Questions have been raised in dark adaptation experiments about the light adapting effect of the test flashes used to measure the course of dark adaptation. An experiment was undertaken to determine the allowable upper limit of the test stimulus. A series of one-fifth second flashes of a given intensity was presented to the observer after he had become dark adapted, and his recovery of the dark adapted state was determined. The net effects of the flashes were plotted for various values of flash intensities in a range several log units above the threshold.


The current interest in materials with a nanoscopic 2D honeycomb geometry is due to their unique optoelectronic properties. In previous research in our group, we have shown that oriented attachment of colloidal lead selenide (PbSe) nanocrystals can result in semiconducting materials that possess such a honeycomb geometry and that have a long-range nanoscale and atomic order. This questions the applicability of classic models in which the superstructure grows by first forming a nucleus, followed by sequential irreversible attachment of nanocrystals, as one misaligned irreversible attachment would disrupt the 2D order beyond repair. In the present thesis, we investigate the synthesis and formation mechanism of these materials We found that reproducibly synthesizing these materials requires extremely precise chemical and thermodynamic tuning of the reaction vessel. Particularly the presence of oxidizing agents, a few ppm of oxygen in the glovebox atmosphere is enough, can profoundly disrupt the formation of a superstructure. Nevertheless, we succeeded in increasing the number of building block options for the oriented attachment procedure from only PbSe to all lead chalcogenide (PbX, X = S, Se or Te) nanocrystals. All these different PbX nanocrystals can form the same 2D honeycomb structure and other 2D or 1D nanoperiodic structures, such as square, linear and zigzag structures. The synthesis of these PbX superstructures may be combined with cation exchange under preservation of the nanogeometry. This way, materials might be made that possess both the exotic optoelectronic properties of the geometry and many different material properties, e.g. the high spin-orbit coupling of HgX compounds or the optical bandgap of CdX compounds. Furthermore, we investigated the formation mechanism of 2D PbSe superstructures with a square geometry, the most reproducible superstructure to synthesize. This was done with in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering, ex situ electron microscopy, and Monte Carlo simulations. We observed a remarkable series of intermediate stages in the formation of these superstructures: from nanocrystal interfacial adsorption, to the formation of a hexagonal phase that transforms into a square phase, finally followed by crystal attachment. Form further scattering studies and trends in the superstructure synthesis outcomes, a tentative formation mechanism of the honeycomb materials is also presented.


Variable Pipeline Cool Mega Array (VPCMA) is a low power Coarse Grained Reconfigurable Architecture (CGRA) based on the concept of CMA (Cool Mega Array). It provides a pipeline structure in the PE array that can be configured so as to fit target algorithms and required performance. Also, VPCMA uses the Silicon On Thin Buried oxide (SOTB) technology, a type of Fully Depleted Silicon On Insulator (FDSOI), so it is possible to control its body bias voltage to provide a balance between performance and leakage power. In this paper, we study the optimization of the VPCMA body bias while considering simultaneously its variable pipeline structure. Through evaluations, we can observe that it is possible to achieve an average reduction of energy consumption, for the studied applications, of 17.75% and 10.49% when compared to respectively the zero bias (without body bias control) and the uniform (control of the whole PE array) cases, while respecting performance constraints. Besides, it is observed that, with appropriate body bias control, it is possible to extend the possible performance, hence enabling broader trade-off analyzes between consumption and performance. Considering the dynamic power as well as the static power, more appropriate pipeline structure and body bias voltage can be obtained. In addition, when the control of VDD is integrated, higher performance can be achieved with a steady increase of the power. These promising results show that applying an adequate optimization technique for the body bias control while simultaneously considering pipeline structures can not only enable further power reduction than previous methods, but also allow more trade-off analysis possibilities. key words: CGRA, body bias, power reduction, Cool Mega Array


We propose Reduced Collatz conjecture and prove that it is equivalent to Collatz conjecture but more primitive due to reduced dynamics. We study reduced dynamics (that consists of occurred computations from any starting integer to the first integer less than it), because it is the component of original dynamics (from any starting integer to 1). Reduced dynamics is denoted as a sequence of "I" that represents (3*x+1)/2 and "O" that represents x/2. Here 3*x+1 and x/2 are combined together because 3*x+1 is always even and thus followed by x/2. We discover and prove two key properties on reduced dynamics: (1) Reduced dynamics is invertible. That is, given a reduced dynamics, a residue class that presents such reduced dynamics, can be computed directly by our derived formula. (2) Reduced dynamics can be constructed algorithmically, instead of by computing concrete 3*x+1 and x/2 step by step. We discover the sufficient and necessary condition that guarantees a sequence consisting of "I" and "O" to be a reduced dynamics. Counting from the beginning of a sequence, if and only if the count of x/2 over the count of 3*x+1 is larger than ln3/ln2, reduced dynamics will be obtained (i.e., current integer will be less than starting integer). Email address: firstname.lastname@example.com (Wei Ren) Preprint submitted to Elsevier January 21, 2020


A qualitative physical picture of atmospheric electricity as a secondary phenomenon of atmospheric water circulation is presented using the key electrical atmospheric processes, their average observed parameters, and a detailed analysis of separate processes as the basis. The electrical processes begin with the charging of aerosols at kilometer altitudes due to aerosols of different aggregate states colliding with one another. Atmospheric electric currents arise from the fall speed difference (in cumulus clouds) between mass-different positively and negatively charged aerosols, resulting in aerosols with a negative charge of, on average, at the lower edge of a cloud. This creates an electric field between Earth and the cloud, and the subsequent penetration of streams of warm wet air into the cloud causes the atmosphere to electrically break down, thus producing lightning flashes. At the same time, these processes cause aerosols to grow and to fall as rain onto Earth. Processes in atmospheric air, including those involving aerosols, electrons, and ions, provide a unified physical picture of electric phenomena in the terrestrial atmosphere.


This paper proposes an efficient parallel algorithm for an important class of dynamic programming problems that includes Viterbi, Needleman--Wunsch, Smith--Waterman, and Longest Common Subsequence. In dynamic programming, the subproblems that do not depend on each other, and thus can be computed in parallel, form stages, or wavefronts. The algorithm presented in this paper provides additional parallelism allowing multiple stages to be computed in parallel despite dependences among them. The correctness and the performance of the algorithm relies on rank convergence properties of matrix multiplication in the tropical semiring, formed with plus as the multiplicative operation and max as the additive operation. This paper demonstrates the efficiency of the parallel algorithm by showing significant speedups on a variety of important dynamic programming problems. In particular, the parallel Viterbi decoder is up to 24× faster (with 64 processors) than a highly optimized commercial baseline.


A paucity of occupational therapy evaluation tools exists for use with patients with multiple personality disorder. The Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner & Burke, 1980), particularly the volition and habituation subsystems within this model, proved useful for the identification of the many facets of patients with multiple personality disorder on a short-term treatment unit. The Role Checklist (Oakley, Kielhofner, Barris, & Richler, 1986), a tool derived from the Model of Human Occupation, was adapted for use with this population and was found to be beneficial in the identification of common goals held by most of the personalities of each patient with multiple personality disorder. The use of the Role Checklist is illustrated with a case example.


In FETI-DP (Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting) and BDDC (Balancing Domain Decomposition by Constraints) domain decomposition methods, the transformation-of-basis approach is used to improve the convergence by combining the local assembly with a change of basis. Suitable basis vectors can be constructed by the recently introduced adaptive coarse space approaches. The resulting FETI-DP and BDDC methods fulfill a condition number bound independent of heterogeneities in the problem. The adaptive method with a transformation of basis presented here builds on a recently introduced adaptive FETI-DP approach for elliptic problems in three dimensions and uses a coarse space constructed from solving small, local eigenvalue problems on closed faces and on a small number of edges. In contrast to our earlier work on adaptive FETI-DP, the coarse space correction is not implemented by using balancing (or deflation), which requires the use of an exact coarse space solver, but by using local transformations. This will make it simpler to extend the method to a large number of subdomains and large supercomputers. The recently established theory of a generalized transformation-of-basis approach yields a condition number estimate for the preconditioned operator that is independent of jumps of the coefficients across and inside subdomains when using the local adaptive constraints. It is shown that all results are also valid for BDDC. Numerical results are presented in three dimensions for FETI-DP and BDDC. We also provide a comparison of different scalings, i.e., deluxe, rho, stiffness, and multiplicity for our adaptive coarse space in 3D.


The rapid growth of cloud storage systems calls for fast and scalable namespace processing. While few commercial file systems offer anything better than federating individually non-scalable namespace servers, a recent academic file system, IndexFS, demonstrates scalable namespace processing based on client caching of directory entries and permissions (directory lookup state) with no per-client state in servers. In this paper we explore explicit replication of directory lookup state in all servers as an alternative to caching this information in all clients. Both eliminate most repeated RPCs to different servers in order to resolve hierarchical permission tests. Our realization for server replicated directory lookup state, ShardFS, employs a novel file system specific hybrid optimistic and pessimistic concurrency control favoring single object transactions over distributed transactions. Our experimentation suggests that if directory lookup state mutation is a fixed fraction of operations (strong scaling for metadata), server replication does not scale as well as client caching, but if directory lookup state mutation is proportional to the number of jobs, not the number of processes per job, (weak scaling for metadata), then server replication can scale more linearly than client caching and provide lower 70 percentile response times as well.


