secures the VRP algorithm from malicious nodes. Our Secured VRP (SVRP) works far better than VRP in presence of malicious nodes and works exactly as VRP in absence of malicious nodes.


Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is an annual non-wood plant which has shown great
potential as an alternative source of papermaking fiber. The purpose of this research was
to investigate the suitability of Malaysian cultivated kenaf fibers in the production of high
quality printing paper.
The first part of the research characterized the chemical, morphological and pulping
properties of kenaf fractions. The bast fibers had a lower lignin content, higher cellulose
content, and lower hemicellulose content compared to the core fibers. The whole stem
kenaf had lower lignin and cellulose content, and hemicellulose and ash content was
comparable to softwood. Fiber morphology results showed that kenaf bast fibers were
long and slender, while the core fibers were much shorter and wider. Morphology and
chemical analysis indicated that bast and core fibers were significantly different.
In this part, the pulping properties of different fractions of kenaf were also studied. The
pulping experiments led to the conclusion that bast fibers are relatively easy to delignify
during pulping, followed by the whole stem and the core kenaf fractions. An unbleached
whole kenaf pulp with high viscosity, good bleaching characteristics and relatively good
yield could be produced with the kraft pulping process.
The second part of the research investigated the production of bleached pulp using
environmentally-friendly method, TCF. Conventional Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF)
bleaching sequences were also used to compare the results with the TCF sequences. The
results indicated that in contrast to unbleached kraft wood pulps, kraft kenaf pulps can be
easily bleached to a brightness of 91.4% using a 4-stage TCF [Q1(PO)Q2P] bleaching
sequence. This will be a significant advantage for kenaf over wood.
The third part of the research studied the polymer deposition, surface topography and
printability. The utilization of chitosan in sizing improved the paper strength and surface
properties significantly, but its effectiveness was strongly dependent on the method of
addition and concentration. Spray deposition application gave superior strength properties
followed by equilibrium adsorption. It is less effective under alkaline conditions. The
effect of chitosan was compared with cationic starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Sizing
quality of cationic starch fairly matched with the sizing quality of chitosan, however, it
was able to reduce the water absorption potential of paper more than chitosan at a same
concentration (i.e. 2%).
The final part of study demonstrated that the use of chitosan in optimum dosage could
improve the printability and print quality of kenaf paper in terms of surface roughness,
water and oil absorption, ink penetration, print density, ink set-off and gloss contrast for
offset printing.
The overall conclusion is that whole stem kenaf is an attractive raw material that is
suitable for use in the production of high quality printing paper in areas where forest
resources are inadequate to supply a kraft mill of economic size. Chitosan is
recommended as an additive in conventional surface sizing to enhance strength and
surface properties for printing paper.


Abstract Objective.—This study assessed a potential relationship between elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels and the presence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at 4300 m on Denali and evaluated the relationship between COHb levels, AMS, and climber characteristics and behaviors. Building on our research done in 2004, in this article we report further data gathered during the 2005 climbing season and evaluate the combined results. Methods.—Participants were screened for AMS using the Lake Louise Self-Report Questionnaire and answered questions focusing on AMS symptoms, AMS prevention, and previous history of altitude illness. Carboxyhemoglobin levels were measured by serum co-oximetry. Additional questions assessed stove practices, climbing practices, and climber behaviors. Nonparametric statistical analyses were performed to examine potential relationships between COHb levels, AMS symptoms, and climber behaviors across the 2 years and with years combined. Results.—Overall, 317 climbers participated in the 2-year study. As in 2004, the combined data demonstrated no relationship between positive carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and positive criteria for AMS (P = .276). Climbers in 2005 were 1.92 times more likely to meet positive criteria for AMS, compared to climbers in 2004 (P = .028). On the contrary, climbers in 2004 were 3.93 times more likely to be CO exposed than climbers in 2005 (P = .003). Overall, climbers descending the mountain were more likely to be positive for CO exposure (5.56 times more likely than ascending climbers, P = .002) and to have higher overall mean COHb levels (2.26% descending vs 0.93% ascending, P = .006). The previous association between increased stove use and climbers who met positive criteria for AMS was not observed in the 2005 or in the combined data (P = .715). A relationship was observed between increased hours of operating stoves and increased COHb levels (P = .002). Female climbers were 2.041 times more likely to meet criteria for AMS (P = .043). Conclusions.—No relationship between AMS symptoms and CO exposure was observed. As found in our initial study, descending climbers had higher overall COHb levels and an increased risk of CO exposure (COHb of >3% in nonsmokers and >10% in smokers). Also, increased hours of stove operation was linked to climbers who had elevated COHb levels.


Abstract: An explanation for high-frequency cycles of sea level in non-glacial times has remained elusive, despite more than two centuries of research since Lavoisier's seminal observations were published in 1789. In the development of seismic stratigraphy in the 1970s, putatively global high-frequency changes in relative sea level (Vail third-order cycles) were attributed to an unknown eustatic mechanism, prompting a search for Mesozoic ice ages. Over the last decade, a regional mechanism of sea-level control has been developed from studies of the sedimentary record in high-quality oil-industry data. These geological studies have supported the geophysical prediction that significant regional control of sea level is exercised by mantle-induced vertical motions of the Earth's surface. These vertical motions can occur over time intervals from several tens of million years to less than a million years, with amplitudes of tens of metres or more even at the shorter intervals. The vertical motions are not confined to regions with major hotspots. There are two related controls of surface vertical motion: evolution of mantle-convection cells, and pulsing flow within each cell. The effects are evident in the sedimentary record of North Atlantic basins. Mantle convection provides an alternative, regional, mechanism to eustatic control for explaining medium-frequency to high-frequency sea-level cycles.


Abstract. Satellite observations of the ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) are sensitive to absorption of solar radiation by aerosols; this absorption affects photolysis frequencies and radiative forcing. We develop a global simulation of the UVAI using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem coupled with the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer model (VLIDORT). The simulation is applied to interpret UVAI observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for the year 2007. Simulated and observed values are highly consistent in regions where mineral dust dominates the UVAI, but a large negative bias (−0.32 to −0.97) exists between simulated and observed values in biomass burning regions. We determine effective optical properties for absorbing organic aerosol, known as brown carbon (BrC), and implement them into GEOS-Chem to better represent observed UVAI values over biomass burning regions. The inclusion of absorbing BrC decreases the mean bias between simulated and OMI UVAI values from −0.57 to −0.09 over West Africa in January, from −0.32 to +0.0002 over South Asia in April, from −0.97 to −0.22 over southern Africa in July, and from −0.50 to +0.33 over South America in September. The spectral dependence of absorption after including BrC in the model is broadly consistent with reported observations for biomass burning aerosol, with absorbing Angstrom exponent (AAE) values ranging from 2.9 in the ultraviolet (UV) to 1.3 across the UV–Near IR spectrum. We assess the effect of the additional UV absorption by BrC on atmospheric photochemistry by examining tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations in GEOS-Chem. The inclusion of BrC decreases OH by up to 30 % over South America in September, up to 20 % over southern Africa in July, and up to 15 % over other biomass burning regions. Global annual mean OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem decrease due to the presence of absorbing BrC, increasing the methyl chloroform lifetime from 5.62 to 5.68 years, thus reducing the bias against observed values. We calculate the direct radiative effect (DRE) of BrC using GEOS-Chem coupled with the radiative transfer model RRTMG (GC-RT). Treating organic aerosol as containing more strongly absorbing BrC changes the global annual mean all-sky top of atmosphere (TOA) DRE by +0.03 W m−2 and all-sky surface DRE by −0.08 W m−2. Regional changes of up to +0.3 W m−2 at TOA and down to −1.5 W m−2 at the surface are found over major biomass burning regions.


