This study attempts to measure and characterize urban sprawl using its multiple dimensions in the Jamnagar city, India. The study utilized the multi-date satellite images acquired by CORONA, IRS 1D PAN & LISS-3, IRS P6 LISS-4 and Resourcesat-2 LISS-4 sensors. The extent of urban growth in the study area was mapped at 1 : 25,000 scale for the years 1965, 2000, 2005 and 2011. The growth of urban areas was further categorized into infill growth, expansion and leapfrog development. The city witnessed an annual growth of 1.60 % per annum during the period 2000–2011 whereas the population growth during the same period was observed at less than 1.0 % per annum. The new development in the city during 2000–2005 time period comprised of 22 % as infill development, 60 % as extension of the peripheral urbanized areas, and 18 % as leapfrogged development. However, during 2005–2011 timeframe the proportion of leapfrog development increased to 28 % whereas due to decrease in availability of developable area within the city, the infill developments declined to 9 %. The urban sprawl in Jamnagar city was further characterized on the basis of five dimensions of sprawl viz. population density, continuity, clustering, concentration and centrality by integrating the population data with sprawl for year 2001 and 2011. The study characterised the growth of Jamnagar as low density and low concentration outwardly expansion.


The response of an isolated model foveal cone to a partially coherent sinusoidal intensity source is explored with the methods of photoreceptor optics. This extends the work with coherent sinusoidal intensity sources reported in part one [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A11, 1193 (1994)]. The dielectric waveguide model of a foveal cone previously used to discuss the origin of the Stiles–Crawford effect and its wavelength dependence is applied to photoreceptor excitation by a partially coherent sinusoidal intensity source with variable spatial frequency and light wavelength. The results indicate that the photoreceptors themselves contribute to visual acuity through a wavelength-dependent response at each spatial frequency and that the response is dependent on the spatial coherence of the source. In particular the isolated photoreceptor has a characteristic low-pass-spatial-frequency filter effect for wavelengths between 410 nm and 654 nm (where two waveguide modes are carried). The coherent and the incoherent response curves are separated by differing amounts depending on the wavelength of the light. For wavelengths greater than 654 nm (the single-mode region) the incoherent curve also has the shape of a characteristic low-pass-spatial-frequency filter, while the coherent curve shows a flat response. The results are used to discuss human eye modulation-transfer-function measurements.


It is widely accepted among secularisation theorists (Wilson 1966,1982; Dobbelaere, 1981; Berger 1981; Bruce, 1999,2002) that the more modern a society becomes, the more likely
it is to secularise - i.e. the social and political significance of religion will most likely diminish. At the opposite end of the theoretical debate, scholarly work seeking to explain the recent phenomenon of the re-affirmation of religious values argues that the consequence of modernisation is not secularisation but rather the resurgence of religion (Huntington, 1996; Kepel, 1994; Juergensmeyer, 1993, 2000). With religion gaining salience in some societies but losing ground in others, this ongoing debate appears more critical than ever. The cases of Ireland and Greece are pertinent examples: The Republic of Ireland is experiencing secularising tendencies and the legitimacy of the Church is being increasingly challenged, while in Greece the role of religion remains strong, if not strengthened in recent years, and the legitimacy of the Church is maintained.
For secularisation theorists, failure to secularise is likely in instances where there is an explicit link between religion and nationalism-'Cultural defence' or the 'nationalist pattern' (Martin, 1978). But while both cases constitute instances of cultural defence, Ireland is now secularising. This is precisely the puzzle this thesis is concerned with: where traditionally religion, culture and politics are linked, under what circumstances does religion cease to play a politicised and mobilising role, and under what circumstances is this role retained or even strengthened?
This thesis argues that the answer can be found precisely in the nature of the nationalist pattern. Rather than being a monolithic model, there are significant variations within the pattern itself: religious based national identities, like all national identities, are fluid, not static. The dynamics of national identity change are dependent on two interlinked variables:(a) the degree to which a Church obstructs modernisation, and (b) external threat perceptions. This thesis will attempt to illustrate the inter-relationship between the above dynamics through a thematic comparison between Greece and Ireland. This model may be used to explain not only what accounts for the variations between the Greek and Irish cases, but also more generally to identify the conditions under which religion may remain or cease to be politically active and legitimate in societies where secularisation has been inhibited given a strong identification of religion with the nation.


The rod photoreceptors are implicated in a number of devastating retinal diseases. However, routine imaging of these cells has remained elusive, even with the advent of adaptive optics imaging. Here, we present the first in vivo images of the contiguous rod photoreceptor mosaic in nine healthy human subjects. The images were collected with three different confocal adaptive optics scanning ophthalmoscopes at two different institutions, using 680 and 775 nm superluminescent diodes for illumination. Estimates of photoreceptor density and rod:cone ratios in the 5°–15° retinal eccentricity range are consistent with histological findings, confirming our ability to resolve the rod mosaic by averaging multiple registered images, without the need for additional image processing. In one subject, we were able to identify the emergence of the first rods at approximately 190 μm from the foveal center, in agreement with previous histological studies. The rod and cone photoreceptor mosaics appear in focus at different retinal depths, with the rod mosaic best focus (i.e., brightest and sharpest) being at least 10 μm shallower than the cones at retinal eccentricities larger than 8°. This study represents an important step in bringing high-resolution imaging to bear on the study of rod disorders.


The various kinds of trivialisation or abdication that currently typify architecture in Italy have led, among other things, to a rebellious taste for a kind of rigorist, robust, exclusive underground represented by a small number of individuals to whom definitive roles, acts and thoughts that remain aloof to the upheaval and blindness of the times are prematurely being ascribed. Such categorisation is overriding the true interests, the genuine, constructive motivations that to a certain extent determine intellectual trends and alliances, and the real qualities of personalities whose complexity and subtlety re-emerge when they are no longer viewed so rigidly.

Of course, it would be wrong to deny that many features of Aldo Rossi's work encourage people to define it in such rigid terms: for example, to deny his calling and his interest in creating a legacy and handing down a tradition of study, or to deny the solemnity in the content and traits of his theoretical and architectural work, which hence cannot unfairly be defined as 'classicist' – but subject to reservations that we will see below.


What Caused the Crime Decline? Examines one of the nation's least understood recent phenomena – the dramatic decline in crime nationwide over the past two decades – and analyzes various theories for why it occurred, by reviewing more than 40 years of data from all 50 states and the 50 largest cities. It concludes that over-harsh criminal justice policies, particularly increased incarceration, which rose even more dramatically over the same period, were not the main drivers of the crime decline. In fact, the report finds that increased incarceration has been declining in its effectiveness as a crime control tactic for more than 30 years. Its effect on crime rates since 1990 has been limited, and has been non-existent since 2000.More important were various social, economic, and environmental factors, such as growth in income and an aging population. The introduction of CompStat, a data-driven policing technique, also played a significant role in reducing crime in cities that introduced it.The report concludes that considering the immense social, fiscal, and economic costs of mass incarceration, programs that improve economic opportunities, modernize policing practices, and expand treatment and rehabilitation programs, all could be a better public safety investment.


BEHAVIOR OF STRUCTURAL CONCRETE MEMBERS STRENGTHENED BY COMPOSITE FABRICS by Jian Chen The new technique of using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials to repair and strengthen various concrete members is becoming more and more popular in structural retrofitting field. Among all the confining materials, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) fabric jackets are identified as an effective way to enhance the strength and ductility of concrete members due to its superior mechanical properties. This study investigates the detailed structural behavior of confined concrete members using CFRP fabric jackets by both analytical and experimental approaches. A series of CFRP wrapped concrete cylinder tests were conducted to study the compressive stress-strain behavior for CFRP confined concrete members, Based on the test results, the CFRP system can significantly increase the ductility and ultimate compressive strength of normal concrete specimens. Also, a complete stress-strain equation was derived to model the fabric-confined concrete and verified by various experimental tests results. In order to fully apply this new technique to structural engineering, more experiments were conducted by wrapping CFRP fabric to the large structure members such as beams and columns in this study. The flexural behavior of the large concrete beams wrapped by CFRP fabrics was investigated based on the experiments at the NJIT Structures Laboratory. Different wrapping methods were applied. Test results show that the CFRP confinement can significantly increase the ultimate flexural strength of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams. However, the contribution of fabrics may vary due to the different wrapping methods applied. Experimental results are compared with the finite element modeling using the ANSYS computer program. A practical design method similar to ACI strength method is also proposed to predict the ultimate strength of the beam specimens. Good agreements are achieved for both methods. Structural behavior of the RC slender columns wrapped with CFRP fabrics under combined axial load and biaxial bending were also investigated in this research. Seven slender columns with different wrapping methods were tested and analyzed. It can be concluded that both longitudinal and transverse fabric do help increase the load capacity of the column specimens, although the longitudinal fabric tends to decrease the deformability of the columns. The columns with both wrapping methods applied achieve a better strength and ductility performance. A modified computer program accounting for the proposed stress-strain equation for fabric-confined concrete has been used to verify the present experimental results. A satisfactory agreement is attained for both ascending and descending branches of the load-deformation curves. BEHAVIOR OF STRUCTURAL CONCRETE MEMBERS STRENGTHENED BY COMPOSITE FABRICS


Drawing on contemporary evidence in the counselling and psychotherapy research field, this paper argues that there is growing support for a relationship-orientated approach to therapeutic practice. The paper reviews findings from a range of meta-analytical and individual studies which provide strong evidence for the centrality of relational factors to the successfulness of therapy, and then goes on to examine the specific variables that appear to be linked to positive therapeutic change. Having considered some of the empirical evidence that challenges this position and highlighted the importance of individual differences, the paper concludes by arguing that we need to develop and expand our understanding of the kind of relational factors and processes that most facilitate therapeutic change.


