Web services are gaining acceptance as a standards-based approach for integrating loosely coupled services. Achieving high levels of reliability and availability of service-oriented application server in spite of service or infrastructure failures poses new challenges. According to the characteristic of performance parameters of service-oriented application sever, a new software aging forecasting model based on wavelet network is proposed. The dimensionality of input variables is reduced by principal component analysis, and the structure and parameters of wavelet network are optimized with genetic algorithm and evolutionary programming. The objective is to observe and model the existing systematic parameter data series of service-oriented application server to forecast accurately future unknown data values. By the model, we can get the aging threshold before application server fails and rejuvenate the application server in autonomic ways before observed systematic parameter value reaches the threshold. The experiments are carried out to validate the efficiency of the proposed model and show that the aging forecasting model based on wavelet network with adaptive genetic algorithm is superior to the BP neural network model and wavelet network model in the aspects of convergence rate and forecasting precision.


Recently, we proposed an ensemble speaker and speaking environment modeling (ESSEM) approach to enhance the robustness of automatic speech recognition (ASR) under adverse conditions. The ESSEM framework comprises two phases, offline and online phases. In the offline phase, we prepare an environment structure that is formed by multiple sets of hidden Markov models (HMMs). Each HMM set represents a particular speaker and speaking environment. In the online phase, ESSEM estimates a mapping function to transform the prepared environment structure to a set of HMMs for the unknown testing condition. In this study, we incorporate the soft margin estimation (SME) to increase the discriminative power of the environment structure in the offline stage and therefore enhance the overall ESSEM performance. We evaluated the performance on the Aurora-2 connected digit database. With the SME refined environment structure, ESSEM provides better performance than the original framework. By using our best online mapping function, ESSEM achieves a word error rate (WER) of 4.62%, corresponding to 14.60% relative WER reduction (from 5.41% to 4.62%) over the best baseline performance of 5.41% WER.


Strontium isotope ratios ({sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr) calculated from three samples of benthic forminifers and one mallusc indicate an age range from 23.8 to 27.0 Ma for the Nuwok Member of the Sagavanirktok Formation, eastern North Slope, Alaska. Previous correlations derived paleontologically (foraminifers, ostracodes, and molluscs) for the Nuwok beds have differed greatly (Oligocene to Pliocene), but strontium isotope ratios substantiate the late Oligocene age determined from benthic foraminifers. The results constitute an important test case, illustrating the effectiveness of the strontium isotope method in correlating high-latitude carbonate samples to the standard Oligocene chronostratigraphy. In addition, a sample from the Kugmallit sequence in the Beaufort Sea Edlok N-56 well provided a strontium isotope age estimate of 30.7 Ma. The Edlok sample was paleontologically correlated to just below the early/late Oligocene boundary (30.0 Ma).


This study aimed to manifest the moderation effects of self-esteem and social role identity (local/cosmopolitan identity) on the relationship between organizational prestige and organizational identification. In order to test the research model, data were collected from 419 individuals working in private and public sectors by using questionnaire method. By using structural equation model and hierarchical regression model, the research model was analyzed. In consequence of the analyses run, a significant and positive relationship was found between organizational prestige and organizational identification. Then, the moderation effect of self-esteem on the relationship between these variables was analyzed. The results showed that high self-esteem had a significant effect on this relationship. On the contrary, it was understood that there was no significant effect of medium self-esteem on this relationship. Then, the moderation effect of social role identity (local/cosmopolitan) on the impact of organizational prestige on organizational identification was investigated. The results showed that cosmopolitan identity had a moderating effect on the relationship between organizational prestige and organizational identification but local identity had no moderating role on this relationship.


We propose a neural network based architecture to infer which parameters are fundamental, and their values, for pro-ducing specific instances of spatial patterns formed through cell colony growth. The system is trained on variations of the same pattern to recognize features that characterize it. Fur- thermore, selecting important parameters within our study mainly focuses on the fact that cells communicate. We use two forms of this communication as fundamental in finding the parameter values: bacterial conjugation, and environmen- tal signals. The neural network is trained during 3000 epochs to identify the pattern class and specific parameter values needed to reproduce the desired pattern. These parameters are then inputted into a gro simulation to assess proximity to the original pattern. Our architecture achieved a 5% error upon pattern reproduction.


A new multi-purpose surface analytical instrument (the Hallam instrument) is described, which combines the surface specific information obtained using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with bulk information obtained using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) detection. A 15kV electron gun and an ultra high vacuum EDX detector give the instrument an EDX mapping capability. To exploit this to its full potential, spatial alignment of EDX maps acquired at various electron beam energies, E[o], was required. The misalignment of images acquired at various E[o] values was investigated, and a means of describing the misalignment as a function of E[o] was presented. An algorithm was developed which would allow the alignment of offline images acquired at different E[o] values. This was demonstrated on images acquired on both the Hallam instrument and on a Phillips XL40 electron microscope.The small area XPS system developed by Kratos analytical gave a spatial resolution of 30pm at the centre of the field of view, although this deteriorated away from the centre. The reasons for this deterioration in spatial resolution were investigated, and two methods of improving the system were presented. The improvements were implemented on the Hallam instrument and demonstrated using a standard silver grid sample. The small area XPS was applied to a TiAINi coated stainless steel sample to demonstrate its application to real samples, and to display the spatial alignment between the XPS and EDX maps.Finally, the instrument was calibrated for quantitative XPS studies. This involves determining the response of the instrument as a function of the photoelectron kinetic energy. From several methods presented in the literature, the most appropriate was chosen for calibration of the 'Hallam' instrument. The effectiveness of the method used was assessed by recording spectrum intensity from pure elemental standards, and comparing the results with intensity values calculated using the calibration curves.


Background and aims: Large artery stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are the predominant characteristic of isolated systolic hypertension. Recently studies have revealed MMP1, 3, 9 and TIMP3 Genes polymorphism were associated with arterial stiffness, but the relationship with isolated systolic hypertension were not further studied. This study was to investigate the associations of MMP1,3,9 and TIMP3 Genes polymorphism with isolated systolic hypertension. Methods: We identified the genotype of the genes in 503 patients with isolated systolic hypertension, 481 essential hypertension patients with elevated diastolic blood pressure and 244 age-matched normotensive controls for 5 SNPs and detected the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilatation, endothelin-1 and nitric oxide among the participants. Results: Multinomial logistic analyses showed that the 5A allele of rs3025058(5A/6A) in MMP3 and the T allele of rs3918242(C-1562T) in MMP9 were significantly associated with isolated systolic hypertension after adjusted by age, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (P<0.001, Pcorr<0.003; P=0.009, Pcorr=0.027). The 5A/G/C and 6A/A/T haplotypes were significantly associated with isolated systolic hypertension (Permutation p=0.0258; Permutation p=0.000002). In addition, the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity of different genotypes for the 5A/6A and C-1562T polymorphisms was significantly highest in 5A or T homozygotes (P<0.01), however, the flow-mediated dilatation and nitric oxide were markedly lowest in 5A or T homozygotes (P<0.01). Conclusion: MMP3 and MMP9 genes variant seem to contribute to the development of isolated systolic hypertension by affecting arterial stiffness and endothelial function.


Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), situated in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, India, is home to huge diversity of fauna and flora. Having rich bio-cultural traditions the farmer communities residing in buffer zone of GHNP Conservation Area (GHNPCA) have developed multitude of indigenous on-farm techniques (the methods by which inputs are powered) and technologies (the application of knowledge to the production system) for optimal production. Appreciable diversity of agriculture has been maintained through a variety of crop compositions, cropping patterns and crop rotations. Grassroots Institute undertook the mapping and documentation of in situ agrobiodiversity in 2007-10, followed by promotion of on-farm conservation and organic farming practices. Farmers practice polyculture by growing multiple traditional cultivars of millets, pulses, beans, barley, pea, buckwheat, horse gram, maize, wheat, potato and soybean. About 45 traditional cultivars of 15 different crops are being cultivated by the mountain farmers in 2 gram panchayats covering 20 villages in Tirthan Valley of GHNPCA. Results of the study revealed that these traditional cultivars are far superior in characteristics than their counterpart modern or hybrid varieties. However, the old agronomic practices and poor market rates have ever discouraged the farmers to continue growing the traditional cultivars of these crops, and the farmers were forced to adopt hybrid seeds and monoculture. Abundance and sown area of various cultivars also decreased over past three decades. Grassroots Institute addressed the two-fold challenge: one, preservation and reintroduction of traditional cultivars in situ coupled with improvement in agronomic methods of farmers for enhancing the yield; and two, linking the organic produce of the traditional crops with innovative post-harvest techniques and better market opportunities. Challenge ahead lies in engaging large number of farmers in cultivation of genetically-superior traditional cultivars, and in value addition, processing and marketing of organic produce of these crops, so that the livelihood of marginal and poor farmers, which is relatively based on bioresources of national park, can be diversified/diverted and the overall goal of biodiversity conservation is fully achieved.


Enhancing gender diversity on boards of directors is an important policy agenda across societies. Despite being the third largest economic power in the world, the proportion of female members on boards of directors in Japan was only 3 per cent in 2016, which is one of the lowest among the OECD countries. This paper examines the data of listed firms in Japan, and explores the impact of institutional change on organisational diversity in terms of gender diversity on boards. In particular, it focuses on analysing the institutional pressure which Japan has been recently undergoing: financialisation and incremental regulatory reform. It is found that firms take institutional change as an incentive to relieve institutional pressure. Whilst increasing foreign investors and new policies encourage independence and gender diversity on boards, Japanese firms relieve both pressures by appointing female directors as outside directors after regulatory reform. Further, it is also found that firms have persistence in maintaining their corporate governance systems even when they are transforming their systems. Firms that implemented a more independent board structure do not necessarily nominate female board members, because the implementation of a more independent system complements board gender diversity.