The low aspect ratio of the mega amp spherical tokamak (MAST) allows differentiation between different forms of the H-mode threshold scaling. With optimized fuelling using inboard puffing, and a connected double null divertor (DND) magnetic configuration, the H-mode power threshold data lie about 1.7 times higher than recent scaling laws. Slight magnetic configuration changes, of the order of the ion Larmor radius, around a connected DND significantly influence H-mode access. H-mode confinement in discharges with low frequency edge localized modes (ELMs) is generally consistent with international scaling laws, e.g. IPB98(y,2). Strong indications of both particle and energy internal transport barriers have been seen. Normalized beta values βN > 5 have been obtained, approaching the ideal n = 1 no wall external kink stability limit. Sawtooth triggered neo-classical tearing modes have been observed; numerical modelling of the island evolution reproduces mode behaviour well and confirms the significance of stabilizing field curvature effects. Divertor power loading studies, including transient effects due to ELMs, show a strong bias of power efflux to the outboard targets, where it is more easily handled. ELM energy losses, Δ WELM, are less than 4% of the stored energy in all regimes explored so far, but ELM effluxes extending 30 cm outside the outboard separatrix have been measured. Toroidally asymmetric divertor biasing resulted in significant broadening of the Dα profile on the biased components and a reduction in the total power to the unbiased components. Halo current magnitudes and asymmetries are generally small compared with conventional tokamaks; recent measurements show that the plasma behaves more as a voltage source than a current source. Initial neutral beam current drive experiments indicate non-inductively driven current values (INBI ∼ 0.3Ip) comparable with code predictions.


Introduction:

Brain imaging using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to study the processes underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders. In addition, in vivo brain imaging using SPECT or PET may provide new approaches for drug target identification, pre-clinical testing and occupancy studies, and therefore improve drug discovery. The utility of in vivo brain imaging using SPECT or PET relies on the ability of different radiotracers (typically organic compounds labelled with radionuclides) to bind to a wide variety of targets, including receptors, transporters and enzymes. Therefore the development of novel radiotracers for in vivo brain imaging using SPECT of PET is of vital importance. This thesis is focused on the process of developing novel radiotracers as tools for imaging the human brain, where the radiotracer discovery and development pipeline is discussed and each step prior to clinical trials investigated.

Radiotracer discovery:

Previously, discovery of novel brain radiotracers has largely relied on simplistic screening tools. Improved selection methods at the early stages of radiotracer discovery and an increased understanding of the relationships between in vitro physicochemical and in vivo radiotracer properties are needed. This thesis investigated if high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methodologies could provide criteria for lead candidate selection by comparing HPLC measurements with radiotracer properties in humans. In this study, ten molecules, previously used as radiotracers in humans, were analysed to obtain the following measures: partition coefficient (Log P); permeability (Pm); percentage of plasma protein binding (%PPB); and membrane partition coefficient (Km). Relationships between brain entry measurements (Log P, Pm and %PPB) and in vivo brain percentage injected dose (%ID); and Km and specific binding in vivo (BPND) were investigated. Results showed that HPLC measurements of Pm, %PPB and Km were potentially useful in predicting in vivo performance and hence allow evaluation and ranking of compound libraries for the selection of lead radiotracer candidates at early stages of radiotracer discovery. The HPLC tool developed provides information on in vivo non-specific binding and binding potential that is not possible using conventional screening methods. Another important finding reported in this thesis is that Log P should not be relied on as a predictor of brain entry.
The HPLC tool developed, together with competition binding assays, was used to characterise a newly synthesised library of compounds for imaging of the translocator protein (TSPO) in brain using SPECT. Results showed that compound LS 1 was the most likely to succeed within the library investigated, but the high %PPB observed for LS 1 suggested novel compounds with improved %PPB were needed. Thus, a novel library of compounds for imaging of TSPO in brain using SPECT is currently been developed for future testing using the HPLC tool developed here and competition binding assays.

Pre-clinical research: radiotracers for imaging the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) in brain using SPECT.

In this thesis, NKJ64, a novel iodinated analogue of reboxetine, was successfully radiolabelled via electrophilic iododestannylation and evaluated as a potential SPECT radiotracer for imaging the NAT in brain using rodents and non-human primates. Biological evaluation of the novel radiotracer, 123/125I-NKJ64, in rodents included: in vitro ligand binding assays; in vitro and ex vivo autoradiography; in vivo biodistribution studies and ex vivo pharmacological blocking studies. In rats, 123/125I-NKJ64 displayed saturable binding with nanomolar affinity for the NAT in cortical homogenates, regional distribution consistent with the known density of NAT in the rodent brain and high maximum brain uptake of around 2.93 % of the injected dose. The specific: non-specific ratio (locus coeruleus:caudate putamen) of 123I-NKJ64 uptake was 2.8 at 30 minutes post intravenous injection and prior administration of reboxetine significantly reduced the accumulation of 123I-NKJ64 in the locus coeruleus (> 50% reduction). Data obtained using rodents indicated that further evaluation of 123I-NKJ64 in non-human primates was needed to determine its utility as a SPECT radiotracer for imaging of NAT in brain. Consequently, in vivo kinetic modelling studies using SPECT imaging with 123I-NKJ64 and two baboons were carried out to determine 123I-NKJ64 brain binding kinetics, brain distribution and plasma metabolism in non-human primates. Even though a high brain uptake of around 3.0% of the injected dose was determined, the high non-specific binding observed throughout the brain, a low binding potential (BPND<2) in NAT rich regions and a brain distribution that was inconsistent with the known NAT distribution in non-human primate brain precludes the translation of 123I-NKJ64 into humans.
Another NAT radiotracer, 123I-INER, developed by Tamagnan and colleagues at Yale University and Institute for Degenerative Disorders, New Haven, USA, was also investigated as part of this thesis. Kinetic modelling analysis of 123I-INER in baboon brain was investigated for different models, namely invasive and reference tissue models. Bolus plus constant infusion experiments with displacement at equilibrium using six different doses of atomoxetine and four different doses of reboxetine were carried out in several baboons to obtain occupancy measurements as a function of injected dose (mg/kg) for the two NAT selective drugs. Results showed that reference tissue models were able to determine BPND values of 123I-INER in different brain regions. In addition the volume of distribution could be determined by dividing concentration in tissue by the concentration in venous blood at 3 hours post-injection. After administration of atomoxetine or reboxetine, dose-dependent occupancy was observed in brain regions known to contain high densities of NATs. Results supported the translation of 123I-INER into humans studies, despite the slow kinetics determined over the imaging period. Pharmacokinetic properties of 123I-INER described in this thesis may be used to simplify future data acquisition and image processing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this thesis reported: (1) the development of novel radiotracers for brain imaging, namely NAT and TSPO; and (2) the development of a new methodology for aiding lead molecule identification at early stages of radiotracer discovery (i.e. prior to radiolabelling). In addition, an overview of radiotracer discovery and development process is provided in a single document, with a focus on brain radiotracers.


The present thesis is a theoretical study of several x-ray spectroscopies { x-ray absorption, xray photoelectron, radiative and non-radiative resonant Raman scattering spectroscopy. The main focus point is investigating the role of the nuclear dynamics in molecules (naphthalene, biphenyl, the water dimer, HCl) on these spectra. The theoretical tools we use consist of the basic equations of the relevant x-ray spectroscopy. Wave packet methods are also used. The molecular parameters needed for our simulations are obtained through suitable quantum chemical calculations, mainly based on either wave function or density functional methods. Our simulations are compared with experimental data, where available. Simulations of x-ray absorption and x-ray photoionization spectra for naphthalene and biphenyl show that the spectral shapes are heavily inuenced by the joint e ect of two factors { chemical shifts and excitations of vibrational progression. In both of the studied molecules, similar vibrational modes are excited, giving rise to a signi cant vibrational broadening of the spectra. Comparison between the two molecules and also comparison to the reference case { benzene, provides useful insight into the molecular behavior under core excitation. In a further step, we consider the O1s x-ray photoelectron spectrum of the water dimer. A substantial broadening of the two bands originating from the donor and the acceptor oxygen is found. It is caused by excitations of soft intermolecular vibrational modes, associated with the hydrogen bond. Another strong inuence of the nuclear dynamics is clearly seen in the resonant x-ray Raman scattering of HCl. Vibrational collapse is observed experimentally and con rmed theoretically for two cases: resonant excitation of the K line and o -resonant excitation of the elastic peak. These two collapses can be strictly realized for excitations in the hard x-ray region. Our considerations show that using this technique, one can eliminate the broadenings caused by the lifetime of the core excited state and the vibrational broadening, and hence, considerably increase the spectral resolution. Finally, we predict an interference e ect in the resonant Auger scattering from xed-inspace molecules. By exciting a molecule to a dissociative state and measuring the angular distribution of the Auger electrons in coincidence with the molecular ion, one can observe this e ect. The interference pattern can be used after Fourier transformation for extracting structural data about the studied system.