In this study my focus/aim/main concern is the successful or unsuccessful adjustment of non- Libyans from across the world who have worked in Libyan oil companies. I want to know what factors create success. To help me to do this I also ask some Libyan managers (who have worked out of Libya) what they think makes for success. From this data, I have derived a model which identifies the differences between all the other process models for expatriate success and my own Libyan contextual model. The study of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment in the literature on cross-cultural adjustment has maintained that there is a difference between these forms of adjustment, however I wanted to investigate the possibility that there might be a close relation between the two. My study is relevant as international mobility and cross-cultural adjustment is becoming a common experience for a growing number of employees sent on long-term international assignments.
The methodology used initially starts with the collection of quantitative data then moves toward a more interpretive stance; with the collection of qualitative data therefore I adopted an interpretivist paradigm using numbers and words. In my study a questionnaire was distributed to a group of participants because of quantitative analysis of the data collected a subsequent group were identified who are at either end of the cross-cultural adjustment scale and they were invited to take part in an interview. Because of the qualitative analysis of data gathered from these interviews an exploration was carried out using thematic analysis to discover whether managerial, organisational or societal factors have had an impact on these individuals' feelings of adjustment. A key aim was to clearly identify the factors that affect adjustment. My process model for an Arabic nation is based on the adjustment of expatriate managers working in the Libyan oil industry and highlighting the key factors that influence their ability to adjust. My findings indicate that a manager coming from an individualised society to a more collective one or vice versa, may have difficulty in adjusting or feeling they are a part of the group. Such feelings are related to the theories of social identity and social categorisation. There has been very little previous expatriate adjustment research carried out using an interpretivist methodology, which I have conducted to find out these managers' actual perceptions hence can talk about their levels of adjustment and the need for experience


A wild bee community in southern St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, was studied from 2003 to 2012 to analyze the effects of primary succession on abundance and diversity. At a former landfill site near Brock University, which previously contained no bees, the number of bees and bee species was expected to increase rapidly following measures to restore the site to grassy meadow habitat. The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) states that over time, succession occurs. Abundance and diversity increase initially and peak when pioneers coexist with specialized species, then decline because of competitive exclusion. Alternatively, abundance and diversity may continue to increase and stabilize without declining. Bees were sampled repeatedly among years from newer restoration sites (revegetated in 2003), older restoration sites on the periphery of the former landfill (revegetated in 2000), and nearby low disturbance grassy field (i.e. control) sites. In the newer sites, bee abundance and diversity increased then decreased while in older restoration and control sites mainly decreased. This pattern of succession matches the general predictions of the IDH, although declines were at least partially related to drought. By 2006, total bee abundance levels converged among all sites, indicating rapid colonization and succession, and by 2012 diversity levels were similar among sites as well, suggesting that the bee community was fully restored or nearly so within the ten-year study period.


In the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era, Hernan Ruiz I worked as master builder of the Cathedral of Cordoba. His works exemplify the adoption of an artistic language resulting from the symbiosis of Gothic, Renaissance and Islamic formulas. In this paper, we demonstrate the imprint of the Andalusi aesthetic in this master's work. Through an analysis of his building works and the evolution of his style, we show that Hernan Ruiz I's legacy is more important than what historiography has previously suggested, which has only addressed the transition in his architectural style from Gothic to Renaissance and has overlooked the impact of Andalusi formulas in his work. Hernan Ruiz I bore witness to an important change in the mentality and aesthetic tastes of his time, and although his son, Hernan Ruiz II, gained greater recognition for his work, his father was able to adapt a church model imbued with the medieval spirit to the demands of the new patrons, namely the nobility and high clergy. These clients imposed their tastes, which were anchored in the past, but were open to new Renaissance influences due to their humanistic training and, at the same time, attracted by the exoticism and prestige of Andalusi art.


The Hispanic population is the fastest growing minority in the United States and is also a minority in the cystic fibrosis (CF) community. Therefore, an increase in CF in the U.S. might be anticipated. This study explored stories of Hispanic mothers' perspectives of parenting their child with CF, health beliefs, and health care experiences. The study interviewed 10 mothers of which half were English speaking. Narrative structural and thematic analyses were applied through a critical feminist lens. The major themes that emerged were mothering, growing and growth, mother talk, and connected; all informed by Ruddick's (1995) framework on maternal thinking. Additional major themes were life disrupted and being here. Findings were consistent with existing literature of the dominant Euro-American culture of being a mother of a child with CF. Health beliefs specific to CF care were aligned with prescribed medical treatments. Language emerged as a primary barrier for Spanish-speaking mothers. Mothers acknowledged an existing lack of awareness of CF in the Hispanic community and as underrepresented within the larger CF community. They expressed a desire to see a shift of stereotyped Caucasian images of CF to represent Hispanic people to promote greater awareness in the Hispanic communities and with health care providers.


Consumer law and policy has emerged in the last half-century as a major policy concern for all nations. This Handbook of original contributions provides an international and comparative analysis of central issues in consumer law and policy in developed and developing economies. The Handbook encompasses questions of both social policy and effective business regulation. Many of the issues are common to all countries and are becoming increasingly globalised due to the growth in international trade and technological developments such as the Internet. The authors provide a broad coverage of both substantive topics and institutional questions concerning optimal approaches to enforcement and the role of class actions in consumer policy. It also includes comparative insights into the influential EU and US models of consumer law and relates consumer law to contemporary trends in human rights law. Written by a carefully selected group of international experts, this text represents an authoritative resource for understanding contemporary and future developments in consumer law. This Handbook will provide students, researchers and policymakers with an insight to the main policy debates in each context and provide models of legal regulation to assist in the evaluation of laws and the development of consumer law and policy.


»Der Pfad des europäischen Fußballs. Ein gerechtes Spiel für lediglich 90 Minuten«. Football in Europe has an apparent trend towards unfairness. This contribution takes a coherent theoretical approach to explain this trend. On that account, it creates a framework on the special characteristics of sport and, in that light, evaluates interventions by European institutions concerning the governance of European football. In a next step, reproductive mechanisms inherent to path dependent processes will be specified within a multi-layered analytical framework. It will be shown that these mechanisms are interspersed throughout the system of European football and foster the trend of unfairness in regard to the relationships between success, money, and power. Empirically statistical evidence will show that football clubs within leagues, on an international level, as well as leagues in comparison to each other are drifting apart in terms of success. Furthermore, an additional qualitative approach will shed light on the mechanisms concerning power and how these influence the rules of the game on an organizational level. All in all it, will be demonstrated that path dependence is inherent to European football and that the European Union has interfered unguidedly in the system of football triggering consequences contrary to its vision of sport.


The European Council meeting on 16-17 December took many decisions that will set the course for the European Union's continuing enlargement process. These decisions concern in the first place Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey, but they also contain some pointers for the nature of the process ahead that will concern other possible candidates, from the Balkans to Ukraine. This new Policy Brief explores the new language and concepts introduced into the discussion and their implications for the European Neighbourhood Policy.


Optical fiber transmission is impacted by linear and nonlinear impairments. We study the use of digital backpropagation (BP) in conjunction with coherent detection to jointly mitigate dispersion and fiber nonlinearity. We propose a noniterative asymmetric split-step Fourier method (SSFM) for solving the inverse nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE). Using simulation results for RZ-QPSK transmitted over terrestrial systems with inline amplification and dispersion compensation, we obtain heuristics for the step size and sampling rate requirements, as well as the optimal dispersion map.


We report on a study of first-exposure learners with different first languages (L1s: English, Japanese) to examine their ability to process input for form and meaning. We used a rich set of tasks to tap respectively into processing, comprehension, imitation, and working memory. We show that there are advantages to having a first language (L1) that brings familiarity with the target language. We also show that when presented with natural auditory input, learners are able to process form only minimally. These findings are inconsistent with other studies that suggest that segmentation is easy and rapid. Additionally, we show that such learners comprehend meaning by relying on 'top-down' strategies. These findings challenge some of the claims on Input Processing theory.


Distributed optimization can be formulated as an n-player coordination game. One of the most common learning techniques in game theory is fictitious play and its variations. However, fictitious play is founded on an implicit assumption that opponents' strategies are stationary. In this paper we present a new variation of fictitious play in which players predict opponents' strategy using a particle filter algorithm. This allows us to use a more realistic model of opponent strategy. We used pre-specified opponents' strategies to examine if our algorithm can efficiently track the strategies. Furthermore, we have used these experiments to examine the impact of different values of our algorithm parameters on the results of strategy tracking. We then compared the results of the proposed algorithm with those of stochastic and geometric fictitious play in three different strategic form games: a potential game and two climbing hill games, one with two players and the other with three players. We also tested our algorithm in two different distributed optimization scenarios, a vehicle-target assignment game and a disaster management problem. Our algorithm converges to the optimum faster than both the competitor algorithms in the strategic form games and the vehicle-target assignment game. Hence by placing a greater computational demand on the individual agents, less communication is required between the agents. In the disaster management scenario we compared the results of particle filter fictitious play with the ones of Matlab's centralized algorithm bintprog and the centralized pre-planning algorithm of (Gelenbe, E. and Timotheou, S. (2008) Random neural networks with synchronized interactions. Neural Comput., 20(9), 2308–2324). In this scenario our algorithm performed better than the pre-planning algorithm in two of the three performance measures we used.


