Agriculture remains a major component in the North Dakota economy, yet many activities within the agricultural industry remain unquantified. The purpose of this study was to measure the economic contribution of the soybean industry to the North Dakota economy. Expenditures and returns from soybean production, grain handling, and transportation were estimated to calculate the direct economic impacts from soybean activities. Secondary economic impacts were estimated using the North Dakota Input-Output Model. Since 1995, soybean acreage in the United States has increased substantially in nontraditional row-crop regions, such as those found in some parts of North Dakota. Soybean acreage in the state has increased 135 percent since 1995, and 210 percent since 1990. The expansion of soybean production in North Dakota has been limited to the eastern half of the state, with the largest concentration of production occurring in the Red River Valley. Soybean production in North Dakota averaged 1.2 million planted acres from 1996 to 1998. Direct impacts (expenditures and returns) from soybean production averaged $184 per acre or $221 million annually from 1996 through 1998. Average direct impacts from handling soybeans at North Dakota elevators were estimated at $4.3 million annually. Transportation of soybeans to market destinations was estimated to generate $10.1 million in annual direct impacts to the state. Total direct impacts from soybean production, grain handling, and transportation were estimated at $235.4 million annually. Total annual economic impacts (direct and secondary effects) from soybean production, grain handling, and transportation were estimated at $579 million, $11.7 million, and $26.3 million, respectively. The total annual economic impact from all soybean activities was estimated at $617 million. Soybean industry activities supported 7,700 full-time secondary jobs in North Dakota. Soybean activities were also responsible for $25 million in combined property tax, sales tax, individual income tax, and corporate income tax revenues.


The Oxford Handbook of Epidemiology for Clinicians provides all the information required by students and junior doctors who need to understand and translate key epidemiological concepts into medical practice. Unlike standard textbooks in this area, the focus throughout is on clinical applications of epidemiological knowledge. Divided into four sections, the handbook begins with the basics of epidemiology in the clinic, moving on to the theories behind evidence-based practice, discussions of optimum methods and studies, and then ends by looking at the epidemiology of common diseases. The material is presented in a logical manner, from problems to the most appropriate solutions or tools to be applied. Interesting topics such as controversies in prevention intervention encourage discussion and thought, and the authors pose sensible and important questions throughout. This handbook is a must for all junior doctors, medical students, and clinicians who need to apply epidemiological concepts to day-to-day practice.


For the new generation of high intensity hadronic machines as, for instance, LHC, halo collimation is a necessary issue for the accelerator to operate at the highest possible luminosity and to prevent the damage of superconductor magnets. We propose an experiment aimed to systematic study of the channeling phenomenology and of the newly observed "volume reflection" effect. This experiment will be performed for an external SPS beamline and will make use of a primary proton beam with 400 GeV/c momentum and very small (∼ 3 &mgr;rad) divergence. The advantage of a proposed experiment is precise tracking of particles that interacted with a crystal, so that to determine the single-pass effciency for all the processes involved. For this purpose, a telescope equipped with high-resolution silicon microstrip detectors will be used. New generation silicon crystals and an extra-precise goniometer are mandatory issues. Main goal of the experiment is to get the precise information on channeling of relativistic particles and, ultimately, on the feasibility of such technique for halo collimation at LHC. In this contribution we review the status of the setting-up of experimental apparatus and its future development in sight of the planned run in September 2006.


Unorthodox (non-traditional or alternative) medicinal practices have been expanding very rapidly in western countries. Modern physicians, scientists, and non-traditional medicine practitioners now must join forces to promote evidence-based medicine to benefit patients. Green tea extracts are among the most widely used ancient medicinal agents, while androgens are probably the oldest drugs used in a purified form in traditional Chinese medicine. It is now clear that a specific green tea catechin, (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate, can modulate the production and biological actions of androgens and other hormones. Modulation of androgenic activity and administration of (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate may be useful for the treatment of various hormone-related abnormalities, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, baldness, and acne, as well as androgen-dependent and -independent prostate cancers. (-)Epigallocatechin-3-gallate has also been shown to modulate appetite and control obesity in animals.


India has a multitude of environmental regulations but a history of poor enforcement. Between 1996 and 2004, India's Supreme Court required 17 cities to enact Action Plans to reduce air pollution through a variety of command-and-control (CAC) environmental regulations. We compare the impacts of these regulations with the impact of changes in coal prices on establishment-level pollution abatement, coal consumption, and productivity growth. We find that higher coal prices reduced coal use within establishments, with price elasticities similar to those found in the US. In addition, higher coal prices are associated with lower pollution emissions at the district level. CAC regulations did not affect within-establishment pollution control investment or coal use, but did impact the extensive margin, increasing the share of large establishments investing in pollution control and reducing the entry of new establishments. For reducing SO2 emissions, our results suggest that higher coal prices were more effective in improving environmental outcomes than command and control measures.


Globalization and innovation are revolutionizing the higher education forcing to create new market trends.Different nations have their own pattern and framework of education in delivering the educational services.Educational institutions are also seeking different organizational and behavioural changes for their better future as they hunt for new financial resources, face new competition and seek greater prestige domestically and internationally. The coming future will decide which universities would survive the market trends, competition and expectations of the students (Clients). The survival-of-the-fittest paradigm framework plays a prominent role in ideas of how the higher education would be delivered to the students in future with the Instruction Technology and distance education. According to us the education trend has changed its phase of delivery of services form the management point of view to student's point of view.Leading to delivery of educational service's which would have more impact on student's education, knowledge and experience within the institution. In our thesis we try to provide some information about how to support and manage the information in Virtual Organizations. We also explore the frameworks of the university and discussed a case study about the different ways of providing better support for information management resulting in delivery of best students driven services and unique facilities. We would be looking at the different aspects of the university work flows and procedures and gain an insight on the student's expectation from the organization. This investigation would be helpful for the students to know what are the services they should expect from the universities and also helpful for management to know better the needs of the students and their needs and to develop a framework for proper execution of these services.


In 2002 Congress enacted the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), the first major revision of federal campaign finance law in a generation. In March 2001, after a fiercely contested and highly divisive seven-year partisan legislative battle, the Senate passed S. 27, known as the McCain-Feingold legislation. The House responded by passing H.R. 2356, companion legislation known as Shays-Meehan, in February 2002. The Senate then approved the House-passed version, and President George W. Bush signed BCRA into law on March 27, 2002, stating that the bill had "flaws" but overall "improves the current system of financing for federal campaigns." The Reform Act was taken to court within hours of the President's signature. Dozens of interest groups and lawmakers who had opposed passage of the Act in Congress lodged complaints that challenged the constitutionality of virtually every aspect of the new law. Following review by a special three-judge panel, the case is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. This litigation constitutes the most important campaign finance case since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Buckley v. Valeo more than twenty-five years ago. The testimony, submitted by some of the country's most knowledgeable political scientists and most experienced politicians, constitutes an invaluable body of knowledge about the complexities of campaign finance and the role of money in our political system. Unfortunately, only the lawyers, political scientists, and practitioners actually involved in the litigation have seen most of this writing --until now. Inside the Campaign Finance Battle makes key testimony in this historic case available to a general readership, in the process shedding new light on campaign finance practices central to the congressional debate on the reform act and to the landmark litigation challenging its constitutionality.


Abstract : Modern networks employ congestion and routing management algorithms that can perform routing when network routes become congested. However, these algorithms may not be suitable for modern military Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs), more specifically, airborne networks, where topologies are highly dynamic and strict Quality of Service (QoS) requirements are required for mission success. These highly dynamic networks require higher level network controllers that can adapt quickly to network changes with limited interruptions and require small amounts of network bandwidth to perform routing. This thesis advocates the use of Kalman filters to predict network congestion in airborne networks. Intelligent agents can make use of Kalman filter predictions to make informed decisions to manage communication in airborne networks. The network controller designed and implement in this thesis will take in the current and predicted queue size values to make intelligent network optimization decisions. These decisions will enhance the overall network throughput by reducing the number of dropped packets when compared with current static network and MANET protocols.