Low-temperature thermochronometry and crosscutting relationships identified in newly released reflection seismic data reveal a previously unrecognized zone of early Andean shortening in Colombia. Apatite fission-track data and thermal modeling help define a 60–50 Ma onset of rapid exhumation along the present boundary between the Magdalena Valley hinterland basin and Eastern Cordillera thrust belt. Subsurface angular unconformities localized above fold-thrust structures indicate Paleogene deposition in a wedge-top depozone containing doubly vergent reverse faults. Retrodeformation of a cross section based on interpreted seismic profiles and thermochronometric data indicates Paleocene to Early Eocene shortening and exhumation occurred through simultaneous activation of east- and west-directed reverse faults across a broad orogenic front. Subsequent deformation focused along west-directed inversion structures. These relationships reveal that deformation operated in a disparate manner, rather than following a systematic progression from hinterland to foreland. The northern Andes also exemplify the potential effects of hinterland sediment loading and fault strength on deformation advance in contractional orogens.


In this paper we investigate techniques offered by current object-oriented development methods for the specification of the user-system dialogue aspect of a software system. Current development methods do not give very extensive guidelines on how to model this aspect and the available techniques need some refinement and elaboration to fit this particular task in the software specification process. The paper first compares a number of approaches. The common elements of these approaches are summarized and further developed into one comprehensive set of techniques that addresses the needs of functional requirements analysis.


Software engineering techniques made it possible for developers to build larger, and more accurate, reliable, and maintainable software-intensive systems. This was essentially possible by introducing techniques for raising the level of abstraction for describing the problem and its solution, and by clearly establishing a methodology to define both the problem and how to move to its solution. Model Driven Engineering (MDE) targets precisely at organizing such levels of abstraction and methodologies. It encourages developers to use models to describe both the problem and its solution at different levels of abstraction, and provides a framework for methodologists to define what model to use at a given moment (i.e., at a given level of abstraction), and how to lower the level of abstraction by defining the relationship between the participating models. Such an MDE process is supposed to be defined by means of assets, and methodologists have the duty to provide such assets. However, it is not yet clear what exactly these assets are, despite the fact that techniques to express them have already been widely studied. This position paper addresses this issue by identifying some of the MDE assets that have to be provided, and shows how they should be defined in order to enable them to participate in different MDE process definitions.


A normal insulator is turned into an exotic topological insulator by tuning its elemental composition. An expert chef can take ordinary foods and bring out extraordinary flavors and textures, usually through a combination of the right ingredients and exacting cooking techniques. If the electrical conductivity of a material can be thought of as the flavor of a dish, nature can serve up specialties, such as ceramic insulators that become superconductors when served cold and when the ingredients (the chemical components) are carefully tuned. Superconductivity is an example of an emergent quantum phenomenon—one that is created by the coordinated motion of many particles (1). On page 560 of this issue, Xu et al. (2) report how tuning the composition of normal insulators can turn them into topological insulators, which are another example of materials exhibiting emergent quantum phenomena (3–5). This result has important implications for the promise of topological insulators in lower-power devices that rely on electron spin rather than charge.


Welfare Economics in normative economics emphasizes the preference of alternative situations by the society. The social welfare constitutes the main point of welfare economics. In this context, the main purpose of welfare economics, which puts forth what should be, is to provide social welfare at the highest level. It is considered that social welfare will rise to the highest level by providing a society-acceptable balance between efficiency and justice in resource allocation. Although there are many determining factors of social welfare, one of the most important is taxation. Because taxation affects the individual's socio-economic quality of life through effect of income, substitution, and decision-making, while directly determining the budgetary means of the individual. The purpose of the study in this direction is determined the effect of income tax applied in Turkey on level of social welfare starting from relation between social welfare and taxation. Within the scope of this purpose, evaluations in terms of the effects of Turkish income tax applications on efficiency and justice in resource allocation have been made.


This is a terminal evaluation of a UNEP project implemented between 2007 and 2012.The broad development objective of the project identified in the project documents is, to increase the environmental efficiency of key export products and related industrial processes in the target countries, supporting their industry and government's active contribution to the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (Marrakech process). The evaluation set out to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements; and to promote learning, feedback and knowledge sharing among UNEP, the GEF and their partners by identifying lessons of operational relevance for future project formulation and implementation.


: This work demonstrates the ability to detect changes in both quantity and spatial distribution of human stratum corneum (SC) lipids from samples collected in vivo. The SC functions as the predominant barrier to the body, protecting against the penetration of xenobiotic substances. Changes to the SC lipid composition have been associated with barrier impairment and conse-quent skin disorders and it is therefore important to monitor and quantify changes to this structure. This work demonstrates the first reported use of time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to assess physiological changes to human SC as a function of depth. This technique provides exceptional sensitivity and chemical specificity, allowing analysis of single tape stripped samples taken from volunteers. Using this methodology we were able to successfully identify chemical differences in human SC resulting from both intrinsic and extrinsic (photo) aging. Samples were collected from women of two age groups (under 27 and post-menopausal) and from two body sites with varying UV exposure (inner forearm and dorsal hand) and differences were identified using multivariate data analysis. The key finding was the significant aged-related increase and change in spatial distribution of the sterol cholesterol sulfate, a membrane stabilizing lipid. Significant changes in the prevalence of both lignoceric acid (C24:0) and hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) were also observed. This work describes previously unreported age-related chemical changes to human SC, providing an insight into aging mechanisms which may improve the design of both pharmaceutical and cosmetic topical products.


The wrist scanner is a small radioactivity detector being developed to image arteries in the wrist for non-invasive estimation of an input function for quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) studies. A prototype four detector LSO-APD array was characterized and tested in a clinical setting. The scanner has a sensitivity of 4 cps/nCi/cc and a resolution at the arterial position of the wrist is 2.3 mm. Tomographic images of the human wrist were acquired using the MicroPET R4 scanner. These images were used to measure the tissue radioactivity interference, study partial volume effects and to estimate an image-derived input function from the radial and ulnar arteries. The metabolic rate of glucose calculated using an image derived input function from the wrist was compared to the values calculated using the invasive arterial input function. A paired two tailed t-test showed that these values did not differ at a significance level of p<0.05.


Stackelberginia cerberus sp. nov. (Diptera: Asilidae) is described from the Amargosa desert (USA: Nevada) and compared to related taxa. This is the first record of the genus in the Western Hemisphere; other species live in the deserts of central Asia. Stackelberginia Lehr is proposed as the sister taxon to Lasiopogon Loew in the subfamily Stichopogoninae based on morphological characters and a Bayesian species tree estimated from one mitochondrial ( COI ) and three nuclear protein-coding loci ( AATS , PEPCK , wingless ). Stackelberginia has the medially divided epandrium and rotated hypopygium of Lasiopogon , but the facial gibbosity is flat, macrosetae of thorax, head, and legs are unusually long, and phenology peaks in late autumn.


This paper introduces the computer-aided instruction (CAI) tutorial Karnaugh, outlining its design, development and evaluation. Karnaugh is used for supplementary learning in the module Computer Systems: Fundamental Concepts.
E-learning applications require rigorous evaluation of their functionality, learning content and usability. In the case of Karnaugh, this was done in a participative action research approach over two years. Evaluation and reflection occurred in iterative cycles, followed by active responses in the form of revised designs, with the researcher-designer playing a participative role as Karnaugh evolved through five variants. Complementary usability evaluation methods were used, namely heuristic evaluation, end-user questionnaires and interviews. The evaluation criteria were based on an adaptation of Squires & Preeces' 'learning with software' heuristics.
The unexpected discovery of some flawed data provided lessons in questionnaire administration.


Coronal loops reveal crucial information about the nature of both coronal magnetic fields and coronal heating. The shape of the corresponding flux tube cross section and how it varies with position are especially important properties. They are a direct indication of the expansion of the field and of the cross-field spatial distribution of the heating. We have studied 20 loops using high spatial resolution observations from the first flight of the Hi-C rocket experiment, measuring the intensity and width as a function of position along the loop axis. We find that intensity and width tend to either be uncorrelated or to have a direct dependence, such that they increase or decrease together. This implies that the flux tube cross sections are approximately circular under the assumptions that the tubes have nonnegligible twist and that the plasma emissivity is approximately uniform along the magnetic field. The shape need not be a perfect circle and the emissivity need not be uniform within the cross section, but subresolution patches of emission must be distributed quasi-uniformly within an envelope that has an aspect ratio of order unity. This raises questions about the suggestion that flux tubes expand with height, but primarily in the line-of-sight direction so that the corresponding (relatively noticeable) loops appear to have roughly uniform width, a long-standing puzzle. It also casts doubt on the idea that most loops correspond to simple warped sheets, although we leave open the possibility of more complex manifold structures.