The tunability, brightness, and energy efficiencies of infrared-emitting rare earth doped nanomaterials are important performance parameters for biomedical imaging applications. In this work, hexagonal phase NaYF4:Yb3+, Ln3+ (Ho3+, Tm3+ and Pr3+) was synthesized and optimized using a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone). Distinct infrared emission peaks were measured at 1185, 1310 and 1475 nm upon excitation at 980 nm. The optical efficiencies of NaYF4:Yb3+, Ln3+ at optimal concentrations were measured to quantify the brightness of these particles in comparison to that of NaYF4:Yb3+, Er3+ particles. Efficiencies were ranked as Er3+>Ho3+>Tm3+>Pr3+.


GIST tumors is very unusual in the young and middle aged and a high index of suspicion is needed for the diagnosis in young patients who present with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Appropriate imaging such as a Computed tomographic scan (CT scan) may identify this tumor which may easily be misdiagnosed as a bleeding Peptic Ulcer Disease in the young.
We present a case of a healthy 38 year old man with no alcohol use who presented with epigastric pain and melena and subsequent torrential bleeding uncontrolled during endoscopy necessitating an emergency exploratory laparotomy by the general surgery team. The bleeding intraluminal component of the tumor with gross splenic and pancreatic involvement was identified and surgical management consisted of a wedge resection of the greater curvature of the stomach incorporating the tumor and the spleen with successful dissection of the tumor off the tail of the pancreas. Histology was positive for C-KIT and DOG-1 markers. Postoperative course was uneventful and he is presently on Imatinib Mesylate.


Interpretation methods and their restrictions to polynomials have been deeply used to control the termination and complexity of first-order term rewrite systems. This paper extends interpretation methods to a pure higher order functional language. We develop a theory of higher order functions that is well-suited for the complexity analysis of this programming language. The interpretation domain is a complete lattice and, consequently, we express program interpretation in terms of a least fixpoint. As an application, by bounding interpretations by higher order polynomials, we characterize Basic Feasible Functions at any order.


This book sheds light on the principles behind the relational model, which is fundamental to all database-backed applications--and, consequently, most of the work that goes on in the computing world today. Database in Depth: The Relational Model for Practitioners goes beyond the hype and gets to the heart of how relational databases actually work. Ideal for experienced database developers and designers, this concise guide gives you a clear view of the technology--a view that's not influenced by any vendor or product. Featuring an extensive set of exercises, it will help you: understand why and how the relational model is still directly relevant to modern database technology (and will remain so for the foreseeable future)see why and how the SQL standard is seriously deficientuse the best current theoretical knowledge in the design of their databases and database applicationsmake informed decisions in their daily database professional activities Database in Depth will appeal not only to database developers and designers, but also to a diverse field of professionals and academics, including database administrators (DBAs), information modelers, database consultants, and more. Virtually everyone who deals with relational databases should have at least a passing understanding of the fundamentals of working with relational models. Author C.J. Date has been involved with the relational model from its earliest days. An exceptionally clear-thinking writer, Date lays out principle and theory in a manner that is easily understood. Few others can speak as authoritatively the topic of relational databases as Date can.


When information is abundant, it becomes increasingly difficult to fit nuggets of knowledge into a single coherent picture. Complex stories spaghetti into branches, side stories, and intertwining narratives; search engines, our most popular navigational tools, are limited in their capacity to explore such complex stories.
We propose a methodology for creating structured summaries of information, which we call metro maps. Our proposed algorithm generates a concise structured set of documents that maximizes coverage of salient pieces of information. Most importantly, metro maps explicitly show the relations among retrieved pieces in a way that captures story development.
The overarching theme of this work is formalizing characteristics of good maps, and providing efficient algorithms (with theoretical guarantees) to optimize them. Moreover, as information needs vary from person to person, we integrate user interaction into our framework, allowing users to alter the maps to better reflect their interests. Pilot user studies with real-world datasets demonstrate that the method is able to produce maps which help users acquire knowledge efficiently. We believe that metro maps could be powerful tools for any Web user, scientist, or intelligence analyst trying to process large amounts of data.


Granular cell tumour (GCT) is a benign nerve sheath neoplasm of unknown molecular pathogenesis. Although a skeletal muscle cell origin was initially proposed for GCT, its neural origin, derived from Schwann cells, is supported by S-100 immunopositivity.1 There are few molecular studies on oral GCT.2 GCTs have been previously described in patients with LEOPARD and Noonan syndrome with PTPN11 gene mutations,3–6 as well as in a patient with PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome with PTEN mutation.7 Therefore, we hypothesised that mutations in these genes could be drivers of sporadic GCT pathogenesis.

A convenience sample of six formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sporadic oral GCT was selected from the archives of the author's institution. All samples were located at the tongue and occurred in female subjects ranging from 18 to 42 years old (median age 34 years old). The H&E stained slides were analysed by two pathologists (CCG and RSG) to confirm the diagnosis (figure 1A). Tumour-enriched areas were ensured by microdissection and DNA was isolated using QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit (Qiagen, USA) and quantified by Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer (Life Technologies, USA) before next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation. …


This paper aims to show that, although there is no evidence of a generalized pattern within the internationalization process of Colombian firms, there are common features in the majority of the observed firms: the election of exportations as the main entrance tool, the entrance to countries within a short geographical and psychological distance, and the development of local strategic advantages that eventually replicate abroad. A poll and a structured interview were used, including numerical and categorical variables, followed by a cross analysis of cases. It was also found that internationalization decisions operate under an ad-hoc basis and rely heavily on the experience and intuition of top decision-makers at the company level.


Legal document inaugurating the Danish Mutual Insurance Company's corporate membership, filed through the Secretary of State's office in Austin, Texas, and signed under a notary.
The document specifies a twenty year lifetime minimum and the seven men of the first board of directors who will be in charge of insuring both Wharton and Matagorda counties.
They are as follows : Neils Christian Jensen, Marcus Nielsen, Helvig Jensen Berndt, H. P. Hermansen, Jasper J. Juhl, Marcus Christensen, and Niels M. Hansen.


Flooding in urban areas represents a particular challenge to modellers and flood risk managers because of the complex interactions of surface and sewer flows. Quantified flood risk estimates provide a common metric that can be used to compare risks from different sources. In situations where there are several organisations responsible for flood risk management we wish to be able to disaggregate the total risk and attribute it to different components in the system and/or agents with responsibility for risk reduction in order to target management actions. Two approaches to risk attribution are discussed: 1. standards4based attribution , which is a deterministic approach, based upon the performance of different engineering components in the system at their "design standard". 2. sensitivity4based attribution , which apportions risk between the variables that influence the total flood risk. Whilst both these approaches are feasible for the small system considered here, in practice urban flooding systems involve tens of thousands of variables. The only feasible approach to tackling this problem for large urban systems is therefore by hierarchical simplification of the system, with the attribution analysis being applied in several tiers of detail. In this paper, the applicability of a hierarchical approach is demonstrated in the context of sewer pipe blockages. The results demonstrate the potential of attribution methods to support the development of integrated urban flood risk management strategies, as they can identify the forcing variables and infrastructure components that have the most influence upon flood risk.


Investigations have shown that worldwide the vascular diseases are considered inde- pendent risk factors for an increased mortality. Despite these diseases being related to factors such as sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and stress, the oxidative stress been the which most strongly explained the genesis of these vascular diseases. In this sense, the body of evidence involving an analysis and understanding of the factors and preventive variables of these diseases available in the literature is necessary. Considering this, we aimed to available information about the role of the oxidants and antioxidants enzymes in the prevention or causes of vascular diseases, and how the physical exercise can prevent the development of these vascular diseases. It was observed that endothelin-1 is an important oxidant involved in the atherosclerotic process, while the hydrogen sulfide and glutathione peroxidase have an antioxidant role. About the physical exercise, there is greater production of oxidants, however, as a mechanism of compensation, there is also greater production and release of antioxidants such as nitric oxide and glutathiones after some sessions when compared with the baseline. We conclude that the stress oxidative is involved in the vascular disease and the physical exercise could be used like prevention.


This comprehensive history of the Celts from origins to the present draws on archaeological, historical, literary and linguistic evidence. It is divided into three parts. Part one covers the continental Celts in prehistory and antiquity, complete with accounts of the Celts in Germany, Italy, Iberia and Asia Minor. The second part follows the Celts from the departure of the Romans to the late Middle Ages, including the migrations to and settlements in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Brittany. Discussions of the Celtic kingdoms and the rise and fall of Celtic Christianity are also given. The final part brings the history of the Celts up to the present, covering the assimilation of the Celts within the national cultures of Great Britain, France and Ireland. Included in this consideration are the suppression of Gaelic, the declines, revivals and survivals of languages and literatures, and the histories of Celtic culture. The book concludes with a discussion of the recent history of the meaning of Celtic in contrast to, for example, Germanic, and the effect this has had on modern perceptions of the Celtic past and attempts at Celtic cultural renewal.