Summary
As a result of a plague epizootic in the San Bruno Mountains, a mammalectoparasite survey was undertaken in the vicinity in spring, 1954. Trapping was conducted in 25 designated areas, using lines of 25 or 50 Museum Special snap traps. The principal vegetation types represented were chaparral, coastal scrub, woodland and grassland. Small mammals were most abundant in chaparral and coastal scrub, very few in dense woodland or grazed grassland. There were often high populations in ungrazed grassland with shrub clumps or tall forbs.
Peromyscus maniculatus was the most abundant and widespread species. Reithrodontomys megalotis occurred infrequently but was negatively correlated with the abundance of P. maniculatus. The overall population of Microtus californicus was low and colonies were scattered; greatest abundance was in ungrazed grassland with forbs or shrub clumps. Other species taken were Peromyscus californicus, Mus musculus, Thomomys bottae, Rattus norvegicus, Sorex trowbridgei, and Sorex vagrans. There were many Rattus norvegicus on hog farms adjoining the U. S. P. H. S. study area.
Fifteen species of fleas were obtained in the survey. Opisodasys keeni was predominant on P. maniculatus. Malareus telchinum was predominant on Microtus californicus but was also abundant on P. maniculatus and was generally the most ubiquitous flea species. Catallagia wymani occurred frequently on P. maniculatus and M. californicus. Hystrichopsylla sp. and Atyphloceras multidentatus were important primarily as nest fleas of M. californicus and probably of Peromyscus. Rattus norvegicus trapped from hog farms bore almost entirely Nosopsyllus fasciatus.
No effect of habitat differences was apparent for fleas on P. maniculatus. Differences in the degree of non-randomness of flea distribution on various host species are discussed. Frequency indexes for the presence of flea species on different host species are calculated as a measure of host specificity. The specificity of most of the prominent fleas was low. Microtus californicus is considered a key species in promoting flea exchange.
Two positive pools were obtained by us, one in Rivera Canyon about ¾ mile from the study area, and one following control operations on the ridge above the study area. It is suggested that the epizootic must have been essentially limited to this vicinity. After the initial survey, poison grain was distributed by air over about 500 acres. The results were evaluated by the use of repeated traplines. Apparent reductions of from 25 to 80 per cent were registered in four different areas. Microtus was most severely affected. Trapping about two months later showed that populations had generally regained their previous levels. Reithrodontomys displayed a striking and unexplained increase. The density of fleas on hosts increased sharply immediately after poisoning. The poisoning operation was apparently ineffective in reducing the plague transmission potential among wild rodents. Rats were successfully controlled on the hog farms.
The role of habitat distribution is emphasized in governing interspecific host and flea contacts, continuity of distribution of host populations and potential for the contact of native mammals with humans and domestic rats.


Unlike Modernisms role of privileging subjective thought as meaning or Postmodernisms withdrawal of subjective agency as supplied by the frames of new technology, I will explore how, in the 21st century, the ubiquity of screen imagery simultaneously transforms both the painters subjectivity and ontological relations to making; that the context and presentation of painting is imaginatively informed and reflected through transferable identification with and through the digital screen. I will argue that rather than adopt the position of the withdrawal of the postmodern subject in particular, the everyday presence and use of the digital screen gives rise to a complex and dialogical activity that which circumnavigates subjective usurping or dualist division as outlined above.

To do this I will need to combine a number of seemingly varied or competing philosophies from different academic fields. I will begin with Andrew Benjamin's notion that contemporary abstract painters transform modernist formalism by re-staging a repetition of abstractions history. This re-staging will then be compared and contrasted with the art historicism of Clement Greenberg's singular, modernist, media specific relation of painting that denies any reference to exterior representation. I will then overlay these two opposing theories onto Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological claim that the painter reverses the relationship between the body and a painting by imaginatively overlapping the interior sense of self with the world of external objects; subjectivity as a mirroring of the world of objects as he puts it. I will then attempt to further link contemporary and historical painting, phenomenology and subjectivity by studying Stephen Perrella's 'Hypersurface' that proposes a non-subjective, architectural deterritorialisation; a fluxus of transparent, fluid systems of multi-dimensional signs in which the contemporary subject traverses and which is activated by the digital screen.

In order to make sense of these seemingly conflicting claims and explore in more detail how they reflect and co-exist with digital representation we therefore need to (i) Redefine Clement Greenberg's singular definition of media specificity by utilising Andrew Benjamin's model of a 'staged historical repetition' in abstract painting. (ii) Understand how Merleau-Ponty's internal equivalent of the imaginary texture of the real acts as an ontological reversibility of the subject/object through the act of physical making. (iii) Discover how being and making are accessed in and through digital subjectivity in Stephen Perrella's architectural Hypersurface. And finally (iv) how these correlations are re-presented in the material practices of contemporary painters such as Charlene von Heyl, Albert Oehlen, David Reed, Chris Ofili and my own work.


Previous numerical work is extended by deriving simple analytic expressions for the impedance of periodic layers over a wide frequency range within the reflection stop band (not just the center Bragg frequency) for an arbitrary number of periods in the structure, for arbitrary layer thicknesses (not just quarter-wave layers), for sizable absorption, and for arbitrary sizes of the refractive index differences. When the number of periods in the structure is infinite, exact expressions for impedance, which are valid for all frequencies in the reflection stop band, are derived. For a finite number of periods in the structure, it is shown that the asymptotic approach of the impedance toward its value for an infinite structure has a decaying exponential dependence. It is shown that the characteristic number of periods in this decaying exponential dependence is determined by the condition number of the transverse field matrix. Simple analytic expressions for the phase shift throughout the reflection stop band are derived, as well as simple analytic expressions to show that a small fractional error in the VCSEL cavity mode frequency can still result from a large fractional error in the cavity thickness if the layers in the Bragg mirror have a small refractive index difference. These simple analytic expressions are useful for design.


OBJECTIVE
Individuals with direct care responsibilities in 348 drug abuse treatment units were surveyed to obtain a description of the workforce and to assess support for evidence-based therapies.

METHODS
Surveys were distributed to 112 programs participating in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Descriptive analyses characterized the workforce. Analyses of covariance tested the effects of job category on opinions about evidence-based practices and controlled for the effects of education, modality (outpatient or residential), race, and gender.

RESULTS
Women made up two-thirds of the CTN workforce. One-third of the workforce had a master's or doctoral degree. Responses from 1,757 counselors, 908 support staff, 522 managers-supervisors, and 511 medical staff (71% of eligible participants) suggested that the variables that most were most consistently associated with responses were job category (19 of 22 items) and education (20 of 22 items). Managers-supervisors were the most supportive of evidence-based therapies, and support staff were the least supportive. Generally, individuals with graduate degrees had more positive opinions about evidence-based therapies. Support for using medications and contingency management was modest across job categories.

CONCLUSIONS
The relatively traditional beliefs of support staff could inhibit the introduction of evidence-based practices. Programs initiating changes in therapeutic approaches may benefit from including all employees in change efforts.


Someone in Pakistan is killing the members of a new CIA intelligence unit that is trying to buy peace with America's enemies. It falls to Sophie Marx, a young CIA officer with a big chip on her shoulder, to figure out who's doing the killing and why. Her starting point is Alphabet Capital, the London hedge fund that has been providing cover for this secret operation, but the investigation soon widens to include the capitals of the Middle East and the cruel hills of South Waziristan. Sophie thinks she has the backing of her hard-nosed boss, Jeffrey Gertz, and his genial mentor at headquarters, Cyril Hoffman. In addition, she gets help from the well-mannered lieutenant general heading Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. But the closer Sophie gets to her quarry, the more she realizes that nothing in this gallery of mirrors is quite what it seems. This is a theater of violence and retribution, in which the last act is one that Sophie could not have imagined. David Ignatius has written a disturbing and compelling novel where the price of unchecked government is paid in blood, and peace can be bought only through betrayal.


Background Delineating the natural history of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prerequisite to prevention. This study aimed to build Markov models to simulate each component's progress and to test the effect of different initial states on the development of MetS. Methods MetS was defined with revised AHA/NHLBI criteria. Each reversible multistate Markov chain consisted of 8 states (no component, five isolated component states, 2-component state, and MetS state). Yearly transition probabilities were calculated from a five-year population-based follow up studywhich enrolled 2,247 individuals with mean aged 32.4 years at study entry. Results In men, high BP or a 2-component state was most likely to initiate the progress of MetS. In women, abdominal obesity or low HDL were the most likely initiators. Metabolic components were likely to occur together. The development of MetS was an increasing monotonic function of time. MetS was estimated to develop within 15 years in 12.7% of young men with no component, and 2 components developed in 16.3%. MetS was estimated to develop in 10.6% of women with at the age of 47, and 2 components developed in 14.3%. MetS was estimated to develop in 24.6% of men and 27.6% of women with abdominal obesity, a rate higher than in individuals initiating with no component. Conclusions This modeling study allows estimation of the natural history of MetS. Men tended to develop this syndrome sooner than women did, i.e., before their fifth decade of life. Individuals with 1 or 2 components showed increased development of MetS.


In this article we show how the interface design for the visualization of distributed system load can benefit from the combination of concepts and techniques from Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction (HCI). The use of visual representations and interactions to accelerate the insight into complex data is what distinguishes visual analytic software form other types of analytical tools. Visual representations translate data into a visible form that highlights important data features, including commonalities and anomalies. These visual representations helps the users to quickly perceive salient aspects of their data. Every distributed systems administrator must handle a high volume of information and the exploration and analysis of this data is becoming increasingly difficult. We propose an entirely novel approach to visualize the parameters involved in the system load for a distributed system to obtain an effective visualization tool in order to reduce the user cognitive workload and help the user to make the right decisions in a productive way.


The Good Grammar Book teaches all the grammar needed for speaking and writing in English. It explains the rules, shows how the language works, and gives plenty of practice. It can be used either with the coursebook in class or as extra practice at home.