Display-based interfaces pose high demands on users' eyes that can cause severe vision and eye problems, also known as digital eye strain (DES). Although these problems can become even more severe if the eyes are actively used for interaction, prior work on gaze-based interfaces has largely neglected these risks. We offer the first comprehensive account of DES in gaze-based interactive systems that is specifically geared to gaze interaction designers. Through an extensive survey of more than 400 papers published over the last 46 years, we first discuss the current role of DES in interactive systems. One key finding is that DES is only rarely considered when evaluating novel gaze interfaces and neglected in discussions of usability. We identify the main causes and solutions to DES and derive recommendations for interaction designers on how to guide future research on evaluating and alleviating DES.


This two year exploratory study compared a basal reader approach to the teaching of language arts in grades four and five with a whole language approach which used children's literature, magazines, magazines and a variety of functional reading materials as the vehicle of instruction. The purpose of the study was to identify a teaching method which would most successfully promote the language arts competencies of thirty-nine rural children in a multigrade (four/five) classroom environment. The impact of the two types of school curricula on three criterion measures of language arts achievements were estimated by an ordinary least squares regression method. The outcome variables were reading, writing and spelling. -- To control for the possible confounding effects of home background and prior scholastic achievement, these variables were added to the equations as covariates. An accurate linear composite reflecting the conventional socioeconomic status variable could not be constructed; hence, was dropped from the analysis. Unexpectedly, however, the sex variable for the grade four/five students proved to have significant predictive value. Thus, both sex differences and cognitive ability were selected as the covariates. In effect, the impact of curricular treatments - basal reader versus whole language methods - on reading writing and spelling were estimated while controlling for sex and ability. -- Since whole language methodology is currently regarded as an innovative teaching procedure it was referred to as the experimental treatment. It was found that the impact of whole language on reading performance was negligible though the relationship was in the hypothesized direction. While the same inconclusive finding held for spelling it was argued that this result had important practical implications since spelling is not formally taught as a language skill in the whole language curriculum in the same way that it is when using a spelling text. -- While both reading and spelling competencies proved unresponsive to the experimental treatment compared to the basal reader method, this was not the case with writing. Children's writing was responsive [at the p ≤ 0.10 level of significance] to the experimental treatment when controlling for sex differences and ability. Finally, it should be noted that sex differences accounted for variance in both reading and writing literacies, while cognitive ability accounted for achievement in reading and spelling. -- In sum, in this exploratory study the whole language approach seemed to be a marginally better methodology for promoting elementary school literacy. Since there is little research demonstrating the instructional advantages of whole language it was claimed that these findings may have important implications for pedagogical practice. Note, however, that the teacher using whole language methodology requires many more resource over and above the standard basal reader in order to adequately meet the literacy needs of elementary school pupils.


Optimization of the bandwidth of a 2 km 50 μm multimode fiber at 850 nm is investigated theoretically and experimentally by steering a single spot, or two in antiphase spots across the core of the fiber in two dimensions using a ferroelectric liquid-crystal-based spatial light modulator. This method not only allows an optimal offset launch position to be chosen in situ but can also characterize the geometry and position of the core, identify defects, and measure the maximum differential mode delay. Its ability to selectively excite specific mode groups is also of relevance to mode-group division multiplexing.


Abstract It is previously shown that carriers of the defective allele CYP2C9*3 that leads to impaired sulfonylurea metabolism are at increased sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia risk due to diminished drug metabolism, whereas no effect of CYP2C9*2 allele was found. Recently, a polymorphism in P450 oxidoreductase (POR) gene, assigned as POR*28 allele, was associated with increased CYP2C9 activity. The aim of this study was to assess i) the effect of POR*28 allele on sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia risk and ii) the association of CYP2C9*2 allele with hypoglycemia risk in non-carriers of POR*28 allele. The study group consisted of 176 patients with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with sulfonylureas, of whom 92 patients had experienced at least one drug-associated hypoglycemic event (cases), while 84 had never experienced a hypoglycemic event (controls). POR*28 allele was detected by use of real-time TaqMan PCR. POR*28 allele was not associated with sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia. In POR*1/*1 patients, CYP2C9*1/*2 genotype was more common in cases than in controls (32.7 vs. 14.3%, p=0.041). In a model adjusted for age, BMI, duration of T2DM and renal function, and POR*1/*1 entered as a selection variable, CYP2C9*2 allele increased the hypoglycemia risk in response to sulfonylurea (odds ratio: 3.218, p=0.031). In conclusion, our results suggest that POR*28 allele is masking the association of CYP2C9*2 allele with sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia. Therefore, POR*28 allele is an important source of CYP2C9 activity variability and combined with CYP2C9 gene polymorphisms may explain individual variability in the effect of sulfonylureas.


We present a new algorithm for domain adaptation improving upon a discrepancy minimization algorithm, (DM), previously shown to outperform a number of algorithms for this problem. Unlike many previously proposed solutions for domain adaptation, our algorithm does not consist of a fixed reweighting of the losses over the training sample. Instead, the reweighting depends on the hypothesis sought. The algorithm is derived from a less conservative notion of discrepancy than the DM algorithm called generalized discrepancy. We present a detailed description of our algorithm and show that it can be formulated as a convex optimization problem. We also give a detailed theoretical analysis of its learning guarantees which helps us select its parameters. Finally, we report the results of experiments demonstrating that it improves upon discrepancy minimization in several tasks.


The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has played a central role in the promotion of regional security and stability amongst its member nations, as well as the greater Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific regions. The organization's reputation as one of the most effective bodies in promoting stability and peace in the area has evolved from its ability to forge solidarity amongst its members by encouraging collaboration and cooperation on common issues. The Cold War threatened the effectiveness of ASEAN and was thus a catalyst for numerous changes within the organization. As existing structures of regional security were destroyed, ASEAN had to redevelop and expand the existing security strategy to resonate with and be effective in the new regional environment. This article examines ASEAN's post-Cold War security strategy, in particular its vision for an expanded organization, the emergence of concentric circles facilitating regional cooperation and interaction, and the development of track-two diplomacy within ASEAN. Future prospects for the organization are also discussed.


In certain cell types, patelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) suppresses epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The Protein Kinase C (PKC) family of serine-threonine kinases has been implicated in this process. Bagowski et al. now report that Protein Kinase D (PKD) is critical to this transmodulation event. PKD is a kinase related to PKC, and is activated by PKC in response to PDGF stimulation. PKD-mediated transmodulation of EGF signaling by PDGF required phosphorylation of two threonine residues in the juxtamembrane region of the EGF receptor. It is still not clear if PKD works alone or with other kinases to phosphorylate the EGF receptor. Bagowski, C.P., Stein-Gerlach, M., Choidas, A., and Ullrich, A. (1999) Cell-type specific phosphorylation of threonines T654 and T669 by PKD defines the signal capacity of the EGF receptor. EMBO J. 18: 5567-5576. [Abstract] [Full Text]


While copyright research in the decade following Napster focused mostly on whether file sharing undermines demand, research has more recently asked how piracy and other aspects of digitization affect the supply of new products. Although revenue has declined sharply, evidence that weakened effective copyright protection undermines creation has been elusive. Instead, because of cost-reducing effects of digitization, the number of new recorded music products – and their apparent quality – has increased. This study examines movie production in India during a period of technological change that facilitated large-scale piracy. The diffusion of the VCR and cable television in India between 1985 and 2000 created substantial opportunities for unpaid movie consumption. We use this episode to study possible impacts of piracy on supply. We first document, from narrative sources, conditions conducive to piracy as these technologies diffused. We then provide strong circumstantial evidence of piracy in diminished appropriability: movies' revenues fell by a third to a half, conditional on their ratings by movie-goers and their ranks in their annual revenue distributions. Weaker effective demand undermined creative incentives. While the number of new movies released had grown steadily from 1960 to 1985, it fell markedly between 1985 and 2000, suggesting a supply elasticity in the range of 0.2-0.7. Thus, our study provides affirmative evidence on a central tenet of copyright policy, that stronger effective copyright protection effects more creation. We contrast our findings with evidence from other contexts.


Only a small amount of research thus far has investigated the relationship between the working conditions of those employed in technical professions, such as Information Technology (IT), and the implications for their well being (Sonnetag et al., 1994). In particular the IT profession in the UK appears to be at risk from a culture characterised by long working hours (Kodz, 2003). In addition to the established links between long-term computer use and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (Punnett & Bergqvist, 1997), previous research has also positively linked working for excessive hours as potential stressor to the mental health of employees (Sparkes et al., 1997; Spurgeon, Harrington & Cooper, 1997). A prevalence of mobile computer technologies has also meant the erosion of traditional boundaries between work and home (Venkatraman, Tanriverdi & Stoke, 1999). Furthermore IT professionals have faced a proliferation of complicated methodologies, a growing guilt reaction to a failure to keep pace with ever-changing technological advancements, and the pressure to develop and deliver software in shorter time scales (Perlow, 1998; Stokes, 1996). These very personal issues associated with the quality of working life also have serious organisational implications in terms of increased costs related to absenteeism, recruitment and training; impaired decision making; job dissatisfaction and low morale (Coolican, 2001).