Advances in the fields of genetics and molecular biology seem to occur on a daily basis, with particular attention to the Human Genome Project of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, which is involved in the mapping of the approximately 80,000 human genes. The possibilities and implications are breath-taking. For the first time in our existence there is the potential, in the near future, of genetically changing the human "germ line." By altering the composition of sperm and eggs before conception, we may be able to redirect the course of evolution. There have already been significant breakthroughs in the area of hereditary hearing loss. In 1994, Couke and colleagues reported that, by studying a large Indonesian family with many deaf and hearing members, they were able to localize the gene for a specific type of deafness. They then performed chromosomal analysis with two other families and in one family established linkage in the same chromosomal area. Although, to the best of my knowledge, the specific gene has not been isolated, gene mapping studies will ultimately lead to the identification of the gene and determination of its structure and function (Arnos, 1994). Since 1994 advances have been made in several countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Israel, and Italy. Most recently, Steele (1998) reported on research in Great Britain on detection of a gene related to progressive hearing loss, declaring that detection of such a gene could lead to procedures that could repress properties that cause a progressive hearing loss. She concluded that time is running out on progressive hearing loss and that a molecular understanding and intervention strategy may be closer than we think. Steele's projections may or may not be overly optimistic, since there are at least 200 types of hereditary hearing loss. Success is being reported on the more easily identifiable cases. However, there is little doubt that the major portion of the Human Genome Project will be completed within the life-times of most readers. The most obvious application of genetic engineering is in the eradication of human disorders such as diabetes, sickle-cell anemia, and certain types of cancer. Few people would argue with such efforts to reduce human suffering. Within the framework of traditional eugenics this would fall within the domain of "Negative Eugenics," the systematic elimination of undesirable traits. The second application would entail the concept of "Positive Eugenics" to improve the characteristics of the human race. We are all aware of the selective breeding of plants and animals designed to improve or emphasize the characteristics of various species. In the case of human beings, for centuries there have been concerns expressed that the "better" classes in a particular society were being outbred by the "lower" classes. We are also aware of the horrific effects of both kinds of eugenics in Nazi Germany, which combined efforts to breed "pure Aryans" with efforts to destroy entire groups of "untermenschen"; from Jews and Gypsies to deaf, gay, and retarded individuals. Recent developments are raising serious practical, moral, and ethical issues that will have to be dealt with for generations to come (Moores, 1996). In terms of "negative" genetics - the elimination of undesirable traits - most people would probably agree that elimination of cancer and sickle-cell anemia is desirable. …


Most of the color prediction models use single dot gain curve, few assume that dot gain changes when ink superposition happens, but still, use single dot gain curve for each ink to compensate the effective ink coverage. Considering the fact that optical dot gain is the effect of light scattering in paper, it is reasonable that light with different wavelength might produce different optical dot gain for each ink. In this study, for each primary ink we utilized three different curves obtained by CIEX, Y and Z, which approximately stand for three special wavelength bands, to calculate color coordinates. In addition, we noticed that dot gain curves obtained from the print samples with single ink printed on paper do not work well for the prints where ink is printed on another, or others. Therefore, dot gain curves for different ink superposition situations are optimized by matching the calculated tri-stimulus values of training patches to their measurement counterpoints. For each ink, dividing the dot gain into several dot gain actions responding to different ink superposition situations, we got the final dot gain as a group of multiple curves that takes into account all possible 'dot gain actions' with certain probability coefficients.


Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider) is a desert shrub which tolerates saline, alkyle soils and drought. The seeds contain a characteristic liquid wax of economic importance in industry as a machine lubricant and cosmetics. A major problem in seed propagation is that jojoba is a dioecious plant whose its sex is not easily determined prior to flowering (3-4 years from germination). To overcome this phenomenon, asexual propagation using vegetative methods such as cutting can be used. This research was conducted to find out the effect of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) and rooting media on jojoba rhizogenesis. An experiment was carried out in a factorial completely randomized block design (FCRBD) with three replications, each with sixty cuttings per replication in fiberglass house of Jojoba Naturals Corporation at Yemen. The different rooting media used were peat moss + perlite + vermiculite (1:1:1), peat moss + perlite (1:1), and peat moss + sand (1:1). Plant materials used were semi-hard wood cuttings of jojoba plants with length of 15 cm. The cuttings were collected in the month of June during 2012 and 2013 from the sub-terminal growth of the mother plants of Amman farm and introduced to Yemen. They were wounded, treated with Indole butyric acid (IBA), α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), or Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), all at 4000 ppm (part per million) and cultured on different rooting media under intermittent mist propagation conditions. IBA gave significantly higher percentage of rooting (66.23%) compared to NAA and IAA in all media used. However, the lowest percentage of rooting (5.33%) was recorded with IAA in the medium consisting of peat moss and sand (1:1). No significant difference was observed at all types of PGRs used with rooting media in respect of root length. Maximum number of roots was noticed in medium consisting of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite (1:1:1); peat moss and perlite (1:1), and peat moss and sand (1:1) using IBA, NAA, and IBA respectively. The interaction among rooting media was statistically significant with respect to rooting percentage character. Similarly, the interaction among PGRs was significant in terms of rooting percentage and also root length characters. The results demonstrated suitability of propagation of jojoba plants by semi-hard wood cuttings.


The human body is made up of nutrients. This makes the food we eat and its reflection on our nutritional status and health especially crucial. Nutrition thus is a very important determinant of our biological and social welfare throughout the various stages of the human life cycle. This makes it necessary for us to show very practical commitment to ensuring the adequacy of the quality and quantity of food in our communities, in our cherished bid to prevent the incidence of disease, and thus promote the health of the public. The focus of this presentation is on the physiological changes that occur during the reproductive years, and their implications on nutritional needs. Specific nutrition-related problems, the various methods for assessing the nutritional status of individuals in their reproductive years, and the nutritional determinants of pregnancy outcome will be discussed. Recommendations for the improvement of the nutrition of people in their reproductive years will be made.
(Inst. of African Studies Research Review: 2002 18 (1): 51-55)


Sports massage is an approach used by physiotherapists to increase the flexibility of target muscles. However, the effects of sports massage remain inconclusive (Best et al, 2008; Weerapong et al, 2005). A specific sports massage technique thought to enhance flexibility is compression massage, but there seems to be no research focusing specifically on this topic to date. An alternative option for enhancing flexibility is static stretching. Stretching literature has tended to focus on performance, recognising there does seem to be evidence to support use of static stretching (Behm and Chaouachi, 2011; Shrier, 2004).
This study was conducted to inform physiotherapy practice with regard to enhancing hamstring flexibility, with a unique focus on compression massage.
A convenience sample (n = 16) from an adult student population. The exclusion criteria were lower limb injury in the last 3 months, history of back pain, pregnancy, and current participation in a stretching programme.
A same subject crossover design, counterbalanced with a washout period of 24 hours, was utilised. The outcome measure used was the sit and reach test as there is support for its reliability and validity (Davis et al, 2008). The static stretching condition was teaching the participant a "hurdlers stretch". The compression condition was applied to the musculo-tendinous junction.
For each condition the pre-test mean was subtracted from the post-test mean. Descriptive and statistical analysis (Wilcoxon signed rank test) was conducted.
Mean difference between pre and post test conditions for static stretching was 1.28cm (S.D.±1.21), and for compression massage was 2.19cm (S. D ±1.66). (p = 0.016)
Compression massage seems to have a greater impact on hamstring flexibility than static stretching.


Abstract. A new 44 kyr long record of dinoflagellate (phytoplanktonic organisms) cysts (dinocysts) is presented from a marine sediment core collected on the Congolese margin with the aim of reconstructing past hydrological changes in the equatorial eastern Atlantic Ocean since Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3. Our high-resolution dinocyst record indicates that significant temperature and moisture variations occurred across the glacial period, the last deglaciation and the Holocene. The use of specific dinocyst taxa, indicative of fluvial, upwelling and Benguela Current past environments for instance, provides insights into the main forcing mechanisms controlling palaeohydrological changes on orbital timescales. In particular, we are able, for the last 44 kyr, to correlate fluvial-sensitive taxa to monsoonal mechanisms related to precession minima–obliquity maxima combinations. While upwelling mechanisms appear as the main drivers for dinoflagellate productivity during MIS 2, dissolved nutrient-enriched Congo River inputs to the ocean also played a significant role in promoting dinoflagellate productivity between approximately 15.5 and 5 ka BP. Finally, this high-resolution dinocyst study permits us to precisely investigate the suborbital timing of the last glacial–interglacial termination, including an atypical warm and wet oceanic LGM signature, northern high-latitude abrupt climate change impacts in the equatorial eastern Atlantic, as well as a two-step decrease in moisture conditions during the Holocene at around 7–6 and 4–3.5 ka BP.


Cameron University has recently developed a degree in MultiMedia Design, focused on developing computer based instructional materials. Multimedia Industry leaders have advised us that the foremost skill lacking in recent nation-wide graduates is the ability to work in teams. With this new degree, students spend a lot of time in front of a computer, authoring tutorials and developing presentations. Communication skills can quickly be lost; therefore collaborative projects are embedded in the curriculum for each class. One class I teach is Web Communications and Design. (http://www.cameron.edu/~karenh/MM2034) Students from a variety of disciplines enroll in this class. The class is web-based and can be accessed at any time, but to meet the goal of teamwork communication skills, I structure four to five member development teams. Part of the student's real-world experience includes an individual assignment to develop a web site for a Cameron University faculty member or Lawton business.