Fin-de-siècle Vienna continues to supply historians and the general public alike with a paradigm of the modernist subversion of rationality. From the birth of the unconscious, to the artistic expression of feral sexuality, to the surge of populist politics, Vienna 1900 stands as the turning point when a nineteenth-century ideal of rationality gave way to a twentieth-century fascination with subjectivity. In fact, we know little as yet about what rationality really meant to those to whom we attribute its undoing. Allan Janik writes that today the "'big' questions about Viennese culture" center on "just how 'rational' developments there have been," and to answer these questions, Janik argues, we need research on the history of natural science in Austria. Indeed, as Steven Beller notes, the topic of science has been "strangely absent" from the animated discussions of fin-de-siècle Vienna over the past three decades.


With the intention of highlighting en-claves [in this context, the term en-clave simply refers to exclusive con-centrations of academic development knowledge; ultimately leading to narrow frames for development practice and po-licy] in academic knowledge production, this poster portrays geographic varia-tions in the institutions represented by articles published in the Journal of Peasant Studies and Third World Quar-terly from 2005-2015 via proportional symbol maps. Empirical data was col-lected via the Scopus database. Visua-lizing empirical bibliographic data shows higher percentages of academic publications from institutions located in the Global North. While the chain of academic publication and dissemination is extensive, this map focuses solely on the quantity of academic articles published. These representational ine-qualities can be paralleled in academia and other forms of exchange and work towards deconstructing perpetual struc-tural inequalities.


The power loss in laminated transformer cores is always greater than the nominal loss of the electrical steel laminations, by a factor known as the building factor. This paper discussed result of an investigation towards the effect of using two different Grain-Oriented Silicon Iron (3%SiFe) materials to the 100kVA three phase distribution transformer. The thicknesses of the material that have been used in this research are 0.23mm and 0.27mm. The transformer core will be assembled with 60o T-joint with 5mm mitred corner overlap length. Power loss has been measured using no-load test with 29 layer of lamination while nominal loss measured using Epstein test frame. At the operation mode flux density, 1.5T, the building factor of the transformer model core material with 0.23mm thickness is 1.219 while with the building factor for 0.27mm thickness is 1.250. This shows that thinner transformer core lamination is better than the other one by 2.5% during operation mode.


This study focuses on petrophysical characterization and rock physics diagnostics of the reservoir sandstones of Sognefjord Formation in the Smeaheia area that penetrated by an exploration well 32/4-1. The large scale CO2 storage site "Smeaheia" is located east of the Troll field in the Stord Basin. The CO2 storage formation is identified within a fault block bounded by major faults to the north, east and west, where the faults system in the east is the Oygarden Fault Complex and the fault to the west and north is the Vette Fault. The storage formation has pinched out towards the south. Petrophysical analysis and rock physics diagnostics suggest that the reservoir sandstone is uncemented and has good to excellent reservoir quality. The reservoir sandstone can be subdivided into three zones where the lower unit (Zone-3) has an excellent reservoir quality (high porosity, high permeability and less clay content) compared to the upper unit (Zone-1 and Zone-2). The two carbonate stringers are present in Zone-3 interpreted as extremely high resistivity, high density, high Vp and low porosity/permeability units which could be flow barriers based on their lateral extent.


We used an RNA interference (RNAi) library in a forward genetic selection to study the mechanism of toxicity of tubercidin (7-deazaadenosine) to procyclic Trypanosoma brucei. Following transfection of cells with an RNAi-based genomic library, we used 5 μm tubercidin to select a drug-resistant cell line. Surprisingly, we found in these resistant cells that the hexose transporters had been silenced. We subsequently found that silencing of hexokinase, a glycolytic enzyme, also yielded tubercidin-resistant parasites. These observations suggested that glycolysis could be a target of tubercidin action and that RNAi silencing of glycolytic enzymes was gradual enough to allow the parasites to adapt to alternative sources of energy. Indeed, adaptation of procyclic trypanosomes to a glucose-independent metabolism by reduction of glucose in the culture medium caused tubercidin resistance. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis of glycolytic intermediates from parasites treated with tubercidin showed a dose-dependent increase in concentration of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate, a substrate of phosphoglycerate kinase. Furthermore, tubercidin triphosphate inhibited recombinant T. brucei phosphoglycerate kinase activity in vitro with an IC50 of 7.5 μm. We conclude that 5 μm tubercidin kills trypanosomes by targeting glycolysis, especially by inhibition of phosphoglycerate kinase.


In this paper, we describe the development and measurement of two separate test structures, or "coupons" to assess the performance of Texas Instruments' "chips-first" multichip module technology at high operating clock rates, A "passive" coupon containing a variety of microstrip and stripline transmission line structures allowed the measurement of DC and AC signal amplitude losses in long conductors, as well as assessments of crosstalk and reflections as functions of line dimensions and spacings. An "active" coupon containing 16 interconnected gallium arsenide (GaAs) chips of two separate designs allowed the assessment of this MCM technology's ability to support the propagation of digital signals at clock and pulse rates above 500 MHz, and the ability of the power and ground plane structures to deliver clean power to the operating components. These comprehensive tests have allowed the development of design rules for developing future high performance systems using this unique packaging technology. Finally, comments are presented regarding future directions for this technology to lower manufacturing costs while preserving the high levels of operational performance demonstrated by these tests.


Southerners and northerners initially responded to the European revolutions of 1848 in France, Hungary, Germany, and elsewhere with enthusiasm, but grew skeptical of the revolutions once they moved from toppling monarchy with seemingly more radical quests for social equality. Skepticism consolidated more quickly in the South than the North, but this was not a case of "southern exceptionalism"; essentially the South and North shared the same attitudes. Slavery did not distinguish southern attitudes toward revolutionary Europe, contrary to the arguments of David Brion Davis and others. Instead, both southerners and northerners sought to contrast the American revolutionary experience with the 1848 revolutions, in emphasizing the conservative elements and legacy of the American Revolution, which, they believed, had protected property and Christian values, was relatively nonviolent and successful, and led to national prosperity. European celebrities, in particular Lajos Kossuth, gained Americans' favor on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, but only when he seemed to emulate American revolutionary heroes. Southerners especially drew upon the alleged American revolutionary heritage to construct an understanding of secession as a peculiarly American, conservative, and constitutional doctrine. Radical southerners met in the Nashville Conventions to consider secession during the Crisis of 1850. Yet along with the Compromise of 1850, including the Fugitive Slave Law, the specter of bloody revolution and reaction in Europe helped to dissuade them, at the time, from pursuing disruption of the Union. Counterrevolution on both sides of the Atlantic at the mid-nineteenth century, in effect, largely maintained the status quo.


Background: This article outlines therapeutic mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and reviews data on its efficacy for clinical problems seen by plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Methods: The information in this review was obtained from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Results: Principal mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen are based on intracellular generation of reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen. Reactive species are recognized to play a central role in cell signal transduction cascades, and the discussion will focus on these pathways. Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials support clinical use of hyperbaric oxygen for refractory diabetic wound-healing and radiation injuries; treatment of compromised flaps and grafts and ischemia-reperfusion disorders is supported by animal studies and a small number of clinical trials, but further studies are warranted. Conclusions: Clinical and mechanistic data support use of hyperbaric oxygen for a variety of disorders. Further work is needed to clarify clinical utility for some disorders and to hone patient selection criteria to improve cost efficacy.


In this paper a method is proposed for the design of DR-stabilized MESFET oscillators where several diferent design objectives, associated both to stability and output power, can simultaneously be taken into account. First, stability and self-starting capability of an oscillator are related to suitable performance indexes which are defined in the paper. Then an efficient procedure aimed at searching for an optimal compromise between opposing design requirements is described. The validity of the whole procedure and the performance indexes introduced has been investigated by considering the design of a microstrip parallel-feed back DR oscillator using a medium power GaAs MESFET.


Abstract In situ tissue engineered heart valves yields a new generation of cardiovascular substitutes. The body is used as a bioreactor where it relies on the natural regenerative potential of the body. The shift from the classical way of tissue engineering to in-situ tissue engineering emphasizes the role of the scaffold. The scaffold should be able to capture and preserve cells for tissue formation and it has to maintain valve functionality while tissue is developing. The use of synthetic biomaterials is very attractive. Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) is an important polymer due to its mechanical properties and miscibility with a large range of other polymers. Electrospinning attracted great interest as a production method of biomaterials for in situ tissue engineering. The electrospinning process of PCL offers a nice technique for thin fiber formation to eventually create three dimensional scaffolds with the characteristic three layers, typical for heart valves. The fibers produced with electrospinning provide a similar physical structure as the extra cellular matrix. The space between fibers needs to be large enough for cells to adhere and migrate into the scaffold. Sufficient cellular in growth is needed for tissue formation. In this study cellular in growth was measured in subcutaneously implanted electrospun PCL patches. Furthermore tissue formation and degradation of the polymer is investigated. Thirty healthy male F344 Rats are used. The implants with surrounding tissue were explanted after 2, 5, 10, 21 or 84 days and embedded in paraffin. The explanted tissues were examined using immunohistochemistry (HE,MPO, ED1, α-SMA, and PSR). The electrospun fibers had a diameter of 10 μm. SEM pictures showed controlled void spaces. In the electrospun PCL samples we found a very high cellular infiltration rate after 84 days, mean of 396.819 cells per high power field. First infiltration of mainly neutrophil granulocytes was seen, followed by macrophages. Cells infiltrate throughout the whole sample. After 84 days fibroblast were seen, which were able to produce collagen. Furthermore after 84 days, macrophage giant cells and neo-vessel formation was observed. PCL was degraded in the cytoplasm of the macrophages. Electrospun PCL scaffolds with a fiber diameter of 10 μm, are suitable for cellular in growth and tissue formation. This research forms part of the Project P1.01 iValve of the research program of the BioMedical Materials institute, co-funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. The financial contribution of the Nederlandse Hartstichting is gratefully acknowledged.