The UK's Working Time Regulations (WTR), implemented in 1998, provide a current, normative representation of reasonable working time. This research paper compares the working patterns of a cluster of IT professionals within a large financial services organisation against this model in order to ascertain their position relative to this tolerable standard. The relationship between the subtleties in the way time is ordered and the reported perceptions of the affect of the WTR and other Human Resource initiatives to reduce the culture of long working hours are studied.

Whilst it is acknowledged that individual characteristics are important in determining an affinity and ability to work long hours and cope with stress, they are by no means the overriding aspects. Previous researchers such as Moore (1998) have cited adverse organisational factors as more significant in the etiology of work exhaustion than individual factors. This research examines some of those organisational factors and the perceived value of formal initiatives in reducing incidences of long working hours and concomitant pressures. The perceptions of stress and the efficacy of these formalised schemes are examined by observing and questioning those directly affected with regards to their working time, job stressors and work-life balance.

The findings indicate that although the organisation in question has made some high-profile attempts to promote a healthy balance between work and home, the efficacy of these efforts is questionable. The working limits set by the WTR are regularly exceeded and long hours are still entwined, and indeed often subtly promoted, within the organisation. Managers and the Human Resources (HR) department appear to send out confusing and contradictory messages. IT professionals, and their partners, are often publicly rewarded for working long hours while others are penalised for doing the same. The performance management system values those working on high-profile projects, with work on these projects often a key factor in gaining promotion. Yet due to the nature of the profession, the organisational sub-culture, and poorly considered workplace design, this work invariably requires the commitment of sustained long hours amid difficult circumstances. As HR try to drive through the principles of the WTR formally, or informally through initiatives such as Work Smarter Not Harder and Go Home On Time days, the unanticipated consequences of their actions and inactions present IT professionals with a stress-laden dichotomy.


Primordialist and constructivist authors have debated the nature of ethnicity "as such" and therefore failed to explain why its characteristics vary so dramatically across cases, displaying different degrees of social closure, political salience, cultural distinctiveness, and historical stability. The author introduces a multilevel process theory to understand how these characteristics are generated and transformed over time. The theory assumes that ethnic boundaries are the outcome of the classificatory struggles and negotiations between actors situated in a social field. Three characteristics of a field—the institutional order, distribution of power, and political networks—determine which actors will adopt which strategy of ethnic boundary making. The author then discusses the conditions under which these negotiations will lead to a shared understanding of the location and meaning of boundaries. The nature of this consensus explains the particular characteristics of an ethnic boundary. A final section identifies endogenous and exogenous mechanisms of change.


The purpose of this thesis is to provide a through reconsideration of the treatise Oratio IV Contra Arianos (hereinafter referred to as CAR IV), which historically is attributed to St. Athanasius. This reconsideration addresses three main areas of inquiry:1. Is it defensible to consider Athanasius to be the author of CAR IV in terms of linguistics and theology?2. Since the Athanasian premise is not universally accepted, what other authors are suggested by patristics scholars?3. Regardless of authorship, what theological value does CAR IV hold for the contemporary reader? It is this author's contention that CAR IV, though a lesser-known writing of the Nicene period, is a very significant treatise. CAR IV offers a valuable insight into the theologically rich and complex world of the fourth century church. In CAR IV, by way of refutation, we are introduced to a view as radical and persistent as Arianism but less often discussed - modalistic monarchianism. An understanding of all the varied doctrines that did battle at Nicea leads to a greater appreciation for the endurance of the tradition expressed in the Nicene creed. In conclusion, the present author finds the argument that CAR IV is genuinely Athanasian but separate from the other three Orations to be the most convincing theory yet expounded. CAR IV would be more properly titled Contra Marcellum. Perhaps Athanasius never gave this title to the work in deference to Marcellus. Only Athanasius, Marcellus' friend, would demonstrate this consideration. It is also suggested that CAR IV was an incomplete rough draft. The author of this thesis agrees with this reasoning also, and after contemplation would further this explanation by hypothesizing that CAR IV was an incomplete text of Athanasius that was collected and arranged in its current form posthumously by students of the Bishop.


The article considers the most relevant phenomena of contemporary society - violence and religion - in their interaction and confrontation. Violence is presented in a number of forms: power as command and subordinate relations; total control bringing in the Panopticon symbolism; self-control; irrationality and destruction of impersonated mass; aggression and unmanageability of crowds; mimetic violence based on simulation and marking the victims. The author of the article defines the possibilities for violence emergence in religions and emphasizes the Church's (in integer philosophical meaning) role in countering various manifestations of violence in contemporary societies. The author marks out the changed nature of violence since the beginning of the 21 st century connected to the technological development, rapid non-linear history development, usage of psychological mass manipulation, inclusion of religious categorization for communities' submission and carrying out destructive actions and, sometimes, warfare. The author points out the importance of resistance to violence and irrationality by enlightenment and reason, by rationalization of all social interactions. The author focuses on moral, anthropological and spiritual potential of religions to preventing violence and minimizing its effects.


Chemical probing experiments interrogate RNA structures by creating covalent adducts on RNA molecules in structure-dependent patterns. Adduct positions are then detected through conversion of the modified RNAs into complementary DNA (cDNA) by reverse transcription (RT) as either stops (RT-stops) or mutations (RT-mutations). Statistical analysis of the frequencies of RT-stops and RT-mutations can then be used to estimate a measure of chemical probing reactivity at each nucleotide of an RNA, which reveals properties of the underlying RNA structure. Inspired by recent work that showed that different reverse transcriptase enzymes show distinct biases for detecting adducts as either RT-stops or RT-mutations, here we use a statistical modeling framework to derive an equation for chemical probing reactivity using experimental signatures from both RT-stops and RT-mutations within a single experiment. The resulting formula intuitively matches the expected result from considering reactivity to be defined as the fraction of adduct observed at each position in an RNA at the end of a chemical probing experiment. We discuss assumptions and implementation of the model, as well as ways in which the model may be experimentally validated.


Confluences looks at the prospects for and the potential rewards of breaking down theoretical and disciplinary barriers that have tended to separate African American and postcolonial studies. John Cullen Gruesser's study emphasizes the confluences among three major theories that have emerged in literary and cultural studies in the past twenty-five years: postcolonialism, Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Signifyin(g), and Paul Gilroy's black Atlantic. For readers who may not be well acquainted with one or more of the three theories, Gruesser provides concise introductions in the opening chapter. In addition, he urges those people working in postcolonial or African American literary studies to attempt to break down the boundaries that in recent years have come to isolate the two fields. Gruesser then devotes a chapter to each theory, examining one literary text that illustrates the value of the theoretical model, a second text that extends the model in a significant way, and a third text that raises one or more questions about the theory. His examples are drawn from the writings of Salman Rushdie, Jean Rhys, V. S. Naipaul, Walter Mosley, Pauline Hopkins, Toni Morrison, Harry Dean, Harriet Jacobs, and Alice Walker. Cautious not to conflate postcolonial and African American studies, Gruesser encourages critics to embrace the black Atlantic's emphases on movement through space (routes rather than roots) and intercultural connections and to expand and where appropriate to emend Gilroy's efforts to bridge the two fields.


The exploration-exploitation trade-off is among the central challenges of reinforcement learning. The optimal Bayesian solution is intractable in general. This paper studies to what extent analytic statements about optimal learning are possible if all beliefs are Gaussian processes. A first order approximation of learning of both loss and dynamics, for nonlinear, time-varying systems in continuous time and space, subject to a relatively weak restriction on the dynamics, is described by an infinite-dimensional partial differential equation. An approximate finite-dimensional projection gives an impression for how this result may be helpful.


The book consists of two parts, with the first part containing surveys of selected topics and the second part presenting original research contributions. This book will be a valuable source of material to faculty, students, and researchers in mathematical programming, data analysis and data mining, as well as people working in bioinformatics, computer science, engineering, and applied mathematics. In addition, the book can be used as a supplement to any course in data mining or computational/systems biology.


The conflict between creationists and evolutionists has raged ever since the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859. And yet, even as generations of Americans have fought and re-fought the same battles, the contours of the debate have in recent years shifted dramatically. Tracking the dizzying rhetorical heights and opportunistic political lows of this controversy, Larry Witham travels to America's churches, schools, universities, museums, and government agencies to present creationists and evolutionists in their own unfiltered voices. We meet leading creationists and proponents of Intelligent Design such as Michael Behe; evolutionists such as Richard Dawkins; and theistic scientists who describe how they reconcile God and Nature. Today, Biblical literalism is tempered by the Intelligent Design movement, which finds evidence of God's presence in nature's patterns. The once-dominant "young earth" school has been replaced by a creationism that conscripts the language of science to advance the creationist cause. Meanwhile, evolutionary scientists hesitate to point out gaps in their theories for fear that such self-scrutiny could serve as fodder for anti-evolution propaganda. In an age marked both by a rising religious tide and daily scientific breakthroughs, Where Darwin Meets the Bible provides the standard account of this lasting conflict.


