Compressive sensing (CS) is a new technique for the efficient acquisition of signals, images and other data that have a sparse representation in some basis, frame, or dictionary. By sparse we mean that the N-dimensional basis representation has just K <;<; N significant coefficients; in this case, the CS theory maintains that just M = O( K log N) random linear signal measurements will both preserve all of the signal information and enable robust signal reconstruction in polynomial time. In this paper, we extend the CS theory to pulse stream data, which correspond to S -sparse signals/images that are convolved with an unknown F-sparse pulse shape. Ignoring their convolutional structure, a pulse stream signal is K = SF sparse. Such signals figure prominently in a number of applications, from neuroscience to astronomy. Our specific contributions are threefold. First, we propose a pulse stream signal model and show that it is equivalent to an infinite union of subspaces. Second, we derive a lower bound on the number of measurements M required to preserve the essential information present in pulse streams. The bound is linear in the total number of degrees of freedom S + F, which is significantly smaller than the naïve bound based on the total signal sparsity K = SF. Third, we develop an efficient signal recovery algorithm that infers both the shape of the impulse response as well as the locations and amplitudes of the pulses. The algorithm alternatively estimates the pulse locations and the pulse shape in a manner reminiscent of classical deconvolution algorithms. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real data demonstrate the advantages of our approach over standard CS.


Road vehicles operate almost entirely in the unsteady conditions created by the natural wind and the wakes of other vehicles. This is a time dependent and turbulent environment, which differs noticeably from the conditions simulated in the wind tunnel. Using a quasi-steady analysis the aerodynamic characteristics, as determined from wind tunnel tests, are used to derive the unsteady aerodynamic loads experienced by a typical road vehicle subjected to a random wind input. For this paper the wind energy spectrum is of the von Karman type and isotropic turbulence is assumed. The effects of vehicle speed, wind speed and wind direction on lift and side force spectra are presented.


DETECTION OF VIDEO FRAME INSERTION BASED ON CONSTRAINT OF HUMAN VISUAL PERCEPTION by Lu Zheng Recently, due to availability of inexpensive and easily-operable multimedia tools, digital multimedia technology has experienced drastic advancements. At the same time, video forgery becomes much easier and makes more difficult to validate the video content. Consequently, the origin and integrity of video can no longer be taken for granted. A methodology is developed that is capable of detecting the video frame insertion based on the constraint of human visual perception. The main idea is based on the so-called differential sensitivity. That is, that the variation of brightness of neighboring video frames has some constraint. First, the video sequence is partitioned into short and overlapping sub-sequences. Second, the ratio of the temporal variation of brightness calculated at the beginning and the ending frames of each sub-sequence is computed and compared with a threshold to determine the approximate location of the video frame insertion. Third, a procedure is conducted to determine the exact location of the insertion. The success of simulation works on more than 200 video sequences. The precision rate of detection is about 94.09%, and the precision rate of detecting location of frame insertion is 84.88% on testing database DETECTION OF VIDEO FRAME INSERTION BASED ON CONSTRAINT OF HUMAN VISUAL PERCEPTION


This paper analyses the processes that occur in a 'learning community' of Australian family agricultural businesses for evidence of use or generation of stores of social capital. The purpose of analysing processes that use or build social capital is to derive a framework or checklist of stages and characteristics that can be used to analyse the extent of social capital use and generation in other communities. The qualitative design is suitable for a study such as this, which investigates possible relationships and influencing factors concerning learning and changes to farm management practices. Data collection involved observing a learning activity session and interviewing 12 members in a focus group during the session and subsequently 14 individually at their farms. Data were analysed for themes and coded with the assistance of NUD*IST qualitative data analysis software. An understanding of how what is identified as social capital can be built in a formalized learning programme can be used to facilitate social capital building; in other formal learning settings, as well as more widely. The findings of the study reported here and findings from studies of informal learning in geographic communities have contributed to the development of the Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia's model of the simultaneous building and use of social capital. The model, presented in this paper, conceptualizes the way in which social capital is used and built in interactions between individuals.


Climate change is currently having an impact on shallow-water corals, and global circulation models predict that levels of p CO 2 and temperature will rise within the next century above anything recorded for at least the past 650 k.y. The Pliocene Epoch is a recent, albeit imperfect, geologic analog for such conditions in the Caribbean. Diverse communities of free-living solitary and flabelo-meandroid (FSFM) corals inhabited shallow nearshore to deeper oligophotic habitats of the Pliocene. FSFM corals were well suited to the low-angle depositional profiles, increased productivity, increased sedimentation, and warmer temperatures of the Pliocene. Origination rates of FSFM coral species between 8 and 4 Ma are roughly double other zooxanthellate corals. FSFM corals underwent abrupt extinction between 2 and 1 Ma, as environmental conditions changed and suitable habitat was eliminated. The evolutionary bottleneck of Pliocene–Pleistocene extinctions and relic steep-margined Pleistocene topography may leave modern faunas vulnerable as we return to Pliocene-like conditions.


PspE, encoded by the last gene of the phage shock protein operon, is one of the nine proteins of Escherichia coli that contain a rhodanese homology domain. PspE is synthesized as a precursor with a 19-amino acid signal sequence and secreted to the periplasm. Mature PspE is the smallest rhodanese of E. coli (85 amino acids) and catalyzes the transfer of sulfur from thiosulfate to cyanide forming thiocyanate and sulfite. Cation exchange chromatography of a freeze-thaw extract of a PspEoverexpressing strain yielded two major peaks of active, homogeneous PspE. The two peaks contained two forms of PspE (PspE1 and PspE2) of distinct size and/or charge that were distinguished by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography. PspE2 was converted to the more compact PspE1 by treatment with thiosulfate, which suggested that PspE1 is the persulfide form. One equivalent of cyanizable sulfur was associated with PspE1, with much less present in PspE2. Consistent with the conclusion that the single active site cysteine of PspE1 contains a persulfide sulfur was the observation that this form was much more tolerant to chemical inactivation by thiolspecific modifying reagent DTNB (5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)). Rhodanese activity was subject to inhibition by anions (sulfite, sulfate, chloride, phosphate and arsenate), suggesting PspE has a cationic site for substrate binding. Kinetic analysis revealed that PspE employs a double-displacement mechanism, as is the case for other rhodaneses. The Kms for SSO3 and CN were 3.0 and 43 mM, respectively. PspE exhibited a kcat of 72 s. To aid in understanding the physiological role of PspE, a strain with a pspE gene disruption was constructed. Comparison of rhodanese activity in extracts of wild-type and mutant strains revealed that PspE is a major contributor of rhodanese activity in E. coli. The pspE mutant displayed no obvious growth defect or auxotrophies, and was capable of molybdopterin biosynthesis, indicating that pspE is not essential for production of sulfur-containing amino acid or cofactors. Growth of wildtype and mutant strains deficient in pspE and other sulfurtransferase paralogs in medium with cyanide or cadmium was compared. The results indicated that neither PspE nor other E. coli rhodanese paralogs play roles in cyanide or cadmium detoxification. The physiological role of PspE remains to be determined.


Many students leave school with a fragmented understanding of biology that does not allow them to connect their ideas to their everyday lives (Wandersee, 1989; Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 1998; Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 2000a). Understanding evolution ideas is seen as central to building an integrated knowledge of biology (Blackwell, Powell, & Dukes, 2003; Thagard & Findlay, 2010). However, the theory of evolution has been found difficult to understand as it incorporates a wide range of ideas from different areas (Bahar et al., 1999; Tsui & Treagust, 2003) and multiple interacting levels (Wilensky & Resnick, 1999; Duncan & Reiser, 2007; Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007). Research suggests that learners can hold a rich repertoire of co-existing alternative ideas of evolution (for example, Bishop & Anderson, 1990; Demastes, Good, & Peebles, 1996; Evans, 2008), especially of human evolution (for example, Nelson, 1986; Sinatra et al., 2003; Poling & Evans, 2004). Evolution ideas are difficult to understand because they often contradict existing alternative ideas (Mayr, 1982; Wolpert, 1994; Evans, 2008). Research suggests that understanding human evolution is a key to evolution education (for example, Blackwell et al., 2003; Besterman & Baggott la Velle, 2007). This dissertation research investigates how different concept mapping forms embedded in a collaborative technology-enhanced learning environment can support students' integration of evolution ideas using case studies of human evolution. Knowledge Integration (KI) (Linn et al., 2000; Linn et al., 2004) is used as the operational framework to explore concept maps as knowledge integration tools to elicit, add, critically distinguish, group, connect, and sort out alternative evolution ideas. Concept maps are a form of node-link diagram for organizing and representing connections between ideas as a semantic network (Novak & Gowin, 1984). This dissertation research describes the iterative development of a novel biology-specific form of concept map, called Knowledge Integration Map (KIM), which aims to help learners connect ideas across levels (for example, genotype and phenotype levels) towards an integrated understanding of evolution. Using a design-based research approach (Brown, 1992; Cobb et al., 2003), three iterative studies were implemented in ethnically and economically diverse public high schools classrooms using the web-based inquiry science environment (WISE) (Linn et al., 2003; Linn et al., 2004). Study 1 investigates concept maps as generative assessment tools. Study 1A compares the concept map generation and critique process of biology novices and experts. Findings suggest that concept maps are sensitive to different levels of knowledge integration but require scaffolding and revision. Study 1B investigates the implementation of concept maps as summative assessment tools in a WISE evolution module. Results indicate that concept maps can reveal connections between students' alternative ideas of evolution. Study 2 introduces KIMs as embedded collaborative learning tools. After generating KIMs, student dyads revise KIMs through two different critique activities (comparison against an expert or peer generated KIM). Findings indicate that different critique activities can promote the use of different criteria for critique. Results suggest that the combination of generating and critiquing KIMs can support integrating evolution ideas but can be time-consuming. As time in biology classrooms is limited, study 3 distinguishes the learning effects from either generating or critiquing KIMs as more time efficient embedded learning tools. Findings suggest that critiquing KIMs can be more time efficient than generating KIMs. Using KIMs that include common alternative ideas for critique activities can create genuine opportunities for students to critically reflect on new and existing ideas. Critiquing KIMs can encourage knowledge integration by fostering self-monitoring of students' learning progress, identifying knowledge gaps, and distinguishing alternative evolution ideas. This dissertation research demonstrates that science instruction of complex topics, such as human evolution, can succeed through a combination of scaffolded inquiry activities using dynamic visualizations, explanation activities, and collaborative KIM activities. This research contributes to educational research and practice by describing ways to make KIMs effective and time efficient learning tools for evolution education. Supporting students' building of a more coherent understanding of core ideas of biology can foster their life-long interest and learning of science.