Various forms of the products manufactured which could either be symmetric or asymmetric, the stacking of the asymmetric parts are either done manually which is a time-consuming job or by installing robots which are costly. To overcome this problem, part feeders are introduced to stack the parts in a specific orientation. A Rocker arm, an asymmetric (irregular) component having more number of stable poses, has been considered for this research. The objective of this work is to achieve the desired orientation with the existing trap system. The parameters which are concentrated while orienting the parts are part geometry, part weight and angle of the trap inclination for effective part motion in the trap. In order to get accurate results the analysis are carried out with software simulation. The vibration analysis was carried out using dynamic simulation software. The comparison shows an appreciable relationship to each other. The obtained values help to improve the performance of the part feeding system and to improve the productivity of the component.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia are reported to have evidence of brain MR imaging abnormalities. Our study aimed to identify perinatal clinical factors in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia that are associated with evidence of brain injury on MR imaging performed before hospital discharge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRIs performed before hospital discharge in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia were scored for brain injury by 2 pediatric neuroradiologists. Perinatal variables and clinical variables from the neonatal intensive care unit stay were analyzed for potential associations with brain MR imaging findings. RESULTS: Fifty-three infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (31 boys) were included. At least 1 abnormality was seen on MR imaging in 32 infants (60%). The most common MR imaging findings were enlarged extra-axial spaces (36%), intraventricular hemorrhage (23%), ventriculomegaly (19%), white matter injury (17%), and cerebellar hemorrhage (17%). The MR imaging brain injury score was associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ( P (cid:2) .0001), lack of oral feeding at discharge ( P (cid:2) .012), use of inotropes ( P (cid:2) .027), and gastrostomy tube placement before hospital discharge ( P (cid:2) .024). The MR imaging brain injury score was also associated with a large diaphragmatic defect size ( P (cid:2) .011). CONCLUSIONS: Most infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia have at least 1 abnormality identified on MR imaging of the brain performed before discharge. The main predictors of brain injury in this population are a requirement for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, large diaphragmatic defect size, and lack of oral feeding at discharge.


Thanks to rapid technology advancements in recent years, Raman spectroscopy has become a routine, cost-efficient, and much appreciated analytical tool with applications in material science and in-line process control for pharmaceutical, food & beverage, chemical and agricultural industries. Improvements in laser technology, detectors (CCDs and InGaAs arrays), and spectral filters (VBG-based notch filters), along with developments of new schemes for signal generation and detection, have aided Raman instrument manufacturers in overcoming the challenge of weak signals which has accelerated instrument development and market growth. In this white paper, we discuss important performance parameters to consider when selecting a laser for Raman spectroscopy experiments.


International policy discourses related to the digital environment increasingly reference human rights and fundamental freedoms. From the early debates in the mid-1990s on the human rights implications of Internet use, to the new momentum created by Edward Snowden's revelations of State surveillance in 2013, the issue has received considerable attention over the last 20 years.

At the global and regional levels, a historical perspective would identify several milestones of different kinds in this global evolution. To name a few of these milestones: the early WSIS steps (2002-2005), with the "Right to Communicate" vision opposed to one that promoted the identification of practical ways to realize and advance existing human rights in the online environment, with a special emphasis on the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights; the IGF steps (2006-present), with different stakeholders, on their own or through multi-stakeholder dialogues, working on various initiatives aimed at strengthening the human rights perspective in Internet policy; the UN Human Rights Council and Universal Periodic Review proceedings where, since 2012, global NGO coalitions specializing in human rights on the Internet have closely cooperated with the previous UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression who was very attentive towards Internet-related issues and the need to address Internet policy from a human rights perspective. These efforts, together some government led actions dedicated to freedom of expression and privacy in particular, as well as other initiatives, have resulted in the adoption of the first two Resolutions focusing specifically on human rights protection on the internet, adopted at the UN Human Rights Council in 2012 and 2014, as well as the first two Resolutions on Privacy in the Digital Age, adopted at the UN General Assembly in 2013 and 2014.

In parallel, the usual process of national and regional (e.g. in the European Union) Internet policy making has been going on as usual through legislation, jurisprudence and regulation, often independently of the global discussions and sometimes even detached from the concern raised by some Europeans governments and other institutions in global governance arenas. Likewise, civil society groups and other actors have pursued (sometimes in coordinated efforts) the call for the protection and enforcement of human rights standards in the online domain through advocacy, lobbying, and campaigning, locally as well as regionally.

Finally, the emergence of Internet giants with the development of web2.0 and social networking applications and services has raised the major challenge that the conditions for public and private life on the Internet depend on infrastructure and platforms that are governed by the private companies that provide them. In addition to the daily use of such platforms for a major part of our activities, activists' use of social media to organize and publicize their actions to fight authoritarian regimes and/or socio-economic inequalities, have proven to be a common feature among otherwise very different cultural backgrounds, political contexts and protesting issues.

There is by now common agreement that human rights apply online as they do offline, yet in practice the modalities of the online realm provide significant challenges to human rights protection, many of which remain largely unexplored. Moreover, in the course of the above-mentioned efforts, some so-called 'new digital rights' are suggested, and advocated by different groups and coalitions, such as the "right to Internet access" seen as a necessary precondition to democratic participation; the "right to be forgotten" in the field of privacy and personal data protection; and even the "net neutrality" principle is being framed by some as a human right through a metonymical rhetoric aggregating conditions for the online realization of some fundamental freedoms.

Focusing on these three main Internet issues (access; privacy and personal data protection; net neutrality and Internet freedoms), the authors explore in this paper the rationales of such proposals and how they have unfolded over time and across various arenas and circumstances. They analyze how different actors (states, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, social movements, technical community, Internet companies) have been framing and advancing these proposals through either political contention or coalition of interests around key international events and momentum, paying particular attention to the role and influence of WSIS and post-WSIS multistakeholder Internet governance processes. Examining how these developments have been translated into social, technical and legal norms and their broader human rights implications, they eventually argue that this may result in a profound change of paradigm in how human rights are envisaged, reflecting the strong impact of the specifics of the online environment on the very concept of fundamental rights, thereby potentially reshaping the global human rights legacy of the UDHR.

In terms of methodological approach, the authors use a conceptual framework from communication theory, human rights law and political science, and build on Internet-related scholarly literature including their own previous joint or separated work, paying particular attention to previous research done relating to discourse analysis on human rights in the digital age. They feed their reasoning with both qualitative and quantitative analysis of empirical data gathered through interviews and archival research, as well as their own participant observation to main Internet policy and governance events, and their very unique experience with the main civil society and/or multistakeholder coalitions in the field of Internet governance and human rights.


Nanoscience deals with the characterization and manipulation of matter on the atomic/molecular size scale in order to deepen our understanding of condensed matter and develop revolutionary technology. Meeting the demands of the rapidly advancing nanotechnological frontier requires novel, multifunctional nanoscale materials. Among the most promising nanomaterials to fulfill this need are biopolymer-carbon nanotube hybrids (Bio-CNT). Bio-CNT consists of a single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) coated with a selfassembled layer of biopolymers such as DNA or protein. Experiments have demonstrated that these nanomaterials possess a wide range of technologically useful properties with applications in nanoelectronics, medicine, homeland security, environmental safety and microbiology. However, a fundamental understanding of the self-assembly mechanics, structure and energetics of Bio-CNT is lacking. The objective of this thesis is to address this deficiency through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, which provides an atomic-scale window into the behavior of this unique nanomaterial. MD shows that Bio-CNT composed of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) self-assembles via the formation of high affinity contacts between DNA bases and the CNT sidewall. Calculation of the base-CNT binding free energy by thermodynamic integration reveals that these contacts result from the attractive pi–pi stacking interaction. Binding affinities follow the trend G > A > T > C. MD reveals that long ssDNA sequences are driven into a helical wrapping about CNT with a sub-10 nm pitch by electrostatic and torsional interactions in the backbone. A large-scale replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation reveals that ssDNA-CNT hybrids are disordered. At room temperature, ssDNA can reside in several low-energy conformations that contain a sequence-specific arrangement of bases detached from CNT surface. MD demonstrates that protein-CNT hybrids composed of the Coxsackie-adenovirus receptor are biologically active and function as a nanobiosensor with specific recognition of Knob proteins from the adenovirus capsid. Simulation also shows that the rigid CNT damps structural fluctuations in bound proteins, which may have important ramifications for biosensing devices composed of protein-CNT hybrids. These results expand current knowledge of Bio-CNT and demonstrate the effectiveness of MD for investigations of nano-biomolecular systems. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Physics & Astronomy First Advisor A.T. Charlie Johnson Second Advisor Michael L. Klein This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/5


Development in both software and hardware engineering in the last decade has resulted in the proliferation of GIS and remote sensing packages. While computer-based packages have experienced dramatic cost reductions to levels 'affordable' by most firms and government agencies, and cost is no longer considered a significant barrier for GIS/Remote Sensing Technology acquisition, the average practicing professionals has not benefitted from the innovative and powerful tools these systems offer. One of the basic reasons preventing the popularization of GIS/Remote Sensing among Civil Engineer practitioners, is the lack of knowledge. Many professionals have not received formal GIS training in college and can seldom afford to attend rather expensive specialized systems-oriented training sessions at work. A second applies to the majority of professionals who have gained a basic familiarity of these systems, but feel overwhelmed by their assumed complexity and packaged-oriented application. This paper is being presented to aid the practicing professionals in the process of GIS/Remote Sensing technology acquisition and transference to project work. Guidelines will be offered for development of input parameters for impact modelling in water resources and environmental modelling. Vector and raster (grid cell) GIS database structures will be qualified for use in model parameter development. Specific impact model data structures will be analyzed for linkage to GIS and Remote Sensing.