A fundamental element in operating a competitive manufacturing system is the ability to control material, cost, and other production resources required to transform the raw material to a finished product. To successfully control cost, it is essential that a reliable assessment of the tasks required to manufacture the product be made. This involves identifying the operations and the machine tools required. In this research, a method of decomposing polyhedral components to generate all possible ways to process the part is presented. The technique takes as input the geometric design data of the product, analyzes and interprets the design to identify the volume of material to be machined out from the raw material block to obtain the finished product. The volume of material to be removed are characterized to generate various approach directions from which the material can be machined out. The alternate tool approach directions are used to construct an AND/OR graph that captures the process alternatives. Using this graphical representation, a model is proposed for selecting the best process plan based on some user defined criterion. The developed procedure can be integrated into a CAD/CAM system to provide the required linkage between design and manufacturing and thus, automate a critical link in manufacturing.


The blending of common polymers allows for the rapid and facile synthesis of new materials with highly tunable properties at a fraction of the costs of new monomer development and synthesis. Most blends of polymers, however, are completely immiscible and separate into distinct phases with minimal phase interaction, severely degrading the performance of the material. Cross-phase interactions and property enhancement can be achieved with these blends through reactive processing or compatibilizer addition. A new class of blend compatibilization relies on the mechanochemical reactions between polymer chains via solid-state, high energy processing. Two contrasting mechanochemical processing techniques are explored in this thesis: cryogenic milling and solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP). Cryogenic milling is a batch process where a milling rod rapidly impacts the blend sample while submerged within a bath of liquid nitrogen. In contrast, SSSP is a continuous process where blend components are subjected to high shear and compressive forces while progressing down a chilled twin-screw barrel. In the cryogenic milling study, through the application of a synthesized labeled polymer, in situ formation of copolymers was observed for the first time. The microstructures of polystyrene/high-density polyethylene (PS/HDPE) blends fabricated via cryomilling followed by intimate melt-state mixing and static annealing were found to be morphologically stable over time. PS/HDPE blends fabricated via SSSP also showed compatibilization by way of ideal blend morphology through growth mechanisms with slightly different behavior compared to the cryomilled blends. The new Bucknell University SSSP instrument was carefully analyzed and optimized to produce


The paper presents the detailed numerical investigation of the "double‐gradient mode," which is believed to be responsible for the magnetotail flapping oscillations—the fast vertical (normal to the layer) oscillations of the Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet with a quasiperiod ∼100–200 s. The instability is studied using the magnetotail near‐equilibrium configuration. For the first time, linear three‐dimensional numerical analysis is complemented with full 3‐D MHD simulations. It is known that the "double‐gradient mode" has unstable solutions in the region of the tailward growth of the magnetic field component, normal to the current sheet. The unstable kink branch of the mode is the focus of our study. Linear MHD code results agree with the theory, and the growth rate is found to be close to the peak value, provided by the analytical estimates. Full 3‐D simulations are initialized with the numerically relaxed magnetotail equilibrium, similar to the linear code initial condition. The calculations show that current layer with tailward gradient of the normal component of the magnetic field is unstable to wavelengths longer than the curvature radius of the field line. The segment of the current sheet with the earthward gradient of the normal component makes some stabilizing effect (the same effect is registered in the linearized MHD simulations) due to the minimum of the total pressure localized in the center of the sheet. The overall growth rate is close to the theoretical double‐gradient estimate averaged over the computational domain.


This article aims to create a theoretical and practical support for video engineering through an e-learning editing and video compression application. The original contribution is a new perspective of learning the basic practical skills of video signal processing: representation, editing and compression. The e-learning content application has a main menu with three categories and it is divided into 10 work areas. The application is flexible, accepting additions and enhancements to the video formats or codecs. The concepts of format, wrapper, and container refer to the same thing: a software entity that contains one or more codecs inside it. Even though it has a number of shortcomings and modern times have brought to market a number of media formats (Matroska, MP4 or OGG) without its shortcomings, AVI is still the most popular media format due to ease of use and modification, such as and due to a the very good of the quality/resources ratio. The video editing case study in online learning proposed in this paper has important educational features, helping users to learn video processing and to acquire basic skills in video engineering, based on nonlinear video editing and modular construction. As for performances, the application provides good response times for cutting, black-and-white conversion, file merging, and webcam capture. Very good response times are also gained in fast frame shuffle, snapshot capture, data compression, and video capture. The application interface is very simple and easy to use, with clear and explicit menus, intuitive and strategically placed buttons. It is studied at the Information Technology & Computer Systems Master program from the University "Politehnica" of Bucharest, within the laboratory classes of Multimedia Equipment and Technologies.


STUDY DESIGN
Case-control laboratory study.

OBJECTIVES
To compare tendon characteristics (shape, composition) and mechanical properties (strain, stiffness) on the involved side of participants with insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) to the uninvolved side and to controls, and to examine if severity of tendon pathology is associated with severity of symptoms during function.

BACKGROUND
Despite the severity and chronicity of IAT, the quality of theoretical evidence available to guide the development of exercise interventions is low. While tendon pathology of midportion Achilles tendinopathy has been described, there are few studies specific to IAT.

METHODS
Twenty individuals with unilateral IAT and 20 age- and sex-matched controls volunteered to participate. Ultrasound imaging was used to quantify changes in tendon shape (diameter) and composition (echogenicity). A combination of ultrasound and dynamometry was used to measure tendon mechanical properties (strain and stiffness) during passive ankle rotation toward dorsiflexion. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association between IAT, alterations in tendon properties, and participant demographics. Pearson correlation was used to examine the association between severity of tendon pathology and severity of symptoms (Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles).

RESULTS
The side with IAT had a larger tendon diameter (P<.001), lower echogenicity (P<.001), higher strain (P = .011), and lower stiffness (P = .007) compared to the side without IAT and the controls. On the involved side of participants with IAT, a lower echogenicity correlated with higher severity of symptoms (r = 0.603, P = .010).

CONCLUSION
Ultrasound imaging combined with dynamometry can discriminate alterations in tendon shape, composition, and mechanics in participants with IAT. Future clinical trials for IAT may consider strategies to alter tendon characteristics and restore tendon mechanics.


Methods for the formal specification and verification of systems are indispensible for the development of complex yet correct systems. In formal verification, the designer describes the system in a modeling language with a well-defined semantics, and this system description is analyzed against a set of correctness requirements. Model checking is an algorithmic technique to check that a system description indeed satisfies correctness requirements given as logical specifications. While successful in hardware verification, the potential for model checking for software and embedded systems has not yet been realized. This is because traditional model checking focuses on systems modeled as finite state-transition graphs. While a natural model for hardware (especially synchronous hardware), state-transition graphs often do not capture software and embedded systems at an appropriate level of granularity. This dissertation considers two orthogonal extensions to finite state-transition graphs making model checking techniques applicable to both a wider class of systems and a wider class of properties.
The first direction is an extension to infinite-state structures finitely represented using constraints and operations on constraints. Infinite state arises when we wish to model variables with unbounded range (e.g., integers), or data structures, or real time. We provide a uniform framework of symbolic region algebras to study model checking of infinite-state systems. We also provide sufficient language-independent termination conditions for symbolic model checking algorithms on infinite state systems.
The second direction supplements verification with game theoretic reasoning. Games are natural models for interactions between components. We study game theoretic behavior with winning conditions given by temporal logic objectives both in the deterministic and in the probabilistic context. For deterministic games, we provide an extremal model characterization of fixpoint algorithms that link solutions of verification problems to solutions for games. For probabilistic games we study fixpoint characterization of winning probabilities for games with ω-regular winning objectives, and construct (e-)optimal winning strategies.


Current research discusses various general frameworks for installing an international lender of last resort (ILOLR). However, it remains unclear how the ILOLR should actually operate. This paper discusses six different options of construction of an ILOLR who supports central banks in the case of currency crises. The paper concludes that the cost efficient version of the ILOLR would be direct interventions by the IMF by the use of IMF resources and the right to dispose additional reserves from central banks. The paper considers measures of cost efficiency, such as cost of borrowing, intervention, and sterilization and moral hazard problems.


To evaluate diarrheal disease control effects of various water and sanitation interventions, a comprehensive search strategy was developed to identify all peer-reviewed papers relating to water and sanitation intervention studies in China. All published studies since 1980 on water and sanitation interventions to reduce diarrheal disease in China were analyzed using meta-analysis. Fixed-effects and random-effects models were used to calculate the summarized relative risk of all included studies. The results show that water and sanitation interventions can be classified into four types: improved water supply; latrine construction intervention; health education and behavior intervention; and multiple interventions. All of these intervention studies were found to reduce the risks of diarrhea illness. This study, which analyzed high control effects of water and sanitation intervention to prevent diarrheal disease, revealed that water improvements and sanitation interventions in China played an important role in reducing diarrhea illness. The diarrhea study concluded that the intervention of water and sanitation in China must involve the whole population as it aims to build a more comprehensive intervention system.


Research shows that natural language processing models are generally considered to be vulnerable to adversarial attacks; but recent work has drawn attention to the issue of validating these adversarial inputs against certain criteria (e.g., the preservation of semantics and grammaticality). Enforcing constraints to uphold such criteria may render attacks unsuccessful, raising the question of whether valid attacks are actually feasible. In this work, we investigate this through the lens of human language ability. We report on crowdsourcing studies in which we task humans with iteratively modifying words in an input text, while receiving immediate model feedback, with the aim of causing a sentiment classification model to misclassify the example. Our findings suggest that humans are capable of generating a substantial amount of adversarial examples using semantics-preserving word substitutions. We analyze how human-generated adversarial examples compare to the recently proposed TextFooler, Genetic, BAE and SememePSO attack algorithms on the dimensions naturalness, preservation of sentiment, grammaticality and substitution rate. Our findings suggest that human-generated adversarial examples are not more able than the best algorithms to generate natural-reading, sentiment-preserving examples, though they do so by being much more computationally efficient.