In this brief article, I address the usefulness of including community-driven interviews into preparations for disasters. Drawing on Shera's (1970) highly influential construction of library work as tied to communication, I analyze responses of three library organizations – the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library and the New Jersey Library Association – immediately following Hurricane Sandy. I then turn to a specific role of communication that libraries can offer surrounding communities, providing resources for local community members to conduct interviews among those who have experienced a disaster. By incorporating this kind of responsibility to communicate experiences of a crisis to a wider audience, libraries fulfill an important part of Shera's charge to reflect the local values and norms of surrounding communities.


Curriculum design and development can be undertaken either as a small or larger scale activity but is often within one or two faculty or school areas. Two projects that the presenters are involved in have been institution wide activities. This has meant that the scale of the projects is large but also diverse and leading to the need for change of both practice and culture. One of the projects which is funded by JISC on curriculum design has been focused on exploring the values and principles staff use when developing their curriculum and the models or frameworks used to support the development. This has been to identify if there are several approaches used within the institution or some key areas that all use. There has also been a desire to explore how staff would like this process to be undertaken and what support could be provided. The other project has been to undertake a review of our virtual learning environment and using stakeholder views and requirements introduce a new strategic learning environment (SLE). The project has then examined the development of using this SLE over the first year and through pilots has looked at how staff have found this change and what support they have required. Through both these projects there has been some pitfalls, challenges and opportunities which the presenters believe can provide some lessons for others. Some of pitfalls, challenges and opportunities were expected but others could not have been predicted. Sharing these lessons will enable some tips to be given on how to avoid some of the issues that occurred for us. During the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to consider how the lessons and tips may be useful to them but also to ask us questions.


The ammonium permease Mep2 is required for the induction of pseudohyphal growth, a process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that occurs in response to nutrient limitation. Mep2 has both a transport and a regulatory function, supporting models in which Mep2 acts as a sensor of ammonium availability. Potentially similar ammonium permease-dependent regulatory cascades operate in other fungi, and they may also function in animals via the homologous Rh proteins; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that mediate ammonium sensing. We show that Mep2 is localized to the cell surface during pseudohyphal growth, and it is required for both filamentous and invasive growth. Analysis of site-directed Mep2 mutants in residues lining the ammonia-conducting channel reveal separation of function alleles (transport and signaling defective; transport-proficient/signaling defective), indicating transport is necessary but not sufficient to sense ammonia. Furthermore, Mep2 overexpression enhances differentiation under normally repressive conditions and induces a transcriptional profile that is consistent with activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. This finding is supported by epistasis analysis establishing that the known role of the MAP kinase pathway in pseudohyphal growth is linked to Mep2 function. Together, these data strengthen the model that Mep2-like proteins are nutrient sensing transceptors that govern cellular differentiation.


We examined the role of resistant protein and peptides in promoting cecal butyrate production in rats fed rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. Rats were fed diets containing raw potato starch (RPS, 200 g/kg diet) or fructooligosaccharide (FOS, 60 g/kg diet) with casein, soy or rice protein (250 g/kg diet) for 13 d. In rats fed RPS with casein, the major cecal organic acid was acetate (441 micromol), but lactate and succinate were also found in considerable amounts (324 micromol). Succinate was the major cecal organic acid (235 micromol) in rats fed FOS with casein. When rice protein was fed with RPS, the contribution of lactate was significantly lower and that of propionate tended to be higher (P < 0.1) than in rats fed casein. In rats fed rice protein with FOS, cecal butyrate and acetate were greater and cecal succinate was lower than in rats fed casein with FOS (P < 0.05). Despite the similar amounts of undigested protein in rice and soy proteins, soy protein did not similarly affect cecal butyrate in rats fed FOS or RPS. In another experiment, rats were fed diets containing high amylose cornstarch (HAS, 200 g/kg diet) with casein, casein + oligo-L-methionine (OM, 3 g/kg diet), soy protein, soy protein + OM (3 g/kg diet) or rice protein (250 g/kg diet) for 10 d. OM (digestibility, 31%) was substituted for the same amount of casein. Rats fed rice protein had greater cecal butyrate than rats fed casein (P < 0.05). OM supplementation to casein or soy protein increased cecal butyrate compared with rats fed casein or soy protein alone (P < 0.05). These data support our hypothesis that resistant protein and peptides promote cecal butyrate production and suggest that the differing potency of rice and soy proteins in promoting cecal butyrate production might be explained in part by the different amino acid composition of resistant protein.


The thesis deals with the topic of Digital Rights Management (DRM), more specifically the innovation trends within DRM. It is focused on three driving forces of DRM. Firstly, DRM technologies, secondly, DRM standards and thirdly, DRM interoperability. These driving forces are discussed and analyzed in order to explore innovation trends within DRM. In the end, a multi-facetted overview of today's DRM context is formed. One conclusion is that the aspect of Intellectual Property Rights is considered to be an important indicator of the direction DRM innovation is heading.


"David Harrison writes very well, and presents a good, well-balanced and perceptive appraisal of current perspectives."--"Times Higher Education Supplement" This title available in eBook format. Click here for more information. Visit our eBookstore at: www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk.


The Message Minimizing Load Redistribution Problem is described which arises from the need to redistribute work when performing load balancing in a parallel computing environment. We consider a global perspective and seek a redistribution plan that minimizes the overall processing time. We de ne the cost associated with a solution to be the number of packets needed to balance out the workload. The impact of the interconnection network is ignored. This problem can arise in many applications. One such example being the U.K. Meteorological OAEce's operational weather forecasting and climate prediction models. This problem is equivalent to the Pure Unit-Cost Transportation Problem. A simple proof of NP-completeness is given, and various heuristics and approximation issues are investigated. Several theoretical results are shown that may impact the design of an algorithm. Simulation results are presented.


This book comprises a collection of papers given at the fifth biennial conference of the Centre for Property Law at the University of Reading held in March 2004,and is the third in the series Modern Studies in Property Law. The Reading conference has become well-known as a unique opportunity for property lawyers to meet and confer both formally and informally. This volume includes a refereed and revised selection of the papers given there. The papers thus cover a broad range of topics of immediate importance including: land registration, leasehold and commonhold, prescription and law and equity. A growing and popular aspect of the series is its coverage of property law matters worldwide; this volume includes essays on property law in developing countries, in South Africa, Canada, and Eastern Europe. [Book Synopsis]


The development of automatic and reliable fault detection systems is still a challenge nowadays. Chemical processes are complex by nature by presenting non linear dynamics, multiple modes with constant interchanges, and spatial and serial correlations, to mention a few. To address these issues, this work explores the hidden Markov model (HMM) technique to construct a fault detection system for continuous and periodic processes. The DAMADICS actuator benchmark, with thirty four abrupt fault scenarios, was used for evaluation purposes. Abrupt faults of low magnitude are challenging and of great interesting in practice. The results obtained with the proposed methodology were compared to classical multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) techniques. They show a significant higher performance leading to earlier fault detection given a fixed false alarm rate of 1%.


Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus reprograms infected endothelial cells by producing microRNAs that target the transcription factor c-Maf. Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infects endothelial cells and causes Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a blood vessel tumor in the skin characterized by spindle-shaped cells. KS occurs rarely in healthy individuals but is prevalent in people infected with HIV that are not receiving antiretroviral therapy. KSHV-infected cells are poorly differentiated, sharing markers of blood vessel endothelial cells (BECs) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). Indeed, KSHV induces the production of BEC markers in infected LECs, but the mechanism responsible is unclear. Noting that KSHV encodes 17 microRNAs (miRNAs), Hansen et al. performed viral miRNA microarray screening of KS lesions from AIDS patients and found 10 KSHV miRNAs that were highly abundant. The mRNA for the transcription factor c-Maf was one of the mRNAs that was less abundant in LECs infected with a retrovirus encoding the KSHV miRNAs than it was in LECs infected with an empty vector. Analysis of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of c-Maf revealed the presence of 11 target sequences for KSHV miRNAs. c-Maf was the only member of the Maf family of transcription factors whose abundance in LECs was reduced by infection with KSHV. In addition, infection of LECs with KSHV increased the expression of a set of BEC-specific genes compared with that in uninfected LECs. Expression of these BEC-specific genes was inhibited by the expression of exogenous c-Maf without a 3′ UTR in the infected cells, suggesting a role for c-Maf as a transcriptional repressor. Thus, infected LECs were closer in characteristics to BECs than were uninfected LECs, resembling the poorly differentiated state of KSHV-infected cells observed in patients. Together, these data suggest that viral miRNAs, already known for their ability to modulate the host immune response, are also capable of affecting the differentiation state of infected cells. A. Hansen, S. Henderson, D. Lagos, L. Nikitenko, E. Coulter, S. Roberts, F. Gratrix, K. Plaisance, R. Renne, M. Bower, P. Kellam, C. Boshoff, KSHV-encoded miRNAs target MAF to induce endothelial cell reprogramming. Genes Dev. 24, 195–205 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Active learning (AL) algorithms may achieve better performance with fewer data because the model guides the data selection process. While many algorithms have been proposed, there is little study on what the optimal AL algorithm looks like, which would help re-searchers understand where their models fall short and iterate on the design. In this paper, we present a simulated annealing algorithm to search for this optimal oracle and analyze it for several tasks. We present qual-itative and quantitative insights into the behaviors of this oracle, comparing and con-trasting them with those of various heuristics. Moreover, we are able to consistently improve the heuristics using one particular insight. We hope that our findings can better inform future active learning research. The code is available at https://github.com/ YilunZhou/optimal-active-learning .