Many phenomena in biology can be modeled as a system of first order differential
equations
x = ax + by,
y=cx+dy.
An example of such a system is the prey-predator model. To interpret the results we have
to obtain full information on the system of equations such as the stability of the
equilibrium points of the system. This requires in depth knowledge of differential
equations. The literature often emphasizes on the analytical methods to obtain results
regarding the stability of the equilibrium points. This is possible to achieve for small
systems such as a 2 x 2 system. The non-mathematician researchers often do not have the analytical tools to understand
the model fully. Very often what they are interested in is the information regarding the
critical points and their stability without going through the tedious mathematical analysis.
This calls for user friendly tools for the non-mathematicians to use in order to answer
their problem at hand.
The objective of this research is to establish an algorithm to determine the stability of a
more general system. By doing so we will be able to help those who are not familiar with
analytical methods to establish stability of systems at hand
The following algorithm is' employed in developing the software:
L 1. Search for critical point is conducted.
L2. Eigenvalues of the linear system are computed. These values are obtained from
the characteristic equation IA - All = 0 , where A. is an eigenvalue and
F or the nonlinear system, linearization process around the critical points are
carried out.
L3. Stability of system is determined.
L4. Trajectory of the system is plotted in the phase plane.
To develop the software we use the C programming language.
It is hoped that the software developed will be of help to researchers in the field of
mathematical biology to understand the concept of stability in their model.


Over the past two decades, numerous experiments have shown that spoken word perception creates detailed memory traces, containing not only word meanings, but also extraneous, perceptual or contextual details. This is shown, for example, by voice-specific priming effects. Based on such results, exemplar theories suggest the mental lexicon may consist of accumulated episodic traces. Although an episodic approach is wellsuited to explain priming, ample evidence suggests that language also entails abstract representations. Certainly at the segmental level, there are logical constraints that require unitization. An optimal theory may include stable abstract representations, combined with context-sensitive episodic traces. This paper summarizes new tests examining word perception from a complementary-systems perspective, wherein reciprocal neural networks represent hippocampal and cortical memory systems [13]. In this approach, detailed episodic traces and holographic, abstract traces combine to create behavior in real-time, allowing perceptual or memorial data to appear more or less "episodic," depending on myriad factors. I summarize new results and simulations on perceptual priming, and discuss the model with respect to perceptual learning in speech.


This contribution considers the regulation of work-related risks such as industrial accidents and occupational diseases, and more specifically the role of employers and employees in the regulation and prevention of such risks. First, a law and economics perspective will be provided on the delegation of regulatory design and enforcement tasks to private actors. Thereby it will be assessed (for the specific case of work-related risks) what are the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of private regulation and enforcement compared to public regulation and enforcement, taking efficiency as a main goal. Efficiency in that respect relates to finding an optimal way of dealing with market failures, such as externalities in the form of work-related accidents and diseases. Secondly, confronting theory with practice, examples of private regulation of work-related risks will be provided for the Netherlands, which largely relies on collective labour agreements and private enforcement mechanisms. The role of liability insurers as an important potential driver of actions taken by employers and employees will be highlighted, as well as the importance of having (e.g. in administrative law) a smart mix between public law and self-regulatory mechanisms.


This article offers a critical analysis of four contemporary sociological debates. Systematic analysis of the relevant literature suggests the existence of a project for reformulating the methodological foundations of empirical quantitative sociology. This reconstruction shows the emergence of the following idea: an alliance of variable analysis, mechanism methodology, and simulation techniques would be of great help in resolving some of the impasses that "standard" empirical quantitative sociology encounters. This thesis is then tested for quantitative sociology of social stratification: where there are "irrefutable signs" that the idea is becoming acceptable. Lastly, a link is established between these recent debates and older, similar proposals for resolving the problem, and the question of why the soundness of these proposals has only recently been recognized is examined.


Background—&agr;-Linolenic acid may protect against cardiovascular disease. We examined the association between adipose tissue &agr;-linolenic acid and nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (MI) in a population-based case-control study in Costa Rica. Methods and Results—The 482 case patients with a first nonfatal acute MI and 482 population control subjects were matched by age, sex, and area of residence. Fatty acids were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography in adipose tissue samples collected from all subjects. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated from multivariate conditional logistic regression models. Subjects in the top quintiles of adipose tissue &agr;-linolenic acid had a lower risk of MI than those in the lowest quintile: OR (95% CI), 1.00; 0.80 (0.52 to 1.24); 0.53 (0.34 to 0.82); 0.44 (0.28 to 0.67); and 0.37 (0.24 to 0.59); test for trend, P <0.0001. This association was strengthened after adjustment for established MI risk factors, including smoking, physical activity, income, and adipose tissue linoleic acid and trans fatty acids (OR for the top versus lowest quintile, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.50; test for trend, P <0.0001). Further adjustment for the intake of saturated fat, fiber, alcohol, and vitamin E did not change this association (OR for the top versus lowest quintile, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.55; test for trend, P <0.0001). Conclusions—The inverse association observed between &agr;-linolenic acid and nonfatal acute MI suggests that consumption of vegetable oils rich in &agr;-linolenic acid confers important protection against cardiovascular disease.


A Plotting Duchess, a Mysterious Death and a Castle Full of Intrigue in Catherine Bailey's The Secret Rooms. At 6 am on 21 April 1940 John the 9th Duke of Rutland, and one of Britain's wealthiest men, ended his days, virtually alone, lying on a makeshift bed in a dank cramped suite of rooms in the servants' quarters of his own home, Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire. For weeks, as his health deteriorated, his family, his servants - even the King's doctor - pleaded with him to come out, but he refused. After his death, his son and heir, Charles, the 10th Duke of Rutland, ordered that the rooms be locked up and they remained untouched for sixty years. What lay behind this extraordinary set of circumstances? For the first time, in The Secret Rooms, Catherine Bailey unravels a complex and compelling tale of love, honour and betrayal, played out in the grand salons of Britain's stately homes at the turn of the twentieth century, and on the battlefields of the Western Front. At its core is a secret so dark that it consumed the life of the man who fought to his death to keep it hidden. This extraordinary mystery from the author of Black Diamonds, perfect for lovers of Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. Praise for The Secret Rooms: "Reads like the best kind of mystery story. It is a tale of mistresses and heirlooms, cowardice and connivance, and a deeply dysfunctional family ...gripping". (Sunday Times). "Astonishing ...jaw-dropping...It would spoil the book if I revealed the whole works, suffice it to say ...what a family". (Sunday Telegraph). "An extraordinary detective operation". (John Julius). Norwich Catherine Bailey is the author of Black Diamonds. She read history at Oxford University and is a successful, award-winning television producer and director, making a range of critically acclaimed documentary films inspired by her interest in twentieth century history. She lives in West London.


This article is an attempt to apply the concept of the soundscape to studying the division between public and private spheres in the contemporary Russian countryside. The empirical basis of the study consists of a series of ethnographic observations made overthe course of 15 years in a single village in the Northwestern region of Russia. The analysis of sound production and perception by the local populace shows the village to bean acoustic community, where in background sounds serve as carriers of socially meaningful information. The study finds that the prominent functionality of the village's acoustic environment as a means of communication blurs the line between public and private, reducing privacy while simultaneously curtailing publicity. Depending on the situation, the same space may be either private or public. To help differentiate between the public and the private, the acoustic community of this Russian village prescribes specific conventions, shared by the local residents.  In  Russian , extended summary in  English .


With the progression of technological breakthroughs creating dependencies on telecommunications, the internet, and social networks connecting our society, CIIP (Critical Information Infrastructure Protection) has gained significant focus in order to avoid cyber attacks, cyber hazards, and a general breakdown of services. Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and Resilience in the ICT Sector brings together a variety of empirical research on the resilience in the ICT sector and critical information infrastructure protection in the context of uncertainty and lack of data about potential threats and hazards. This book presents a variety of perspectives on computer science, economy, risk analysis, and social sciences; beneficial to academia, governments, and other organisations engaged or interested in CIIP, Resilience and Emergency Preparedness in the ICT sector.


The contribution of the Dutch craftsman and scholar Isaac Beeckman to early modern scientific thought has never been properly acknowledged. Surprisingly free from the constraints of traditional natural philosophy, he developed a view of the world in which everything, from the motion of the heavens to musical harmonies, is explained by reducing it to matter in motion. His ideas deeply influenced Descartes and Gassendi. Klaas van Berkel has succeeded in unearthing and explicating Beeckman's scientific notebooks, allowing us to follow how he developed his new philosophy, almost day by day. Beeckman was almost forgotten until the discovery of his notebooks in the early twentieth century. "Isaac Beeckman on Matter and Motion" is the first full-length study of the ideas and motives of this remarkable figure. Van Berkel's important study first relates Beeckman's life, placing him in the religious, intellectual, educational, and social context of the Dutch Republic in its golden age. Van Berkel then analyzes the notebooks themselves and the nature and development of Beeckman's "mechanical philosophy". He demonstrates how Beeckman's artisanal background and religious convictions shaped his natural philosophy, even as the decisive influence stems from the educational philosophy of the sixteenth-century French philosopher Peter Ramus. Historians of science and the philosophy of science will find the substance of Beeckman's thought and the unraveling of its growth and development highly interesting. Van Berkel's account provides a new and comprehensive interpretation of the origins of the mechanical philosophy of nature, the philosophy that culminated in the work of Isaac Newton.