Abstract Motivation represents a foundation cornerstone on which analyses in a number of humanities and social sciences are built. For a long time, economists have seen motivation as connected with the act of giving, trying to interpret it in the context of the neoclassical economics assumptions. The objective of this paper is to find answers to the question of what mainly motivates the Czech population in their decisions to make a donation and whether there is any interdependence among such motives. We also ask what the relationship is between the determining motives and the rate or frequency of donating. The donation models that we analyze and use as the basis of our research are nowadays considered being the principal or at least interesting donation models commonly taken into account by economists in their work. We have only focused on selected microeconomics models to make the text clearly targeted; specifically, we are examining the public goods model, private consumption model investment model and impure altruism model. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey and analysed by means of mathematical-statistical methods that are commonly used in similar cases, such as descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient and the ANOVA method based on the F-test. The empirical testing confirmed several assumptions connecting with this type of a research; however, our paper opened a space for a follow-up research, too.


Rapid and abrupt relative sea-level changes within the last interglacial (substage 5e) are recorded in the island geology of the tectonically stable Bahamas. From 132 to 118 ka, reef growth reached a maximum elevation near +2 m, as indicated by fossil reef elevation across the platform, whereas bioeroded notches are incised in coastal cliffs as high as +6 m. The end of the interval is characterized by voluminous eolianites exhibiting palm tree and frond impressions. It is inferred that sea level for most of the interval remained near +2 m, restraining reef growth, and that the notch at +6 m represents a rapid and brief excursion just before the close of the substage. The subsequent fall must have been rapid in order to leave the notch profile intact and mobilize windward lagoon ooids into dunes before cementation could anchor them. In order to explain the rapid rise to +6 m, glacial surging is invoked. The subsequent fall, also rapid, may be a consequence of the surge flooding high latitudes and providing enough moisture to initiate reglaciation and drawdown.


International diplomacy and a changing global economy did not bring about the fall of the Iron Curtain. Radio did, and it was mightier than the sword. Based on first-hand interviews and documents from the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party, Michael Nelson shows that Western radio -- principally, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and the Voice of America -- were unrivaled forces in the fight against communism and the fall of the Iron Curtain. It was a propaganda war in which the Communists had few radio listeners in the West. They did everything in their power to prevent the infiltration of Western thought into their world, resorting to jamming radio signals, assassinating staff, and bombing stations. The Russians decided to stop the mass production of short-wave radios so that their citizens could not hear Western broadcasts. War of the Black Heavens reveals that, due to administrative incompetence, short-wave radio production continued, making worthless many of the billions of dollars spent on jamming. These radio programs introduced a forbidden, exciting culture to millions of eager listeners. Pop music, talk shows, news, and information about consumer goods all relayed a message of the good life, subtly undermining the values of the communist regimes. Western radio presented the concept of a civil society that upheld basic human values; it actively connected listeners with the cultures of Europe and North America War of the Black Heavens describes an unheralded story of success and adds a new interpretation that helps us understand some of the most momentous political events of this century.


Ivanhoe (2009:312) states that the "majority of contemporary Western philosophers who accept the fact of ethical pluralism and take this as a cause for concern, tend to argue for tolerance in the face of such differences". He further argues that tolerance is mostly understood as the "uncritical acceptance of a range of competing and mutually irreconcilable values or forms of life". During the past two years, students at South African public Higher Education Institutions (HEI) were raising more distinct voices about the underlying social issues and economic disparities experienced at these institutions. Many of the students' #MustFall protests, starting in 2015, have played out on campuses of South Africa's universities. Protesters have been critical of HEI's involvement (especially management) and argue that they did not go far enough to respond to the concerns of students' grievances and demands. Management did not reflect or indicate the urgency to meet or improve their needs on social issues prevalent to higher education communities. Two incidents portrayed in the visual media during the #FeesMustFall protests, (September and October 2016) at two different universities, portrayed the complexities of being tolerated or respected. These incidents triggered a review of captured data of a funded research project (2012-2015:2018) on human rights literacies. The data captured in this project derived from South African (2013) and both South Africa and international (2015) students' understanding of human rights literacies. The survey and interviews also focussed, inter alia on students' understanding of respect and tolerance as a human right. This article reflects on the complexities underlying these two concepts and thereafter responds to the paradoxes identified in local and international students' understanding of tolerance and respect.


It has been claimed that as early as 1420 some European artists constructed their paintings by optically projecting images onto their supports (canvas, oak panel, etc.) and then tracing or painting over these projections. Because projected images obey the laws of perspective, a powerful test of this claim centers on analyzing the geometric accuracy of key Renaissance paintings. This paper investigates new techniques for analyzing the perspective accuracy of paintings. Notably, we focus on a portion of a painting central to debate the theory: the chandelier in Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of Arnolfmi and his wife". Despite the high level of visual realism of the painting, the technique proposed here highlights the large geometric inaccuracies that are very hard to explain in the optical projection route. The contribution of this paper is two fold: i) we present a projective geometry-based technique for detecting and measuring the geometric inaccuracies in paintings, and ii) we demonstrate that in the Arnolfmi portrait, the source of those inaccuracies lies in the imaging process, as opposed to the manufacture of the actual chandelier. The results presented in this paper cast serious doubts on the validity of the claim that optical tools were employed in painting the Arnolfmi portrait.


With the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) worldwide, there is an increasing threat from malicious software (malware) attackers that calls for efficient monitoring of vulnerable systems. Large amounts of data collected from computer networks, servers, and mobile devices need to be analysed for malware proliferation. Effective analysis methods are needed to match with the scale and complexity of such a data-intensive environment. In today's Big Data contexts, visualisation techniques can support malware analysts going through the time-consuming process of analysing suspicious activities thoroughly. This paper takes a step further in contributing to the evolving realm of visualisation techniques used in the information security field. The aim of the paper is twofold: (1) to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing visualisation techniques for detecting suspicious behaviour of systems and (2) to design a novel visualisation using similarity matrix method for establishing malware classification accurately. The prime motivation of our proposal is to identify obfuscated malware using visualisation of the extended x86 IA-32 (opcode) similarity patterns, which are hard to detect with the existing approaches. Our approach uses hybrid models wherein static and dynamic malware analysis techniques are combined effectively along with visualisation of similarity matrices in order to detect and classify zero-day malware efficiently. Overall, the high accuracy of classification achieved with our proposed method can be visually observed since different malware families exhibit significantly dissimilar behaviour patterns.


Premature birth before the end of the 37th week of gestation is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in newborns. Using drugs to suppress labour (tocolysis) does not prevent the causes of imminent premature birth, in most cases the birth can merely be temporarily delayed. In Austria, the drugs used in tocolysis are the betamimetic Hexoprenalin, a low cost drug which often leads to cardiovascular side effects, and the oxytocin receptor blocker Atosiban, which has fewer side effects but is more costly.
The aims of the systematic review were to summarise (1) existing evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of imminent premature birth, (2) existing studies on the effectiveness and safety of tocolysis and, (3) health economic evaluations of the tocolysis drugs currently authorised in Austria.
Evidence-based guidelines for tocolysis make the following recommendations:
- Tocolysis is only indicated before the end of the 34th week of pregnancy.
- In routine practice only one cycle of tocolysis should be carried out in a 48 hour period. Neither a repetition of the treatment nor maintenance therapy are recommended. Using a combination of several tocolysis drugs is also not recommended.
- When tocolysis is required, corticosteroids should be administered to help lung maturation, and, if necessary, the patient should be transferred to a neonatological centre.
- Contraindications for tocolysis are increasing intrauterine infections, and fetuses that are unviable due to malformations.
- Accompanying measures such as strict bed rest, hydration or sedation are not recommended in routine practice.
Betamimetics were effective in delaying birth by 2 to 7 days compared to placebo. However, they did not change neonatal mortality and morbidity. No significant differences in effectiveness and safety were found between the different betamimetics.
Under study conditions, Atosiban and betamimetics demonstrated the same effectiveness in terms of prolonging pregnancy, but Atosiban had fewer side effects. In order to avoid a side effect associated with betamimetic treatment, 6 women need to be tocolysed using Atosiban (NNT =6). Atosiban failed to reduce morbidity and mortality to a greater extent than placebo or betamimetics.
No health economic evaluations of Hexoprenalin, and just one of Atosiban could be identified, therefore a statement as to the cost-effectiveness of Hexoprenalin compared with Atosiban is currently not possible. Due to study heterogeneity in terms of design, intervention and data used, the cost-effectiveness of the tocolytics used in the studies cannot be assessed.