Sharing of information about publications is very important in a research community. The paper describes a system which demonstrates how semantic blogging can be used for the purpose. It incorporates SWRC ontology into blogging for entering metadata about publications; facilitates commenting on publications and provides a decentralized aggregation mechanism to aggregate publications in the community. RSS aggregation has been extended to handle metadata in BuRST feeds. The system uses FOAF links of authors and friends to explore the social network of the research community and gather RSS/BuRST feeds.


Peak and retrograde P–T conditions of Grenville-age eclogites from the Glenelg–Attadale Inlier of the northwest Highlands of Scotland are presented. Peak conditions are estimated as c. 20 kbar and 750–780°C, in broad agreement with previous work. The eclogites subsequently followed a steep decompression path to c. 13 kbar and 650–700°C during amphibolite facies retrogression. Peak eclogite facies metamorphism occurred > 1080 Ma and retrogression at c. 995 Ma, suggesting fairly sluggish uplift rates of < 0.3 km/Ma and cooling rates of < 1.25°C/Ma, when compared with other parts of the Grenville orogeny and/or modern orogens. However, current poor constraints on the timing of peak metamorphism mean that these rates cannot be used to interpret the geodynamic evolution of this part of the orogen. The P–T–t data, together with petrology and the field relationships between the basement rocks of the Glenelg–Attadale Inlier and the overlying Moine Supergroup, mean that it is difficult to support the currently held view that an unconformable relationship exists between the two. It is suggested that more data are required in order to re-interpret the Neoproterozic tectonic evolution of the northwest Highlands of Scotland.


It is well understood that adding to the population increases CO2 emissions. At the same time, having children is a transformative experience, such that it might profoundly change adult (i.e., parents') preferences and consumption. How it might change is, however, unknown. Depending on if becoming a parent makes a person "greener" or "browner," parents may either balance or exacerbate the added CO2 emissions from their children. Parents might think more about the future, compared to childless adults, including risks posed to their children from environmental events like climate change. But parenthood also adds needs and more intensive competition on your scarce time. Carbon-intensive goods can add convenience and help save time, e.g., driving may facilitate being in more places in one day, compared to public transportation or biking. Pre-prepared food that contain red meat may save time and satisfy more household preferences, relative to vegetarian food. We provide the first rigorous test of whether parents are greener or browner than other adults. We create a unique dataset by combining detailed micro data on household expenditures of all expenditure groups particularly important for CO2 emissions (transportation, food, and heating/electricity) with CO2 emissions, and compare emissions from Swedish adults with and without children. We find that parents emit more CO2 than childless adults. Only a small fraction of adults permanently choose not to have children, which means any meaningful self-selection into parenthood based on green preferences is unlikely. Our findings suggest that having children might increase CO2 emissions both by adding to the population and by increasing CO2 emissions from those choosing to have children.


A new surface analysis technique has been developed which has a number of benefits compared to conventional Low Energy Ion Scattering Spectrometry (LEISS). A major potential advantage arising from the absence of charge exchange complications is the possibility of quantification. The instrumentation that has been developed also offers the possibility of unique studies concerning the interaction between low energy ions and atoms and solid surfaces. From these studies it may also be possible, in principle, to generate sensitivity factors to quantify LEISS data. The instrumentation, which is referred to as a Time-of-Flight Fast Atom Scattering Spectrometer has been developed to investigate these conjecture in practice. The development, involved a number of modifications to an existing instrument, and allowed samples to be bombarded with a monoenergetic pulsed beam of either atoms or ions, and provided the capability to analyse the spectra of scattered atoms and ions separately. Further to this a system was designed and constructed to allow incident, exit and azimuthal angles of the particle beam to be varied independently. The key development was that of a pulsed, and mass filtered atom source; which was developed by a cyclic process of design, modelling and experimentation. Although it was possible to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the instrument, problems relating to surface contamination prevented the measurement of the neutralisation probabilities. However, these problems appear to be technical rather than scientific in nature, and could be readily resolved given the appropriate resources. Experimental spectra obtained from a number of samples demonstrate some fundamental differences between the scattered ion and neutral spectra. For practical non-ordered surfaces the ToF spectra are more complex than their LEISS counterparts. This is particularly true for helium scattering where it appears, in the absence of detailed computer simulation, that quantitative analysis is limited to ordered surfaces. Despite this limitation the ToFFASS instrument opens the way for quantitative analysis of the 'true' surface region to a wider range of surface materials.


High levels of bat and bird mortalities have been documented at wind energy facilities; particularly hard-hit among bats are the treeroosting migratory species Lasiurus cinereus, L. borealis, and Lasionycteris noctivagans, which together compose approximately 79% of affected bats. Traditional mark-recapture monitoring methods have proven ineffective for these species due to the fact that these bats roost in small numbers, fly very high, and are difficult to catch. Thus it is hard to tell what effect these deaths at wind energy facilities are having on population numbers. Genetic data may provide a means of monitoring populations when demographic methods are unsuitable. We used coalescent-based simulations to determine the efficacy of genetic data as a monitoring tool for short-term changes in population size. Simulations were run under demographic models parameterized using mitochondrial DNA sequence data and microsatellite genotypes from the eastern red bat, Lasiurus borealis. DNA sequence data and microsatellite genotypes were simulated in both panmictic and structured populations using the computer program, ms, and analyzed using statistical software (microstat) to interpret the results. ms is a coalescent-based program that simulates genetic data under specific population models that are parameterized by initial population size, rate of decline, time since the onset of decline, mutation rate of the chosen molecular marker, and pattern of population structure. Initial estimates of these parameters were taken from previous studies on L. borealis (initial population size = 3.3 million individuals, rate of decline = –1% per year, mitochondrial mutation rate = 10-5 substitutions per gene per generation, no significant population structure). Simulations were allowed to run from 1 to 1000 generations following the initial onset of population decline to determine the timescales necessary to observe significant loss of genetic diversity under biologically realistic conditions. Loss of genetic diversity was assessed using summary statistics including the number of segregating sites, nucleotide diversity, and Tajima's D for DNA sequence data; analogous measures for microsatellite data included average heterozygosity, θP, and Cox's Δ. We found that direct measures of diversity (segregating sites and average heterozygosity) are much more informative for detecting population declines than neutrality tests such as Tajima's D and Cox's Δ. Between the two types of markers, microsatellites provided more power to detect population declines over shorter timescales (hundreds of generations for microsatellites as opposed to thousands of generations for sequence data). These results demonstrate that even quicklyevolving microsatellite data are unlikely to be useful for the type of year-to-year comparisons needed by monitoring agencies. We conclude that genetic data do not appear to be a useful metric for monitoring red bat population declines due to wind turbine-associated deaths. We emphasize that these conclusions are limited to the population parameters examined in this study, specifically those for eastern red bats facing population declines from wind turbines. Similar questions in other species (e.g., little brown bats facing local extirpation from white-nose syndrome) should be addressed using models appropriately parameterized for those systems.


So you're finally ready to find out what all the fuss is about. Whether you're switching from Windows or upgrading from an older Mac OS, this task-based guide represents the surest way to go from 0 to 60 in no time flat with Apple's much anticipated Mac OS X Tiger--more mature, powerfully enhanced, and with more than 200 new features that will knock your socks off. In this thoroughly revised bestseller, Maria Langer walks readers through the process of installing and configuring Tiger, then introduces the Mac OS desktop, including the Dock and the Sidebar, before moving on to more advanced Finder techniques, application basics, printing and faxing, connecting to the Internet, account management, configuring your Mac for multiple users, and more. Weighing in at over 700 pages, this new edition also offers plenty of coverage on what's new in Mac OS X Tiger, including Spotlight, the search tool that helps you find anything on your Mac instantly; multi-way video in iChat AV; the enhanced Mail application; Automator, which lets you automate repetitive manual tasks; Tiger's ultra-useful mini-applications (known as "Dashboard Widgets"); and more. Rounded out with plenty of tips, tricks, and sage advice, this book is equally useful for Macintosh novices as well as early adopters looking for a comprehensive reference on what's new in this much-talked-about Mac OS upgrade.


The catalytic activity of amorphous Co–P–B catalysts electrodeposited on carbon paper (CP) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was investigated in aqueous 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Based on the measured double layer capacitance (Cdl) and HER activity, it was found that the HER intrinsic activity exhibited volcano behavior when plotted as a function of the B/P ratio in the Co–P–B catalyst. It was revealed that based on the electronic structures of the elements, electron transfer among the three elements is a significant factor for enhancing the intrinsic activity for the HER. The highest activity was obtained with a B/P ratio of ∼1, where electron transfer among the three elements was maximized.