This was an investigation of the use of computers by elementary school principals. The independent variables were socio-demographic characteristics, attitude toward computers, and beliefs about the outcomes of computer applications. The dependent variables were hardware and software proficiency, administrative proficiency, instructional proficiency, and overall proficiency.
A random sample of 400 elementary school principals in the United States and the District of Columbia was drawn from a national database developed by Quality Education Data. The sample had 228 females and 172 males. Data were collected with a questionnaire that was mailed to the sample. Two hundred fifty-three questionnaires were returned. One survey was blank and unusable.
Data were analyzed with correlation coefficients, t-tests, and one-way analyses of variance followed by Scheffe's post-hoc comparisons. Exploratory analyses with chi-square tests were used to determine if a profile of "high tech" elementary principals could be identified.
Elementary principals used the computer on a daily basis for a variety of administrative and instructional tasks. The more proficient users had more favorable attitudes toward the use of computers, used the Internet more frequently and for more tasks, and believed that computers made a difference in the time spent on and the quality of their work. Formal training was related to all four types of proficiency.
Socio-demographic variables not associated with proficiency in using computers were gender, ownership of a home computer, ethnicity, age, years of administrative experience, and highest degree held. Males and females, minorities and whites, and older and younger principals were equally proficient. Years of experience and degree did not distinguish more proficient from less proficient users.
A socio-demographic profile of "high tech" principals was not found; however, "high tech" principals (personal digital assistant users) reported higher levels of Internet use, higher levels of all four types of proficiency at alpha = .10, and a more favorable attitude toward computers. The use of the latest technologies by principals appears to be a good predictor of the proficiency of principals in using technology generally.


Purpose: To assess cancer survivors' interest in lifestyle behavior change interventions, and to identify predictors of interest.

Methods: Mailed surveys were sent to a stratified random sample of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors ascertained from the MD Anderson tumor registry and departmental databases. Surveys queried survivors about their diet, exercise, and smoking behaviors; symptoms; and their interest in interventions.

Results: Surveys were received from 1053 cancer survivors. Roughly half of the sample were very/extremely interested in programs to help them get in shape (45%), eat a healthy diet (54%), and control weight (49%), and 20% had no interest at all. Because they were highly intercorrelated we combined interest in diet/exercise/weight control into a single interest index. Interest was related to race/ethnicity (AA and Hispanics more interested than whites), age (p = .000, younger more interested), marital status (p = .000, divorced most interested, widowed least interested), education (p = .008, college-educated less interested than those with HS degree or some college/vocational training), and gender (p = .000; women more interested). Interest was not related to time from diagnosis, and there were no differences by cancer site after controlling for gender. BMI had a small but significant correlation with interest in programs (r = .19, p = .000; the correlation was higher in women [r = .24] than men [r = .18]). Symptom severity and interference, and feelings of distress and sadness, were positively correlated to interest (r = .07–.12, p = .000–.034); relationships were stronger among men than women. Among the 78 smokers, 51% were very/extremely interested in smoking cessation, while 20% were not at all interested. Demographic and disease-related predictors were not significantly related to interest in smoking cessation, but symptom severity and interference, and feelings of sadness were positively related to interest.

Conclusion: Survivors' interest in lifestyle behavior change interventions varies with demographic variables, but also with symptom distress. Experiencing symptoms after cancer diagnosis is related to higher receptivity to intervention opportunities.

This abstract is one of the 20 highest scoring abstracts of those submitted for presentation at the 36th Annual ASPO meeting held March 4–6, 2012, in Washington, DC.


The distance dependent Chinese restaurant process (ddCRP) was recently introduced to accommodate random partitions of non-exchangeable data [1]. The dd-CRP clusters data in a biased way: each data point is more likely to be clustered with other data that are near it in an external sense. This paper examines the dd-CRP in a spatial setting with the goal of natural image segmentation. We explore the biases of the spatial ddCRP model and propose a novel hierarchical extension better suited for producing "human-like" segmentations. We then study the sensitivity of the models to various distance and appearance hyperparameters, and provide the first rigorous comparison of nonparametric Bayesian models in the image segmentation domain. On unsupervised image segmentation, we demonstrate that similar performance to existing nonparametric Bayesian models is possible with substantially simpler models and algorithms.


ABSTRACT Background: Discourse analysis allows the examination of functional and ecological language impairment in post-stroke aphasia. Given its complexity, various methods of analysis have been developed to measure the multiple components of discourse. Clinical assessment usually includes discourse analysis, but how clinicians should assess recovery of discourse, particularly in acute care settings, is still a matter of debate. Aims: This study aimed to measure improvements in discourse production in early post-stroke aphasia recovery. Methods & Procedure: Twenty-three persons with aphasia following a first left middle cerebral artery stroke were recruited in the stroke unit of Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal (May 2015-July 2018). Patients treated with thrombolysis (n = 10) and untreated patients underwent two aphasia assessments (0 to 72 hours, 7 to 14 days post-onset). Discourse assessment consisted of the picture description task from the Western Aphasia Battery. Changes in microlinguistic and thematic informativeness measures between the two assessment periods were analyzed. Outcomes & Results: In-depth microlinguistic analyses showed no significant difference between the initial and follow-up assessments. Conversely, some thematic informativeness variables improved significantly during the same time period. Patients treated with thrombolysis produced more thematic units than untreated patients at both assessments, but the change between the two groups was not significant. Conclusions & Implications: This study suggests that thematic informativeness variables are sensitive to language improvement in early post-stroke aphasia recovery whereas no microlinguistic variables improved significantly in the same period. In contrast to previous evidence, the difference between patients treated with thrombolysis and untreated patients was not evident over time. The results suggest that thematic informativeness constitutes an interesting path to explore as a routine clinical assessment in acute-care settings because it is time-efficient, simple to conduct and reliable in assessing early changes in the discourse production of individuals with aphasia in the acute post-stroke phase.


An ever-increasing demand for more effective products with lower weight, more compact design and extended functionality has led to the use of material combinations with locally adapted properties instead of mono-materials. The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1153 "Tailored Forming" at LUH addresses this topic with the aim to develop hybrid bulk-metal components on the basis of a new, tailored production process using joined semi-finished products. In contrast to existing manufacturing processes for hybrid bulk-metal components where the joining takes place during the forming process or at the end of the production chain, CRC 1153 uses tailor-made semi-finished products which are joined before the forming process. This contribution focuses on the production of hybrid semi-finished products from a steel-steel (C22.8 and 41Cr4) material combination by means of laser beam as well as friction welding. The effects of additional ultrasonic coupling into the weld-pool are presented for laser beam joining and a positive effect on the weld pool was observed. Furthermore, the resulting properties of the joining zone are investigated by uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature and metallographic analyses of the respective manufacturing processes. The friction welding proved to be a very robust process for the production of semi-finished steel-steel products.


No matter how the U.S. sources its electricity in the future, expanding infrastructure capacity is inevitable. Reconfiguring or expanding the nation's transmission infrastructure will require the engagement and guidance of the American public. It is thus critical to understand public perceptions of energy transmission infrastructure, and how these perceptions are shaped by arguments from government, companies, and advocates. But while scholars have assessed the drivers of public views of electricity generation infrastructure such as wind farms and power plants, attention to transmission infrastructure has been limited. In this paper, we expand on work assessing the drivers of public attitudes toward electricity generation facilities to explore perceptions of energy transmission infrastructure. We draw on in-depth interviews with public officials, residents, landowners, and stakeholders in communities along the routes of two proposed energy transmission projects to understand how community members view the projects. Our study complements survey-based studies of attitudes about energy infrastructure. We focus on a category of perceived impacts that survey researchers have identified as important–socioeconomic considerations–and elucidate the sources of perceptions about expected impacts. We apply a framework rooted in social psychology to explain local attitudes about energy transmission infrastructure, in particular how the scale of place attachments and the symbolic meanings underlying local place attachments help shape residents' interpretations and evaluations of proposed projects as a threat or an opportunity.


The purpose of this study was to find if students were able to follow a verbal general instruction more successfully when paired with a visual prompt versus instruction given with only a verbal prompt. This study looked at students with cognitive disabilities, specifically students who have an IQ of 70 or lower. The study looks to see if pairing a visual with a verbal prompt will increase the understanding of the request from staff. With the research that was conducted, the researcher wanted to obtain a better understanding of students with disabilities' aptitude when given a simple direction verbally versus a simple direction given verbally paired with a known visual. The researcher analyzed successfulness of direction being requested along with the degree and quantity of unwanted behaviors performed during tasks. The number of tasks presented to participants is analyzed throughout a portion of the study to obtain an understanding of how often a participant is directed to complete any daily task. The results of this research study is to provide assistance to the researcher to better her teachings with students with disabilities. The study also provided the motivation to discover more strategies to assist in completion of functional tasks for students with disabilities.