This article describes Mark (age 26) who has severe dysarthria following a head injury. He accepted
AAC (SpeechViewer) as a short-term measure, but was keen to use technology (the
electropalatograph) he saw promoted in the media to improve his oral skills. His speech and language
therapists feel that this will not help him. The ethical issues involved in the case are discussed and
illustrated by the use of Seedhouse's ethical grid. These include the levels of practicality, the general
level of outcome to be achieved, the level of duties expected, and the principles behind health work.
Issues which impact on Mark's expectations of the speech and language therapy service and which
remain unresolved are the gaps in NHS provision for young head injured individuals as their
circumstances change, and the tendency of the media to overstate the benefits of new approaches to
disability.


An analysis of ancient lake bed sediments challenges traditional views of Indian monsoon dynamics. The Indian summer monsoon (ISM) is an important annual climate cycle that has major implications for human well-being, in part because it influences seasonal rainfall in South Asia. As a result, climate researchers have sought to understand the factors that cause the ISM's intensity to vary and how climate change may affect it. Traditionally, researchers have thought that, during the Pleistocene (∼2.6 million years before the present), the ISM weakened during cooler periods as glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) expanded, and the monsoon strengthened during warmer periods as the ice sheets melted. This paradigm now faces a serious challenge. On page 719 of this issue, An et al. (1) present evidence that—contrary to the conventional view—the ISM often reached its weakest point, and even began to strengthen, before global volumes of glacial ice reached a maximum. They also propose that, during glacial periods, the development of the ISM was driven by cooling in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), highlighting the role of interhemispheric interaction in governing the relationship between the ISM and glacial cycles.


Remote metering is a key task in smart grid to collect the power load information for the pricing in power market. A wireless communication infrastructure is assumed for the smart meter network. The dynamics of the power market are assumed to be a Markov decision process (MDP) by modeling the power load evolution as a two-state Markov chain. The fundamental elements of the MDP are discussed and the optimal strategy is obtained from dynamic programming. Due to the curse of dimensions, the myopic strategy is proposed to significantly simplify the algorithm. The validity of the proposed scheduling algorithm is demonstrated using numerical simulations. For example, for price insensitive power users, the average price and power generation errors are reduced by 60% and 40% using the myopic approach, compared with the simple round robin schedule, in certain circumstances.


Our limited understanding of real‐life queries is an obstacle in developing music information retrieval (MIR) systems that meet the needs of real users. This study aimed, by an empirical investigation of real‐life queries, to contribute to developing a theorized understanding of how users seek music information. This is crucial for informing the design of future MIR systems, especially the selection of potential access points, as well as establishing a set of test queries that reflect real‐life music information‐seeking behavior. Natural language music queries were collected from an online reference Website and coded using content analysis. A taxonomy of user needs expressed and information features used in queries were established by an iterative coding process. This study found that most of the queries analyzed were known‐item searches, and most contained a wide variety of kinds of information, although a few features were used much more heavily than the others. In addition to advancing our understanding of real‐life user queries by establishing an improved taxonomy of needs and features, three recommendations were made for improving the evaluation of MIR systems: (i) incorporating user context in test queries, (ii) employing terms familiar to users in evaluation tasks, and (iii) combining multiple task results.


Abstract. Turbulence plays an important role in investigating the irradiance scintillation index (SI) for a free-space optical wave propagating through atmospheric turbulence. The Hufnagel–Valley model is used in most studies, where the SI of the slant path is obtained using numerical analysis. A polynomial is proposed for the refractive index structure parameter, on which a closed form is derived for the irradiance SI of a spherical optical wave propagating through a slant atmospheric turbulence. This is used to study signal-to-noise ratio and bit error rate for system performance evaluation. The obtained results demonstrate the simplicity of using the derived closed form of SI compared to statistical methods. The derived expression takes less computational time for SI, which reflects positively on the system performance, which is an essential issue in vehicular mobile applications, in particular.


This paper focuses on an Athenian decree implementing a fundamental metrological reform at the end of the 2nd century BCE. This text has been known for a long time, since it was seen and copied by Michel Fourmont in Athens in 1729. The inscription is now lost, so that Fourmont's sketch is our main source for this decree, together with a small fragment of a copy of the same decree found during the American excavations of the Agora in 1934. However, all current editions, including CIG I 123 (Boeckh, 1828), IG II 476 (Koehler, 1877), and IG II–III2 1013 (Kirchner, 1916), are not based on the draft sketch drawn by Michel Fourmont in Athens in 1729, but on a final version made by Claude-Louis Fourmont (Michel's nephew) in Paris, probably between 1742 and 1746. Since the final version significantly differed from the original, it was necessary to re-edit the Athenian decree on the basis of the draft version (Supplement grec 854, fol. 79r–81r, no. 142), reject the supplements suggested by the previous editors, modify several restorations and interpretations, and revise the text structure. This paper also summarizes the main data provided by this decree about the Athenian metrological system during the late Hellenistic period, and challenges the communis opinio that the Athenians adopted the Roman standards at the end of the 2nd century BCE.


We reconsider the matrix model formulation of type IIB superstring theory in (9+1)-dimensional space-time. Unlike the previous works in which the Wick rotation was used to make the model well defined, we regularize the Lorentzian model by introducing infrared cutoffs in both the spatial and temporal directions. Monte Carlo studies reveal that the two cutoffs can be removed in the large-N limit and that the theory thus obtained has no parameters other than one scale parameter. Moreover, we find that three out of nine spatial directions start to expand at some "critical time," after which the space has SO(3) symmetry instead of SO(9).


One of the key challenges in environment and health research is the measurement and interpretation of this complex relation, whereas one of the key challenges in environment and health policy-making is the translation of environment and health data to policy measures. In this paper, we describe a process in which these two challenges are integrated: the interpretation of human biomonitoring results for policy-making. We present work of the Flemish Centre for Health and Environment, working directly for the Flemish government. The Centre investigates the relation between environmental pollution and human health by measuring pollutants and health effects in (over 4000) Flemish inhabitants. A major challenge concerns the translation of these human biomonitoring data to policy measures. For this purpose, medical, environmental and social experts and policy representatives cooperatively developed an action plan. Part of this action plan is expert and stakeholder consultation. In 2006, a first pilot on measurements of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) (a metabolite of DDT) was concluded: with respect to two Flemish regions, the results were further investigated and discussed as a basis for policy measures. We present the results of this pilot, the policy response and the conclusions about the process of translating environment and health data to policy-making.


Within the framework of the current advances in web technology, the main objective of the work is to describe the practical advantages of the PHP CodeIgniter 3.0 web development tool to provide a particular solution: MSRS v1.0 Manager Selection and Recruitment System, based on the requirements and structural design of MSRS and then present details of its implementation and operation. Thus, MSRS v1.0 is a web system that supports personnel selection processes in competitions under a specific professional profile, according to the definition of skills necessary for the position. Once the competencies and the level of the required domain have been defined, the items of questions to be evaluated are prepared under various reagent formats, whose responses reach a score that discriminates between the levels of the domain of the applicants, obtaining the most suitable candidate for the charge. The use of PHP CodeIgniter 3.0 stands out since, given a correct analysis of requirements and its logical database model, it allows the rapid development of web applications.


While the outcomes of the tumultuous uprisings that continue to transfix the Arab world remain uncertain, the root causes of rebellion persist. Drawing upon extensive empirical research, Lineages of Revolt tracks the major shifts in the region's political economy over recent decades. In this illuminating and original work, Adam Hanieh explores the contours of neoliberal policies, dynamics of class and state formation, imperialism and the nature of regional accumulation, the significance of Palestine and the Gulf Arab states, and the ramifications of the global economic crisis. By mapping the complex and contested nature of capitalism in the Middle East, the book demonstrates that a full understanding of the uprisings needs to go beyond a simple focus on "dictators and democracy."