The damping rate of the n = 1 toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAE) mode in Ohmic-heated JET plasmas has been measured and compared with the prediction of the kinetic NOVA-K code, which includes electron and ion Landau damping of the global shear-Alfvén wave field, collisional damping, and radiative damping. It was found that the calculated damping rate is too small to account for the measured value under these experimental conditions. A relatively weak dependence of the damping rate on the normalized Larmor radius is observed experimentally.


Summaryaim of this article is to lay out a number of ways in which the phenomenological approach to psychopathology can be not merely "descriptive", but contribute as well to the project of "explanation". After considering some ambiguities and controversies pertaining to the notions of description, explanation, understanding and causality, the article turns to a particular example of psychopathology: schizophrenia. The "ipseity-disturbance" model of Sass & Parnas is presented as a way of illustrating the various explanatory possibilities. The ipseity-disturbance model postulates a two-faceted disorder of minimal or basic self-experience, involving hyperreflexivity (exaggerated self-consciousness, initially of an automatic kind) and diminished "self-affection" or self-presence (decline in the sense of existing as a vital and self-identical subject of experience), together with concomitant disturbances in one's "grip" or "hold" on the external world (the clarity and stability of one's experience of external reality). Six kinds of explanatory relationships are described and discussed. Three are synchronic relationships, involving phenomenological implication: equiprimordial, constitutive and expressive. Three pertain to diachronic relationships, involving causal or quasicausal changes over time: basic, consequential and compensatory processes. Whereas the first or synchronic relationships concern forms of mutual implication that clarify the structure of the experiences at issue, the second or diachronic type concerns the development or genesis, over time, of abnormal forms of experience, and related forms of action and expression, in light of the causal or quasi-causal patterns they may demonstrate. These relationships are considered in relation to several philosophical concepts, including Aristotle's notion of the four causes or explanatory factors (material, efficient, formal, final), Husserl's notion of "motivational causality", and the concepts of downward causation, system (or formal) causation, and epiphenomenalism. A final section takes up the self-critical and eminently phenomenological question of the degree to which phenomenological concepts regarding subjectivity can be considered to have an "objective" status, as opposed to being useful ways for us to distinguish aspects or processes of what is in fact a kind of underlying unity. All this helps to clarify the nature of phenomenology's potentially explanatory role.


Saudi Government has increased concerns about construction companies involved in construction activities with negative environmental effects. The trend in Saudi Arabia these days is to have sustainable construction works using sustainable materials aiming to provide sustainable housing to Saudis. More efforts are needed to encourage Saudi construction companies to use sustainable construction materials in public and private projects. Therefore, this research is conducted to explore opinions of Saudi construction professionals about sustainability and using sustainable materials in construction.
Questionnaire is used to collect the data. It was filled in by construction professionals working in Saudi construction industry. Most of them deal with selection of building materials. In total, 50 professional from private and public construction companies at Riyadh (capital city of Saudi Arabia) participated this study. They were asked to give their opinions. Amongst the participants, 14 (28%) are from public and 36 (72%) from private companies. Amongst them also, 4 (8%) are from small companies, 8 (16%) from companies of 25 and 50 staff, and 8 (16%) from companies of 50 to 75 staff. In addition, 11 (22%) are from companies of 75 to 100 staff and 19 (38%) are from companies of more than 100 staff. Only 4 female (8%) participated whereas the majority were 46 male individuals (92%). More than half of participants (27 (54%)) are university educated. Meanwhile, 7 participants (14%) are of below university education and 16 (32%) are highly educated (MSc and PhD).
The results show that only 10 participants (20%) have excellent knowledge about the environmental problems caused by construction. More than half of them (52%) are of moderate knowledge about this and more than quarter (28%) has slight knowledge. Only 12 participants (24%) are of excellent knowledge about selection of construction materials good for environment. Meanwhile, about two thirds (62%) are of sufficient knowledge about this but there are 5 participants (10%) are of poor knowledge. The majority of participants (32 strongly agree (64%), and 16 (32%) agree) that Saudi government should support more sustainability within construction industry. Moreover, 30 participants (60%) agree that the efforts of Saudi government are not enough to ensure satisfactory implantation of sustainable measures in Saudi construction industry. The results also demonstrated that, the execution time is the most important objective of construction project followed by lower environmental effects and then compliance with regulations. The least important were client satisfaction and the least importance is lower costs. The results also show that the majority of participants (34 in total (68%)) reported no use of any sustainability construction codes by their companies. Meanwhile, 16 (32%) reported the use of the American standard (LEED) as sustainability code. No other codes have been reported
Based on the results, more efforts are needed to improve knowledge on environmental problems caused by construction activities. This can be done by training programmes or workshops. It is recommended to change the culture amongst construction professionals through laws and regulations along with penalties on using harmful materials. It is also recommended to increase the sample size of this study to include more participants to assist reaching robust results.


Reclassification can be an important juncture in the academic experience of English Learners (ELs). Literature has explored the potential for reclassification to influence academic outcomes like achievement, yet its impact on social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, which are as malleable and important to long-term success, remains unclear. Using a regression discontinuity design, we examine the causal effect of reclassification on SEL skills (self-efficacy, growth mindset, self-management, and social awareness) among 4th to 8th graders. In the districts studied, reclassification improved academic self-efficacy by 0.2 standard deviations for students near the threshold. Results are robust to alternative specifications and analyses. Given this evidence, we discuss ways districts might establish practices that instill more positive academic beliefs among ELs.


Introduction: Arteriovenous fistula cannulation is one of the problems in hemodialysis patients. Reducing this pain improves their dialysis acceptance and life quality. This study investigated the effect of EMLA cream, Lidocaine spray, and ice pack on arteriovenous cannulation pain intensity in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 hemodialysis patients with arteriovenous fistula participated in this quasi-experimental study in Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital in Yazd in 2015. In this study, pain intensity was measured in one group in four states of before intervention and after application of lidocaine spray, EMLA cream, and ice pack using pain intensity numerical scale. The data were analyzed with SPSS16 using ANOVA. Results: Our findings suggested that the mean pain score in the four stages of before intervention, and after application of lidocaine spray, ice pack, and EMLA cream were 7.45 ± 0.88, 4.22 ± 1.33, 5.38 ± 0.83, and 2.80 ± 0.70, respectively. The reduction in mean pain intensity was significantly greater with EMLA cream compared to lidocaine spray and ice pack (P<0.001). The pain score was also significantly different before intervention and after application of the three interventions (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that all three methods of intervention were effective in reducing pain intensity, with EMLA cream exerting the greatest effect in decreasing the puncture-related mean pain intensity of arteriovenous fistula cannulation. So, it is recommended that all three methods be used to diminish this type of pain.


A noted business historian presents captivating profiles of corporate blunders, with illuminating insights into the misguided motives that make promising concepts fail and industry giants crumble. Packard, E.J. Korvette, RCA, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Pabst, Schwinn. Once industry leaders, these companies all suffered devastating--and, in some cases, fatal--setbacks because of one pivotal mistake. A renowned writer and speaker who has traced the missteps of corporate America, Robert Sobel offers a fascinating look at 15 glaring and enlightening product flops and management foibles. Rather than call attention to corporate greed or foolishness, the author reveals surprisingly sound reasoning behind some of the worst moves in modern business history. Capturing tragic mistakes in the making, each chapter spotlights a key blunder committed by a onetime mover and shaker. Critical errors include: tinkering with winning products--or marketing "downscale" versions; getting blindsided by rivals or government regulations; striving to outdo a famed predecessor; fighting technology--or sheepishly following every innovation; and mistaking temporary industry changes for permanent ones--or vice versa. Lively and eye-opening, WHEN GIANTS STUMBLE explores a side of business history too seldom discussed, with valuable lessons for both thriving and floundering companies.


There is a clear trend for law and regulation, particularly in the computing and communications sector to become increasingly detailed. The perceived benefit of this approach to lawmaking is increased certainty as to compliance, but that uncertainty may be illusory. There are serious disadvantages to over-complex laws, particularly in that their normative effect is greatly weakened but also in terms of over-complexity, contradiction and too-frequent amendment. The combined effect of these disadvantages can be to produce a "bad" law system, assessed in terms of Fuller's internal morality of law. It may also result in a law-system which substantially fails to achieve its intended aims. This paper proposes that these defects can be cured by abandoning the search for certainty. In its place we should substitute a method of lawmaking which requires the law's subjects to make their own qualitative assessments as to whether they were meeting the obligations imposed on them. This will not only make the law more easily understandable by those to whom it applies, but will also increase the normative effect of computer and communications law.