This study aimed to determine the reasons for sampling and interpretative errors in false negative and false positive diagnoses of breast carcinoma on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) material. The study design is that a totally 912 cases of breast FNAC were performed between 2000 and 2004, and 126 cases of them were diagnosed as breast carcinoma. Only those cases with cytohistological discrepancies were cytologically reviewed, in which the cytological material was abnormal and to some extent misinterpreted or both. There were 8 false negative diagnoses (false negative rate 6.3%) and 3 false positive diagnoses (false positive rate 2.3%). The results of this study showed that among 8 false negative cases, 5 showed hypocellular smears with minimal nuclear pleomorphism of the cells. Histology revealed 3 infiltrating ductal carcinomas of scirrhous subtype and 2 infiltrating lobular carcinomas. The smears of other 2 false negative cases, which histologically verified as welldifferentiated infiltrating ductal and pure intraductal carcinomas, were hypercellular and composed predominantly of groups of cohesive, small, and uniform cells simulating fibroadenoma or fibrocystic changes. Smear of the last false negative case (histologically verified as infiltrating ductal carcinoma with extensive cystic degeneration) revealed large sheets of macrophages and degenerated epithelial cells on inflammatory background. In 3 false positive cases, 2 were histologically proved as fibroadenoma and 1 fibrocystic changes. Smears of the 2 false positive fibroadenomas showed very high cellularity, overlapped clusters, and frequent stripped bipolar nuclei. The fibrocystic case showed tight clusters of apocrine cells and sheets of loosely aggregated macrophages that were over interpreted. The conclusion of this study is that hypocellularity and relatively nuclear monomorphism are the reasons for failure to diagnose breast carcinoma. Careful attention should be paid to extreme nuclear monomorphism and absence of naked bipolar nuclei. So awareness of smear cellularity and subtle cytological features will aid in the correct preoperative diagnosis of lobular; scirrhous; and intraductal carcinomas, and false negative diagnoses can be minimized. A cytologically atypical or suspicious diagnosis together with positive mammographical and clinical findings should suggest a diagnosis of malignancy. Hypercellular smears with overlapped clusters should be carefully assessed for uniformity of the cells and detailed nuclear features. If the full-blown malignant cytomorphological features are not visible, a diagnosis of suspicious or inconclusive should be made and frozen section Created by Wameed Al-Hashimy intraoperative imprint cytology is recommended before surgery. Correspondence to : Dr. Sawsan ALHaroon, Department of Pathalogy and Frensic Medicine, College of Medicine, Basrah, Iraq Aspiration Cytoloy of Breast lump Sawsan Al-Haroon Bas J Surg, September, 10, 2004 37


We propose a refractive two-element system that converts the gaussian irradiance of an incident laser beam into a nominally flat-top output spot at a given distance with the capability to vary the spot diameter. The elements are high-order freeform surfaces that, when laterally translated, form a variable composite beam shaper. The general approach for determining the required freeform surfaces is discussed, and example design results are presented.


Urban resilience is increasingly seen as essential to managing the risks and challenges arising in a globally changing, connected, and urbanized world. Hence, cities are central to achieving a range of global development policy commitments adopted over the past few years, ranging from the Paris Climate Agreement to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, knowledge of the ways in which cities are going about implementing resilience or of how such efforts can practically contribute to the implementation of global agendas is still limited. This paper discusses the experience of cities that were members of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network, an entity pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation. It reviews the resilience strategies developed by 100RC members to show that 100RC cities are increasingly aligning their resilience work to global development policies such as the SDGs. It then draws on the case of the city of Cape Town in South Africa to illustrate the process of developing a resilience strategy through 100RC tools and methodologies including the City Resilience Framework (CRF) and City Resilience Index (CRI) and its alignment to the SDGs and reflects on lessons and learnings of Cape Town's experience for the global city network-policy nexus post-2015.


As human beings we sometimes in one way or another become sick, and therefore go for treatment depending on our choice of treatment (religious perspective or Western medical treatment). Although African traditional religion is not against a Western medical way of treatment or healing process, its followers believe that there are some diseases that Western medicine cannot treat, and therefore need spiritual attention, as it is sometimes practiced in churches. This article discusses the African traditional view regarding disease, causes of disease, how disease is diagnosed and treated, with a special focus on Ghana. The article also describes the role of the diviner or the African traditional priest or what others may term as 'herbalists'. The advantages and disadvantages of the African traditional healing process are considered. The article concludes by discussing African traditional healing in the context of a contemporary health care discourse, as well as a proposal for dialogue between traditional healers, Western medical practitioners, the government of Ghana, and the governments of various countries where this issue may be applicable, to build a consensus in addressing health issues.


We propose a novel memory-based online video representation that is efficient, accurate and predictive. This is in contrast to prior works that often rely on computationally heavy 3D convolutions, ignore motion when aligning features over time, or operate in an off-line mode to utilize future frames. In particular, our memory (i) holds the feature representation, (ii) is spatially warped over time to compensate for observer and scene motions, (iii) can carry long-term information, and (iv) enables predicting feature representations in future frames. By exploring a variant that operates at multiple temporal scales, we efficiently learn across even longer time horizons. We apply our online framework to object detection in videos, obtaining a large 2.3 times speed-up and losing only 0.9% mAP on ImageNet-VID dataset, compared to prior works that even use future frames. Finally, we demonstrate the predictive property of our representation in two novel detection setups, where features are propagated over time to (i) significantly enhance a real-time detector by more than 10% mAP in a multi-threaded online setup and to (ii) anticipate objects in future frames.


In June 1994 a foam pilot test was performed in a production well at the Oseberg Field, North Sea. The Oseberg Field is developed by up-dip gas injection and is currently experiencing gas breakthrough in some of the production wells. The production well, B-27, chosen for the test is located in the Gamma structure and produces from the Oseberg Formation, a highly permeable (2-3Darcy) homogeneous sandstone. B-27 is perforated in 5 intervals in the lower section of the Oseberg Formation. To evaluate the gas-blocking effect of foam within a short time frame, and to increase the accuracy of measurements, only the top perforation interval of B-27 was treated and back-produced. Foam was generated by slug-injection of gas and surfactant dissolved in seawater. Gas-oil ratio (GOR) was reduced by about 50% after foam treatment, compared to pre-foam production tests. The foam pilot-test in production well B-27 was operationally successful. The test has shown that foam can be generated by slug injection of gas and surfactant solution and that foam can reduce GOR even in zones with high oil influx. The foam treatment was effective in reducing gas inflow over the six month period of the test.


Following Pablo Picasso's death in 1973, Andr Malraux was summoned by Jacqueline Picasso, the artist's widow, to her home at Mougins in the South of France. There, surrounded by Picasso's powerful last paintings "painted face to face with death," and his art collection destined for the Louvre, Malraux recollected Picasso's rebellious life and the metamorphosis of his art. In Picasso's Mask, Malraux's memories, at once personal and historical, evoke Picasso as a private man and as a legendary artistic genius. For over half a century, Andr Malraux (19011976) was intimately involved in French intellectual life, as philosopher, novelist, soldier, statesman, and secretary for cultural affairs. Malraux knew Picasso well, and here recollects a number of his conversations with the painter. In rich, evocative, and memory-filled prose, he has written an inspiring and moving reminiscence. Picasso's Mask is one of the most profound works in Malraux's remarkable oeuvre.


From the Publisher:
This book offers a novel approach for analyzing and developing business strategies for the Internet and electronic commerce. The topics addressed include how to predict which firms will be successful, how a manager should respond to competitors who adopt the Internet and electronic commerce, and how a company can obtain a competitive advantage in times of intense competition and proliferating information technology. The book uses case studies (including Dell Computer, Cisco Systems. Charles Schwab, and Merrill Lynch) and develops a dynamic resource-based model of strategy.


In this paper we examine the spatial employment patterns of Australia's university graduates in nonurban locations. Using a 2006 data set recording the employment status of 65,661 university graduates 6 months after their graduation we examine how the personal and human capital characteristics of the individual university graduate affect the type of rural location into which he or she enters for employment purposes. The importance of identifying which types of graduates work where is essential for our understanding of the forces that are currently shaping the spatial distribution of human capital across Australia's regions. In order to do this we allocate postcode-based data of graduate employment to one of five remoteness classes, as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, that allow us to distinguish between different degrees of rurality. The postcode data are used to associate the ways in which the human capital characteristics of the graduate in terms of the types of university degrees awarded and the universities attended, as well as the personal characteristics of the graduate, are related to the degrees of rurality in his or her employment outcomes.