Abstract Context Glucocorticoid-induced myopathy is a characteristic symptom of endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS). Its long-term outcome is largely unknown. Objective To evaluate long-term muscle function following the remission of endogenous CS. Study Design Observational longitudinal cohort study. Setting Tertiary care hospitals and a specialized outpatient clinic. Patients As part of the prospective multicenter German Cushing's Registry, we assessed muscle strength in patients with overt endogenous CS. We studied the patients at the time of diagnosis (n = 88), after 6 months (n = 69), and thereafter annually, following surgical remission over a period of up to 4 years (1 year: n = 55; 2 years: n = 34; 3 years: n = 29; 4 years: n = 22). Muscle function was evaluated by hand grip strength and by chair rising test. Results Grip strength was decreased to 83% of normal controls (100%) at the time of diagnosis. It further decreased to 71% after 6 months in remission (P ≤ 0.001) and showed no improvement during further follow-up compared with baseline. Chair rising test performance improved initially (8 seconds at baseline vs 7 seconds after 6 months, P = 0.004) but remained at this reduced level thereafter (7 seconds after 3 years vs 5 seconds in controls, P = 0.038). In multivariate analysis, we identified, as predictors for long-term muscle dysfunction, age, waist-to-hip ratio, and hemoglobin A1c at baseline. Furthermore, muscle strength during follow-up was strongly correlated with quality of life. Conclusion This study shows that CS-associated myopathy does not spontaneously resolve during remission. This calls for action to identify effective interventions to improve muscle dysfunction in this setting.


In the absence of piped water from a utility company, households rely on alternative supply from small-scale private providers. We quantify losses of wellbeing associated with using small-scale private providers instead of piped water from the utility company. We measure welfare in three dimensions: health, wealth (income), and time available for education, work, or leisure. An empirical application to Burkina Faso reveals that households' greatest welfare losses are in terms of time availability. The opportunity cost of collecting water is estimated to be 23 hours per week, which is comparable to half of a full weekly working period of an employed person. This loss is often borne by women. In terms of health and affordability of water, paradoxically, households using alternative sources of water are slightly better off.


This paper examines Liberte pour l'Histoire, a group of French historians who led the charge against that nation's memory laws, in the process raising unique arguments not found elsewhere in the debate over hate speech law. Some of these arguments – such as a focus on how the constitutional structure of the Fifth Republic encouraged memory laws – advance our understanding of the connection between hate speech bans and political institutions. Other arguments, however, are more problematic. In particular, Liberte historians struggle to distinguish the Holocaust (which is illegal to deny) from the Armenian Genocide (which is not). The Liberte historians also quite hostile toward multiculturalism. While this reflects the French culture in which the historians operate, it is normatively quite unappealing. This is especially true given the existence of other, more inclusive European arguments against hate speech regulation, such as those of Danish cartoon publisher Flemming Rose and Maltese Judge Giovanni Bonello. There has to be a better, more inclusive way to oppose French memory laws.


The objective of the paper is to analyse why some firms innovate while others do not. The paper combines different theories of innovation by relating innovation to internal, firm specific assets and external, regional factors. Hypotheses are derived from theories and tested empirically by using logistic regression. The empirical analysis indicates that internal funding of R&D and size of the firm are the most important firm specific attributes for successful innovation. External, regional factors are also important. The analysis shows that firms located in large urban regions have significantly higher innovation rates than firms located in the periphery, and firms involved in regional networking are more likely to innovate compared to firms not involved in networking. The analysis contributes to a theoretical and empirical understanding of factors that influence on innovation and the role innovation plays in the market economy. Innovation policy should be targeted at developing a tax system and building infrastructure which give firms incentives to invest and allocate internal resources to R&D-activities and collaborate with others in innovation. From an economic policy perspective, consideration should be given to allocating more public resources to rural areas in order to compensate for the asymmetric distribution of resources between the centre and periphery. The paper contributes to the scientific literature of innovation by combining the firm oriented perspective with weight on firm specific, internal resources and a system perspective which focuses on external resources and networking as the most important determinants of innovation in firms. Keywords: innovation, region, location, centre and periphery, firm specific and external resources, networking, Norwegian industry, logistic regression.


Stimulated by a variety of external pressures, managerial innovation is likely to become more common in health care organizations. Relatively little is known, however, about the phenomenon. This paper develops a framework for the analysis of managerial innovation in health care organizations, based on the premise that control is at the heart of effective managerial practice. Physician control over the production process in health care is likely to be increasingly challenged, partially as a consequence of the ascendency of managerial ideology. Opportunities for managerial innovation will be created, but are likely to be successful only to the extent that physician expertise is incorporated into rather than excluded from the resulting changes.


1. Introduction. 2. Understanding How Decisions Happen in Organizations. 3. Continuity and Change in Theories of Organizational Action. 4. Institutional Perspectives on Political Institutions (with Johan P. Olsen). 5. Organizational Learning (with Barbara Levitt). 6. The Evolution of Evolution. 7. Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning. 8. Learning from Samples of One or Fewer (with Lee S. Sproull, and Michal Tamuz). 9. Adaptive Co--ordination of a Learning Team (with Pertti H. Lounamma). 10. The Future, Disposable Organizations, and the Rigidities of Imagination. 11. The Myopia of Learning (with Daniel A. Levinthal). 12. Wild Ideas: The Catechism of Heresy. 13. Variable Risk Preferences and Adaptive Aspirations. 14. Variable Risk Preferences and the Focus of Attention (with Zur Shapira). 15. Learning to Be Risk Averse. 16. Model Bias in Social Action. 17. Organizational Consultants and Organizational Research. 18. Organizational Performance as a Dependent Variable (with Robert I. Sutton). 19. Science, Politics, and Mrs. Gruenberg. 20. Education and the Pursuit of Optimism. 21. A Scholara s Quest.


Prediction accuracy of zone models is attributed to the sophistication of the mathematical model, as well as the numerical methods applied in their implementation. Well-known zone models CFAST and OZone have gained world-wide acceptance among the fire engineering community in predicting enclosure fire dynamics. Despite these models serving similar purpose, the level of accuracy and applicability range are still a field of active research. This study compares an in-house developed zone model CFMFAN with CFAST and OZone in their modeling concepts, prediction capability, and accuracy. The sub-models for gas flow, heat transfer, and heat release rate are examined. Performance comparisons of these zone models with published experimental results for 20 single compartment fire tests are carried out in the blind mode. The test parameters used are the fire size (330—980 kW) and the fire location (center or side). For performance comparisons, the upper- and lower-layer temperatures, interface and neutral plane heights, pressure difference at the floor, wall temperatures, plume flow, and vent flow rates are compared. Upon comparison with compartment fire test results, the study shows that CFAST consistently overpredicts the upper-layer temperature whereas OZone and CFMFAN underpredict it for all fire sizes. All the models underpredict the lower-layer temperature. Explanations are given for the deviations of the three models from the test results and from one another.


Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that are likely to influence their wealth accumulation. Characteristics of the farm, operator, family and potential successors that contribute to wealth accumulation will be identified. An additional objective of the paper is to determine if there was a discernable difference in the level of wealth accumulation between the two groups of farm households. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses 2001 Agricultural Resource Management Survey data and a multivariate regression procedure. In particular, the study estimates two models one for those farm households whose wealth resides primarily in the farm and another for households with both farm business and nonfarm wealth. Findings - Results from this study show that differences exist in wealth accumulation among the two groups of farm households based on factors such as farm organization, farm size and farms specializing in Livestock and other crops. Results also show a classic inverted U-shaped wealth/age profile for the two groups of farm households considered in this analysis. However, the disinvestment tends to start at an earlier age for the group of households whose wealth resides primarily in the farm sector, 65 years compared to 82 years for farm households with wealth in both (farm and nonfarm) sectors. Findings from this study show a positive correlation between education and wealth accumulation for both groups of households. Practical implications - Results point to the importance of land in the wealth portfolio of farm households and the influence of farms locations on wealth accumulation. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a stable agricultural economy, particularly for farm households who derive their wealth from farming, with accompanying effect on land markets and the subsequent effect on the equity position, and debt servicing capacity of farm households. Originality/value - This study differs from the more general agricultural finance and farm income literature in several ways. First, none of the studies in the literature has estimated the wealth of self-employed households in general and farm households in particular. Second, since farm households collect wealth via farm and nonfarm sources their wealth accumulation method and motives are different than all other households. Third, unlike previous studies, the analysis here is conducted on a national farm-level data with the unique feature of a larger sample than previously reported, comprising farms of different economic sizes and in different regions of the USA.