This study is basically a survey designed to investigate whether primary school libraries
in Malaysia are used for the purpose of learning and teaching. This study is the first of its
kind in Malaysia, involving the three main groups connected with library use in schools,
namely pupils, teachers and' teacher-librarians.
The subjects of the study are Standard Six pupils, teachers and teacher-librarians from
thirty-four selected schools throughout Peninsular Malaysia. They comprise 3,417 pupils
(11-12 years old), 152 teachers and 34 teacher-librarians.
Questionnaire data were obtained to examine the following areas:
1. Use of the library by Malaysian primary school children.
2. Perception, role and involvement of teachers in library activities.
3. Perception, role and involvement of teacher-librarians in library activities.
The study also examined to what extent the "Project to Encourage the Use of the School
Library" undertaken at federal and state levels from 1981-1985 had been successful in
encouraging and promoting library use in primary schools.
The questionnaire data provided the quantitative input, while field visits to ten schools to
interview teachers, teacher-librarians and pupils as well as 10 observe library periods
provided the in-depth and qualitative perspectives to the study.
The quantitative data were tabulated and comparisons between Project and Non-project
schools were made. Where appropriate, chi-square tests of significant differences were
made.
Some of the major findings were:
1. That Malaysian primary school children: (a) use the library at least once a week
mainly to borrow and relurn books; (b) tend to borrow a mixture of fiction and nonfiction
books but more of fiction; (c) occasionally use library books for learning.
2. That Malaysian primary school teachers: (a) consider higher order teaching objectives
more important; (b) send pupils to the library at least once a week; (c) do use
library materials for teaching; (d) are of the opinion that reading and reference
materials in their library are available and suitable forteaching but for a majority of
them not adequate for learning needs; (e) are generally involved in library activities,
but not for teachingllearning purposes.
3. That teacher-librarians in Malaysian primary schools: (a) are mainly responsible for
book acquisition and selection; (b) have a greater teaching workload than library
workload; (c) are exposed to library skills and library use as teacher-trainees; (d) are
generally trained in librarianship with 17.6% having dual qualifications.
4. That the Project had been successful in encouraging and promoting library use for
teaching and learning in primary schools.
Based on the findings, recommendations were made.


AlGaN-based materials own direct transition energy bands and wide bandgap and thus can be used in high-efficiency ultraviolet (UV) emitters and detectors. Over the past two decades, AlGaN-based materials and devices experienced rapid development. Deep ultraviolet AlGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with improved efficiency of 20.3% (at 275 nm) have been produced. An electron beam (EB)-pumped AlGaN-based UV light source at 238 nm, output power of 100 mW, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 40% has also been fabricated. UV stimulated emission from AlGaN multiple-quantum-wells laser diodes (LDs) using electrical pumping at room temperature has also been achieved at a wavelength of 336 nm. Compared with GaN-based blue and green LEDs and LDs, the efficiency of AlGaN-based UV LEDs and LDs is lower. Further optimization and improvements in both structure and fabrication are required to realize high-performance devices. In AlGaN-based UV photodetectors (PDs), gain as high as 104 orders of magnitude has been reported using the separated absorption and multiplication region avalanche photodiode structure but is still far from detecting the weak signal, and thus UV single-photon detectors with high detectivity is challenging. Recently, there has been extensive work in the nonlinear optical properties of AlGaN and AlGaN-based passive devices, such as waveguides and resonators. However, how to minimize the scattering and defect-related absorption needs to be further studied. In this review, first, approaches used to grow an AlGaN epilayer and p-type doping are introduced. Second, progress in AlGaN-based UV LEDs, EB-pumped light sources, LDs, PDs, passive devices, and the nonlinear optical properties are presented. Finally, an overview of potential future trends in AlGaN-based materials and UV devices is given.


O'Reilly's new guide to the technology, Eclipse, provides exactly what you're looking for: a fast-track approach to mastery of Eclipse. This insightful, hands-on book delivers clear and concise coverage, with no fluff, that gets down to business immediately. The book is tightly focused, covering all aspects of Eclipse: the menus, preferences, views, perspectives, editors, team and debugging techniques, and how they're used every day by thousands of developers. Development of practical skills is emphasized with dozens of examples presented throughout the book.


The U.S. power industry is undertaking several initiatives that will improve the operations of the electric power grid. One of those is the implementation of wide-area measurements using phasor measurement units to dynamically monitor the operations and status of the network and provide advanced situational awareness and stability assessment. The overviews of synchrophasors and stability analyses in this report are intended to present the potential future applications of synchrophasors for power system operations under high penetrations of wind and other renewable energy sources.


The growing substrate of the putting greens is considered a key factor for a healthy turf ecosystem. Actually detailed study on the effects of growth promoting bacteria and biostimulants on a professional sport turf are very limited. This thesis aimed to study the effectiveness of different microorganisms and biostimulants in order to improve the knowledge relative to the relationship between the beneficial microflora and root apparatus of sport turfs. The research project was divided in three principal steps:
Initially, commercial products based on biostimulants and microorganisms were tested on a Lolium perenne L. essence grown in a controlled-environment. The principal evaluations were the study of the habitus of plants, biomass production and length of leaves and roots. Were studied the capacity of colonization of microorganisms within root tissues and rhizosphere.
In the second step were developed two different biostimulant solutions based on effective microorganisms, mycorrhizae and humic acids. This test was conducted both on an Agrostis stolonifera putting green (Modena Golf & Country Club) in a semi-field condition and within a growth chamber on a Lolium perenne L. essence. Fungicide and chemicals applications were suspended in order to assess the effectiveness of the inoculants for nutrition and control of pests.
In the last step, different microorganism mixes and biostimulants were tested on an experimental putting green in the Turf Research Center (TRC) (Virginia Tech, United States) in a real managing situation. The effects of different treatments were studied maintaining all chemicals and mechanicals managements scheduled during a sport season.
Both growth-chamber and field results confirmed the capacity of microorganisms based biostimulants to promote the physiologic conditions of the plants, improve the growth of the roots and enhance the aesthetic performance of the turf. Molecular analysis confirmed the capacity of microorganisms to colonize the root tissues.


There has been a wide discussion on the different properties between carbon taxes, cap-and-trade schemes and hybrid instruments such as cap-and-trade schemes with price floors and ceilings. There has been less discussion on the incentives to investment that each of these instruments may provide. We build a three-period model to investigate the incentives offered to a large firm with diversified abatement options from such instruments when facing a choice between investing in lowcarbon technologies with potential learning benefits. We parameterise our model for a system similar to the EUETS and for two sample technologies, biomass for electricity and coal with carbon capture and storage. For both technologies we find that cap-and-trade schemes generate greater mean returns to such an investment than taxes, but with a wider distribution. We find that introducing price floors increase such mean returns while reducing the distribution, while ceilings further reduce the distribution, but also the mean and thus the overall incentives they offer will depend on the risk preference of the firm and scale of investment in relation to overall compliance costs.


Many children and adults experience signio cant breakdown in the use of language. The resulting pragmatic disorders present a considerable barrier to effective communication. This book is the o rst critical examination of the current state of our knowledge of pragmatic disorders and provides a comprehensive overview of the main concepts and theories in pragmatics. It examines the full range of pragmatic disorders that occur in children and adults and discusses how they are assessed and treated by clinicians. Louise Cummings attempts to integrate the o elds of pragmatics, language pathology and cognitive science by examining the ways in which pragmatics can make a useful contribution to debates about cognitive theories of autism. The reader is encouraged to think in a critical fashion about how clinicians, experimental-ists and theorists deal with pragmatic issues.


Advances in genetic testing have led to the identification of multiple genes associated with a hereditary risk for developing breast and other cancers. One such gene is the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, which is available on many genetic panels offered to individuals with suspected hereditary risk. Genetic testing can often lead to improved understanding and clarification of risk for developing cancer, as well as allow affected individuals to make informed choices about management, including the adoption of primary prevention strategies and more aggressive screening than typically recommended in the general population. This article provides an overview of the role of mutations in the ATM gene in developing malignancies, along with emerging research on treatment implications based on genetic testing results.
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Sectoral segregation is often used to explain a large part of a well-documented gender earnings gap in business profits. Women tend to sort into different sectors than men, and the sectors dominated by women tend to be less profitable. This paper investigates the horizontal dimension of sectoral segregation by studying global data on female and male enterprises operating in sectors that are typically dominated by the same and opposite sex. The analysis uses the novel Future of Business dataset, which spans 97 countries and was administered to enterprise owners, managers, and employees who use Facebook. The analysis finds that some of the earnings gap can indeed be explained by sector choice: female-owned businesses in male-dominated sectors make significantly higher profits than those in traditionally female sectors. The evidence points to a hierarchy of earnings, with male-owned businesses in male-dominated sectors earning the most, women in male-dominated sectors and men in female-concentrated sectors in the middle tier, and women in female-concentrated sectors at the bottom. Correlational analysis suggests that women who own businesses in male-dominated sectors are younger, married, and more likely to have inherited the business than women in female-concentrated sectors. They have similar education to women in female-concentrated sectors and present higher self-efficacy but lower entrepreneurial identity and commitment to the sector. Male support networks appear to be key for female-owned firms, with co-ownership with husbands and male role models factoring into the decision to cross over.


Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in the domain of pedestrian navigation, stimulated by the increasing demand for Location Based Services. Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) based on MEMS sensors has been at the heart of most high-end hybrid solutions devised up to now. In PDR mode, the positioning accuracy is shaped by the individual accuracies in step length and azimuth estimation. This paper will focus on how to improve the latter. Measurements from three single axis MEMS gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers are merged in an Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter to estimate the absolute orientation of a pedestrian. Enhanced performance is accomplished by the online calibration of the gyroscope and accelerometer biases and through the compensation of magnetic perturbations that disturb the magnetometer measurements. Details of this orientation algorithm and assessment of its effectiveness under different testing conditions are presented in this paper.


Self-organized criticality (SOC) and stochastic oscillations (SOs) are two theoretically contradictory phenomena that are suggested to coexist in the brain. Recently it has been shown that an accumulation-release process like sandpile dynamics can generate SOC and SOs simultaneously. We considered the effect of the network structure on this coexistence and showed that the sandpile dynamics on a small-world network can produce two power law regimes along with two groups of SOs—two peaks in the power spectrum of the generated signal simultaneously. We also showed that external stimuli in the sandpile dynamics do not affect the coexistence of SOC and SOs but increase the frequency of SOs, which is consistent with our knowledge of the brain.


Toward the end of November 2003, Georgians rejoiced at the revolution that removed president and semi-despot, Eduard Shevardnadze, from power. Periodicals and news networks around the world lauded this seemingly bloodless transfer of power, calling it the "Velvet Revolution." At the helm of this historic transfer of power was the current president of Georgia, New York lawyer turned homeland patriot, Mikhail Saakashvili. Little more than a year later, however, the underlying ethnic tension and violence that plagued Shevardnadze's regime are more pronounced than ever. As of October 2004, South Ossetia and Abkhazia--self-declared autonomous republics within Georgia--have been functioning as independent countries within the Republic of Georgia. Abkhazia even moved to elect its own head of state in October 2004. As the people's visionary, Saakashvili showed that he could protect his country from sham democracy. Now that he is in the position of responsibility, he must find a way to bring the splinter republics back into the Georgian fold. This will not only require assistance from foreign powers, but a careful balance between political pressure and cultural compromise. The composition and geography of Georgia is clear evidence of the region's instability and T'bilisi's trouble with legitimacy. Like most countries in Central Asia, this small former Soviet satellite republic is more a jumble of cultural backgrounds than a homogeneous ethnic state. The five million citizens of Georgia are comprised of primarily Georgians (70.1 percent), Armenians (8.1 percent), Russians (6.3 percent), Azeri (5.7 percent), South Ossetians (3 percent), and Abkhazians (1.8 percent). The third variable of this Georgian-secessionist relationship is Russia. Russian dominance of Central Asia began during the age of Imperial Russia and has continued through the Soviet era into the present day. Ironically, the Soviet annexation of Georgia and the Caucasus alleviated the ethnic tensions, if only temporarily. Georgia itself was a Soviet republic comprising smaller and ethnically diverse "regions" and "republics" like Abkhazia in western Georgia and South Ossetia in the north. The USSR's dissolution posed two problems for Georgia. First, smaller constituent regions no longer felt supported by Georgia's union republic. Second, the subsequent Georgian attempts at suppression of separatist-related rebellion in the early 1990s motivated Abkhazians to use violence to forward their secessionist agenda. In 1994, Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia. South Ossetia, the other remaining unstable region in Georgia with separatist intentions, also shares a similar history. Historically linked with North Ossetia, a Russian federative state, South Ossetia has been at loggerheads with Georgia since 1989. While there have been truces and ceasefires called between South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Georgia in the past decade, peace, if any, is very tenuous in the area. Ethnic vitriol is by no means uncommon. The post-Cold War reorientation of Russia's geopolitical interests has resulted in increasing amiability with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. …


Dispersed generators (DGs), such as fuel cells and solar cells, etc., are going to be installed in the demand side of power systems. The dispersed facilities can reduce distribution system loss by the appropriate allocation. However, when a DG that has a large capacity is disconnected from a distribution network by fault, violation of operational constraints, such as line current capacity and voltage drop, may occur. From a viewpoint of system reliability, robust system configuration for suddenly disconnecting DG from the distribution network must be determined, since system operators cannot control DG connection to the distribution network online. In this paper, the authors propose an algorithm to determine loss minimum configuration of a distribution system with DGs while maintaining system reliability. Namely, in the proposed algorithm, N-1 contingencies for DGs are considered as an operational constraint, when the loss minimum configuration is determined under the constraints for line current capacity and voltage drop. In order to determine the loss minimum configuration effectively, an algorithm based on tabu search with strategic oscillation is proposed. Numerical simulations are carried out for a distribution system model with 118 sectionalizing switches in order to examine the validity of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the conventional approach.


The regional transportation planning process in the United States has not been easily opened to public oversight even after strengthened requirements for public participation and civil rights considerations. In the effort to improve the public review of regional transportation plans, this paper describes the construction of a proof-of concept web-based tool designed to analyze the effects of regional transportation plans on accessibility to jobs and other essential destinations. The tool allows the user to analyze disparities in accessibility outcomes by demographic group, specifically income and race, as required by civil rights-related planning directives. The tool makes cumulative-opportunity measures of the number of essential destinations reachable within certain times by public transit and automobile. The tool is constructed to analyze the San Francisco Bay Area's 2005 regional transportation plan. Users can choose to make measures for a particular neighborhood or for all neighborhoods in the region with certain demographic characteristics. Two example analyses are shown with an interpretation and discussion of calculator outputs.


Drawing primarily on ethnographic material from Taiwan, this article focuses on misfortune and, more especially, on the ques- tion of whether people are felt to deserve what happens to them-be it bad or good. I examine the cases of several people who have suffered misfortune in life, exploring ways in which they might actively try to make good things happen as a way of convincing others, and indeed themselves, that they are, after all, good. In considering these cases, I discuss three intersecting accounts of fate that are widely held by ordi- nary people in Taiwan and China: a cosmological one, a spirit-oriented one, and a social one.


A number ofkey features make the IBM PC AT personal computer a suitable vehicle for electrophysiological signal analysis software which previously required the use of minicomputers such as the PDPI 1. In particular the availability of a direct memory access (DMA) controller and a fast high-capacity fixed disc allows continuous streams of samples to be collected from an analogue-digital converter at high rates, limited only by the capacity of the disc. A suite of programs has been developed for analysis of a variety of electrophysiological experiments.


This study examined the relative pressure of family, peers, and media influences on adolescent boys and girls and their development and maintenance of their eating disorders. A mixed method study was facilitated using a 22-question survey that was taken by freshmen and sophomores, ages 18-21, from the University of St. Thomas. These students accessed the survey via the University's online informational website, Bulletin. The questions were designed to get a better understanding of the influences adolescents receive on a daily basis regarding their body and which one is more influential to them in developing and maintaining their eating disorders. The researcher had 14 participants start the survey and 10 completed it. The survey showed that students acknowledged greater pressure across all three environmental contexts as well as reported more eating disorder symptomology. However, the similarities between the perceived pressure and eating disorder symptoms were different for each participant. Most pressure started at home, but as they developed more independence, peers and media became an influence. Implications for future research and prevention programs are discussed.


Abstract Hackney, KJ, Scott, JM, Hanson, AM, English, KL, Downs, ME, and Ploutz-Snyder, LL. The astronaut-athlete: optimizing human performance in space. J Strength Cond Res 29(12): 3531–3545, 2015—It is well known that long-duration spaceflight results in deconditioning of neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems, leading to a decline in physical fitness. On reloading in gravitational environments, reduced fitness (e.g., aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and endurance) could impair human performance, mission success, and crew safety. The level of fitness necessary for the performance of routine and off-nominal terrestrial mission tasks remains an unanswered and pressing question for scientists and flight physicians. To mitigate fitness loss during spaceflight, resistance and aerobic exercise are the most effective countermeasure available to astronauts. Currently, 2.5 h·d−1, 6–7 d·wk−1 is allotted in crew schedules for exercise to be performed on highly specialized hardware on the International Space Station (ISS). Exercise hardware provides up to 273 kg of loading capability for resistance exercise, treadmill speeds between 0.44 and 5.5 m·s−1, and cycle workloads from 0 and 350 W. Compared to ISS missions, future missions beyond low earth orbit will likely be accomplished with less vehicle volume and power allocated for exercise hardware. Concomitant factors, such as diet and age, will also affect the physiologic responses to exercise training (e.g., anabolic resistance) in the space environment. Research into the potential optimization of exercise countermeasures through use of dietary supplementation, and pharmaceuticals may assist in reducing physiological deconditioning during long-duration spaceflight and have the potential to enhance performance of occupationally related astronaut tasks (e.g., extravehicular activity, habitat construction, equipment repairs, planetary exploration, and emergency response).


MPEG Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) is a new streaming standard that has been recently ratified as an international standard (IS). In comparison to other streaming systems, e.g., HTTP progressive download, DASH is able to handle varying bandwidth conditions providing smooth streaming. Furthermore, it enables NAT and Firewall traversal, flexible and scalable deployment as well as reduced infrastructure costs due to the reuse of existing Internet infrastructure components, e.g., proxies, caches, and Content Distribution Networks (CDN). Recently, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Bis (httpbis) working group of the IETF has officially started the development of HTTP 2.0. Initially three major proposals have been submitted to the IETF i.e., Googles' SPDY, Microsofts' HTTP Speed+Mobility and Network-Friendly HTTP Upgrade, but SPDY has been chosen as working draft for HTTP 2.0. In this paper we implemented MPEG-DASH over HTTP 2.0 (i.e., SPDY), demonstrating its potential benefits and drawbacks. Moreover, several experimental evaluations have been performed that compare HTTP 2.0 with HTTP 1.1 and HTTP 1.0 in the context of DASH. In particular, the protocol overhead, the performance for different round trip times, and DASH with HTTP 2.0 in a lab test scenario has been evaluated in detail.