The Permian stratigraphic section at Abo Pass at the southern tip of the Manzano Mountains (Torrance, Valencia and Socorro Counties, New Mexico) is ~800 m thick and is assigned to the (ascending order): Bursum Formation (Red Tanks Member), Abo Formation (Scholle and Cañon de Espinoso members), Yeso Group (Arroyo del Alamillo Formation and overlying Los Vallos Formation divided into Torres, Cañas and Joyita members), Glorieta Sandstone and San Andres Formation. The Bursum Formation is ~35-40 m thick and consists of interbedded red-bed siliciclastics (mudstone, sandstone and conglomerate) and marine limestones. The Abo Formation is ~310 m thick and consists of siliciclastic red beds divided into the Scholle Member (~140 m of mudstone with channelized beds of crossbedded sandstone and conglomerate) overlain by the Cañon de Espinoso Member (~170 m of mudstone, siltstone and many thin beds of sandstone that display climbing ripple lamination). The lower formation of the Yeso Group, the Arroyo de Alamillo Formation, consisting of ~80 m of red-bed sandstone (mostly ripple and laminar with some gypsiferous beds) and very minor dolomite. The overlying Torres Member of the Los Vallos Formation is ~180 m thick and consists of mostly gypsiferous siltstone, claystone, gypsum and a few prominent beds of dolomite and gypsiferous sandstone. The overlying Cañas Member is 16-52 m thick, consisting mostly of gypsum and includes a few beds of gypsiferous siltstone and dolomite. The Joyita Member is ~21 m thick and consists of red-bed sandstone that is crossbedded, ripple laminated and, in some beds, gypsiferous. The Glorieta Sandstone is ~78 m thick and consists of crossbedded, laminar and ripple laminar quartzose sandstone. In the Abo Pass area, the upper part of the San Andres Formation has been eroded, leaving up to 91 m of mostly limestone (lime mudstone). It is overlain by Triassic strata east of the Abo Pass area. Bursum deposition took place in a mixture of nonmarine fluvial and shallow marine depositional environments in a tectonically active, mostly coastal setting. Rivers that deposited the Abo Formation formed extensive muddy floodplains traversed by incised rivers early in Abo deposition that later gave way to extensive sheetflooding. Yeso sedimentation began with dominantly eolian deposition on an arid coastal plain (Arroyo de Alamillo Formation) followed by deposits of coastal sabkhas, dunes and restricted marine embayments (Torres and Cañas members of Los Vallos Formation). Yeso sedimentation ended with the Joyita Member of the Los Vallos Formation, which formed by eolian and fluvial processes during lowered sea level. The Glorieta Sandstone is mostly of eolian origin, and the San Andres Formation represents shallow marine deposits. Fusulinids from the Bursum Formation at Abo Pass indicate it is early Wolfcampian in age. The Abo Formation at Abo Pass yields fossil plants, tetrapod tracks and other trace fossils, as well as vertebrate fossils of Coyotean age. Microfossils from the Yeso Group, Glorieta Sandstone and San Andres Formation encompass two new species named here, Velebitella americana and Calcitornella interpsammica. Local paleontological data coupled with regional correlations indicate that the Abo Formation is middle Wolfcampian to early Leonardian and the Glorieta and San Andres formations are late Leonardian in age. 313


We investigate to what extent high net replacement rates between non-work and work household income may distort work incentives. Using a microsimulation model, we find that net replacement rates are particularly high for households with a working partner and children. While net replacement rates decreased moderately between 1996 and 2006 as wages rose faster than social benefits, the incidence of unemployment traps remains high. In particular, about a third of all employed individuals have a low incentive to avoid short spells of unemployment with the unemployment benefits provided, while unemployment traps are also widespread among the unemployed. The incidence of unemployment traps increased further in 2007 despite a reform of benefits. In particular, housing benefit, which was overhauled to reflect housing costs, increases net replacement rates, distorting work incentives particularly among households with children. In addition, the rise in parental allowance may lock eligible individuals in non-employment, increasing the loss of human capital among non-working parents. This is particularly important for single parents, who face the highest specific unemployment rate, and also long unemployment spells among all household types. While the link between net replacement rates and labour market stocks and flows is not straightforward across household types, further research should focus on the labour market behaviour of particular household types.


Copper-zinc superoxide dismutases (CuZnSODs) are infrequently found in bacteria although widespread in eukaryotes. Legionella pneumophila, the causative organism of Legionnaires' disease, is one of a small number of bacterial species that contain a CuZnSOD, residing in the periplasm, in addition to an iron SOD (FeSOD) in their cytoplasm. To investigate CuZnSOD function, we purified the enzyme from wild-type L. pneumophila, obtained amino acid sequence data from isolated peptides, cloned and sequenced the gene from a L. pneumophila library, and then constructed and characterized a CuZnSOD null mutant. In contrast to the cytoplasmic FeSOD, the CuZnSOD of L. pneumophila is not essential for viability. However, CuZnSOD is critical for survival during the stationary phase of growth. The CuZnSOD null mutant survived 10(4)- to 10(6)-fold less than wild-type L. pneumophila. In wild-type L. pneumophila, the specific activity of CuZnSOD increased during the transition from exponential to stationary-phase growth while the FeSOD activity was constant. These data support a role of periplasmic CuZnSOD in survival of L. pneumophila during stationary phase. Since L. pneumophila survives extensive periods of dormancy between growth within hosts. CuZnSOD may contribute to the ability of this bacterium to be a pathogen. In exponential phase, wild-type and CuZnSOD null strains grew with comparable doubling times. In cultured HL-60 and THP-1 macrophage-like cell lines and in primary cultures of human monocytes, multiplication of the CuZnSOD null mutant was comparable to that of wild type. This indicated that CuZnSOD is not essential for intracellular growth within macrophages or for killing of macrophages in those systems.


Variability of dinosaur eggshell assigned to Megaloolithidae, from the Upper Cretaceous of Suterranya (Upper Campanian–Early Maastrichtian, Catalonia, South–Central Pyrenees), is described and compared with other Catalan, Argentinean, French, and Indian contemporaneous eggshells. Two–variable statistics using eggshell thickness and external diameter of eggshell units show discontinuous heterogeneity in the studied sample. Highly significant, stronger heterogeneity is also observed when comparing eggshell thickness from Suterranya to other neighbouring samples (Basturs, Coll de Nargo, Pioch Herbaut and Les Vignes) and India. Heterogeneity is interpreted as probably indicative of dinosaur polytypic diversity, instead of polymorphism of eggshell from one dinosaurian paleospecies. Variability distribution of eggshell thickness suggests a 15% coefficient of variation as the upper limit of a homogeneous intraspecific eggshell sample. The utility of eggshells as an indicator of nesting dinosaur diversity, particularly in the Catalan Pyrenees, is discussed. Contents


In this fascinating collection of essays Harvard Emeritus Professor Karl S. Guthke examines the ways in which, for European scholars and writers of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, world-wide geographical exploration led to an exploration of the self. Guthke explains how in the age of Enlightenment and beyond intellectual developments were fuelled by excitement about what Ulrich Im Hof called the grand opening-up of the wide world", especially of the interior of the non-European continents. This outward turn was complemented by a fascination with the world within" as anthropology and ethnology focused on the humanity of the indigenous populations of far-away lands – an interest in human nature that suggested a way for Europeans to understand themselves, encapsulated in Gauguin's Tahitian rumination What are we?" The essays in the first half of the book discuss first- or second-hand, physical or mental encounters with the exotic lands and populations beyond the supposed cradle of civilisation. The works of literature and documents of cultural life featured in these essays bear testimony to the crossing not only of geographical, ethnological, and cultural borders but also of borders of a variety of intellectual activities and interests. The second section examines the growing interest in astronomy and the engagement with imagined worlds in the universe, again with a view to understanding homo sapiens, as compared now to the extra-terrestrials that were confidently assumed to exist. The final group of essays focuses on the exploration of the landscape of what was called the universe within"; featuring, among a variety of other texts, Schiller's plays The Maid of Orleans and William Tell, these essays observe and analyse what Erich Heller termed The Artist's Journey into the Interior." This collection, which travels from the interior of continents to the interior of the mind, is itself a set of explorations that revel in the discovery of what was half-hidden in language. Written by a scholar of international repute, it is eye-opening reading for all those with an interest in the literary and cultural history of (and since) the Enlightenment.


The establishment of a new legal system which would correspond to the interests of the Latvian State was started on May 4, 1990. The government has started the coordination of the norms of Administrative Procedure Law, Civil Procedure Code, Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Administrative Offence Code and undertakes the alignment of legal system adjusting the legal acts to European standards. The Draft Administrative Procedure Code is still being discussed by society. The following principles are taken into consideration: the principle of equality before the law means that administrative authorities should carefully and fairly consider each individual case. It is important that besides the personal information, referring only to the interests of an individual person, the administrative authorities inform the public if a decision of the administrative authorities is important for them. (The principle of trust or confidence.) The principles of administrative procedure are very important in defining legal regulations and their implementation. It testifies the great role of principles in administrative procedure law. The state administration is not only the interrelations between the administrative authorities but also relations between each administrative authority and a person concerned with the administrative act. Summing up, it must be mentioned that the Draft Adminis-trative Procedure Law is prepared as the body of procedural regulations for all administrative cases. It is the draft law providing the work of state administrative authorities for the interests of persons, considering the proportion between private and public interests.


THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS OF BOOKS AND SCORES recently acquired by the Beethoven Center are intended to aid readers in selecting new publications that appeal to their individual interests. Pan I, Books for the General Reader, encompasses biographies, histories, repertory guides and other reference books, and introductory texts appropriate for the music student. Also included are works of fiction, poetry, and children's books. Part II, Books for the Specialist, lists items of a highly analytical or philosophical focus intended for readers with substantial knowledge of music. In those cases where authors have identified their book as being for the general reader or specialist, we have accepted their categorization. Part III lists critical editions and other selected scores. To obtain books while simultaneously benefiting the American Beethoven Society, please order them online through MyCause (www.MyCause.com/Beethoven). The Society receives a percentage of sales of books and other merchandise purchased through MyCause participant dealers (including Barnes & Noble). For those publications not available through Barnes & Noble, please contact your local bookseller. To order Beethoven-Haus publications directly, visit the website of their distributor, Cams Verlag (http://www.carus-verlag.com/Beethoven. html). I. Books for the General Reader IA. Books in English Gerig, Reginald R. Famous Pianists and Their Technique. Rev. ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007. xxiii, 608 pp. ISBN 978-0-253-34855-5 (paperback): $29.95. Originally published in 1974, the revised edition of this classic study of keyboard technique traces historical developments, schools, methods, and the most influential teachers. A chapter on "the dynamic Beethoven technique" covers Beethoven's development as a fortepianist, relying on the usual sources (Thayer, Czerny, Schindler). It continues with an exploration of pianists heavily influenced by Beethoven, including Czerny, Liszt, the Schumann circle, and later Leschetizky, Schnabel, and many others. The book culminates in a chapter that outlines ten considerations for developing an "enlightened piano technique." These considerations are aesthetics, mental and psychological control, an intellectual grasp of basic technical knowledge, isolated movements, coordinated movements, muscular coordination, kinesthetic sense, posture, means for specific technical development, and historical perspectives of fortepiano technique. The appendix, an addition in this revised edition, provides an annotated index to each of these ten considerations as they appear in die earlier chapters. For example, under "aesthetic imperative," readers will find discussions of how vocal art influenced the development of Beethoven's technique and his use of the pedal. Beethoven references appear frequently throughout the book, so the addition of these categorized indexes is very useful. Also useful are the supplements to the extensive bibliography. Gustav Klimt, The Beethoven Frieze, and the Controversy over the Freedom of Art. Edited by Stephan Koja with texts by Stephan Koja, Manfred Koller, Verena Perlhefter, Rosa Sala Rose, Carl E. Schorske, Alice Strobl, and Franz AJ. Szabo. Munich: Prestel, 2006. 208 pp. ISBN 978-3-791 3-3757-9 (hardback): $65. The Viennese secession, founded in 1897, was inspired by the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"). Gustav Klimt was a major force behind this movement. His exploration of the psyche, experiences, and driving motivations of modern mankind found expression in one of his major creations, the Beethoven Frieze, a work that scandalized Viennese society with its sexual imagery and symbolism. In the ensuing debate over its value, the Frieze came to represent the power of art to overcome the hostilities of life and become a refuge from life's brutal realities. This book, which accompanied an exhibition at the Fundacion Juan March in Madrid, centered on Klimt's Beethoven Frieze as a means of exploring issues of artistic freedom in the creation of public art. …


We consider cosmic microwave background constraints on inflation models for which the primordial power spectrum is a mixture of perturbations generated by inflaton fluctuations and fluctuations in a curvaton field. If future experiments do not detect isocurvature modes or large non-Gaussianity, it will not be possible to directly distinguish inflaton and curvaton contributions. We investigate whether current and future data can instead constrain the relative contributions of the two sources. We model the spectrum with a bimodal form consisting of a sum of two independent power laws, with different spectral indices. We quantify the ability of current and upcoming data sets to constrain the difference Δn in spectral indices, and relative fraction f of the subdominant power spectrum at a pivot scale of k0=0.017  Mpc−1 h. Data sets selected are the WMAP 7-year data, alone and in conjunction with South Pole Telescope data, and a synthetic data set comparable to the upcoming Planck data set. We find that current data show no increase in quality of fit for a mixed inflaton/curvaton power spectrum, and a pure power-law spectrum is favored. The ability to constrain independent parameters such as the tensor/scalar ratio is not substantially affected by the additional parameters in the fit. Planck will be capable of placing significant constraints on the parameter space for a bimodal spectrum.


The origins of the direct payments scheme lie with the Disabled People's movement and the revolutionary idea of providing disabled people with cash to pay directly for their assessed care and support needs. Authorisation was given in 1997 to local authorities in England to offer cash payments to purchase care and support services through the implementation of The Community Care 1996 (Direct Payments) Act.

This scheme was initially restricted to those aged between the ages of 18-65 years. However since February 2000 (July 2000 in Scotland) this has been extended to include disabled people aged 65 and over, and further expanded in 2001 to include young disabled people between the ages of 16 and 18 years.

Prior to the implementation of the Community Care Act, procedures following a community care assessment placed the local authority in complete control regarding arranging and coordinating an individual's care package. The local authority arranged when and where services were provided, and who would provide them. The direct payments scheme could offer an alternative, more flexible approach, with the potential to empower individuals choosing to opt into this scheme. Individuals in receipt of direct payments have control in making arrangements for the provision of services that work with their lifestyle as opposed to their lifestyle 'fitting around' local authority organised care and support services. Direct payments position the individual at the centre of control for their own service provision.

Initially, direct payments as a scheme was relaxed and local authorities were not obliged to offer direct payments as an alternative to everyone. However, since April 2003 (June 2003 in Scotland), local authorities are now obliged to offer direct payments to all those eligible. Key criteria for eligibility to opt into this scheme are that direct payments in the form of cash can only be offered to those deemed able to consent and manage the direct payment, either alone or with support.


A novel signal recognition particle (SRP) found in the chloroplast (cpSRP) works in combination with the cpSRP receptor, cpFtsY, to facilitate the post-translational targeting of a family of nuclear-encoded thylakoid proteins to the Alb3 translocase in thylakoid membranes. Work here focused on understanding events at the membrane that take place to ensure targeting of the cpSRP-dependent substrate to Alb3. Specifically, we sought to understand the structural and functional role of membrane binding by cpFtsY, a protein that exhibits the ability to partition between the membrane (thylakoid) and soluble (stroma) phase during protein targeting. We also sought to understand whether a novel SRP subunit (cpSRP43) in chloroplasts is involved in targeting events at the membrane beyond its role in substrate binding. Lastly, we chose to examine the possible association of Alb3 with chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthetic enzymes, which provide Chl ligands to SRPtargeted protein substrates. Our data show that cpFtsY houses a membrane-binding motif whose activity is linked to the SRP GTPase cycle. This membrane-binding motif is necessary and sufficient for binding thylakoid membranes and appears to be conserved among prokaryotic and organellar FtsY homologues. Interestingly, the removal or mutation of key residues in this region of cpFtsY results in a higher basal rate of GTP hydrolysis in solution. Furthermore, these changes correspond to a loss of lipid-induced hydrolysis stimulation, suggesting that the membrane binding region houses a negative regulator of hydrolysis is naturally switched off by a membrane-induced conformational shift. Using recombinant cpSRP43 and a construct corresponding to the soluble Cterminal extension of Alb3 (Alb3-Cterm), we show that cpSRP43 contributes to the specificity for the targeting reaction by interacting with the C-terminal region of Alb3. Furthermore, a peptide corresponding to the C-terminal region of Alb3 stimulates cpSRP GTP hydrolysis only in the presence of cpSRP43. These results suggest that cpSRP43 mediates key targeting events at the thylakoid membrane, such as release of the targeting complex from Alb3. Furthermore, these data support a model in which cpSRP43 functions as a translocon 'sensing' component critical for membrane-associated steps in the post-translational cpSRP-dependent targeting pathway. Lastly, our results suggest that Alb3-dependent LHCP insertion is linked to the final stages of Chl biosynthesis. Indeed, we have identified two pools of Alb3: one that is associated with SRP targeting components and one that is associated with a late-stage chlorophyll biosynthesis enzyme (geranylgeranyl reductase). This data provides the first evidence that Chl biosynthesis enzymes are in complex with Alb3, supporting the hypothesis that the final stages of Chl biosynthesis are coordinated with the assembly of proteins that require Alb3 for assembly. This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. Dissertation Director: ____________________________________ Dr. Ralph Henry Dissertation Committee: ____________________________________ Dr. Ralph L. Henry ____________________________________ Dr. D. Mack Ivey ____________________________________ Dr. Roger E. Koeppe, II ____________________________________ Dr. Francis S. Millett DISSERTATION DUPLICATION RELEASE I hereby authorize the University of Arkansas Libraries to duplicate this dissertation when needed for research and/or scholarship. Agreed __________________________________________ Naomi J. Marty Refused __________________________________________ Naomi J. Marty


It is frequently asserted that financialisation has contributed to the decline in the wage share. This paper provides a theoretical clarification and a systematic empirical investigation. We identify four channels through which financialisation can affect the wage share: (1) enhanced exit options of firms; (2) rising price mark-ups due to financial overhead costs for businesses; (3) increased competition on capital markets and shareholder value orientation; and (4) the role of household debt in increasing workers' financial vulnerability and undermining their class consciousness. The paper compiles a comprehensive set of empirical measures of financialisation and uses it to test these hypotheses with a panel regression of 14 OECD countries over the 1992-2014 period. We find strong evidence for negative effects of financial liberalisation and financial payments of non-financial corporations on the wage share that are in the same order of magnitude as the effects of globalisation.


The effects of inflation adjustments of corporate earnings on market prices were tested by cross section regressions of 485 manufacturing companies for the period 1966-76 and subperiods. The basic data were company reports and stock prices. For the full period, market prices reflected the inventory valuation adjustment and the decline in real value of net financial liabilities fairly completely, but they reflected the adjustment for the understatement of depreciation to only a small extent. The surprisingly low effect of the depreciation adjustment could only be partly attributed to measurement error, but not entirely. The estimated effect of capital gains on stock prices was either in the wrong direction or negligible. The implication of the results is that market investors use a range of adjustments for the effects of inflation which differs from the estimates used in this study, though how and why they differ is not clear. The adjustments were much lower in the later period 1972-76 than in the earlier period 1966-71. This seemed inconsistent with the higher inflation rates in the later period. The explanation for the difference is not clear, but it may reflect the difficulties of judging the size of the adjustments in a period of rapid inflation.