From the Publisher:
This book provides a clear, comprehensive presentation of the latest developments in the organization and architecture of modern-day computers, emphasizing both fundamental principles and the critical role of performance in driving computer design. A basic reference and companion for self-study, it conveys concepts through a wealth of concrete examples highlighting modern CISC and RISC systems. A five-part organization covers: an overview, the computer system, the central processing unit, the control unit, and parallel organization. For computer engineers and architects, product marketing personnel in computer or communications companies, and for information systems and computer systems personnel.


Aadhaar, India's ambitious biometric ID project, was portrayed as one that would enhance India's welfare efforts by promoting inclusion and reducing corruption. From being a voluntary ID, it has become de facto compulsory for most welfare programmes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS). Despite early warnings of its limited role in its stated objected, successive government's have ramped up its use. Using a variety of data sources, this paper reviews the impact of Aadhaar on welfare programmes. Far from being inclusive and reducing corruption, Aadhaar is becoming a tool of exclusion, with little evidence of an impact on corruption in NREGA, PDS and pensions, etc. The government's estimates of savings are examined, but these do not stand scrutiny. What passes as 'savings' is often the result of denial of legal entitlements for lack of Aadhaar. In that sense, the Aadhaar project undermines the right to life.


The invention of Bitcoin in 2008/2009 gave consumers and businesses the possibility to transfer money nationally and internationally on a truly peer-to-peer basis (i.e. without a trusted central party such as a bank). Few people realised the full potential of the technology in the early days, but today blockchains are often referred to as the "internet of trust". This term relates to the universal potential of blockchain technology, which goes beyond payment systems and enables people that do not trust each other to directly exchange (digitally representable) goods and services with each other. Today's variety of blockchain technologies, including many crypto currencies, is impressive. Start-ups and IT incumbents are constantly reducing the speed, cost and effort it requires to transfer crypto currencies globally, while also increasing transaction capacity and offering services that go beyond payments. This discussion paper characterises the 10 biggest crypto currencies in terms of market capitalisation and explains the functioning principles of their underlying technologies. These variants of the technology are also essential for non-financial applications. A focus of this paper is the potential of blockchain technologies to improve (international) payments and land registries. Bitcoin-enabled payments were the first application of blockchain technology, and frictionless (international) payments are an essential part of financial inclusion. In contrast, improving land registries is a more innovative use of the technology, but the connection to financial inclusion is not straightforward. However, land registries may indeed play an important role in fostering access to credit for financially underserved people. Almost any technology comes with new risks, and blockchains are no exception to this rule. Although blockchains can provide a very high level of safety and immutability, it depends on the concrete design of the implementation whether this potential is realised. In addition, some blockchain technologies are very energy-intensive, which is an environmental risk. Finally, the high levels of volatility of most crypto currencies represent an economic risk for their users. National and international regulators are challenged by the rapid evolvement of the technology and should aim to mitigate its risks without compromising its potential.


The concept of NEET (young people not in employment, education or training) has, since 2010, been widely used as a tool to inform youth-oriented policies in the 28 Member States of the European Union [EU]. While it has been a valuable addition to more traditional indicators used to understand the economic and social vulnerability of young people and their labour market participation, it has often been criticised because of the heterogeneity of the population it captures. This report explores the diversity of NEETs and suggests seven subgroups into which the NEET population can be disaggregated using data routinely collected for the EU Labour Force Survey. Through analysis of the data for each of these subgroups, it offers a contemporary overview of the composition of the NEET population, both at EU28 level and in each Member State. It is hoped this information will help policymakers more precisely target interventions intended to ease young people's engagement with the world of work and training. A separate annex presents detailed information on the composition of NEETs in the 28 Member States.


ABSTRACT In 1998, two concrete pavement sections were rehabilitated using rubblization techniques on a major Interstate in Florida. The pavement in general performed well, except for certain regions that failed pre-maturely and showed severe rutting. The Florida Department of Transportation was aware of the potential problems associated with rubblization especially over soft subgrade and took what were considered adequate precautions before and during construction. Edge drains below the rubblized layer were installed and the breaker speed was modified when sufficient compaction was not achieved due to soft subgrade. A study was conducted to determine the cause of failure in these regions. The analysis of FWD data showed that the failure of these regions was due to the development of pore pressures in the subgrade during rubblization. The pore pressures mobilized water to flow into the sandy-clay base underneath the rubblized layer, leading to poor compaction after rubblization and severe rutting with localized potholes immediately after the first holiday traffic. This study appears to show that in case of subgrade with high water table, the current techniques used for rubblization may not be enough to prevent catastrophic failures, as observed in this case. Allowing sufficient time for pore water to dissipate and drain through the edge may help in reducing pore pressure. However, in such cases, techniques other than rubblization as a method of rehabilitation, like crack and seat with a multiple head breakers should be considered.


This book contributes to the current debate on migration policy, focusing on three main elements in the standard migration policy dialogue: the regulation of flows, the integration of immigrants and the impact of labour mobility on development. In particular it argues that the current governance of international migration is both insufficient and inefficient. Restrictive and non-cooperative migration policies not only affect development in sending countries but also have counterproductive effects in the countries that implement them. Likewise, the lack of integration policies generates costs for society. In this respect, the book focuses on South-South migration and highlights the specific risks of neglecting integration in developing countries. It also analyses the effects of emigration on origin-country labour markets and underlines the externalities of immigration policies in migrant-sending countries. The book explores the feasibility of implementing a coherent governance framework centred on three complementary objectives: i) a more flexible regulation of international migration flows; ii) a better integration of immigrants in developing countries; and iii) a higher impact of labour mobility on development.


Ground improvement work is crucial in enhancing the characteristics of weak soils
commonly encountered in Civil Engineering, and one such technique commonly used is
vibro-stone columns. An assessment of the effectiveness of such an approach is critical to
determine whether the quality of the works meets the prescribed requirements.
Conventional quality testing suffers limitations including: limited coverage (both area and
depth) and problems with sampling quality. Traditionally quality assurance measurements
use laboratory and in-situ invasive and destructive tests. However geophysical
approaches, which are typically non-invasive and non-destructive, offer a method by
which improvement profiles can be measured in a cost effective way. Of these seismic
surface waves have proved the most useful to assess vibro-stone columns, however, to date
much of the previous work conducted has focussed on field based observations making
detailed evaluation of this approach difficult. This study evaluates the application of
surface waves in characterizing the properties of laterally heterogeneous soil, specifically
for using in the quality control of vibro-stone column. Three models were employed
which began with a simple model and extended finally to complex model: (1) concrete
mortar was used to establish the method, equipment and its system, (2) pilot test on a small
scale soft kaolin to adopt a model vibro-stone column and (3) main test contained a
configuration of vibro-stone column in soft Oxford clay. A generic scaled-down model of
vibro-stone column(s) was constructed. Measurements were conducted using different
arrays of column configuration, using sand to simulate stone material. This idealized set of
laboratory conditions were used to provide guidelines for the interpretation of field
measurements. The phase velocity obtained from the controlled tests showed close
iii
agreement to those reported in literature and with those generated through empirical
correlations with vane shear test. The dispersive curve demonstrated an increased phase
velocity with increasing wavelength for the measurements on the clay (between columns),
and decreased phase velocity with increasing wavelength for the measurements on the
column. More interestingly, the results showed that in the characterization of lateral nonhomogeneities,
the phase velocity versus wavelength relationship varies on stone columns
of different diameters and densities. This illustrated that the shear modulus profiles are
influenced by the effective region that spans both the lateral and depth axes, and also
demonstrated how the results can be influenced by the positioning of sensors with respect
to the survey target. This research demonstrates how Rayleigh waves can be used for
quality assurance when constructing vibro-stone columns.


Sub-Surface Drilling is the process of making boreholes into the Earth, which can reach depths of many kilometers. One of the major purposes of such boreholes is the exploration of oil or gas bearing formations with the goal to recover the content of such reservoirs. Problems in drilling operations pose serious risks for the crew and the environment and can cause significant financial losses. Critical events usually do not arise abruptly, but develop over time before they escalate. In this work, the authors present a system that integrates sensor data and machine learning algorithms into a decision support system (DSS), thus helping to avoid critical events by monitoring and recommending preventive measures. The authors describe how the DSS is implemented as a distributed system and how data-driven decision support processes are implemented and integrated into the system. The DSS detects drilling operations by recognizing temporal patterns in the sensor data and uses a combination of detected operational rig-states and sensor data to predict and recommend preventive measures for the stuck pipe problem. The sensor data, detection results and predictions are distributed to all stakeholders and displayed in appropriate user interfaces.