High quality drinking water exits modern treatment works, yet water quality degradation such as discolouration continues to occur within drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Discolouration is observed globally, suggesting a common process despite variations in source, treatment, disinfection and network configurations. The primary cause of discolouration has been identified as mobilisation of particulate material from pipe walls and the verified Prediction of Discolouration in Distribution Systems (PODDS) model uses measurable network hydraulics to simulate this response. In this paper the cohesive properties of discolouration material are explored and it is hypothesised that in simulating the turbidity response, the PODDS model is actually describing the development and cohesive strength behaviour of biofilms. Applying this concept can therefore facilitate a rapid and simple assessment of DWDS biofilm activity. A review of the findings from PODDS studies conducted internationally is presented, focussing on the macro or observable aspects of discolouration. These are compared and contrasted with associated biofilm studies which consider discolouration material at the micro-scale. Combining the results from these (past) studies to improve the understanding of interactions between microbial ecology and discolouration are discussed with a view to DWDS operational strategies that safeguard and optimise drinking water supply.


The objective of this paper is to examine the factors that influence Guinea's overall import demand using annual data covering the period 1980-2015. Through the Error Correction Model (ECM), we estimated the short- and long-term relationships to measure the effect of real investment expenditure, real effective exchange rate, real final consumption demand and trade policy on import demand, after testing the existence of a cointegration relationship between the different variables of the model.

The results showed that in the short term as in the long term, the demand for real investment, the real demand for final consumption and the trade policy based on the adoption of the new tariff system from 2005 are the main determinants of the import request in Guinea. These results allowed us to draw some implications for economic policy.


Marchantia polymorpha has become a model system to study land plant evolution because it is one of the earliest diverging land plants, possesses limited genetic redundancy and tools for functional genomics have become readily available. All land plants evolved from an algal ancestor with a haplobiontic life cycle with zygotic meiosis, meaning a multicellular gametophytic (n) body with the only diploid (2n) phase being the fertilized egg (zygote) that undergoes meiosis to release haploid spores. In contrast, land plants, or embryophytes, exhibit an alternation of generations − the gametophyte produces male and female gametes and upon fertilization the zygote undergoes mitotic divisions to form the sporophyte or embryo. Recent studies suggest that chromatin modification factors, including the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), play a major role in phase transitions by repressing sporophyte specific genes, for example KNOX genes. KNOX and BELL proteins belong to the TALE class homeodomain superclass of proteins that are present in animals, plants and fungi. KNOX-BELL TALE proteins have been proposed to play a key role in the evolution of alternation of generations. In green algae, two different mating types of gametes fuse to produce the zygote, each containing either a KNOX- or a BELL-like protein. Both proteins are cytosolic until fertilisation, when the two proteins heterodimerise and translocate to the nucleus where they activate zygote gene expression and development. In land plants, a duplication event resulted in two distinct classes of KNOX genes, KNOX1 and KNOX2. The Marchantia genome encodes two KNOX1, one KNOX2 and two BELL genes. In this study I demonstrate that inducible disruption of Marchantia PRC2 function by expressing an artificial microRNA targeting MpE(z) in the gametophytic stage of the life cycle causes de-repression of sporophyte specific MpKNOX2 and MpBELLB genes that result in developmental arrest. Plants co-expressing either MpBELLA or MpBELLB and MpKNOX2 genes phenocopy this lethal phenotype of knock-down MpE(z) lines. While transcriptome data suggests antheridia specific expression of MpBELLA, MpKNX2 is expressed in the egg cell and sporophyte. In theory, these proteins come into physical contact upon fertilization. Protein-protein interactions of MpBELL and MpKNOX proteins with subsequent intracellular trans-localisation to the nucleus was validated. To elucidate additional target genes of MpE(z) and KNOX/BELL heterodimers, RNAseq on inducible knock-down MpE(z) lines and co-expression of either MpBELL gene with MpKNOX2 showed de-repression of various sporophyte specific genes, making them good candidates for further studies. Thus, I have revealed that the Marchantia PRC2 is necessary for sporophyte specific MpKNOX and MpBELL repression. The interaction of both proteins could be demonstrated, and their expression in the gametophyte causes developmental arrest perhaps via activation/repression of downstream targets that probably reflect the determinate nature of the M. polymorpha sporophyte.


Digital and analog holography, along with its many variations, viz., holographic interferometry, holographic microscopy, holographic tomography, multiwavelength digital holography, phase-shifting holography, compressive holography, coherence holography, etc., have become the methods of choice for various metrological applications in three-dimensional (3D) imaging. In this review, we discuss the basic principles of analog and digital holography and the various topics mentioned above, with selected applications to real-world problems. We also discuss other related topics such as dynamic holography, non-Bragg orders, and compressive holographic tomography, nonlinear holography, holographic TV, as well as a nonholographic technique for 3D visualization, viz., transport of intensity imaging. Finally, we expose interested readers to contemporary topics in the area, viz., nonlinear holography and real-time holographic TV.


Background: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) affects 31% of ICU patients and leads to notable increases in morbidity and mortality. Current first line management typically involves the use of benzodiazepines (BZD), though historically, therapeutic ethanol (EtOH) was often used. Concerns surrounding the side effect profile of BZD, combined with the continued use of EtOH in the setting of AWS, have sparked renewed interest in therapeutic EtOH. This review analyzes the recent literature surrounding the use of EtOH in patients suffering from AWS in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Methods: An extensive search was performed using the databases EBMR, MEDLINE-Ovid, and Web of Science. The following keywords were used: alcohol, withdrawal, ethanol, delirium, and seizure. The search also necessitated studies to have at least one of the following terms: intensive care unit, ICU, inpatient, trauma, or critical care. The results were then reviewed for quality based on GRADE criteria. Results: The query above generated 494 results that were reviewed for relevancy. Two studies met inclusion criteria, both of which were non-blinded, randomized, controlled trials with patients being treated for AWS in the ICU using EtOH. One study found mild benefit to using EtOH, while the other study found current therapy with BZD to be superior. Quality of the studies was either low or very low according to GRADE profile. Conclusion: It is unclear whether patients benefit from EtOH, either as an adjunct or as mono-therapy, in the management of AWS compared to use of BZD. More research is needed to determine the efficacy of therapeutic EtOH. Degree Type Capstone Project Degree Name Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies First Advisor Annjanette Sommers, PA-C, MS


We present high-resolution speckle interferometric imaging observations of TESS exoplanet host stars using the NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet and Stellar Speckle Imager instrument at the 3.5 m WIYN telescope. Eight TESS objects of interest that were originally discovered by Kepler were previously observed using the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument. Speckle observations of 186 TESS stars were carried out, and 45 (24%) likely bound companions were detected. This is approximately the number of companions we would expect to observe given the established 46% binarity rate in exoplanet host stars. For the detected binaries, the distribution of stellar mass ratio is consistent with that of the standard Raghavan distribution and may show a decrease in high-q systems as the binary separation increases. The distribution of binary orbital periods, however, is not consistent with the standard Ragahavan model, and our observations support the premise that exoplanet-hosting stars with binary companions have, in general, wider orbital separations than field binaries. We find that exoplanet-hosting binary star systems show a distribution peaking near 100 au, higher than the 40–50 au peak that is observed for field binaries. This fact led to earlier suggestions that planet formation is suppressed in close binaries.


1. The kinetics of disappearance from the blood of three organic anions were studied in patients with acute intermittent porphyria. Indocyanine green (ICG) and [ 14 C]bilirubin were cleared normally in this disease, whereas bromsulphthalein (BSP) was cleared at less than the normal rate. The first exponential component of the BSP clearance curve was normal in acute intermittent porphyria, but the second exponential component declined less rapidly than in normals. The abnormality was greater in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients, but both groups were significantly different from normals. 2. The data are discussed in terms of a previously published model of BSP metabolism. The findings suggest normal BSP uptake initially by the liver with increased regurgitation of dye into the blood and decreased excretion of BSP from the liver cell into the bile. 3. In contrast to human acute intermittent porphyria, plasma clearance of BSP was greatly increased in experimental porphyria. This was associated with an increased level of BSP conjugating enzyme in the liver in experimental porphyria. 4. The BSP retention in acute intermittent porphyria, along with certain other findings, raises the question of the existence of an 'oestrogen effect' in this disease, but further studies will be required to determine whether the mechanism of BSP retention is identical to that produced by oestrogen.


Background: In today's societies, empowerment of women and their full cooperation on the basis of equality, in all areas, including decision-making and community management is one of the requirements for sustainable development needed by our country. In a society where there is no equal and acceptable equality and fair cooperation between men and women in research, economic and cultural activities, nor is there fair opportunity for innovation and talent, the development process has not progressed as expected. Methods: Given the progress that has been made in the field of education and social participation of women in the country, no country can develop without the presence, cooperation and activity of half of its capable population. Increasing the presence of women in society will change their role. Many women entrepreneurs are playing a role in the international arena. Results: To achieve moderation and remove barriers to their growth and, as a result, to better expand society, we need women to be able to participate in the decision-making process in different areas of society. In many countries, these pursuits have led to significant success for women. Conclusions: Undoubtedly, the role of women in the Green Management (GM) System program for organizations and government agencies is vivid and a program of excellence, and that its full understanding and realization relying on involving all personnel of organizations and those interested in the development of the country.