In the era of hyphenated identities, one's identity may not be as clear as decades before; the same applies to culture and literature. Over the past years, there have been discussions about the exact definition of national literature. In Estonia there have been debates surrounding the definition of Estonian literature: is it a literature written in Estonian or is it a literature written in Estonia? One of the most interesting literary debates erupted in connection with the Estonian Russian writer Andrei Ivanov (born 1971), whose novels in many cases have been written in Russian but published first in Estonian. The first part of the article deals with the definition of Estonian literature and the position of the Estonian Russian-language literature. It may be noteworthy that only at the beginning of the 21st century did Estonian literary criticism start to deal with the Estonian Russian-language literature as part of Estonian literature. The authors of the younger generation (born in 1970 and later) or the so-called noughts-generation are the first credibly taken authors as part of Estonian literature. The position of Estonian Russian literature has shifted from rejection and periphery to the spotlight. The works by Andrei Ivanov have played an important role in that process. The second part of the article analyses the depiction of Estonian Russians in Ivanov's A Handful of Dust and Ashes using the branch of comparative literature called imagology or image studies. The Estonian Russian background proves to be a useful tool for creating a character who is alienated, who is an existential outsider. The author deals with existential questions and depicts tendencies in the 21st century society. As many other Estonian Russian writers, Ivanov does not deal specifically with the issues of Estonian Russians and that is one of the reasons of his popularity and one of the reasons why Estonian Russian literature has attracted so much attention.


Abstract A formalism, based on particle, momentum, and energy balance constraints, for the interpretation of diffusive and nondiffusive transport from plasma edge measurements is presented and applied to interpret transport differences between low-mode and high-mode DIII-D [J. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion, Vol. 42, p. 614 (2002)] plasmas. The experimental values of basic transport properties (thermal diffusivities and momentum transport frequencies) inferred for H-mode and L-mode are compared with each other and with "classical" predictions. Once the basic transport mechanisms are ascertained by such comparison of theoretical predictions with experimental inference, the presented formalism will provide a first-principles predictive model for density, temperature, velocity, and pressure profiles in the edge pedestal.


Although professional historians usually concentrate on specific areas of research, they sometimes use their knowledge and understanding of history to give a perspective on contemporary events and provide guidelines regarding the formulation and implementation of government policies. Since the 1950s Afrikaner historians have participated in intellectual debates on the future of the Afrikaners as a minority group in South Africa. Three eminent Afrikaner historians, GD Scholtz, FA van Jaarsveld and Hermann Giliomee, produced a number of publications in which they commented on the apartheid policy of the National Party government. While Scholtz and Van Jaarsveld were very subdued in their criticism, Giliomee was more openly critical. On the other hand, Scholtz and Giliomee were more consistent in their criticism than Van Jaarsveld, who repeatedly changed his views. Scholtz and Giliomee, however, overestimated the power of the government to control the factors that determined South Africa's political and economic development during this period.


Games on graphs with ω-regular objectives provide a model for the control and synthesis of reactive systems. Every ω-regular objective can be decomposed into a safety part and a liveness part. The liveness part ensures that something good happens "eventually." Two main strengths of the classical, infinite-limit formulation of liveness are robustness (independence from the granularity of transitions) and simplicity (abstraction of complicated time bounds). However, the classical liveness formulation suffers from the drawback that the time until something good happens may be unbounded. A stronger formulation of liveness, so-called finitary liveness, overcomes this drawback, while still retaining robustness and simplicity. Finitary liveness requires that there exists an unknown, fixed bound b such that something good happens within b transitions. While for one-shot liveness (reachability) objectives, classical and finitary liveness coincide, for repeated liveness (Büchi) objectives, the finitary formulation is strictly stronger. In this work we study games with finitary parity and Streett objectives. We prove the determinacy of these games, present algorithms for solving these games, and characterize the memory requirements of winning strategies. We show that finitary parity games can be solved in polynomial time, which is not known for infinitary parity games. For finitary Streett games, we give an EXPTIME algorithm and show that the problem is NP-hard. Our algorithms can be used, for example, for synthesizing controllers that do not let the response time of a system increase without bound.


Over recent years, many authors discussed the effects of different natural compounds on glioblastoma (GBM). Due to its capacity to impair survival and progression of different cancer types, saffron extract (SE), named crocetin (CCT), is particularly noteworthy. In this work, we elucidated the antitumor properties of crocetin in glioma in vivo and in vitro models for the first time. The in vitro results showed that the four tumor cell lines observed in this study (U251, U87, U138, and U373), which were treated with increasing doses of crocetin, showed antiproliferative and pro-differentiative effects as demonstrated by a significant reduction in the number of viable cells, deep changes in cell morphology, and the modulation of mesenchymal and neuronal markers. Indeed, crocetin decreased the expression of Cluster of Differentiation CD44, CD90, CXCR4, and OCT3/4 mesenchymal markers, but increased the expression of βIII-Tubulin and neurofilaments (NFH) neuronal linage-related markers. Epigenetic mechanisms may modulate these changes, since Histone Deacetylase, HDAC1 and HDAC3 were downmodulated in U251 and U87 cells, whereas HDAC1 expression was downmodulated in U138 and U373 cells. Western blotting analyses of Fatty Acid Synthase, FASN, and CD44 resulted in effective inhibition of these markers after CCT treatment, which was associated with important activation of the apoptosis program and reduced glioma cell movement and wound repair. The in vivo studies aligned with the results obtained in vitro. Indeed, crocetin was demonstrated to inhibit the growth of U251 and U87 cells that were subcutaneously injected into animal models. In particular, the Tumor To Progression or TTP values and Kaplan–Meier curves indicated that crocetin had more major effects than radiotherapy alone, but similar effects to temozolomide (TMZ). An intra-brain cell inoculation of a small number of luciferase-transfected U251 cells provided a model that was able to recapitulate recurrence after surgical tumor removal. The results obtained from the orthotopic intra-brain model indicated that CCT treatment increased the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates, inducing a delay in appearance of a detectable bioluminescent lesion. CCT showed greater efficacy than Radio Therapy (RT) but comparable efficacy to temozolomide in xenograft models. Therefore, we aimed to continue the study of crocetin's effects in glioma disease, focusing our attention on the radiosensitizing properties of the natural compound and highlighting the ways in which this was realized.


An atypical kinase genetically associated with muscular dystrophies recognizes a unique trisaccharide structure. Defects in α-dystroglycan lead to various congenital muscular dystrophies, and its ability to bind to extracellular matrix (ECM) is dependent on formation of a specific O-linked sugar structure. Previous efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying α-dystroglycan's ability to bind to the ECM led to the identification of a phosphorylated O-mannosyl trisaccharide on α-dystroglycan and to the demonstration that addition of this residue is a prerequisite for formation of the ligand-binding motif. However, the biosynthetic pathway that leads to production of the phosphorylated O-mannosyl glycan has not been delineated. Yoshida-Moriguchi et al. elucidate the functions of three genes recently found to cause dystroglycan-related disorders and explain the defects in the production of the phosphorylated O-mannosyl glycan that underlie the pathologies of patients with the relevant mutations. T. Yoshida-Moriguchi, T. Willer, M. E. Anderson, D. Venzke, T. Whyte, F. Muntoni, H. Lee, S. F. Nelson, L. Yu, K. P. Campbell, SGK196 is a glycosylation-specific O-mannose kinase required for dystroglycan function. Science 341, 896–899 (2013). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Due to sensitive and important applications of free-electron laser in industry and medicine, improvement of the power and efficiency of laser has always been emphasized. Therefore, understanding the created field and examining the properties of the field in waveguides with different shapes and studying the sustainability of electrons movement are particularly important. In this study, the behavior of electrons in free-electron laser in the wiggler field by square waveguide with central core is examined which is a new research. Due to the complexity of cross section, the equations governing the field are solved numerically, and magnetostatic fields are calculated and then the changes of Wiggler magnetic field are displayed. Finally, the properties of balanced electron circuits for the first and third harmonics are studied and the strong effect of the third space harmonic on the field is observed in the second magnetic resonance and the obtained results indicate greater volatility of transverse components of velocity. Since the field intensity on the sides and center of the waveguide and the order of electrons motion are important in determining the laser power and efficiency, studying the behavior of electrons in this research indicates that in the empty space between the two walls, Wiggler magnetic field is minimized and leads to the focus of electron beam. Therefore, the closer is the starting point of the movement of electron to the center of waveguide, the better will be the movement order.


Abstract This paper reports the results of a study which investigated the use of social media by political parties and candidates in Scotland as part of their campaign for election to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, and which compared this to the situation encountered during the 2010 UK General Election campaign. During the five-week period preceding the election date of May 5, 2011, the content of 203 Facebook pages, 152 Twitter accounts, and 66 blogs was analysed in order to identify the ways in which political actors provided information to, and interacted with, potential voters. The study found that social media, as in 2010, were used primarily for the one-way flow of information to the electorate. There was little direct, two-way engagement, and a general reluctance to respond to difficult policy questions or critical comments posted by the public. The information provided also frequently lacked any meaningful policy comment. Although the average number of friends and followers of politicians' social media sites had risen since 2010, there was evidence to suggest that the general public was less interested in engaging with these sites, by posting comments or entering into any online debates. The paper questions the assertion of the victorious party, the Scottish National Party, that the 2011 Scottish election was the "first European election where online has swayed the vote," and concludes by considering what implications these patterns of information provision and communication might have for those candidates who were successfully elected to the Scottish Parliament.


We study learning algorithms that are restricted to using a small amount of information from their input sample. We introduce a category of learning algorithms we term d-bit information learners, which are algorithms whose output conveys at most d bits of information on their input. A central theme in this work is that such algorithms generalize.
We focus on the learning capacity of these algorithms, and prove sample complexity bounds with tight dependencies on the confidence and error parameters. We also observe connections with well studied notions such as sample compression schemes, Occam's razor, PAC-Bayes and differential privacy.
We discuss an approach that allows us to prove upper bounds on the amount of information that algorithms reveal about their inputs, and also provide a lower bound by showing a simple concept class for which every (possibly randomized) empirical risk minimizer must reveal a lot of information. On the other hand, we show that in the distribution-dependent setting every VC class has empirical risk minimizers that do not reveal a lot of information.