This study aimed at investigating how devolution of the administration and
management of public community secondary schools has functioned. It also
discusses the effects of the devolution. The study adopted a case study design. The
research area of the study was Kinondoni Municipality. Random sampling
procedures were used to select the sample population, including those who
participated in the study by virtue of their posts. A sample of 252 respondents was
realized. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. Quantitative
data were analyzed, tabulated and presented in terms of absolute and relative
percentages. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis and reported in
terms of themes, categories and quotations. The findings show that there are positive effects, including community participation, increased enrolment of students and some of the teachers' problems were solved. Negative effects were poor performance of students, inadequate studying materials, unclear roles and responsibilities of WEO and school board chairpersons, poor school infrastructure, shortages of teachers, inadequate of school buildings and basic services. It was discovered that the devolution of powers and roles was done with inadequate provision of human and financial resources resulting to ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the management and administration of the secondary education system. It was recommended that the government should supply human, financial resources and studying materials in time, pre and in service training should be provided to all of leadership, and school inspectors' advice should be implemented. Furthermore, other studies need to be conducted on devolution of the administration and management.


Sharks are found in association with main Hawaiian Island ocean fish farms more frequently and at higher densities than is typical for coastal Hawaiian waters. Sharks attracted to fish farms could potentially threaten human water users, interact negatively with other fisheries, and seasonal migrations could be disrupted if individuals become entrained around farms throughout the year. We hypothesised that smaller coastal species would reside near farms, whereas more wide-ranging species would associate with farms only for short periods. We utilised passive acoustic telemetry to monitor the movements and behaviour of sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) sharks adjacent to two open ocean fish farms in Hawaii. Approximately half the tagged sandbar sharks showed site fidelity to the farms, with some individuals being detected repeatedly for 2.5 years. Sandbar sharks moved seasonally to the west coast of Oahu, suggesting that fish farms are not disrupting natural seasonal cycles in this species. Tiger sharks tagged near the cages were more transient, and showed much shorter residence times although some individuals returned sporadically to the cages over the 3-year period. Ocean fish cages appear to aggregate sandbar sharks, but are only 'visited' by tiger sharks. Although threats to public safety are probably minimal, the ecological effects of aggregating top-predators are still unknown.


—Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the main volatile components of natural magmas, but estimation of its initial contents remains a challenge. Study of melt inclusions in minerals permits a direct estimation of the content of CO2 in the melts. For the precise determination of its content in melt inclusions, it is necessary to analyze the contents of CO2 both in glass and in the fluid daughter phase of the inclusions. In this work, we constructed a calibration dependence of the density of CO2 in the range 0.01–0.22 g/cm3 on the distance between its characteristic peaks in Raman spectra (Fermi diads). The accuracy of density determination is ±0.03 g/cm3. The calibration plot was used to estimate the density of CO2 in the gas phase of melt inclusions in magnesian olivine (Fo84.8-88.5) from basalts of the Karymskii Volcano, eastern Kamchatka. The estimated density was 0.03–0.21 g/cm3. Using these values, we have first evaluated the minimum initial content of CO2 in the parental magmas of the Karymskii Volcano, 0.45 wt.%. These data, along with the known initial content of water (~4.5 wt.%), indicate that the parental magmas began to crystallize at a pressure of at least 7 kbar (depth of >25 km). To increase the reliability of the above method of estimation of the CO2 content in the gas phase of olivine-hosted melt inclusions, we propose to carry out preliminary experimental reheating of inclusions for the complete homogenization of the fluid phase and determination of the 3D size of melt inclusions. The performed study provides a reliable evaluation of the content of CO2 in parental magmas, the depth of crystallization, and the degree of magma degassing and permits a comparison of the compositions of magmatic fluids and high-temperature volcanic gases.


A planar bistable liquid crystal device, reported in Tsakonas et al. [27], is modelled within the Landau-de Gennes theory for nematic liquid crystals. This planar device consists of an array of square micron-sized wells. We obtain six different classes of equilibrium profiles and these profiles are classified as diagonal or rotated solutions. In the strong anchoring case, we propose a Dirichlet boundary condition that mimics the experimentally imposed tangent boundary conditions. In the weak anchoring case, we present a suitable surface energy and study the multiplicity of solutions as a function of the anchoring strength. We find that diagonal solutions exist for all values of the anchoring strength W ≥ 0 while rotated solutions only exist for W ≥ Wc > 0, where Wc is a critical anchoring strength that has been computed numerically. We propose a dynamic model for the switching mechanisms based on only dielectric effects. For sufficiently strong external electric fields, we numerically demonstrate diagonal to rotated and rotated to diagonal switching by allowing for variable anchoring strength across the domain boundary.


Singapore has never adopted a laissez faire approach towards free speech, which is constitutionally entrenched in article 14 of the Singapore Constitution. Indeed, free speech is a means to various ends; its rationale is grounded in the arguments from truth, self-expression and democracy, which views political speech as the lifeblood of democratic societies. The official government view has been that an excessive focus on political liberties is destabilizing and inimical to economic growth and communitarian 'Asian values'. Nonetheless, government policy has undergone a minor sea-change in loosening restrictions on political liberties to accommodate the demands of a more educated, affluent citizenry for greater participation in public affairs. This article focuses on two questions.First, what is the evolving government approach towards regulating political speech in the real and virtual realm. There has been a shift from 'blanket bans' to a more calibrated approach towards managing free speech issues. Second, what insight does the scope of free speech shed in relation to the type of political community we are, how we value political speech and other social goods. It evaluates law and policy which regulates political speech, as well as judicial approaches towards construing article 14 issues. It offers an in-depth analysis of the only public law case concerning speech in cyberspace, in relation to racist blogs. In particular, it analyzes how political digital speech can both promote and undermine democracy in Singapore, measured against the central role free speech plays in promoting truth and solidifying a democratic order.


In the present study I examine two methods of unpacking teacher's mathematics-content/pedagogy beliefs and their instructional decisionmaking The study took place over the course of a school year. For each the two participants, I observed & videotaped 10 classroom mathematics lessons, and held 6 follow-up dialogues (three of each type) of more than 60 minutes each. I then used data from the Video Reflection and Theory Reflection methods and qualitatively analyzed each for meaningful patterns and richness of response. Results indicated that both methods were useful for varied purposes in obtaining teacher belief data. How have teachers incorporated recent reform efforts, particularly those in mathematics education (NCTM, 1989, 1991; NRC, 1989; Grouws, 1992)? Beliefs about mathematics influence how a teacher teaches mathematics. As teaching beliefs in general move from a behaviorist orientation to more constructivist and humane, are individual teacher's beliefs changing in this direction also? Are such belief changes carried into the classroom? Beliefs are not readily observable and are often tacit to the teacher, him/herself. Indirect methods of discovering and furthering teacher beliefs are needed. The study analyzes two reflective forms of inquiry that attempt to go beyond the observable level to understand two teachers` beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics. Change and redefinition in teaching require reflection and a personal questioning of the underlying beliefs that drive practice (Schon, 1983). These actions, common in the assessment process of students may be new to the teacher as a form of professional self-study. The study analyzed two different methods of reflection in accomplishing the following: (1) as a setting for deep reflection on beliefs and practices in mathematics, (2) as a context for teacher change in either belief or practice, and (3) as a personalized approach to professional development. The first method is referred to as The Video Reflection Method and the second, The Theory Reflection Method. Both will be described in detail later in the article. Background Reforms in mathematics education are dependent on the teacher in the classroom. However, many teachers' beliefs about mathematics and what learning mathematics entails are incompatible with the reform effort. Such beliefs not only hinder the progress of school reform but also result in an enacted curriculum "that is seriously damaging the mathematical health of our children." (Battista, 1994, p.462) The need for reform and its success stemming from a change in traditional teacher beliefs suggests novel approaches to collecting, refocusing, and analyzing data. Duckworth (1986; 1987) used elicitation methods during actual science investigations in order to learn and change teachers beliefs about teaching science. Cobb, Yackel, & Wood (1992) worked intensively with one second grade teacher in the area of mathematics discussing classroom practice, challenging established beliefs. and providing her with actual constructivist lesson plans. Thompson's (1984) classic study of three teachers' conceptions of mathematics and how those conceptions effected their teaching practice employed the use of questionnaire, interview, and observation methods1. Fenstermacher ( 1986, 1993) pursued the question of change in beliefs by drawing on Green's (1971, 1976) notions of the tendency of the mind to group ideas into "clusters" with internal but not necessarily external consistency. Through dialogue with an "Other" beliefs were brought out and examined in relation to each another, thus forcing the consistency issue. This process Fenstermacher calls a "practical argument." By applying these ideas to a contemporary analysis of teaching reading, Richardson i 1994) suggested a method to draw out and affect a teacher's beliefs through the use of video tape reflection and intense dialogue between the teacher and the staff developer. …


A possible general approach to the analysis of dispersion equations (DEs) of electromagnetics is presented. The method takes into account the known explicit forms of DEs describing eigenoscillations and normal waves in layered structures and is based on the development of the notion of generalized cylindrical polynomials. The approach enables one to complete rigoroius proofs of existence and determine domains of localization of the DE roots and validate iterative numerical solution techniques.