Maxine Hong Kingston begins China Men, her history of the Chinese immigration to America, with two peculiar chapters that suggest such a book is not easily written. The first chapter, "On Discovery," is the legend of Tang Ao, a Chinaman who sets off for America, the Gold Mountain, the land of infinite riches. Instead of finding America, he discovers rather the "Land of Women" where, in a grotesque parody of Chinese traditions, his feet are broken and bound, his ears are pierced, he is fed nothing but rice cakes and he enters into female enslavement. So much for discovery. For the Chinaman who thinks he can leave China, any sailing away from China is a sailing into China, its tradition enforced with a vengeance. Chapter two, "On Fathers," suggests another kind of failed immigration. A young American girl and her sisters are waiting at their gate for their father to come home from work. They rush to greet him when he arrives, only to find out that they have greeted the wrong man, "from the back certainly looking like our father," but not him. Their mother reassures them, and they return to the sidewalk. Their father does finally come, but the chapter leaves us with the haunting image of a man who only from the back looks like the real father, a man easily mistaken. Some Chinese men may have escaped China after all, but if they are as elusive as Chinese fathers are to their daughters, their undertakings might never be known nor understood. Maxine Hong Kingston places China Men in the middle of this gap between generations and countries. Her opening chapters ask two questions: Did the Chinese ever leave China culturally, and if so, can we ever know their story? The way these chapters are written, however, suggests even more difficult problems. At issue is not only a serious break in historical continuity, but the possibility of writing immigrant history at all. "On Discovery" is a folktale, evoking the authority of oral tradition, as it is revered, remembered, passed on, but also as it imprisons and ultimately destroys its characters. The first-person narration in "On Fathers," however, suggests a modern novelist's sensibility--isolated, subjective, and skeptical. To join the two stories, Maxine Hong Kingston must find the ground where oral and written traditions meet, where pre-literate and post-literate stories can question and ultimately free each other. That Kingston makes these issues of narrative as much the subject of her book as the history of the Chinese immigrants themselves establishes China Men as a seminal study in multi-cultural literature. The dilemmas of Tang Ao and the little girls are to some extent resolved--China Men of course has been written. How this happens is the subject of my study. Let us look more closely at the narrative problems posed by Kingston in the opening chapters of China Men. "On Discovery" is not only a story about an aborted emigration, it is also a parable of fixed meanings. In a time outside of time, an omniscient voice speaking with the authority of fairy tale ("once upon a time"), historical document ("in the Women's land, there are no taxes and no war"), and scholarship ("some scholars say...") recounts the story of Tang Ao. There is an acknowledged agreement between narrator and audience. Everyone accepts without question the story to be told. The heroes and victims are unchanging in an unchangeable world. Their lives are fated as the story drives them unerringly to their pre-conceived ends. There are no alternatives to this story--for its characters or for its audience. Not only is "On Discovery" about a cultural paradigm gone tyrannical, it is also about a narrative form as enclosed and imprisoning as the story it tells. On the other side of the self-enclosed omniscience of "On Discovery," however, is the self-enclosed subjectivity of "On Fathers." Although this chapter is particular, personal, and surrounded by the mystery of movement and flux (Participles, "waiting," "hastening," "pressing," replace the tense-less "once upon a time," of "On Discovery. …


Each Company will evaluate the employees by their performance to determine the payroll increase. The payroll increase is a kind of reward from company to the employee's performance in a year, and this is given once a year. In some respects, the awarding of payroll increase often meets problems, such as the un-objective appraisal and the inappropriate scale amount of increase for it emerges polemic between employees that will give an impact to their performance. To avoid such things, the company needs an appropriate and a flexible method to do the evaluation. The purpose of this research is to implement Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) in determining the employee's payroll increase feasibility. Logical Fuzzy is a problem completion technique where the membership degree which is commonly represented by the score of 0 and 1, so that it is more balance. One of Fuzzy methods which can be used to solve the problem is Tsukamoto method and Mamdani. Fuzzy Inference System which implements a weighted average to calculate the feasibility of payroll increase is as the final result. The Inference Support System or SPK of the payroll increase feasibility with Tsukamoto method and Mamdani.


An economic analysis has been performed to establish when it is advantageous to use structured packing in air separation plant. A model of a low pressure cycle was developed to calculate the power saved when packing is used, and cost models were developed for the columns and cold box. The rate of return was calculated on the extra investment required for a packed plant based on the annual power saving. Structured packing was found to be economic only in larger plants, where economies of scale mean that the increased capital cost becomes less significant compared with the power saved. It was also found that different sized plants favour different packings. The analysis identified that the packing variable with the biggest impact on the economic balance was the efficiency and that increasing the efficiency of current packings could enhance their balance in air distillation. A new packing was therefore developed to have a higher efficiency than conventional ones. The vapour phase resistance was targeted for reduction, since most packing models predict this to be dominant. The final shape was chosen as the easiest and most economic to make. It has converging and diverging channels and was manufactured in two specific areas and with two block heights by Tianjin University Packing Factory. A 0.3 m diameter distillation column test rig was designed, built and commissioned with the standard Sulzer Mellapak 500YW. It was then used to test the new packing alongside some standard ones. Because the packings had different specific areas, correlations of published results were developed to allow a true comparison to be made. The test results show that, unexpectedly, the packings with 0.1 m high blocks have an efficiency about 8% greater than the standard 0.2 m blocks. The new shape as implemented in the 350Y packing shows an additional 7% greater efficiency, so it is 15% better than a standard packing with the same area. It has a better efficiency than the Mellapak 500YW and the higher capacity associated with its lower area. The new 500Y did not show a significant advantage.


Abstract. The segmented Langmuir probe (SLP) has been recently proposed by one of the authors (Lebreton, 2002) as an instrument to derive the bulk velocity of terrestrial or planetary plasmas, in addition to the electron density and temperature that are routinely measured by Langmuir probes. It is part of the scientific payload on the DEMETER micro-satellite developed by CNES. The basic concept of this probe is to measure the current distribution over the surface using independent collectors under the form of small spherical caps and to use the angular anisotropy of these currents to obtain the plasma bulk velocity in the probe reference frame. In order to determine the SLP capabilities, we have developed a numerical PIC (Particles In Cell) model which provides a tool to compute the distribution of the current collected by a spherical probe. Our model is based on the simultaneous determination of the charge densities in the probe sheath and on the probe surface, from which the potential distribution in the sheath region can be obtained. This method is well adapted to the SLP problem and has some advantages since it provides a natural control of the charge neutrality inside the simulation box, allows independent mesh sizes in the sheath and on the probe surface, and can be applied to complex surfaces. We present in this paper initial results obtained for plasma conditions corresponding to a Debye length equal to the probe radius. These plasma conditions are observed along the Demeter orbit. The model results are found to be in very good agreement with those published by Laframboise (1966) for a spherical probe in a thermal non-flowing plasma. This demonstrates the adequacy of the computation method and of the adjustable numerical parameters (size of the numerical box and mesh, time step, number of macro-particles, etc.) for the considered plasma-probe configuration. We also present the results obtained in the case of plasma flowing with mesothermal conditions reproducing the case of measurements onboard a low altitude spacecraft. Finally, we briefly discuss the capabilities of the SLP to deduce the plasma bulk velocity under similar conditions and present the first onboard measurements. Keywords. Ionosphere (Modeling and forecasting; Instruments and techniques)


It is generally accepted that massive tourism and a vibrant indigenous culture are mutually exclusive. Bali has so far proven to be an exception to this rule. This article explores a hitherto overlooked socio‐economic mechanism behind that exception. It is a dual complementary currency system used for centuries by highly decentralized and democratic decision‐making organizations. The reasons why such a dual currency system is so effective in mobilizing popular cultural creativity is investigated, and a systems framework is proposed to determine the conditions under which this model could be applicable outside of Bali. This framework is then tested with a second case study: traditional shell currencies in Papua New Guinea. Finally, some potential applications in areas in the world other than traditional cultures are portrayed.


ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic crisis are posing huge challenges, raising many unknowns, and imposing wrenching trade-offs. Both crises are global, but their impacts are deeply local. The policy response to both crises needs to be rapid, even if it is rough around the edges. But countries cannot pull this off on their own—the global crises require global solidarity and coordination. Governments must dramatically overhaul policies and invest in public health, economic stimulus, and social safety nets, to help countries recover faster from the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic report warns that a patchwork of preexisting solutions won't work and points out those governments must coordinate with each other to hasten the recovery. This is a global crisis and working in silos is not an option, it says. The report `Position Note on the Social and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Asia-Pacific` calls on countries in the region to avoid returning to the pre-pandemic environmentally unsustainable development path, and to capitalize on the opportunity to build a better future. The study covers the primary data collected related to the topic and primary data was collected through Google forms sample size of 78. The collected primary data was analyzed by using Paired sample test, KMO and Bartlett`s Test, and Factor Analysis with the help of SPSS.


Abstract. A dedicated system for airborne ship emission measurements of SO2, NOx and particles has been developed and used from several small aircraft. The system has been adapted for fast response measurements at 1 Hz, and the use of several of the instruments is unique. The uncertainty of the given data is about 20% for SO2 and 24% for NOx emission factors. The mean values with one standard deviation for multiple measurements of 158 ships measured from the air on the Baltic and North Sea during 2011 and 2012 show emission factors of 18.8 ± 6.5 g kg −1 fuel , 66.6 ± 23.4 g kg −1 fuel and 1.8 ± 1.3 1016 particles kg −1 fuel for SO2, NOx and particle number, respectively. The particle size distributions were measured for particle diameters between 15 and 560 nm. The mean sizes of the particles are between 45 and 54 nm dependent on the distance to the source, and the number size distribution is monomodal. Concerning the sulfur fuel content, around 85% of the monitored ships comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) limits. The reduction of the sulfur emission control area (SECA) limit from 1.5 to 1% in 2010 appears to have contributed to reduction of sulfur emissions that were measured in earlier studies from 2007 to 2009. The presented method can be implemented for regular ship compliance monitoring.