Problem Statement: Literature reviews clearly document that students still show a tendency to use violence in resolving interpersonal conflicts in school. Results from various research conducted in Turkey suggest that violence, aggression, and bullying behaviors are still rampant in the primary and high schools. Studies conducted in primary and middle schools toward decreasing aggression and preventing violence focus on programs such as violence prevention, conflict resolution, and peer mediation. While these programs are mainly based on peacemaking strategy, prevention programs based on positive peace and peacebuilding strategy with tested effectiveness are rather limited. Thus, a peace education program based on positive peace and peacebuilding strategy was developed and its effects on aggression levels of sixth grade students were investigated. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of peace education program on sixth grade students' aggression. Furthermore, students' perspectives and experiences related to peace education program were examined. Method: In the research conducted in two low-SES middle schools, an embedded mixed method design was used. The qualitative study was embedded within a pretest-posttest control group using a quasi-experimental design to learn more about the experiences of students who receive peace education training. The peace education program was applied on experimental group, while the control group has not been provided any treatment related to the research topic. The experimental group included 84 girls (53.85%), 72 boys (46.15%), and 156 students (59.54%) in total. The control group included 54 girls (50.94%), 52 boys (49.06%), and 106 students (40.46%) in total. The Aggression Questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data. After the experimental treatment process was completed, a total of 20 students were interviewed and their perspectives and experiences related to the peace education program were examined. A semi-structured interview form was used to obtain qualitative data. Findings and Results: Research results indicated that aggression levels of the experimental group were significantly reduced compared to the control group students. Analyses of qualitative data provided evidence that the peace education program led to positive changes in student behaviors and improved relationships among and between students and teachers. Conclusions and Recommendations: In the research, it was determined that the peace education program was effective in decreasing aggression levels of the sixth grade students. The findings in this study are parallel with the findings of previous experimental studies. Thus, the research validated the assumptions that implementing peace education programs in schools will enable students to gain fundamental life skills to constructively resolve interpersonal conflicts. Keywords: Interpersonal conflict, violence, conflict resolution, negotiation, reconciliation.


In many Business Schools today, accounting academics have been introduced to the concept of sustainability that challenges the dominant 20th century way of doing business. In these schools, it is now reasoned that the purpose of business may be better achieved if it involves taking decisions that recognize the holistic economic, social and environmental consequences of those decisions. Simply justifying decisions on the basis that shareholders' wealth will be maximized is now thought by many to be inadequate. We argue that this new perspective should not be taught to accounting students. Rather we argue that (following Aristotle) students should be exposed to arguments that encourage them to develop the virtue of "unfettered vigor", coming from intelligent personal choice, which will help them recognize that "good living", by themselves and their descendants, is dependent on the sustainable business perspective being adopted in society.


Police custody is an area of scholarly research that has previously been overlooked. Whilst the research and literature regarding this topic begins to grow, there still remains a wide variety of aspects to be considered. Chapter One presents a general introduction to the topic. Chapter Two presents a literature review following a systematic approach regarding the healthcare needs of those detained in police custody. The findings revealed that there is a considerable presence of mental health, substance misuse, and physical health care needs amongst police custody detainees. Chapter Three presents a critique of an impulsivity measure, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). The concluding remarks reported that further research is essential in examining the psychometric properties amongst forensic populations. The indications regarding reliability and validity are supportive, although further evidence considering the effectiveness of this tool for decision-making would be beneficial. Chapter Four, an empirical study, examined the prevalence of impulsivity, self-harm, and situational aggression amongst detainees. In addition, the predictive validity of one of the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS) risk assessment was reviewed. This study identified that impulsivity traits are highly prevalent amongst detainees (for the non-planning impulsiveness subtrait); for self-harmers, their function of this behaviour was identified as 'self-punishment'; and 40% engaged in some form of aggressive behaviour throughout their detention. The NSPIS risk assessment has significant predictive value, although with the additional of one Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA) assessment and the BIS-11 total score, the predictability increases by 21%. A single case study in Chapter Five considers the effectiveness of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)-informed skills training in the community. This individual displayed borderline personality disorder traits and exhibited self-harming behaviours. The difficulties associated with working with such a client group have been discussed. In Chapter Six, a discussion concludes the thesis.


Ozone is associated with health impacts including respiratory outcomes; however, results differ across studies. Meta-analysis is an increasingly important approach to synthesizing evidence across studies. We conducted meta-analysis of short-term ozone exposure and respiratory hospitalizations to evaluate variation across studies and explore some of the challenges in meta-analysis. We identified 136 estimates from 96 studies and investigated how estimates differed by age, ozone metric, season, lag, region, disease category, and hospitalization type. Overall results indicate associations between ozone and various kinds of respiratory hospitalizations; however, study characteristics affected risk estimates. Estimates were similar, but higher, for the elderly compared to all ages and for previous day exposure compared to same day exposure. Comparison across studies was hindered by variation in definitions of disease categories, as some (e.g., asthma) were identified through ≥ 3 different sets of ICD codes. Although not all analyses exhibited evidence of publication bias, adjustment for publication bias generally lowered overall estimates. Emergency hospitalizations for total respiratory disease increased by 4.47% (95% interval: 2.48, 6.50%) per 10 ppb 24 h ozone among the elderly without adjustment for publication bias and 2.97% (1.05, 4.94%) with adjustment. Comparison of multi-city study results and meta-analysis based on single-city studies further suggested publication bias.


Whether you're new to the Mac or a longtime user, this handy book is the quickest way to get up to speed on Lion. Packed with concise information in an easy-to-read format, Mac OS X Lion Pocket Guide covers what you need to know and is an ideal resource for problem-solving on the fly. This book goes right to the heart of Lion, with details on system preferences, built-in applications, and utilities. You'll also find configuration tips, keyboard shortcuts, guides for troubleshooting, lots of step-by-step instructions, and more. * Learn about Lion's new features and changes * Get quick tips for setting up and customizing your Mac's configuration * Solve problems with the handy reference to the fundamentals of the Finder, Dock, and more * Understand how to manage user accounts * Work more efficiently using keyboard shortcuts * Take advantage of iCloud, Apple's online suite of services and tools


MOCAF ( modified cassava flour) is a high potential food product. This product can be used to replace wheat flour in the manufacture of various food products. However, there is no characterization of starch properties of MOCAF. The efforts to improve the quality of starch from cassava starch by fermentation process using a combination of enzymes and microbes  from Lactic acid bacteria.The purpose of this research is to determine the influence of fermentation time to yield and moisture content. Single factor randomized block design with 3 (three) levels i.e fermentation time (0, 12, and 24 hours) with two group namely varieties of cassava Cimanggu and Kaspro. Cimanggu and Kaspro cassava varieties were used to compare the properties of starch due to different fermentation time (0, 12 and 24 hours) with triplicate. The results showed the yield and moisture content were affected by fermentation time. Average moisture content ranged from 13.3 to 13.8% with the starch yield is 38-59%. Application of starch MOCAF can be used for food, cosmetics, and medicines industry. Keywords : modified starch, cassava, fermentation, yield


Background. Around 30% of pregnancies conclude in a gestational loss. Most women who suffer a gestational loss become pregnant again. However, mothers who have experienced this situation live the new pregnancy with fear and anxiety. Objective. To perform an update of the main works done in the study of post-traumatic stress and related symptoms during pregnancy after a gestational loss. Method. The Medline database was consulted. Articles published from 2007 to date were selected. Key words related to the topic of study were used. Results. The studies reviewed showed five entities that deserve attention during a pregnancy achieved after a gestational loss: post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, relationship, and relationship with the future child. There is a relationship between the presence of post-traumatic stress and the risk of developing depression and anxiety. Discussion and conclusion. Women who experience perinatal loss, regardless of the type of loss and the gestational age in which it occurs, are at risk of continuing grief, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress in later pregnancy. The gestational age and the time elapsed between the perinatal loss and the next pregnancy seem to be the most influential factors in the development of post-traumatic stress sindrome, and symptoms of dysfunctional grief, anxiety, and depression.


We have reported that CaSiO3 ceramics show very fast bone-like apatite formation in simulated body fluid (SBF). However, CaSiO3 ceramics have disadvantages in their mechanical properties and shapability. It is therefore more effective to develop composites of CaSiO3 particles dispersed in a matrix of polymer or metal. Such composites are usually prepared by homogeneously blending the ceramic powder with the matrix component. This method is, however, ineffective for the preparation of biocompatible polymers or metals because only the surfaces containing accidentally-exposed ceramic particles play a role in generating apatite in SBF. It is therefore necessary to add a large volume of ceramic powder and also to abrade the surface to expose more of the ceramic particles. In this study, CaSiO3/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were prepared by hot-pressing to introduce surface CaSiO3 particles and their biocompatibilities were evaluated under in vitro conditions using SBF. CaSiO3 powders were spread on a HDPE plate and hot-pressed at 140oC and 4.9-14.7 MPa for 2 min. The composite sample (about 10×10×1 mm3 in size) was immersed in 30ml SBF (sample/solution ratio of 2.5 g/l) at 36.5oC. After 14 days soaking, the apatite product particles covered most of the composite surface and formed apatite layers. Bone-like apatite particles were formed only on the surface regions containing exposed CaSiO3 particles but no apatite was formed on the CaSiO3 particles buried in the HDPE matrix. The results show that this surface deposition method is very effective in developing biocompatibility in the composites using very small amounts of CaSiO3 powder (about <1 %v) compared with results reported for hydroxyapatite and AW glass-ceramic powders (requiring about 40 %v). It is also found that the inhomogeneous state of the CaSiO3 particles in the surface of the present composites strongly influences their biocompatibility. It will be necessary to improve the homogeneity of CaSiO3 dispersion in the surface of the composites to achieve a more uniform surface apatite layer.