Abstract Single molecule quantification assays provide the ultimate sensitivity and precision for molecular analysis. However, most digital analysis techniques, i.e. droplet PCR, require sophisticated and expensive instrumentation for molecule compartmentalization, amplification and analysis. Rolling circle amplification (RCA) provides a simpler means for digital analysis. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of RCA assays has until now been limited by inefficient detection methods. We have developed a simple microfluidic strategy for enrichment of RCA products into a single field of view of a low magnification fluorescent sensor, enabling ultra-sensitive digital quantification of nucleic acids over a dynamic range from 1.2 aM to 190 fM. We prove the broad applicability of our analysis platform by demonstrating 5-plex detection of as little as ∼1 pg (∼300 genome copies) of pathogenic DNA with simultaneous antibiotic resistance marker detection, and the analysis of rare oncogene mutations. Our method is simpler, more cost-effective and faster than other digital analysis techniques and provides the means to implement digital analysis in any laboratory equipped with a standard fluorescent microscope.


This work establishes molybdenum disulfide/carbon nanotube electrodes for the desalination of high molar saline water. Capitalizing on the two-dimensional layered structure of MoS2, both cations and anions can be effectively removed from a feed water stream by faradaic ion intercalation. The approach is based on the setup of capacitive deionization (CDI), where an effluent water stream is desalinated via the formation of an electrical double-layer at two oppositely polarized carbon electrodes. Yet, CDI can only be effectively applied to low concentrated solutions due to the intrinsic limitation of the electrosorption mechanism. By replacing the conventional porous carbon with MoS2/CNT binder-free electrodes, deionization of sodium and chloride ions was achieved by ion intercalation instead of ion electrosorption. This enabled stable desalination performance over 25 cycles in various molar concentrations, with salt adsorption capacities of 10, 13, 18, and 25 mg g−1 in 5, 25, 100, and 500 mM NaCl aqueous solutions, respectively. This novel approach of faradaic deionization (FDI) paves the way towards a more energy-efficient desalination of brackish water and even sea water.


The Central Lapland Greenstone belt comprises rift-related metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks representing one of the largest supracrustal belts in the Baltic Shield. The Sodankylä area in the central part of the belt represents a complex thrust duplex within a nappe overlying Belomorian Archaean basement and autocthonous Luirojoki calc-silicate rocks. Here, an early D1 schistosity is axial planar to at least three coaxial generations of southward-verging, subhorizontal, E–W-plunging D1 folds associated with major southwards thrusting. D2 is represented by broad, map-scale, upright, NE-trending folds in the south and crenulations in the north. Staurolite-grade metamorphism represented by post-tectonic andalusite + staurolite + kyanite assemblages occurred after D2 folding. Later D3 deformation was limited to local NW-trending folds and sinistral faults. The internal nappe-like structure of the Central Lapland Greenstone belt suggests that it represents the foreland of a large collisional complex cored by the Lapland Granulite belt.


Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the commonly used test for diagnosis of thyroid nodules. FNAC is a cost-effective procedure that provides specific diagnosis rapidly with minimal complications. Based on the cytology findings, patients can be subjected to surgery only in cases of malignancy, thereby decreasing the rate of surgery and its consequent complications. The purpose of our study was to find the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in thyroid lesions and to compare it with histopathology. Materials and Methods: A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted at Department of Pathology, Darbhanga Medical College & Hospital, Laheriasarai, Bihar. Data were collected from the records of FNAC and histopathology of thyroid lesions, done in last 1 year duration. Analysis was done by entering data in SPSS software, and Chi-square test was applied to find statistical significance. Results: FNAC was done on 234 patients in 2 years duration. The most common thyroid lesions were benign [221 (94.4%)], followed by malignant only [6 (2.6%)], indeterminate [3 (1.3%)], and inadequate [4 (1.7%)]. Out of 221 (94.4%) benign thyroid lesions, 33% were simple colloid goiter, 27.6% goiter with cystic changes, 16.28% nodular colloid goiter, 10.41% lymphocytic thyroiditis, 4.53% thyroglossal cyst, 4.07% colloid goiter with hemorrhage, 0.9% were follicular adenoma, and others formed 3.17%. Out of six (2.6%) malignant thyroid lesions, three were papillary carcinoma and the other three were follicular neoplasm. Conclusions: The cytological criterion for the diagnosis of thyroid lesions as benign and malignant by FNAC is a highly reliable method for the diagnosis. FNAC showed sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of 100% in the diagnosis of malignant lesions like papillary carcinoma as well as thyroglossal cyst and abscess.


OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate efficacy of flow cytometric evaluation of expression and activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) efflux pumps and characterize and correlate their expression and activity in grossly normal canine nodal lymphocytes.

SAMPLE POPULATION
Nodal lymphocytes from 21 clinically normal dogs.

PROCEDURES
Pump expression was assessed by use of fluorescent-labeled mouse antihuman P-gp (C494) and MRP1 (MRPm6) antibodies and expressed as median values (antibody value divided by isotype control value). The P-gp and MRP activities were assessed by measuring cellular retention of rhodamine 123 and 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate in the absence and presence of inhibitors (verapamil and PSC833 for P-gp, probenecid and MK-571 for MRP). Protein activity was expressed as median fluorescence of cells with inhibitors divided by that without inhibitors.

RESULTS
Expression of P-gp was (mean +/- SEM) 50.62 +/- 13.39 (n = 21) and that of MRP was 2.16 +/- 0.25 (13). Functional activity was 1.27 +/- 0.06 (n = 21) for P-gp and both inhibitors and 21.85 +/- 4.09 (21) for MRP and both inhibitors. Function and expression were not correlated.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Use of flow cytometry effectively assessed P-gp and MRP expression and activity in canine lymphocytes. Optimization of the flow cytometric assay was determined for evaluating activity and expression of these pumps in canine lymphoid cells. Evaluation of expression or activity may offer more meaning when correlated with clinical outcome of dogs with lymphoproliferative diseases. Cell overexpression of P-gp and MRP can convey drug resistance.


Results of measurements of plasma electrons and poitive ions made during the Voyager 2 encounter with Saturn have been combined with measurements from Voyager 1 and Pioneer 11 to define more clearly the configuration of plasma in the Saturnian magnetosphere. The general morphology is well represented by four regions: (i) the shocked solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath, observed between about 30 and 22 Saturn radii (RS) near the noon meridian; (ii) a variable density region between ∼ 17 RS and the magnetopause; (iii) an extended thick plasma sheet between ∼ 17 and ∼ 7 RS symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis; and (iv) an inner plasma torus that probably originates from local sources and extends inward from L ≈ 7 to less than L ≈ 2.7 (L is the magnetic shell parameter). In general, the heavy ions, probably O+, are more closely confined to the equatorial plane than H+, so that the ratio of heavy to light ions varies along the trajectory according to the distance of the spacecraft from the equatorial plane. The general configuration of the plasma sheet at Saturn found by Voyager 1 is confirmed, with some notable differences and additions. The "extended plasma sheet," observed between L ≈ 7 and L ≈ 15 by Voyager 1 is considerably thicker as observed by Voyager 2. Inward of L ≈ 4, the plasma sheet collapses to a thin region about the equatorial plane. At the ring plane crossing, L ≈ 2.7, the observations are consistent with a density of O+ of ∼ 100 per cubic centimeter, with a temperature of ∼ 10 electron volts. The location of the bow shock and magnetopause crossings were consistent with those previously observed. The entire magnetosphere was larger during the outbound passage of Voyager 2 than had been previously observed; however, a magnetosphere of this size or larger is expected ∼ 3 percent of the time.


Accurate and timely detection, quantification, and attribution of methane emissions from Underground Gas Storage (UGS) facilities is essential for improving confidence in greenhouse gas inventories, enabling emission mitigation by facility operators, and supporting efforts to assess facility integrity and safety. We conducted multiple airborne surveys of the 12 active UGS facilities in California between January 2016 and November 2017 using advanced remote sensing and in situ observations of near-surface atmospheric methane (CH4). These measurements where combined with wind data to derive spatially and temporally resolved methane emission estimates for California UGS facilities and key components with spatial resolutions as small as 1–3 m and revisit intervals ranging from minutes to months. The study spanned normal operations, malfunctions, and maintenance activity from multiple facilities including the active phase of the Aliso Canyon blowout incident in 2016 and subsequent return to injection operations in summer 2017. We estimate that the net annual methane emissions from the UGS sector in California averaged between 11.0 ± 3.8 GgCH4 yr−1 (remote sensing) and 12.3 ± 3.8 GgCH4 yr−1 (in situ). Net annual methane emissions for the 7 facilities that reported emissions in 2016 were estimated between 9.0 ± 3.2 GgCH4 yr−1 (remote sensing) and 9.5 ± 3.2 GgCH4 yr−1 (in situ), in both cases around 5 times higher than reported. The majority of methane emissions from UGS facilities in this study are likely dominated by anomalous activity: higher than expected compressor loss and leaking bypass isolation valves. Significant variability was observed at different time-scales: daily compressor duty-cycles and infrequent but large emissions from compressor station blow-downs. This observed variability made comparison of remote sensing and in situ observations challenging given measurements were derived largely at different times, however, improved agreement occurred when comparing simultaneous measurements. Temporal variability in emissions remains one of the most challenging aspects of UGS emissions quantification, underscoring the need for more systematic and persistent methane monitoring.