This is a study of some metrical peculiarities of a corpus of 159 Egyptian-Arabic quatrains. The light CV-syllable, accepted in all metrical positions, is the exclusive type in three of the eleven positions of the standard line, but it figures together with heavy syllables in the eight remaining positions. Does quantity, therefore, matter in a restricted number of cases only? The riddle is solved by distinguishing between two classes of CV-syllables, depending on whether the vowel is lax or tense: CVlax is always light, CVtense is generally heavy, but light in a weak metrical position. Other findings concern CVCV, which may fill several strong positions in the metre, and CVVC, which may be either heavy or superheavy. Superheavy CVVC can fill a strong + weak position, or, together with CVlax, two strong positions. Nothing of the sort occurs in classical Arabic; still, classical and vernacular Arabic metrics are related to a point where the existing differences are easily overlooked. Only a thorough investigation of the vernacular metres on their merits can establish the exact relationship between classical and vernacular prosodic systems.


Photon statistics effects are analyzed for Mach-Zehnder and Michelson interferometers in which a strong coherent state is inserted into one input port and a squeezed vacuum is inserted in the other input port. We study the effects related to entanglement, for the general case, by using Zassenhaus's perturbation theory as a function of the squeezing parameter. For the special case in which the strong coherent state exits fully through one output port while the squeezed vacuum exits through the other "dark" output port, the Lie group disentangling method is used. For this case we show that the signal can be amplified with sub-Poissonian photon statistics.


Ways to influence emotions have always been an area of interest within the scientific community. The objective of this research is to find the role of technology in order to improve emotional wellness for the elderly population. We conducted a qualitative and quantitative study with the help of interviews and a survey. A sample of 24 respondents is selected randomly from the elderly population. The results showed a strong correlation between emotional, psychological and social wellness dimensions and elders comfort with the use of technology. Based on our study, we present a co-creation model to design wearables for monitoring and improving emotional wellness for elderly. There is a need for focused efforts to develop digital interventions for emotional wellness for elderly. It is important to include elders as co-designers to form effective solutions for elderly through a co-creation process.


The present study is mainly directed at achieving high fixation
efficiency of reactive dyes on cotton in order to solve the remaining
problems with the use of this type of dyes, e.g. the necessity of using
expensive and time-consuming wash off procedure and of using high
concentration of electrolyte to exhaust the dyebath.
A number of ways to modify cotton have been sought to achieve the above
objectives. Modification of cotton with a polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE)
resin and its derivatives was extensively studied; three simple
pretreatment methods have been proposed and mechanistic implications are
also discussed.
Light fastness of the dyeings produced on cotton modified with polymeric
compounds was compared to that achieved on cotton modified with low
molecular weight compounds. It is concluded that reduction of light
fastness of reactive dyeings always occurs on the former polymer modified
substrate whilst there is no such problem with the dyeings on the latter
substrate.
Modification of cotton with a specially synthesized low molecular weight
compound, 1,1-dimethyl-3-hydroxyl-1-azetidinium chloride (DMAC), and a
commercially available compound, Glytac A, were carried out and the
dyeability of the subsequent substrate was studied. The practical
importance of these methods and the mechanism of covalent bond formation
when using reactive dyes on these substrate are discussed.
A systematic study of introducing different amino groups into cotton via
reaction of cotton with N-methylol acrylamide followed by amination with
different amines was undertaken and the dyeing behaviour of reactive dyes
on the substrate produced was evaluated.
An unusual reaction was observed when further treating cotton which had
been pre-esterified with chloropropionyl chloride (CPC) in an aqueous
solution of amines. Amination under severe conditions led to substrates
which are dyeable with reactive dyes with good fastness properties but
amination under much milder conditions produced substrates which gave
the subsequent dyeings of poor wash fastness.
A method to determine the chlorine content in CPC cotton by ion-exchange
chromatography is discussed.
An alternative way to achieve dye-fibre covalent bonding was proposed:
cotton was activated first and then dyed with alkyl-amino dyes. The ways
of cotton activation, the methods to prepare alkyl-amino dyes and
activation agents are discussed. This approach not only imparts high
efficiency to the fibre-dye reaction but also avoids the problem of dye
hydrolysis.
The present study has thus far produced six papers which have been
published during the course of this project. The Journal names and the
other details about the publications were given as follows:
[1] S.M. Burkinshaw, X.P. Lei and D.M. Lewis, J.S.D.C., 105(1989)
391-398.
[2] D.M. Lewis and X.P. Lei, Text. Chem. and Col., 2J_(1989) 23-29.
[3] S.M. Burkinshaw, X.P. Lei, D.M. Lewis, J.R. Easten, B. Parton and
D.A.S. Phillips, J.S.D.C., J_06(1990) 307-315.
[4] X.P. Lei and D.M. Lewis, J.S.D.C., 106(1990)352-356.
[5] D.M. Lewis and X.P. Lei, J.S.D.C., 107(1991 )102-109.
[6] X.P. Lei and D.M. Lewis, Dyes and Pigments, in press.


We relate some basic constructions of stochastic analysis to differential geometry, via random walk approximations. We consider walks on both Riemannian and sub-Riemannian manifolds in which the steps consist of travel along either geodesics or integral curves associated to orthonormal frames, and we give particular attention to walks where the choice of step is influenced by a volume on the manifold. A primary motivation is to explore how one can pass, in the parabolic scaling limit, from geodesics, orthonormal frames, and/or volumes to diffusions, and hence their infinitesimal generators, on sub-Riemannian manifolds, which is interesting in light of the fact that there is no completely canonical notion of sub-Laplacian on a general sub-Riemannian manifold. However, even in the Riemannian case, this random walk approach illuminates the geometric significance of Ito and Stratonovich stochastic differential equations as well as the role played by the volume.


Abstract : This thesis critically analyzes the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) within higher education and examines SCORM's limitations within a realistic application environment versus within a theoretical/conceptual platform. The thesis also examines environments better suited for implementation of SCORM technology. In addressing the research questions, it was discovered that from the current standards set forth by Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), SCORM is not well suited for higher education. SCORM technology will prove of greater utility within the Navy Training environment than in higher education. In their effort to share information, higher education institutions would benefit more from a Content Management System in conjunction with a Learning Management System. Subsequent chapters addressed the limitations of SCORM, provided a comparison of the applicability of SCORM within the separate domains of naval Education and Training, and provided a prototype of a Content Management System for institutions of higher learning.