In the quest for high real in-line transmittances for transparent polycrystalline alumina (PCA), we need defect free processing. One of the biggest advances in producing high density defect free ceramics over recent years has been the advent of spark plasma sintering (SPS) or pulsed electric current sintering. The production of PCA with high transmittances >60% has been demonstrated, but the mechanisms behind this fast, pressure aided sintering method are still much debated. Here, we investigate the sintering of doped α-alumina powders using traditional and pulsed electric current dilatometry. We demonstrate that at the final sintering stage, there is no major difference in the sintering mechanisms between conventional sintering and SPS sintering. High densification rates occurring in SPS are shown to be related to powder reorientation at the very early sintering stage and viscous-flow dominated densification in the intermediate sintering cycle. This paper clarifies what parameters in the processing–sintering domain have to be improved for even higher real in-line transmittances for PCA.


Loved by travelers for its lush, tropical scenery, and charming people, Bali is considered to be one of the most magnificent places on earth. Spirituality and nature are integral parts of everyday life for the Balinese, so one can easily see why the island's traditional architecture has a peaceful presence to it, mimicking its surroundings and sometimes blending in with them. When it comes to Balinese houses, walls are not compulsory, wood is everywhere, earth tones are dominant, and thatched roofs abound. Opening onto gorgeous green landscapes, majestic mountains, or beautiful coastlines, the homes herein ooze relaxing, contemplative vibes. Gazing at these opulent examples of simple and elegant living, one wonders why more people aren't rushing to move to Bali...


In situ and ex‐situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies of annealing of solution‐grown single crystals of polyethylene (PE) on graphite were performed at temperatures up to 170°C. Structural changes of the crystals began at ∼90°C at the interface between the lamellar crystal and the substrate where solvent traces are likely trapped after crystal collapse. Initially, material at the edges and in a few central locations of the lozenge‐shaped crystals was converted into 20 nm wide and 3 nm thick strands. As annealing temperature increases, this transformation spreads over the whole crystal, and at 110°C the arrays of the strands, which were oriented differently in the different crystal sectors, completely filled the lozenge frame. The final morphology, which reflects the recrystallization and most likely the reorientation of the PE chains from the vertical to the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate, does not depend on the sample drying prior to the annealing experiments. Annealing of the recrystallized PE samples led to flattening and widening of the strands, which transformed into stacks of molecular ribbons. Some of the ribbons extended from the lozenge shape to the substrate and their orientation results from epitaxy on the graphite. After melting of the polymer structures above 140°C, ordered molecular ribbons of partially extended polymer chains were detected at the melt‐substrate interface at temperatures up to 170°C. Dedicated to Prof. Phillip H. Geil's seventy‐fifth birthday.


Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in India, and extrapulmonary cases from the lymph nodes account for one-fifth of the overall disease burden. TB is known for its varied clinical presentations as well as different sites (organs) of involvement. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays an important role in diagnosing a significant number of cases which present as granulomatous lesions. Here, we study the cytomorphological and clinical presentation of swellings showing granulomatous pattern of inflammation and correlate them with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) positivity. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 3-years duration was done from January 2018 to December 2020 in a tertiary care hospital. Slides of 356 cases showing epithelioid granulomas on cytology were taken out. The clinical data were collected from patient requisition forms. All the available clinical and cytological findings were recorded. The slides were re-examined and characterized into specific patterns of granulomatous inflammation on the basis of predominant background population of cells, necrosis, and hemorrhage. These were correlated with the presence of positive AFB staining on Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) stain. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups and P < 0.05 was taken to be statistically significant. Results: The mean age of presentation was 25 years (ranging from 5 months to 75 years) with a slight female preponderance (male-to-female ratio being 0.9:1). The cervical lymph nodes were the most common site. The sites of presentation were varied. The aspirates were gray–white to blood mixed on gross and cytological examination in 186 cases (52.25%). On microscopy, the suppurative pattern was seen in 202 cases (56.74%) and necrosis was seen in 182 cases (51.12%). The AFB positivity on ZN staining was seen in 96 (26.96%) cases in FNAC smears. There was a significant association of positive AFB staining with younger age group (<25 years), larger sized swellings (>2 cm), fixed and matted swellings, longer duration of symptoms (>2 weeks), and absence of pain and fever. The whitish/purulent aspirates on gross examination as well as suppurative and necrotic patterns on cytomorphology on microscopic examination showed a highly significant positive correlation with AFB staining. Conclusion: The gross and microscopic patterns of suppuration and necrosis on FNAC in combination with clinical signs and symptoms are highly suggestive of TB. ZN staining on cytology smears is a very simple and useful investigation, especially in suppurative and necrotic patterns of cytology, for clinching an early diagnosis, which goes a long way in the management of tuberculosis.


In this article, I present a comparative study of constitutional obscenity doctrine in the United States and Canada, and argue that the community standards test that has long been the touchstone of this jurisprudence cannot be reconciled with fundamental principles of freedom of expression and conscience. In the United States, the imposition of community standards of morality is at odds with the U.S. Supreme Court's increasingly explicit rejection of mere majoritarian morality as a basis for criminal regulation, especially in the private sexual sphere. Moreover, the Court's embrace of local standards was always constitutionally anomalous and is increasingly so in the internet age. The Supreme Court of Canada has tried to develop an alternative approach, insisting on a national standard grounded not in morality but in harm, especially harm to women. However, this national standard is largely a fiction, and the claim that whatever the community does not tolerate is by definition harmful is both theoretically and empirically untenable. The Canadian Court has implicitly recognized these difficulties in a recent decision that appears to jettison the community standards test altogether, and to focus purely on the question of harm caused by "degrading" and "dehumanizing" materials. It is not clear, however, that this new approach rescues the doctrine from the vagueness that has led in practice to repressive and discriminatory enforcement, which, ironically, has been targeted especially against gays, lesbians, and feminists. Both the U.S. and Canadian experiences thus suggest that the obscenity prosecutions have been arbitrary and highly political. The article concludes that the prohibition of obscenity is incompatible with free expression, whether such prohibition is based on community standards, or on the harms that are said to flow from "degrading" and "dehumanizing" material. Bans on sexually explicit materials that involve only consenting adults in their production and distribution cannot be justified in societies committed to the freedom of speech and conscience.


The addition of durative actions to PDDL2.1 sparked some controversy. Fox and Long argued that actions should be considered as instantaneous, but can start and stop processes. Ultimately, a limited notion of durative actions was incorporated into the language. I argue that this notion is still impoverished, and that the underlying philosophical position of regarding durative actions as being a shorthand for a start action, process, and stop action ignores the realities of modelling and execution for complex systems.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this phase I study was to determine the toxicities and response to continuous infusion carboplatin in combination with a fixed dose of etoposide (VP-16) in children with refractory acute leukemia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
From January 1989 to February 1992, 20 patients received 28 courses of treatment. Each course of treatment consisted of a 1-hour intravenous (IV) infusion of VP-16 100 mg/m2/d for 5 days, followed by a 23-hour IV infusion of carboplatin each day. The initial, total 5-day dose of carboplatin (1,000 mg/m2) was escalated by 250- to 375-mg increments to a final, total dose of 1,875 mg/m2 over 5 days.

RESULTS
Significant marrow suppression was observed in all patients, with prolonged marrow aplasia at the 1,875-mg/m2 dose level. Grade III diarrhea occurred in three patients; 10 patients experienced life-threatening infection and three had severe thrombocytopenic bleeding. Major marrow responses (two complete remissions and two partial remissions) occurred in four patients (20%).

CONCLUSION
In view of the apparent antileukemic efficacy and minimal extramedullary toxicity, carboplatin deserves further study in a phase II trial.


Thiolate-protected copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have emerged as a novel kind of luminescent material, but their applications in neutral solution are greatly limited by their ultra-low emission efficiency under such conditions. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of glutathione-protected CuNCs with AIE properties, and their self-assembly was driven by aluminum cations. The bright red luminescence of solid CuNCs illustrates their significant AIE nature, but CuNCs dispersed in neutral water exhibit almost no luminescence. It was found that aluminum cations were capable of driving the self-assembly of the CuNCs, and the resulting CuNC dots with controllable sizes retain their bright luminescence under neutral conditions. The strong affinity of GSH ligands to the CuNCs contributes to this good stability in neutral and even in weakly alkaline solutions. The stable existence of the luminescent CuNC dots enables them to function as a luminogen under physiological conditions. This ability was employed to detect β-galactosidase activity using 4-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside as the substrate. The strong quenching effect of the CuNC dots by p-nitrophenol was used to achieve a sensitive measurement of the β-Gal level. This work proposes the preparation of CuNC dots with bright luminescence in neutral solution via the self-assembly of GSH-capped CuNCs by aluminum ions, and demonstrates their sensing application in the detection of β-galactosidase activity under physiological conditions.


Following the sovereign debt crisis of 2012, some southern European countries have debated proposals to leave the Euro. We evaluate this policy change in a standard monetary model with seigniorage financing of the deficit. The main novel feature is that we depart from rational expectations while maintaining full rationality of agents in a sense made very precise. Our first contribution is to show that small departures from rational expectations imply that inflation upon exit can be orders of magnitude higher than under rational expectations. Our second contribution is to provide a framework for policy analysis in models without rational expectations.