Beyond Marx and Other Entries explores deep areas of semiotics, joined with economics, anthropology, sociology, history and philosophy and political science, even Franz Kafka's literary works. These are communicated by entries, based primarily on Gleicher's actual blog Looking through the crack from 2013 to 2017.


expanding agent in that it increases the volume of the mixture while giving additional qualities such as nailbility and lessened the dead weight. It is lighter than the conventional concrete. The use of lightweight concrete has been widely spread across countries such as USA, United Kingdom and Sweden. The main specialties of lightweight concrete are its low density and thermal conductivity. Its advantages are that there is a reduction of dead load, faster building rates in construction and lower haulage and handling costs. Lightweight concrete maintains its large voids and not forming laitance layers or cement films when placed on the wall. This research was based on the performance of aerated lightweight concrete. However, sufficient water cement ratio is vital to produce adequate cohesion between cement and water. Insufficient water can cause lack of cohesion between particles, thus loss in strength of concrete. Likewise too much water can cause cement to run off aggreagate to form laitance layers, subsequently weakens in strength. Therefore, this fundamental research report is prepared to show activities and progress of the lightweight concrete. Focused were on the performance of aerated lightweight concrete such as compressive strength tests, water absorption and density and supplementary tests and comparisons made with other types of lightweight concrete.


Elastic optical network (EON) technology arises as a promising solution for future high-speed optical transport, since it can provide superior flexibility and scalability in the spectrum allocation for seamlessly supporting diverse services, while following the rapid growth of Internet traffic. This work focuses on lightpath adaptation under time-variable traffic demands in EONs. Specifically, we explore the possibility of utilizing the spectral fragmentation to increase the spectrum allocation (SA) capabilities of EONs. In this context, a heuristic SA algorithm, which intentionally increases the spectral fragmentation in the network, is proposed and validated. In our proposal, the spectrum assigned to each new connection is in the middle of the largest free spectral void over the route, aiming to provide considerable spectral space between adjacent connections. These free spectral spaces are then used to allocate time-varying connections without requiring any lightpath reallocation. The obtained simulation results show a significant improvement in terms of network blocking probability when utilizing the proposed algorithm.


ABSTRACT Peyronnin, N.; Green, M.; Richards, C.P.; Owens, A.; Reed, D.; Chamberlain, J.; Groves, D.G.; Rhinehart, W.K., and Belhadjali, K., 2013. Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan: overview of a science-based and publicly informed decision-making process. Louisiana is in the midst of a land loss crisis that has claimed more than 4800 km2 since the 1930s. Unless aggressive, large-scale action is taken, Louisiana could lose an additional 4500 km2 in the next 50 years, resulting in a projected increase in annual damages from hurricane storm surge flooding of more than $23 billion. Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan is a long-term plan with clear economic, social, and environmental benefits, such as decreasing potential damages from storm surge by $5.3 billion to $18 billion. Implementation of projects in the master plan should result in no net loss of land after 20 years and an annual net gain of land after 30 years. To develop the plan, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) utilized a state-of-the-art systems approach to coastal planning and a science-based decision-making process that resulted in a funding- and resource-constrained plan that makes the greatest progress toward achieving a sustainable coast. A series of integrated, coastwide predictive models were developed to provide data for a new planning tool used to identify the suite of projects that would make the greatest progress toward meeting the master plan objectives while considering uncertainties in future environmental conditions. Recognizing that the success of the plan hinges on stakeholder support, as well as science, the CPRA also implemented a comprehensive outreach plan to obtain input and feedback from key stakeholders and the public. The resulting plan recommends a specific list of restoration and protection projects and has achieved widespread support.


Rationale for study Stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) is a chemokine that has been implicated in both acute cardioprotection from ischaemia-reperfusion injury, and chronic cardioprotection by regulating stem cell migration to sites of ischaemic myocardial injury. SDF-1α has a relatively short half-life due to cleavage by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) into inactive SDF-1α (3–67). However, no convenient method exists to specifically quantify active SDF-1α (1–67) in plasma, as all known antibodies recognize both the intact and cleaved forms. We describe for the first time the characterisation of a novel recombinant antibody for use in an ELISA assay for SDF-1α (1–67). Methodology A custom antibody against the N-terminus, which is specific to the active form of SDF-1α (1–67), was identified by screening the Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCAL) using a phage-display method (AbD Serotec). After further screening, the best of eight candidate antibodies was chosen and optimised as the capture antibody in a sandwich ELISA. The newly developed ELISA was used to quantify the levels of active SDF-1α (1–67) in various samples. Results The new ELISA is both sensitive and specific for active SDF-1α (1–67). We report initial results quantifying the levels of active SDF-1α relative to cleaved, inactive SDF-1α in human and rat plasma after preconditioning and other conditions. Conclusions We describe the development of a specific antibody for active SDF-1α (1–67) and its application in ELISA. This will increase our understanding of the kinetics and enzymatic processing of SDF-1α in acute cardioprotection and stem cell therapy.


The spatial distribution of copper ions and atoms in high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges was determined by (i) measuring the ion current to electrostatic probes and (ii) measuring the film thickness by profilometry. A set of electrostatic and collection probes were placed at different angular positions and distances from the target surface. The angular distribution of the deposition rate and the average charge state of the copper species (including ions and neutrals) were deduced. The discharge showed a distinct transition to a high current mode dominated by copper self-sputtering when the applied voltage exceeded the threshold of 535 V. For a lower voltage, the deposition rate was very low and the average charge state was found to be less than 0.4. For higher voltage (and average power), the absolute deposition rates were much higher, but they were smaller than the corresponding direct current (dc) rates if normalized to the same average power. At the high voltage level, the spatial distribution of the average charge state showed some similarities to the distribution of the magnetic field, suggesting that the generation and motion of copper ions is affected by magnetized electrons. At higher voltage, the average charge state increases with the distance from the target and locally may exceed unity, indicating the presence of significant amounts of doubly charged copper ions.


Increased adoption of distributed PV, and other forms of distributed generation, have the potential to affect utility-customer interactions, system costs recovery, and utility revenue streams. If a greater number of electricity customers choose to self-generate, demand for system power will decrease and utility fixed costs will have to be recovered over fewer kilowatt hours of sales. As such, regulators will need to determine the value and cost of additional distributed PV and determine the appropriate allocation of the costs and benefits among consumers. The potential for new business models to emerge also has implications for regulation and rate structures that ensure equitable solutions for all electricity grid users. This report examines regulatory tools and rate designs for addressing emerging issues with the expanded adoption of distributed PV and evaluates the potential effectiveness and viability of these options going forward. It offers the groundwork needed in order for regulators to explore mechanisms and ensure that utilities can collect sufficient revenues to provide reliable electric service, cover fixed costs, and balance cost equity among ratepayers -- while creating a value proposition for customers to adopt distributed PV.


This paper studies the origins and function of customs aimed at restricting women's sexuality, such as a particularly invasive form of female genital cutting, restrictions on women's freedom of mobility, and norms about their sexual behavior. The analysis tests the anthropological theory that a particular form of pre-industrial subsistence – pastoralism – favored the adoption of such customs. Pastoralism was characterized by heightened paternity uncertainty due to frequent and often extended periods of male absence from the settlement, implying larger payoffs to imposing restrictions on women's sexuality. Using within-country variation across 500,000 women in 34 countries, the paper shows that women from historically more pastoral societies (i) are significantly more likely to have undergone infibulation, the most invasive form of female genital cutting; (ii) adhere to more restrictive norms about women's promiscuity; (iii) are more restricted in their freedom of mobility. Instrumental variable estimations that make use of the ecological determinants of pastoralism support a causal interpretation of the results. The paper further shows that the mechanism behind these patterns is indeed male absence, rather than male dominance, per se, or historical economic development.


PURPOSE Patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a poor prognosis even after complete resection. Earlier studies of preoperative (induction) chemotherapy in resectable NSCLC demonstrated feasibility and encouraging survival data. This randomized phase III trial compared overall survival (OS) for preoperative paclitaxel and carboplatin followed by surgery with surgery alone in patients with early-stage NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with clinical stage IB-IIIA NSCLC (excluding superior sulcus tumors and N2 disease) were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to surgery alone or to three cycles of paclitaxel (225 mg/m(2)) and carboplatin (area under curve, 6) followed by surgical resection. The primary end point was OS; secondary end points were progression-free survival (PFS), chemotherapy response, and toxicity. RESULTS The trial closed early with 354 patients after reports of a survival benefit for postoperative chemotherapy in other studies. The median OS was 41 months in the surgery-only arm and 62 months in the preoperative chemotherapy arm (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.06; P = .11.) The median PFS was 20 months for surgery alone and 33 months for preoperative chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.04; P = .10.) Major response to chemotherapy was seen in 41% of patients; no unexpected toxicity was observed. CONCLUSION This trial closed prematurely after compelling evidence supporting postoperative chemotherapy emerged. Although OS and PFS were higher with preoperative chemotherapy, the differences did not reach statistical significance. At present, stronger evidence exists for postoperative chemotherapy in early-stage NSCLC.