Introduction: Training and consulting attachment behavior may promote bonding between mothers and infants. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of consultation in primi-parous mothers on Maternal-Fetal Attachment )MFA( in 2015 in Hamadan city, Iran. Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial. Subjects were 110 nulliparous women in 32-30 weeks of gestational age. Participants were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups )each group: n = 55(. The collected data included demographic information as well as standard Cranley's questionnaire information to measure the MFA. Before the consultation, questionnaires were completed by both groups. Then, four weekly group sessions during a month were conducted in the case group, while the control group only received routine care. Two weeks after the consultation, the two groups were reexamined. The averages of score changes in maternal-fetal attachment between the two groups as well as within groups were compared. Results: After consultation, there was a significant difference between case and control groups on the mean of MFA scores. The mean of MFA significantly increased in the case group )P > 0.001(. However, no significant change was observed in the control group. conclusions: Consultation of the MFA behavior can be used to promote mother-fetus relationship during prenatal care. Received: 13.12.2015 Accepted: 09.03.2016


Introduction The diffusion of Olympic sport in Africa in the pre- and post-World War II periods provides an interesting contrast. In the period before the War the spread of sport was largely a colonial affair, conducted through (or at least with the approval of) the colonial powers, and in processes in which the IOC leadership was implicated. Realistically to spread the message of Olympic sport, the cooperation of the ruling political elite was essential. In this paper we explore the ideas associated with this phenomenon and the tensions that existed between some of those in the Olympic Movement who were keen to propagate sport among indigenous groups, and those whose reservations were evident and were largely an expression of political fears of promoting (cultural and political) self-assertion by such groups. The vehicle for our discussion of this period is an analysis of Coubertin's writings in relation to sport in Africa, in particular those produced later in his life when colonial powers had begun to wane. In relation to the post-war period we focus on the emergence of Olympic Solidarity and its forerunner the Committee for International Olympic Aid (CIOA) in the 1960s and early 1970s. The vehicle for our evaluation here is an analysis of the correspondence and reports relating to the founding and early activities of Olympic Solidarity in this period. From the 1950s to the end of the 1970s, 48 new NOCs were recognized in Africa and Asia (almost 25% of the total of NOCs currently recognized) and thus the political balance of power in the movement was changing significantly. Sport aid in this period was used as a vehicle for 'incorporation' of new states into the movement. The major concerns on the part of the Western elite represented within the IOC were twofold. In relation to sport there was a fear of a threat to the global / universalist claims of the IOC. Oppositional sporting movements such as the Women's Games, the Worker Games and the Communist Spartakiads had been overcome by incorporation in the period before and immediately after the Second World War. The threat of a breakaway movement was manifest in real terms when Indonesia led the movement for the Games of the Newly Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in 1965. Secondly, and in broader political terms the Western leaders of the Olympic movement were concerned about the use of sport aid as a vehicle to attract support in Africa and Asia by the Soviet Union in particular. Finally we seek on the basis of the contrasting of these two periods to evaluate the extent to which cultural imperialism provides the most appropriate perspective to understand the processes identified. Methods The approach adopted in this paper seeks to identify the structures and processes in development / at play across these two periods in the Olympic world. Who were the agents involved? What was the nature of the arguments adopted by the various parties to support their position in relation to the diffusion of Olympic sport in Africa? What structural resources were available to those actors and how did the actions of those involved reproduce or undermine such structures? How did the very different structural contexts of pre- and post-war Africa enable / constrain the adoption of particular approaches to diffusion of Olympic sport? To what extent do the events of the two periods lend themselves to a cultural imperialism account of the phenomenon of diffusion of Olympic sport in Africa? As we have noted, in the pre-war period we consider the discussion of diffusion in Africa through the prism of Coubertin's own writings. Coubertin is selected for analysis since he was founder and President of the IOC, and is generally regarded as the most influential figure in the early period of the Olympic movement. His writings provide evidence of his world view (values, norms, perspectives) in relation to sport and to the imperial powers and their colonies, as well as providing one man's testimony to the rationales underpinning action by the IOC and its members. …


The loss of variation in crops due to the modernization of agriculture has been described as genetic erosion. The current paper discusses the different views that exist on the concept of genetic erosion in crops. Genetic erosion of cultivated diversity is reflected in a modernization bottleneck in the diversity levels that occurred during the history of the crop. Two stages in this bottleneck are recognized: the initial replacement of landraces by modern cultivars; and further trends in diversity as a consequence of modern breeding practices. Genetic erosion may occur at three levels of integration: crop, variety and allele. The different approaches in the recent literature to measure genetic erosion in crops are reviewed. Genetic erosion as reflected in a reduction of allelic evenness and richness appears to be the most useful definition, but has to be viewed in conjunction with events at variety level. According to the reviewed literature, the most likely scenario of diversity trends during modernization is the following: a reduction in diversity due to the replacement of landraces by modern cultivars, but no further reduction after this replacement has been completed.


Purpose
In this study, three models were empirically compared, the DeLone and McLean model, the Seddon model and the Modified Seddon model, by measuring the impact of a business intelligence system (BIS) in companies in Peru. After that, the mediators and dependent constructs were analysed to determine if they were behaving properly (a good level of variance explanation and significant relations with others constructs). The study used a sample of 104 users of the BIS, from companies in several important economic sectors, in a quasi-voluntary context and with six constructs: information quality, system quality, service quality, system dependence (system use), user satisfaction and perceived usefulness (individual impact).

Design/methodology/approach
To interpret the results, the authors used structural equations. The idea was to look for the best fit and explanations for the outcomes. The main difference in these models is that the DeLone and McLean model considers system dependence (system use) as a part of information system success, but in the Seddon model, it is a consequence of it.

Findings
The Seddon model seems to show the best fit and explanation for the outcomes. After that, a review of the system use construct was realised, because of its limited variance explained and the few significant relations with other constructs, to improve its explanation power in future research.

Research limitations/implications
It is estimated that the sample includes more than 15 per cent of all the companies that use a BISs in Peru, so the size of the sample is adequate, but it is not entirely random and therefore limits the generalizability of outcomes. Besides that, a sample size that is bigger could be better for the sake of making a more detailed analysis, permitting the use of some items with less power, or the use of another statistical procedure for structural equations such as the Asymptotical Distribution Free, permitting a more detailed analysis (Hair et al., 2006).

Originality/value
Business intelligence (BI), one of the most important components of information systems (IS), is playing a very relevant role in business in this time of high competition, high amounts of data and new technology. Currently, companies feel pressured to respond quickly to change and complicated conditions in the market, needing to make the correct tactical, operational and strategic decisions (Chugh and Grandhi, 2013). BI is one of the most important drivers of the decade (Gartner, 2013). Big companies of IS are creating special units specialised in BI, helping companies become more efficient and effective in daily operations.


Paper industry waste effluents are the chief consumers of water resources and these industries release enormous amount of bilge water to nearby water streams. The present investigation work delves into Paper and pulp industry waste effluents are used for the Biofuels production from Marine microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata was grown in artificial sea water medium enriched with pulp and paper industry waste water for cultivation, with the aim to achieve significant biomass and biofuels production. The lipid extraction was studied using solvent. The functional components in lipids were calculated using GC-MS and FT-IR. This study proved to be a competent tool for useful exploitation of Industrial effluents by microalgae fostering will pave the way for eco-friendly biofuels.


Turbo warrants are liquidly traded financial derivative securities in over-the-counter and exchange markets in Asia and Europe. The structure of turbo warrants is similar to barrier options, but a lookback rebate will be paid if the barrier is crossed by the underlying asset price. Therefore, the turbo warrant price satisfies a partial differential equation (PDE) with a boundary condition that depends on another boundary-value problem (BVP) of PDE. Due to the highly complicated structure of turbo warrants, their valuation presents a challenging problem in the field of financial mathematics. This paper applies the homotopy analysis method to construct an analytic pricing formula for turbo warrants under stochastic volatility in a PDE framework.


Instrumental variable (IV) analysis can control for unmeasured confounding, yet it has not been widely used in pharmacoepidemiology. We aimed to assess the performance of IV analysis using different IVs in multiple databases in a study of antidepressant use and hip fracture.


The crisis of financial intermediary systems uncovered not only the consequences of the shifting of the centre of gravity of world economic development, and with it the structural problems of the European economy, but also highlighted the disequilibria of state budget management – of fiscal policy – more clearly than ever before. The problems primarily surfaced in countries where the harmony between economic performance and the financing of social services and welfare systems had been missing for some time and the consequences of the lack of performance were obscured by loans. In the resulting situation, it became clear that the fight against the financial-economic crisis would be futile without adjusting fiscal policy. The improvement of the efficiency of fiscal management is a strategic issue. Generating and maintaining the harmony between the performance of the economy and resources spent on publicly financed services is a condition of socio-economic stability. Under the circumstances of the crisis, this requires the solving of financing 'equations' that are adapted to new domestic and foreign policy qualities and social realities, the solution of which goes far beyond the world of traditional 'budgetary mathematics'. Our study will outline the common features and action patterns found within the measures of crisis management aimed at public finances. We will present the features and characteristics of the European practice of fiscal crisis management and in light of this try to position the measures of Hungarian fiscal practice.