The occurrence and distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments from the Laptev Sea shelf and the adjacent continental margin have been studied in relation to surface water conditions. Assemblages were interpreted by visual inspection and Q‐mode factor analysis. The inner Laptev shelf is a type‐area for polar environments because of the near absence of relatively warm waters from the Pacific or Atlantic oceans and an extensive seasonal sea‐ice cover. Assemblages are of low diversity and are dominated by the cold water taxon Islandinium minutum and related morphotypes. The common occurrence of distinctive polykrikoid cyst morphotypes is an indicator of polar environments. Furthermore, a strong supply of fresh water in summer influences the surface water conditions, and is a major factor controlling the occurrence and distribution of dinoflagellate cysts. The dinoflagellate cysts Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus and Operculodinium centrocarpum are restricted to the continental margin, suggesting a relation to the inflow of relatively warm Atlantic waters along the Eurasian continental margin. An abundance maximum of Brigantedinium spp. at the shelf break is related to the mean position of the marginal ice zone. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Closure of ATP-sensitive K channels (KATP channels) in response to metabolically generated ATP or binding of sulfonylurea drugs stimulates insulin release from pancreatic -cells. Heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in the KCJN11 gene encoding the Kir6.2 subunit of this channel are found in 47% of patients diagnosed with permanent diabetes at <6 months of age. There is a striking genotype-phenotype relationship with specific Kir6.2 mutations being associated with transient neonatal diabetes, permanent neonatal diabetes alone, and a novel syndrome characterized by developmental delay, epilepsy, and neonatal diabetes (DEND) syndrome. All mutations appear to cause neonatal diabetes by reducing KATP channel ATP sensitivity and increasing the KATP current, which inhibits -cell electrical activity and insulin secretion. The severity of the clinical symptoms is reflected in the ATP sensitivity of heterozygous channels in vitro with wild type > transient neonatal diabetes > permanent neonatal diabetes > DEND syndrome channels. Sulfonylureas still close mutated KATP channels, and many patients can discontinue insulin injections and show improved glycemic control when treated with high-dose sulfonylurea tablets. In conclusion, the finding that Kir6.2 mutations can cause neonatal diabetes has enabled a new therapeutic approach and shed new light on the structure and function of the Kir6.2 subunit of the KATP channel. Diabetes 54:2503–2513, 2005


In this paper we address the problem of same-day pick-up and delivery where a set of tasks are known a priori and a set of tasks are revealed during operation. The vehicle routes are precomputed based on the known and predicted requests and adjusted online as new requests are revealed. We propose a novel anticipatory insertion method which incorporates a set of predicted requests to beneficially adjust the routes of a fleet of vehicles in real-time. Requests are predicted based on historical data, which is clustered in advance. We exploit inherent patterns of the demand, which are captured by historical data and include them in a dynamic vehicle routing solver based on heuristics and adaptive large neighborhood search. The proposed method is evaluated using numerical simulations on a variety of real-world problems with up to 1655 requests per day. Their degree of dynamism ranges from 0.70 to 0.93. These instances represent dynamic multi-depot pickup and delivery problems with time windows. The method has shown to require less driven kilometers than comparable methods.


Description: Concise Encyclopaedia of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, 2nd Edition is a fully revised and updated version of this acclaimed resource. The book provides definitions and often explanations of over 1000 words, phrases and concepts relating to this fast–moving and exciting field, offering a convenient, one–stop summary of the core knowledge in the area. This second edition is an invaluable resource for students, researchers and academics.


In a parallel, shared-memory, language with a garbage collected heap, it is desirable for each processor to perform minor garbage collections independently. Although obvious, it is difficult to make this idea pay off in practice, especially in languages where mutation is common. We present several techniques that substantially improve the state of the art. We describe these techniques in the context of a full-scale implementation of Haskell, and demonstrate that our local-heap collector substantially improves scaling, peak performance, and robustness.


Sustainability is now targeted in nearly all urban projects, but LCA is generally seen as too complex so that more qualitative approaches are generally preferred. Indeed the importance of environmental problems regarding e.g. climate change, human health, biodiversity and resource depletion should justify a more precise decision making process. This communication presents some tools being developed these last ten years and several applications showing that new computer techniques allow LCA to be applied on a larger scale than just one building. Numerous models have been developed since the 80's to evaluate environmental impacts of one building using LCA, but decisions made at the level of a settlement have important consequences on the energy and environmental performance of buildings. Bioclimatic architecture depends on the outline of the streets: for instance organizing terraced houses with a proper orientation decreases the heating load compared to standard detached houses. Also, collective equipment like district heating and public transport can be more efficient than individual systems. Settlement models are therefore useful to complement building models. A life cycle simulation tool has been developed to model urban projects including various buildings, streets, green and other public spaces, and networks (drinking water, waste water, district heating...). This tool, developed in an object oriented approach, associates dynamic thermal simulation and building LCA, complemented with modules for open spaces and networks. A set of environmental indicators is evaluated, e.g. resource depletion, energy and water consumption, global warming, waste generation, toxicity. Several alternatives can be compared, constituting an urban design aid. This communication presents a case study illustrating a possible application of this tool. Several urban morphologies are compared including residential and tertiary buildings, according to passive or Plus energy concepts. Each alternative is defined according to the same functional unit corresponding to a number of inhabitant and employees during 80 years, in the Greater Paris Area context and climatic conditions. The results are presented showing e.g. the contribution of buildings and transport in the overall environmental balance. Perspectives are proposed to refine the model and complement it, regarding e.g. dynamic and consequential LCA. • Maximal length: 2500 characters including spaces


This work is aimed at characterising the chromatographic action of some typical paper coating pigments in relation to the separation and fractionation of offset printing ink components during absorption into the coating void structure, with particular emphasis given to the chemical and structural parameters of the pigments. The separation phenomenon was studied experimentally using primarily large-scale model systems based on a modified thin-layer chromatography method. The separation of the ink constituents was detected directly from the absorption path using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) microscopy. The coatings were characterised for their physical properties using mercury porosimetry, and the absorbing fluids for their viscosity and surface energy. The ink-coated paper contact on the realistic scale was evaluated using the concept of ink-on-paper tack development. Coating pigments used in the work included typical paper coating grade ground calcium carbonates, fine clays of different origins, as well as talc and precipitated calcium carbonate. The choice of pigments provided the possibility to investigate independently the chemical and physical aspects of pigment properties on the constituent fluid separation. Ink chemicals included representatives of the most typical offset ink components; namely mineral oil, linseed oil, ink resins and ink pigment. A blend of mineral and linseed oils was used as the main test fluid. The differential interaction or adsorption-desorption on the pigments leads to separation of the mixture of mineral and vegetable (in this case linseed) oils as they are absorbed into the pigment coating structure, where the more polar linseed oil is preferentiall y retarded in the structure composed of the more polar pigments. The degree of the separation is directly proportional to the surface area of the pigment within a group of chemically and morphologically identical pigments. It is also affected by the surface chemistry of the pigment but more so in comparing dispersed and undispersed pigments, and polar versus non-polar rather than between the chemically different hydrophilic dispersed pigments. Pigment morphology strongly influences the macroscopic flow behaviour due to changes in physical porous structure (pore size, porosity, tortuosity). The macroscopic flow behaviour, which is affected by all of the above-mentioned structural and chemical parameters of both the solid and liquid phases, proved to be a universal parameter determining the separation efficiency of the oils by affecting the retention time. Added ink resins in the oil mix retards the overall absorption rate of the oils, but does not affect the separation tendency of the oils in most of the cases studied, except in cases where less polar pigments or dispersions are involved. Adding latex into the coating


This paper discusses the approach to curation of the MuMe Weekend (held in Sydney, Australia, 2013) and the experience the authors gained from hosting the event. We identify open challenges arising from this applied demonstration of musically metacreative systems. Identified challenges are not technical, but rather methodological, concerning pragmatic aspects of presenting and collaboratively innovating musically metacreative work. The paper presents our approach to curating the event, the categories of performances offered — and responses to these — issues to do with the selection and presentation of the work, and issues to do with the evaluation by audience and performers.


Civil society organizations have played various roles in promoting the capture of benefits from and protection against the negative impacts of extractive industries. Payment disclosure is one potentially powerful tool for such organizations to promote greater local benefit capture. Practitioners and academics have noted, however, that transparency alone does not equate to accountability. This is true in the extractive sectors, where political dynamics pose serious obstacles. The cases of Ghana and Peru provide examples of these dynamics. Strategies for overcoming them include strengthening the technical capacity of civil society organizations, providing civic education, targeting interventions better, and learning more deeply from positive examples.


Background Cohen syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with a complex phenotype including psychomotor retardation, microcephaly, obesity with slender extremities, joint laxity, progressive chorioretinal dystrophy/myopia, intermittent isolated neutropenia, a cheerful disposition, and characteristic facial features. The COH1 gene, which contains 62 exons, is so far the only gene known to be associated with Cohen syndrome. Point mutations, deletions and duplications have been described in this gene. Oligonucleotide arrays have reached a resolution which allows the detection of intragenic deletions and duplications, especially in large genes such as COH1. Method and results High density oligonucleotide array data from patients with unexplained mental retardation (n=1523) and normal controls (n=1612) were analysed for copy number variation (CNV) changes. Intragenic heterozygous deletions in the COH1 gene were detected in three patients but no such changes were detected in the controls. Subsequent sequencing of the COH1 gene revealed point mutations in the second allele in all three patients analysed. Conclusion Genome-wide CNV screening with high density arrays provides a tool to detect intragenic deletions in the COH1 gene. This report presents an example of how microarrays can be used to identify autosomal recessive syndromes and to extend the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of recessive disorders.