OBJECTIVE: To compare intrauterine device (IUD) use at 6 months postpartum among women who underwent intracesarean delivery (during cesarean delivery) IUD placement compared with women who planned for interval IUD placement 6 or more weeks postpartum. METHODS: In this nonblinded randomized trial, women who were undergoing a cesarean delivery and desired an IUD were randomized to intracesarean delivery or interval IUD placement. The primary outcome was IUD use at 6 months postpartum. A sample size of 112 (56 in each group) was planned to detect a 15% difference in IUD use at 6 months postpartum between groups. RESULTS: From March 2012 to June 2014, 172 women were screened and 112 women were randomized into the trial. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Data regarding IUD use at 6 months postpartum were available for 98 women, 48 and 50 women in the intracesarean delivery and interval groups, respectively. A larger proportion of the women in the intracesarean delivery group were using an IUD at 6 months postpartum (40/48 [83%]) compared with those in the interval group (32/50 [64%], relative risk 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.66). Among the 56 women randomized to interval IUD insertion, 22 (39%) of them never received an IUD; 14 (25%) never returned for IUD placement, five (9%) women declined an IUD, and three (5%) had a failed IUD placement. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine device placement at the time of cesarean delivery leads to a higher proportion of IUD use at 6 months postpartum when compared with interval IUD placement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I


This study deals with the pollen morphological characterization of 36 taxa (Sections; Cheirolepis 3, Cynaroides 14, Rhizocalathium 5, Grossheimia 3, Chartolepis 3, Pseudophaeopappus 1, Plumosipappus 1 and Phaeopappus 6) belonging to the genus Centaurea. Pollen slides were prepared using the Acetolysis technique. Light Microscope examination showed pollen grains to be tricolporate, isopolar, radially symmetrical, oblate-spheroidal, prolate-spheroidal, subprolate, tectum perforate and scabrate. We identified two basic types of pollen grains, designated type I (Scabrate), type II (Microechinate). 34 taxa evaluated resemble Wagenitz's Jacea pollen type and 2 taxa Montana pollen type. We present micrographs of pollen grains, together with descriptions of the characteristics of their structure. We found that the pollen characters (shape, exine structure, sculpturing) were useful for classification.


Part two of this two-part article on psychological factors in delayed and failed recovery and resultant unnecessary work disability (DFRUD) considers both conceptual and practical interventions, including specific evaluation and treatment methods. The authors propose five categories of intervention for DERUD: 1) advance and operationalize our knowledge base; 2) make conceptual and practical shifts in our approaches; 3) place greater emphasis on prevention; 4) improve recognition of potentially difficult cases, and 5) apply specific management approaches and tools. Further, the authors propose conceptual and practical changes that should be made: Eliminate the dualistic separation of mind and body and the scientific reductionism that follows; change the focus from disability to capability; reduce improper workers' compensation claims; improve the administrative and medical management of valid claims; enhance collegiality and communication among all stakeholders; and adopt a cost-utility vs absolute cost approach. The overarching goals of managing DFRUD include optimizing administrative and clinical treatment of the worker; protecting all stakeholders from excess; and overcoming barriers to intervention. To these ends, three activities can optimize the process: Intervene early; avoid iatrogenicity (ie, shorten claim durations and reduce costs); and stratify risk and employ stepped care. Barriers to meaningful intervention in DFRUD include questions of jurisdiction and responsibility for management (eg, does management of DFRUD fall to insurers or clinicians); who will pay; what are the maladaptive health cognitions and/or psychiatric comorbidities; and how can clinician behavior be altered to implement evidence-based practice?


Roma are one of the most discriminated and marginalized groups in the European Union (EU). The EU has emerged as a potential ally for the transnational Roma community as it possesses normative power when espousing values such as inclusion, yet is able to elaborate policy at a supranational level which has supremacy over domestic policy. Thus far EU Roma policy has failed to address the complex issues facing Roma owing to inadequate policy interventions. This can be explained by the policy choices open to the EU which appear to be built on diametrically opposed foundations, posing a dilemma for EU policy-makers. This article focuses on the redistribution/recognition dilemma which EU institutions must negotiate in order to address economic and cultural injustices. For their part, transnational Roma activists have demanded the creation of an EU Roma Strategy which could address the needs and interests of Roma across the Union.


This study experimentally examines the voluntary formation of coalitions to provide a public good when the coalition members use different voting schemes to determine their commitment. To this end, unanimity, qualified majority voting, and simple majority voting are compared with respect to the resulting public good provision level and social welfare. At first sight, in line with theoretical predictions, the experiment shows that a change in the voting scheme implemented in a coalition does not significantly change the social welfare. However, changing the majority required to determine the coalition efforts alters the depth and breadth of cooperation; coalitions under the unanimity rule are relatively large and implement moderate effort levels while coalitions with majority voting implement high effort levels but attract only a few participants.


Since the issue of the productivity paradox was first raised in the early 1990s, a vast amount of empirical research has been done on the performance impact of IT. Much existing research has focused on IT investment, even though value creation from IT depends largely on how it is used in organizations. By focusing on innovative uses of IT, this research empirically examines the relationship between IT innovation and firm performance. It uses Information Week's annual data set of innovative IT users and the Compustat database. To construct a measure of IT innovation, we develop a second-order construct from four IT innovation variables (technology strategy, e-business strategy, business practices, and customer knowledge) by conducting exploratory factor analysis. As measures of firm performance, we employ Tobin's q, return on assets, and revenue per employee. Our results show that there is a strong positive relationship between IT innovation and firm performance as measured by Tobin's q and revenue per employee. By using IT innovation data, this research demonstrates that innovative use of IT is an important link to IT value, which seems to be missing in the literature.


OBJECTIVE The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its observational follow-up Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) demonstrated the dominant role of glycemia, second only to age, as a risk factor for a first cardiovascular event in type 1 diabetes (T1D). We now investigate the association between established risk factors and the total cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, including subsequent (i.e., recurrent) events. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS CVD events in the 1,441 DCCT/EDIC participants were analyzed separately by type (CVD death, acute myocardial infarction [MI], stroke, silent MI, angina, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/coronary artery bypass graft [PTCA/CABG], and congestive heart failure [CHF]) or as composite outcomes (CVD or major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE]). Proportional rate models and conditional models assessed associations between risk factors and CVD outcomes. RESULTS Over a median follow-up of 29 years, 239 participants had 421 CVD events, and 120 individuals had 149 MACE. Age was the strongest risk factor for acute MI, silent MI, stroke, and PTCA/CABG, while glycemia was the strongest risk factor for CVD death, CHF, and angina, second strongest for acute MI and PTCA/CABG, third strongest for stroke, and not associated with silent MI. HbA1c was the strongest modifiable risk factor for a first CVD event (CVD: HR 1.38 [95% CI 1.21, 1.56] per 1% higher HbA1c; MACE: HR 1.54 [1.30, 1.82]) and also for subsequent CVD events (CVD: incidence ratio [IR] 1.28 [95% CI 1.09, 1.51]; MACE: IR 1.89 [1.36, 2.61]). CONCLUSIONS Intensive glycemic management is recommended to lower the risk of initial CVD events in T1D. After a first event, optimal glycemic control may reduce the risk of recurrent CVD events and should be maintained.


We develop a theory of localization for braid group representations associated with objects in braided fusion categories and, more generally, to YangBaxter operators in monoidal categories. The essential problem is to determine when a family of braid representations can be uniformly modelled upon a tensor power of a fixed vector space in such a way that the braid group generators act "locally". Although related to the notion of (quasi-)fiber functors for fusion categories, remarkably, such localizations can exist for representations associated with objects of non-integral dimension. We conjecture that such localizations exist precisely when the object in question has dimension the square-root of an integer and prove several key special cases of the conjecture.


Obtaining automatic 3D profile of objects is one of the most important issues in computer vision. With this information, a large number of applications become feasible: from visual inspection of industrial parts to 3D reconstruction of the environment for mobile robots. In order to achieve 3D data, range finders can be used. Coded structured light approach is one of the most widely used techniques to retrieve 3D information of an unknown surface. An overview of the existing techniques as well as a new classification of patterns for structured light sensors is presented. This kind of systems belong to the group of active triangulation method, which are based on projecting a light pattern and imaging the illuminated scene from one or more points of view. Since the patterns are coded, correspondences between points of the image(s) and points of the projected pattern can be easily found. Once correspondences are found, a classical triangulation strategy between camera(s) and projector device leads to the reconstruction of the surface. Advantages and constraints of the different patterns are discussed.


Abstract : Addiction to oil threatens America?s national security. The lack of an alternative to oil created over $1.4 Trillion of drag on the U.S. economy over the last five years. Demand for oil as a fuel source for ground transportation will cause the nation's wealth to continue hemorrhaging for the foreseeable future, weakening America's domestic and international power. Identifying the problem oil addiction causes is simple. Comprehending the magnitude of oil use and the complexity of replacing it is not. Protecting Americans against the threat oil addiction poses requires bold policy and a comprehensive energy strategy. This must involve partnerships between the public and private sector to introduce technologies to the market that will decrease oil use and still meet consumers? transportation requirements. Disparate transportation requirements necessitate a portfolio of innovative vehicle and alternative fuel solutions. Flawed U.S. policy and strategy has created a gap in the energy portfolio and poses a threat to national security. That gap is the absence of comprehensive and aggressive U.S. government investment in the development and commercialization of hydrogen fuel programs.