Development of products which can be produced from a country's natural resources is very important as far as the industrialization of a nation and saving foreign exchange is concerned. Presently, industries in Uganda and the other states in the Lake Victoria region import all refractory-relatedconsumables, as the demand cannot be met locally. Based on the abundance of ceramic raw materials for high temperature applications in the region and the demand for refractories by industries it is pertinent to develop and manufacture firebricks by exploiting the locally available raw materials. This work thus, concerns the characterisation of ceramic raw mineral powders from the Lake Victoria region, more particularly, Uganda, with the aim of developing firebrick refractories and also consider other applications from the Ugandan minerals. Two main deposits of kaolin and a ball clay deposit were investigated to assess their potential in the manufacture of refractory bricks. Rawand processed sample powders were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA-TG) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In addition, the chemical composition, particle size distribution, density, and surface area of the powders were determined. A general production process scheme for manufacturing fireclay bricks starting with raw powder minerals (Mutaka kaolin and Mukono ball clay) was used to make six groups of sample fireclay brick. Experimental results from the characterization of formulated sample bricks indeed revealed the viability of manufacturing fireclay bricks from the raw minerals. Based on these results, industrial samples were formulated and manufactured at Höganäs Bjuf AB, Sweden. Kaolin from the Mutaka deposit was used as the main source of alumina while ball clay from Mukono was the main plasticizer and binder material. The formulated green body was consolidated by wet pressing and fired at 1350°C in a tunnel kiln. Characterization of the sintered articles was done by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and chemical composition (ICP-AES). In addition, technological properties related to thermal conductivity, thermal shock, alkali resistance, water absorption, porosity, shrinkage, permanent linear change (PLC), linear thermal expansion, refractoriness under load (RUL), and cold crushing strength were determined. The properties of the articles manufactured from the selected naturally occurring raw minerals reveal that the produced articles compare favourably with those of parallel types. Thus, the raw materials can be exploited for industrial production. A comprehensive study on beneficiation of Mutaka kaolin was also carried out using mechanical segregation of particles. The aim of the study was to explore other potential applications like in paper filling and coating. The beneficiation process improves the chemical composition of kaolin to almost pure, the major impurity being iron oxide. In this particular study, a kaolin sample was collected from a deposit located at Mutaka, south-western Uganda, –the biggest kaolin deposit in the country. With the aim of upgrading this sample, it was processed by a laboratory hydro cyclone to produce a kaolinite concentrate and this has been characterized to ascertain its use as an industrial raw material. Characterization of the beneficiated sample was carried out by XRD, SEM, particle-size distribution, density and volume measurements, chemical analysis, whiteness index test, thermal analysis (DTA/TG) and surface area measurements. Results show that the laboratory beneficiation exercise improves the kaolin sample to a very high grade with a chemical composition close to that of ideal kaolinite. The major impurity after beneficiation, iron oxide, was further reduced by acid leaching. Subsequently, Mutaka kaolin was experimented on in paper filling and coating with a commercial clay from Brazil used as a control. This study has shown a first indication that the kaolin from Mutaka have potential as a filler clay in SC paper applications. It is also interesting to note that the cleaning process of the Mutaka clay was simplified compared to the commercial clay and significant improvements were achieved in paper brightness. Another aim of this study was also to investigate paper machine runnability. The paper machine runnability was good for both the commercial as well as for the Mutaka clay. Though, the retention levels with the same polymer dosages were slightly lower for the Mutaka clay. An explanation could probably be the simplified cleaning process of the Mutaka clay. The dryness after the press section of the paper was similar when using both types of kaolin. The project is moving towards commercialization and exploitation of the Mutaka mine.


The present paper deals with the experimental investigation of homogeneous charge compression ignition in a free-oscillating two-stroke free-piston engine. The Free Piston Linear Generator (FPLG), which is being developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), is an innovative internal combustion engine for the generation of electrical power. This concept can for example be used in hybrid electric vehicles, as an auxiliary power unit or in combined heat and power units. The FPLG consists of three main components. In the two-stroke combustion unit, heat is released by burning a fuel-air mixture and a piston is accelerated. This energy is then converted into electric energy in the second component, the linear generator. This subsystem consists of electromagnetic coils as a stator and permanent magnets as a mover. The mover is rigidly coupled to the combustion piston. The third component, the gas spring, serves as an intermediate energy storage and reverses the piston motion by decelerating it. With this arrangement, the piston oscillates freely between the compression chamber of the combustion unit and the gas spring with no mechanical coupling like a crank shaft. Due to the free piston movement, the top and bottom dead centers and consequently for example the compression ratio are no longer fixed. This freedom and the use of a fully variable valve train provide the opportunity for a fundamental optimization of the internal combustion process.The homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is one advantageous combustion process which leads to low raw emissions and high efficiencies. As a basis to utilize a HCCI process, the paper firstly presents a strategy for the transition between the spark ignition mode and HCCI-mode in the FPLG using the high variability of the engine concept. The auto ignition of the lean fuel-air mixture is enabled by the adaption of the compression ratio and an internal exhaust gas recirculation. The latter is accomplished by an early intake valve opening and intermediate storage of combustion gases in the intake manifold. Additionally, the challenges that come with a freely oscillating piston will be discussed here. In the analysis of the experimental results, the pressure curve and free piston movement will be discussed in detail. Due to the free piston movement stochastic variations in the ignition can be equalized by the system without external control. This effect and the measured efficiencies show the promising potential for the HCCI process in free-piston engines.


What is next for healthcare IT provider American Well, whose innovative Online Care technology allows physicians to deliver care to patients online in real time? Using American Well's platform, patients with non-emergency health concerns can communicate with physicians online or by phone and receive advice or even a diagnosis without having to visit the physician's office. American Well's co-founders, Ido Schoenberg and Roy Schoenberg, believe this platform will reduce the cost of care delivery, create new revenue-earning opportunities for providers, and contribute to a more efficient, convenient healthcare delivery system. While the platform could benefit insurers, providers, employers, and patients alike, the company has only marketed to a few health insurance companies to date. In November 2009, three insurers have adopted the technology and American Well expects several more to do so over the next 12 months. As the company plans to accelerate adoption by health insurers, it is also considering other growth options. Is it too early to commit resources to developing and marketing American Well's second-generation product, which facilitates real-time connectivity between primary care physicians and specialists? Should American Well pursue new markets in the U.S., such as hospitals, chains of clinics, and pharmacies, or even expand internationally? In a broader sense, American Well's technology solves the economic obstacle of time and place by connecting excess supply (of physician capacity) with excess demand (for patient care). Could this model be adapted to other industries, such as legal and accounting services? Alternatively, should American Well continue to focus solely only on its primary product and on becoming the leader in the Online Care Industry?Learning Objective:Examine how a novel service, in the context of healthcare, should think about its next-generation offerings and markets.


OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the effectiveness of chiropractic management for fibromyalgia patients using reported pain levels, cervical and lumbar ranges of motion, strength, flexibility, tender points, myalgic score and perceived functional ability as outcome measures. DESIGN A. Preliminary randomized control crossover trial. B. Before and after design. PATIENTS Twenty-one rheumatology patients (25-70 yr). CHIROPRACTIC INTERVENTIONS: Treatment consisted of 4 wk of spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy and passive stretching at the chiropractors' discretion. CONTROL INTERVENTION: Chiropractic management withheld for 4 wk with continuation of prescribed medication. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Changes in scores on the Oswestry Pain Disability Index, Neck Disability Index, Visual Analogue Scale, straight leg raise and lumbar and cervical ranges of motion were observed. RESULTS Chiropractic management improved patients' cervical and lumbar ranges of motion, straight leg raise and reported pain levels. These changes were judged to be clinically important within the confines of our sample only. CONCLUSIONS Further study with a sample size of 81 (for 80% power at alpha < or = .05) is recommended to determine if these findings are generalizable to the target population of fibromyalgia suffers.