This study explores potential factors that may influence decadal variability of the South Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (SAMOC) by using observational data as well as surface‐forced ocean model runs and a fully coupled climate model run. Here we show that SAMOC is strongly correlated with the leading mode of sea surface height (SSH) variability in the South Atlantic Ocean, which displays a meridional dipole between north and south of 20°S. A significant portion (~45%) of the South Atlantic SSH dipole variability is remotely modulated by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). Further analysis shows that anomalous tropical Pacific convection associated with the IPO forces robust stationary Rossby wave patterns, modulating the wind stress curl over the South Atlantic Ocean. A positive (negative) phase IPO increases (decreases) the westerlies over the South Atlantic, which increases (decreases) the strength of the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic and thus the SAMOC.


This Technical Note identifies climate change risk management options that can be incorporated into IDB investments and presents considerations for monitoring and evaluation strategies to track the effectiveness of such actions. While there has been significant progress worldwide in conducting climate change vulnerability and risk assessments, climate change risk management is still in early stages of implementation and study. Thus, there is neither a significant amount of lessons learned nor robust evaluations of the effectiveness of risk management activities and investments. This note seeks to identify early lessons in climate change risk management, including risk management options that have proven effective in strengthening resilience based on literature from the disaster risk reduction (DRR) community. It is hoped that the climate change risk management options and strategies presented herein will provide a foundation for the IDB to build upon, as additional information becomes available and options are further tailored to meet the needs of specific sectors, regions, and IDB priorities.


PURPOSE
To determine the risk of ipsilateral breast events in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with local excision without irradiation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with either low- or intermediate-grade DCIS measuring 2.5 cm or smaller, or high-grade DCIS measuring 1 cm or smaller who had microscopic margin widths of 3 mm or wider and no residual calcifications on postoperative mammograms were eligible for a prospective trial conducted from 1997 to 2002 by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and North Central Cancer Treatment Group. Patients entered in 2000 and later could take tamoxifen if they wished. Median age at last surgery for the entire population was 60 years (range, 28 to 88 years), and median tumor sizes in the two strata were 6 mm and 5 mm, respectively.

RESULTS
With a median follow-up of 6.2 years, the 5-year rate of ipsilateral breast events in the 565 eligible patients in the low/intermediate grade stratum was 6.1% (95% CI, 4.1% to 8.2%). With a median follow-up of 6.7 years, this incidence for the 105 eligible patients in the high-grade stratum was 15.3% (95% CI, 8.2% to 22.5%).

CONCLUSION
Rigorously evaluated and selected patients with low- to intermediate-grade DCIS with margins 3 mm or wider had an acceptably low rate of ipsilateral breast events at 5 years after excision without irradiation. Patients with high-grade lesions had a much higher rate, suggesting that excision alone is inadequate treatment. Further follow-up is necessary to document long-term results.


We present a method for the coherent coupling of single-mode fiber lasers that produces a single Gaussian output beam. The output and the spectral properties of an experimental device composed of three coupled Nd3+ single-mode fiber lasers have been studied. For different coupling conditions, typically 70% of the total output power has been produced in a single beam. The dynamic behavior of the emission spectrum is discussed.


ABSTRACT Climate change provides new challenges to Nordic forestry. Use of non-native species, such as Douglas fir, can be a means of mitigating the effects of climate change and meeting the growing demand for biomass. When Douglas fir is grown in Sweden, it is several degrees of latitude north of its normal range, which can affect timing of growth cessation, hardening of seedlings, and seedling storability. The objective of this study was to investigate tolerance to freezing and sub-zero storability of seven Douglas fir provenances and make comparisons with the native Norway spruce. Freezing tolerance and storability were evaluated by measuring the electrolytic leakage of shoots and roots after freezing, complemented with a three-week cultivation test after storage. All provenances of Douglas fir used in this study were able to tolerate frozen storage at −4°C for about four months. Norway spruce and the interior Douglas fir provenance, Three Valley, could be stored earlier in the autumn than the southern coastal Douglas fir provenances. Consequently, it should be possible to store Douglas fir seedlings with the same routines as for Norway spruce.


Poly(p-phenylene)-based ionomers with remarkable durability and rate capability for use in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are reported. The family of synthesized ionomers, sPBPSP-z, exhibited not only well-developed phase separation between hydrophilic domains and hydrophobic domains but also well-connected hydrophilic channels, resulting in enhanced proton conductivities and excellent dimensional stabilities. sPBPSP-8, which has an ion exchange capacity of 1.83 meq g−1, showed high discharge capacity retention and superior efficiencies over 100 cycles at a current density of 50 mA cm−2. In addition, the sPBPSP-8 ionomer exhibited stable performance at various current densities (50–180 mA cm−2) and retained high efficiencies at high current densities. Furthermore, this material exhibited superior chemical stability under oxidizing conditions, excellent capacity retention, and high efficiencies during long-term VRFB operation (1000 cycles). These results indicate that the sPBPSP-8 membrane is a superb material for VRFB applications.


The year 1934 was a turning point in the U.S. class struggle. That year, militant strikes by truckers in Minneapolis, auto parts workers in Toledo, and longshoremen in San Francisco spurred broad labor solidarity in these cities, transforming the strikes into massive working-class social upheavals. These three strikes, all led by revolutionary minded workers, proved to be strategic victories for industrial unionism and paved the way for the organization of basic industry in the United States by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). By 1934, the Great Depression that began in 1929 had thrown almost one-third of the workforce, more than 15 million workers, onto the streets. Union membership had fallen from a high of over four million in 1920 to a low of around two million in 1933. As one historian put it, these figures are history's sad commentary on the American Federation of Labor's policy of favoring craft unionism in a country dominated by a mass production economy. From the start of the 1929 economic collapse, U.S. President Herbert Hoover, backed by the bulk of the employing class, resisted every measure to provide federal assistance for the hungry and homeless. Nevertheless, fearing the political consequences of what was widely seen as a brutal, repressive government labor policy, Congress enacted important labor reforms.


In this work, we present a dictionary learning based framework for robust, cross-modality, and pose-invariant facial expression recognition. The proposed framework first learns a dictionary that i) contains both 3D shape and morphological information as well as 2D texture and geometric information, ii) enforces coherence across both 2D and 3D modalities and different poses, and iii) is robust in the sense that a learned dictionary can be applied across multiple facial expression datasets. We demonstrate that enforcing domain specific block structures on the dictionary, given a test expression sample, we can transform such sample across different domains for tasks such as pose alignment. We validate our approach on the task of pose-invariant facial expression recognition on the standard BU3D-FE and MultiPie datasets, achieving state of the art performance.


My own family--that is, forbears of three of my grandparents--emigrated onto the Great Plains from Appalachia and rural New Jersey just after the Civil War. By the time I grew up, in the 1950s and 1960s, the eastern places of origin were remote. Kansas surroundings seemed timeless to me, and as far as anyone could remember, we had always been there. The trails crossing alongside highways and the landmarks--rivers, buttes, and reservoirs--were permanent features. Loren Eiseley, the Nebraska-bred science writer, emphasizes the impact of these old trails in his memoir: "One of the most vivid memories I retain from my young manhood is of the wagon ruts of the Oregon trail still visible on the unplowed short-grass prairie" (24). When my siblings and I watched Gunsmoke and other westerns on television, we saw a mythic reality as fantastic to us as urban viewers. These trails suggested a road we could step on at any time and travel either to the past or west to California. Migration to, or "discovery" of, new territory is an especially American trope. It parallels the trajectory from the Garden of Eden to arrival at the New City of Jerusalem. In the North American paradigm, the West is the final Promised Land. Migration to the Frontier, or Frontera to use Gloria Anzaldua's term, resonates throughout popular culture. Pioneer treks to new homelands still persist in the works of contemporary story spinners, including Hollywood script writers who re-work myths in The Outlaw Josey Wales, High Plains Drifter, Unforgiven, Ride with the Devil, Open Range, and Alamo. Road trips, mini-versions of migrations, abound in Great Plains literature, as devices to set plot in motion, so narrative movement parallels geographic paths. Perhaps one reason for persistence of the cowboy story simply is the facility with which it advances an Aristotelian structure of clear beginning, middle, and conclusion. In the frontier mythos, whether old-style John Ford movies or Clint Eastwood revisions, the Old Country, as my own parents still called Europe, is left behind for the promise of hope-filled change. Migration from familiar to new landscape also suggests the lure of the Other, the unknown. Exotic flora and fauna embellish the romantic expectations of "explorers" like Lewis and Clark and the mountain men. Such narratives are a variation of travelogue, a venerable type of literature since Odysseus ventured beyond Ithaca. But Odysseus returned home, while migration stories are one-way trips. They typify ingress into American homelands, for both Indigenous and European peoples. But now, seven generations after the journey to the Wild West, Conestoga wagons are curios in antique stores. "Ever after" has become the present, the new site for literature. Stories to commemorate definitive migration journeys appear generations after settlement in a new place. In hindsight, then, the route of the ancestors was a culture-defining, unique migration. What happens next is identification of landmarks and their textual elaborations through descriptions and stories. Only after arrival, and after time inhabiting the final destination, can the significance of a migration be put into a chronology. The sketchy traveler's itinerary becomes a deep mapping of culture and geography. Landmarks accumulate a density of meaning, as the frontier becomes a cultivated landscape. Both migration and landmark narratives are characteristic of writers of the American West, including authors such as Leslie Marmon Silko, N. Scott Momaday, Michael L. Johnson, Diane Glancy, Robert Day, William Stafford, Harley Elliott, Steven Hind, and Linda Hasselstrom; these are my own concerns as a poet, as well. At the end of Huckleberry Finn, the hero lit out for the "territories"--or the "frontier"--occupied already by Indigenous peoples. When Huck completed his individual migration, he must have found that Indigenous peoples also had journey narratives. If he landed in New Mexico, he would find complex Pueblo accounts of travels through several other worlds before reaching this one. …