Partial or non-recognition of the influence of interpersonal relationships at work could impair the growth, diffusion and success of retail business. For instance, South African retailers have been taking advantage of the retail revolution in Africa to reach the rest of the continent with products and services. Therefore, to examine the interpersonal relationships among supervisors and subordinates in this sector for its contribution to individual and organizational outcomes is important. This paper examines the influence of individual interpersonal relationships on employee performance at work. A mixed method approach was adopted and self-reporting questionnaires were administered to 167 supervisors and 144 subordinate workers of four retail companies that participated in the study. The survey instrument contained both closed-ended and open-ended questions to enable a concurrent collection of data. The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. It was found that the relationship between interpersonal relationships and employee performance for the supervisors was weak, while a less significant relationship was observed among the variables for the subordinate workers. The qualitative analysis offered explanations for the weakness and dissociation among interpersonal relationships and employee performance


From the 1890s through the turn of the century, there was a flourishing of imaginative art and craft throughout Europe that we now know as Art Nouveau. The Netherlands experienced an inventive variant of this art and design phenomenon, but until now it has been largely overshadowed by its counterparts in other countries, especially France. This richly illustrated book is the first in English to celebrate the Dutch contribution to Art Nouveau through a tour of more than one hundred works on paper posters, decorative calendars, illustrated books, as well as prints and drawings. These innovative works of graphic design reveal the progressive Dutch artists conscious reaction against the past, their inspiration in natural forms and exotic cultures, and their embrace of the principle that art should transform everyday life. It also shows how the New Art, Nieuwe Kunst in Dutch, coexisted and sometimes intertwined in the Netherlands with other artistic strands, including persistent realist trends, Symbolism and the emergence of Modernism. With an introduction and explanatory text about each work of art by Clifford S. Ackley, one of the worlds leading specialists of Dutch prints and drawings, Holland on Paper provides a fascinating and visually rewarding introduction to a rich and creative artistic era.


The headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) method with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, 100 μm) fiber is a cost-effective technique for the determination of different pesticide residues in environmental and biological samples followed by a gas chromatography-electron-capture detector (GC-ECD). In the present study more than 147 water samples collected in and around Lucknow city were analyzed. The method detection limits and recovery percentages were found in the ranges of 0.05–0.20 μg/L and 87.1–95.3% respectively. The average concentration of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in water samples within the city were ranged between 0.258–0.829 μg/L and 0.143–0.294 μg/L respectively. Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in highway water samples ranged between 0.261–2.80 μg/L and 0.129–0.53 μg/L. Pyrethroid pesticides were not found in any of the water samples tested. The levels of pesticide residues were compared with their MRL values recommended by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), Government of India (1954).


Continued rapid advancements in genomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies demand computer-aided methods and tools to efficiently and timely process large amount of data, extract meaningful information, and interpret data into knowledge. While numerous algorithms and systems have been developed for information extraction (i.e. profiling analysis), biological interpretation still largely relies on biologists' domain knowledge, as well as collecting and analyzing functional information from various public databases. The goal of this project was to build a text clustering-based software system, called GeneNarrator, for functional analysis of genes (microarray experiments).
GeneNarrator automatically collected MEDLINE citations for a list of genes as the source of functional information. A two-step clustering approach was designed to process the citations. The first-step (text) clustering grouped the citations into hierarchical topics. The second-step (gene) clustering grouped the genes based on the similarities of their occurrences across the clusters resulting from step one. Hence, we planned to demonstrate how, instead of manually collecting and tediously sifting through potentially thousands of citations, biologists can be presented with dozens of topics as a summarization of the citations, and gene (groups) mapped to the topics.
In order to improve the first-step text clustering part of the system, several strategies were explored, including different vector space models (BOW-based or concept-based) for text representation, vector space dimensionality reduction (document frequency filtering), and multi clustering. The most improvement came from multi-clustering. The clusterings were evaluated in terms of self-consistency and agreement with a manually constructed gold standard dataset using a newly proposed metric, normalized mutual information.


The study focused on university students of English and their teachers appropriating an ecological perspective into language learning and teaching during a university course. The course involved designing and putting into practice an online language project for school children in Finland and Spain. The task was expected to pose challenges as the university students had no experience of the pedagogic approach applied. Two video-recorded wrap-up discussions and the students' final reports were selected from the data resource for closer analysis. The qualitative analysis showed how the new/ecological approach was resemiotised through multimodal (inter)actions between the participants. Experiences of complexity were collaboratively negotiated through the metaphor of 'chaos', first as problematic, then normalised and even a desired part of language teaching. The study bears implications for language teacher education shedding light on changing understandings for pedagogical thinking.


Joseph M. Forshaw, one of the world's leading authorities on parrots, calls attention to the threats they face: they are one of the most endangered groups of birds, with a growing number of species nearing extinction. The main threats arise from habitat loss through deforestation and agricultural development and from the taking of birds for the international live-bird trade.

Vanished and Vanishing Parrots brings together information on species that have become extinct in historical times with information on species that are in danger of becoming extinct to increase public awareness of the plight of these magnificent birds. Vivid colour plates by the wildlife artist Frank Knight draw attention to the spectacular species that we have lost or that could be lost. Forshaw's work gives us fascinating insight into these endangered and extinct parrots.

Vanished and Vanishing Parrots will be a valuable reference for scientific, ornithological and avicultural organisations, as well as individual lovers of birds and of illustrated natural history books.


This paper explores how notation developed for the representation of sound-based musical structures could be used for the transcription of vocal sketches representing expressive robot movements. A mime actor initially produced expressive movements which were translated to a humanoid robot. The same actor was then asked to illustrate these movements using vocal sketching. The vocal sketches were transcribed by two composers using sound-based notation. The same composers later synthesized new sonic sketches from the annotated data. Different transcriptions and synthesized versions of these were compared in order to investigate how the audible outcome changes for different transcriptions and synthesis routines. This method provides a palette of sound models suitable for the sonification of expressive body movements.


The article provides a performative definition of the human dignity principle for the purpose of (a) supporting its further recognition in law and ethics, and (b) providing a tool for differentiating and thereby supporting current dignity discourse. The performative definition: "Human dignity is the recognized affirmation that humans, qua humans, have a status of distinctive and exceptional worth expressed and thus discernible in law."The performative definition helps capture the meaning contained in the principle of human dignity that is incorporated into the UDHR, the German Basic Law, and many other legal formulas and systems. Such a definition also aids in the discovery of functional equivalents to dignity for legal and ethical systems predating the UDHR. It is important to note that this performative approach does not surrender normative claims or the relevance of normative claims for the law – the opposite is the case. By "performative" what is intended here is an examination not only of the moral content of the principle, its inherent reasonableness and its coherence among other prevailing values and principles, but also a genealogical review of how human dignity has been and continues to be applied. The paper clarifies what is meant by the definition, the usefulness of such a performative approach, and the specific and necessary role of moral normativity for national and international structures of law. Two aspects of the principle's performative definition are especially essential, namely, the (a) action of recognition and the (b) object of recognition. The action of recognition is essential because, as an action, recognition is an historical act that occurs in a particular time and place. The act is therefore contextualized by a specific moral environment and the meaning of the act is both informed and restricted by that context. The object of recognition is essential because, despite its contextualized origin, human dignity is a claim that all human beings, by virtue of their being human beings, possess an unconditional worth. Among other advantages to this approach is the incorporation of the tension between the contingent and universal directly within the definition itself. Rather than posing a contradiction, the tension propels its utopic dynamism – such that the process of recognizing it is a process towards more justice and not merely compliance. The five elements of the performative definition receive careful examination: Human dignity is (a) the recognized affirmation (b) that humans, (c) qua humans, (d) have a status of distinctive and exceptional worth (e) that is expressed and thus discernible in law.


Bioremediation, or the use of micro-organisms to decontaminate soil or groundwater, is being increasingly seen as an effective, environment-friendly treatment for oil-contaminated sites. In this study, the results are presented concerning a laboratory screening of several natural bacterial consortia and laboratory tests to establish the performance in degradation of hydrocarbons contained in oily sludge from the Jordan Oil Refinery Plant. As a result of the laboratory screening, 18 isolates were selected and grouped into two main clusters; cluster 1 containing 12 isolates grown at 43°C, and cluster 2 containing six isolates grown at 37°C. Three natural bacterial consortia with ability to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were prepared from these isolates. Experiments were conducted in Erlenmeyer flasks under aerobic conditions, with TPH removal percentage varying from 5.9% to 25.1%, depending upon consortia type and concentration. Consortia 7B and 13B exhibited the highest TPH removal percentages of 25% and 23%, respectively before nutrient addition. TPH removal rate was enhanced after addition of nutrients to incubated flasks. The highest TPH reduction (37%) was estimated after addition of a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur to consortia 7B. This is the first report concerning biological treatment of total petroleum hydrocarbon by bacteria isolated from the oil refinery plant, where it lay the ground for full integrated studies recommended for hydrocarbon degradation that assist in solving sludge problems.