Jack Frost has promised not to trouble the Rainbow Fairies again, but he didn't say anything about the Weather Fairies! Now he has stolen the feathers from Doodle, the weather-vane cockerel in charge of the weather. It's up to Rachel and Kirsty to get each of the feathers back from Jack Frost's goblins, with a little bit of help from the weather fairies: Crystal the Snow Fairy, Abigail the Breeze Fairy, Pearl the Cloud Fairy, Goldy the Sunshine Fairy, Evie the Mist Fairy, Storm the Lightning Fairy and Hayley the Rain Fairy. Evie the mist fairy is lost in the fog without her magic mist feather. Can Rachel and Kirsty help the frightened fairy to get out of the shadowy forest?


Background: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NEMS) had found to be an effective treatment intervention for improving functional abilities in many neurological conditions. But, there is lack of literature about the role of NMES in Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) and existing studies show contradictory results.
Objectives: To evaluate the effects of NEMS on early Vastus Medialis Obliqus (VMO) activation in PFPS.
Methods: Total 30 subjects with PFPS were randomized into Group-A with NEMS and supervised exercise program and Group- B with supervised exercise program only. NMES used in this study was a single channel pre-programmed portable stimulator, which supplies biphasic symmetric rectangular pulses with pulse duration 20-1000 μsec, frequency 30-75 pulses per sec, time on: off 10:50 sec for 30 minutes. Outcome measures were - Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity during activities, Kujala Score for functional disability, Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) for muscle strength and Electromyography (EMG) for level of VMO: VL muscle activation. These parameters were measured at zero week (baseline data), 4th week (post-treatment) and 5th week (follow up).
RESULTS: Group- A (NMES) showed more improvement than Group-B in VAS, Kujala Score, VMO: VL ratio and MVIC at post treatment and follow up with significance value p< 0.05.
CONCLUSION: NEMS was found to be effective by decreasing pain and functional disability and improving muscle strength and activation of VMO in subjects with PFPS.


Introduction Magnetic resonance contrast agents, in particular the gadolinium-based agents, are very safe and lack the nephrotoxicity (when injected intravenously) associated with iodinated contrast media. Minor adverse effects occur infrequently and include nausea, taste perversion, and hives. Whereas these agents cannot be differentiated on the basis of mild adverse effects, they do differ in regard to chelate stability, with clinical lab abnormalities known with the less stable agents. The issue of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and its relationship to the gadolinium chelates, and specifically their in vivo stability, is discussed in depth in the text that follows, together with recommendations for clinical practice.


The contactless automatic anthropometric system is proposed for the reconstruction of the 3D-model of the human body using the conventional smartphone. Our approach involves three main steps. The first step is the extraction of 12 anthropological features. Then we determine the most important features. Finally, we employ these features to build the 3D model of the human body and classify them according to gender and the commonly used sizes.


We develop a progressive training approach for neural networks which adaptively grows the network structure by splitting existing neurons to multiple off-springs. By leveraging a functional steepest descent idea, we derive a simple criterion for deciding the best subset of neurons to split and a splitting gradient for optimally updating the off-springs. Theoretically, our splitting strategy is a second-order functional steepest descent for escaping saddle points in an $\infty$-Wasserstein metric space, on which the standard parametric gradient descent is a first-order steepest descent. Our method provides a new computationally efficient approach for optimizing neural network structures, especially for learning lightweight neural architectures in resource-constrained settings.


Would The Strand Magazine have published "The Field Bazaar" — that odd little 1896 Sherlock Holmes and John Watson vignette — if Arthur Conan Doyle had opted not to give it to The Student magazine at Edinburgh University? I am pretty sure The Strand would have taken the story, gladly. Herbert Greenhough Smith, editor-in-fact of The Strand, liked tales of Sherlock Holmes. But in fact, "The Field Bazaar" did not appear anywhere other than The Student until the mid-1930s. Since then it has floated on the margins of the world of Holmes and Watson, denied not only canonical status, but also original illustration. It has been, really, an orphan work. Canonizing is outside the scope of the Green Bag's authority (and interest, and competence), but illustrating and publishing are not. So, having both some sympathy for "The Field Bazaar" and some appreciation for the story it tells — whether canonical or comical, it is fun to read — the Green Bag has enlisted an excellent modern illustrator to illuminate it — David Hutchinson.


A TLS International Book of the Year (TLS, Dec 7, 2001) This now-famous book was given a hostile reception when it first appeared in 1824. It was not reprinted until the late 1830s, when a heavily bowdlerised version was included in a posthumous edition of Hogg's collected Tales and Sketches published by Blackie & Son of Glasgow. Thereafter Confessions of a Justified Sinner attracted little interest until the 1890s, when the unbowdlerised text was printed for the first time since the 1820s. However, the current high reputation of Hogg's novel did not fully begin to establish itself until 1947, when a warmly enthusiastic Introduction by Andre Gide appeared in a new edition of the unbowdlerised text. He went on to record how he had read 'this astounding book [!] with a stupefaction and admiration that increased at every page'. Many readers have subsequently shared Gide's enthusiasm, and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is now widely recognised as one of the outstanding British novels of the Romantic era. It has also been acclaimed as one of the defining texts of Scotland, with Iain Crichton Smith recently applauding 'a towering Scottish novel, one of the very greatest of all Scottish books'. Peter Garside's eagerly-awaited new Stirling / South Carolina edition (available in both hardback and paperback) excitingly opens out our understanding of Hogg's masterpiece. Its annotation adds very substantially to the contributions of previous editors, for example by showing various layers of hitherto undetected references. Through an impressive piece of scholarly detective-work, Garside has also uncovered the remarkable story of the first printing of the Justified Sinner and Hogg's battle with his London publishers, Longman, for his subversive and challenging novel to make its first appearance in a form he found satisfactory. This edition provides an illuminating and compelling new account of the genesis of Hogg's masterpiece, and of the cultural, theological, geographical, and historical contexts of this remarkable novel.


Waste management requires interaction between different players. It is important to map theses interactions to identify key players. This study utilizes social network analysis to compare the organization of waste management activities at two different hospitals. One of these hospitals was a large public hospital whereas the other one was a small private hospital. The structure and characteristics of the waste management network varied at both hospitals. On the whole the network at the larger hospital was institutional and the one at the smaller hospital was social in nature. At the larger hospital communication between any two members on average required three degrees of freedom. Moreover, its waste management network was characterized by the presence of three brokers whose absence could split the network into smaller disparate components. At the smaller hospital the waste management activities suffered from a lack of involvement from the paramedic staff. Thus its waste management network was more compact and communication between most of the network members did not require an intermediary. In both hospitals, a feedback mechanism between the municipal sanitary staff and hospital management was conspicuous by its absence. Hence issues such as an incidence of hazardous items mixed in the general waste could not be communicated to the hospital directly. The key positions identified in this study can be used for behavioral changes related to waste management among the concerned hospital staff.


Propylene glycol dinitrate (PGDN) is an important component used in the formulation of energetic materials. A renewable, environmentally-friendly and effective production technique for the production of 1,2-propanediol, an important precursor to PGDN, is desired. While fermentation of 1,2-propanediol has been achieved, it suffers from major limitations such as expensive feed sugars and relatively low yields. It is hypothesized that algae sugars could serve as a feedstock for the microbial synthesis of 1,2-propanediol, thereby reducing production costs and enhancing sustainability. Algal biomass produced from an Algal Turf Scrubber® has proven to have significant potential as a source of fermentable materials. However, to commercialize the production of 1,2propanediol and other bulk chemicals from algae, growth rates need to be optimized. It has been suggested that the addition of carbon dioxide gas can enhance the growth rates of algae. This dissertation demonstrates a novel method of gas delivery to thin-film aqueous systems utilizing a unique hollow fiber membrane manifold that is ideal for use in ATS® systems. It was determined that hollow fiber membranes are more effective at delivering gas to liquid compared to traditional bubbling and a porous diffuser, particularly at shallow depths. A mass transfer model was developed to describe the transport of carbon dioxide gas into water in such systems. In addition to the need for increased growth rates, further challenges lie in the recovery of fermentable materials from algal biomass. While methods of extraction have been developed for other algae components, such as algal oils and proteins, most of the techniques are not suitable for the recovery of fermentable carbohydrates. Very few techniques have focused on the extraction of carbohydrates, and those that do lack economic efficiency due to long processing times and high costs associated with enzymes and/or energy requirements. By combining mechanical means of disruption, such as abrasive material, with sonication, it could be possible to reduce processing times, thereby lowering energy costs. Based on this hypothesis, a novel technique for the extraction of algal sugars was developed. This technique, deemed "sonic abrasion," was found to extract nearly twice as much sugar than sonication alone, and adequate carbohydrate concentrations for use in fermentation processes could be achieved. Finally, the feasibility of utilizing algal derived sugars to ferment 1,2-propanediol from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum was investigated using a 10 g/l synthetic algal sugar mixture. When compared to a 10 g/l glucose feed, it was found that the synthetic algal sugar mixture was capable of producing nearly twice as much 1,2-propanediol whilst producing fewer by-products.