Bradycardia prolongs action potential (AP) durations (APD adaptation), enhances dispersion of repolarization (DOR), and promotes tachyarrhythmias. Yet, the mechanisms responsible for enhanced DOR and tachyarrhythmias remain largely unexplored. Ca(2+) transients and APs were measured optically from Langendorff rabbit hearts at high (150 × 150 μm(2)) or low (1.5 × 1.5 cm(2)) magnification while pacing at a physiological (120 beats/min) or a slow heart rate (SHR = 50 beats/min). Western blots and pharmacological interventions were used to elucidate the regional effects of bradycardia. As a result, bradycardia (SHR 50 beats/min) increased APDs gradually (time constant τf→s = 48 ± 9.2 s) and caused a secondary Ca(2+) release (SCR) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during AP plateaus, occurring at the base on average of 184.4 ± 9.7 ms after the Ca(2+) transient upstroke. In subcellular imaging, SCRs were temporally synchronous and spatially homogeneous within myocytes. In diastole, SHR elicited variable asynchronous sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release events leading to subcellular Ca(2+) waves, detectable only at high magnification. SCR was regionally heterogeneous, correlated with APD prolongation (P < 0.01, n = 5), enhanced DOR (r = 0.9277 ± 0.03, n = 7), and was gradually reversed by pacing at 120 beats/min along with APD shortening (P < 0.05, n = 5). A stabilizer of leaky ryanodine receptors (RyR2), 3-(4-benzylcyclohexyl)-1-(7-methoxy-2,3-dihydrobenzo[f][1,4]thiazepin-4(5H)-yl)propan-1-one (K201; 1 μM), suppressed SCR and reduced APD at the base, thereby reducing DOR (P < 0.02, n = 5). Ventricular ectopy induced by bradycardia (n = 5/15) was suppressed by K201. Western blot analysis revealed spatial differences of voltage-gated L-type Ca(2+) channel protein (Cav1.2α), Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchange (NCX1), voltage-gated Na(+) channel (Nav1.5), and rabbit ether-a-go-go-related (rERG) protein [but not RyR2 or sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase 2a] that correlate with the SCR distribution and explain the molecular basis for SCR heterogeneities. In conclusion, acute bradycardia elicits synchronized subcellular SCRs of sufficient magnitude to overcome the source-sink mismatch and to promote afterdepolarizations.


Coral reefs are rapidly degrading worldwide, due to a combination of global and local stressors. While global stressors, such as ocean warming, cannot be managed, management of local stressors can increase the resilience of coral reefs to these global stressors. One such local stressor is overgrazing-induced terrestrial erosion causing sediment and nutrient run-off to coastal waters, which is associated with coral mortality and changes in benthic community composition. In this study we assessed the link between watershed-specific erosion hazard and coral reef health, using the coral reefs on the west coast of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, as a case study. We first identified watersheds, waterflow and run-off sites into the sea based on a digital elevation model. Next, for each watershed we determined the mean erosion hazard (a proxy for the degree of terrestrial run-off based on slope and ground vegetation cover). Subsequently, we used multiple regression models to investigate whether mean erosion hazard of the nearest upstream watershed, and distance to the nearest upstream run-off point explained variation in marine benthic community composition at two depth zones (~5 m and ~10 m). We found a negative relationship between mean erosion hazard and coral cover (a proxy for coral reef health) at 5 m depth, but no such effect at 10 m depth. In addition, we found a positive relationship between mean erosion hazard and sand cover (a proxy for sediment run-off) for both depth zones, and a small but significant quadratic effect of mean erosion hazard on algae cover (a proxy for nutrient run-off) at 5 m depth. Moreover, distance to the nearest upstream terrestrial run-off point was positively related with coral cover at 10 m depth, and negatively related with sand cover at 10 m depth. Our results provide direct evidence for a negative relationship between watershed-specific erosion hazard and coral reef health, and highlight the need for a nature-inclusive "watershed-to-reef" based coastal management approach that integrates terrestrial and marine conservation to preserve the island's valuable coral reef and related ecosystem services.


In this study, we investigate the mode resolved density of ultrafine atmospheric particles measured in boreal forest environment. The method used here enables us to find the distinct density information for each mode in atmospheric fine particle population: the density values for nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation mode particles are presented. The experimental data was gained during 2 May 2005–19 May 2005 at the boreal forest measurement station "SMEAR II" in Hyytiala, Southern Finland. The density values for accumulation mode varied from 1.1 to 2 g/cm 3 (average 1.5 g/cm 3 ) and for Aitken mode from 0.4 to 2 g/cm 3 (average 0.97 g/cm 3 ). As an overall trend during the two weeks campaign, the density value of Aitken mode was seen to gradually increase. With the present method, the time dependent behaviour of the particle density can be investigated in the time scale of 10 min. This allows us to follow the density evolution of the nucleation mode particles during the particle growth process following the nucleation burst. The density of nucleation mode particles decreased during the growth process. The density values for 15 nm particles were 1.2–1.5 g/cm 3 and for grown 30 nm particles 0.5–1 g/cm 3 . These values are consistent with the present knowledge that the condensing species are semi-volatile organics, emitted from the boreal forest.


Purpose: Mining industry has always been known for its unsafe working environment. This industry is one of the most hazard prone industries. To maintain safety in workplace timely assessment of risk associated with different operations performed to extract ore from the ore body has become necessity. To serve the said purpose, present work demonstrates a robust hybrid risk assessment approach for mining industry. Design/Methodology: Accident data from 1995 to 2012 is reviewed to identify hazards contributed to negative outcomes. The FRA approach is implemented to evaluate the risk levels associated with identified hazard factors. Thereafter AHP pairwise comparison matrix is developed to obtain priority weights for the hazard factors. Final priority of hazards based on severity of level of risk associated with them is obtained considering the outcome of FRA approach in terms of risk score for the hazards, combined with the priority weights obtained from AHP technique. Findings: Defuzzified FAHP weight of hazard factors, this weight gives priority sequence of hazards to be considered for development of plan of mitigation. Originality/Value: Risk assessment is a requirement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (Section 7& 8). The data required to assess the risk is uncertain, and in such case fuzzy approach is well suited to process the data and get the crisp output. The output of fuzzy approach is made robust with its integration to AHP. In this way FAHP can be used as robust technique for risk assessment in this industry and this technique develops an efficient safety management system for the achievement of goal to develop the workplace with zero accident, which many other countries have already achieved.


The bible of all fundamental algorithms and the work that taught many of todays software developers most of what they know about computer programming. Byte, September 1995 Countless readers have spoken about the profound personal influence of Knuths work. Scientists have marveled at the beauty and elegance of his analysis, while ordinary programmers have successfully applied his cookbook solutions to their day-to-day problems. All have admired Knuth for the breadth, clarity, accuracy, and good humor found in his books. I cant begin to tell you how many pleasurable hours of study and recreation they have afforded me! I have pored over them in cars, restaurants, at work, at home and even at a Little League game when my son wasnt in the line-up. Charles Long Primarily written as a reference, some people have nevertheless found it possible and interesting to read each volume from beginning to end. A programmer in China even compared the experience to reading a poem. If you think youre a really good programmer read [Knuths] Art of Computer Programming You should definitely send me a rsum if you can read the whole thing. Bill Gates Whatever your background, if you need to do any serious computer programming, you will find your own good reason to make each volume in this series a readily accessible part of your scholarly or professional library. Its always a pleasure when a problem is hard enough that you have to get the Knuths off the shelf. I find that merely opening one has a very useful terrorizing effect on computers. Jonathan Laventhol In describing the new fourth volume, one reviewer listed the qualities that distinguish all of Knuths work. [In sum:] detailed coverage of the basics, illustrated with well-chosen examples; occasional forays into more esoteric topics and problems at the frontiers of research; impeccable writing peppered with occasional bits of humor; extensive collections of exercises, all with solutions or helpful hints; a careful attention to history; implementations of many of the algorithms in his classic step-by-step form.Frank Ruskey These four books comprise what easily could be the most important set of information on any serious programmers bookshelf.


The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar infrastructure investment project, is heralded as a game changer for Pakistan's economy. It is part of the major development initiative led by China, known as 'One Belt, One Road' (OBOR), connecting Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and for those involved it evokes hopes, a myriad of interests, and it spurs a geopolitical shift (Ze 2015; 2014, October 2014). However, such a megaproject also raises numerous questions, especially with regards to the feasibility of its implementation in view of tremendous security challenges. In order to guarantee a secure environment for the CPEC development, the military is expanding its power. This phenomenon significantly affects the country's civil-military relations and civilian control over the military, while challenging the process of democratic transition. To assess the correlation between CPEC development and quality of democracy, the paper applies the 'Heidelberg Model of Civilian Control' (Croissant et al. 2013, 2011 April, 2011, 2010, 2009); it analyses the influence of the military on the decision-making and implementation process vis-a-vis the civilian government, understood as the elected representatives of the people. It will be argued that: First, the way in which CPEC is being implemented limits the decision-making powers of the civilian government and hampers civilian control over the military. Second, since civilian control of the military is interpreted as a prerequisite for democracy, the CPEC development is undermining the process of democratic transition initiated by the 2013 general elections. Third, to ensure the CPEC development, the military has built-up a parallel governance structure, exercising tremendous executive and judicial powers and side-lining the civilian government.