Semantic representation learning for sentences is an important and well-studied problem in NLP. The current trend for this task involves training a Transformer-based sentence encoder through a contrastive objective with text, i.e., clustering sentences with semantically similar meanings and scattering others. In this work, we find the performance of Transformer models as sentence encoders can be improved by training with multi-modal multi-task losses, using unpaired examples from another modality (e.g., sentences and unrelated image/audio data). In particular, besides learning by the contrastive loss on text, our model clusters examples from a non-linguistic domain (e.g., visual/audio) with a similar contrastive loss at the same time. The reliance of our framework on unpaired non-linguistic data makes it language-agnostic, enabling it to be widely applicable beyond English NLP. Experiments on 7 semantic textual similarity benchmarks reveal that models trained with the additional non-linguistic (images/audio) contrastive objective lead to higher quality sentence embeddings. This indicates that Transformer models are able to generalize better by doing a similar task (i.e., clustering) with unpaired examples from different modalities in a multi-task fashion.


Normalizing Flows (NFs) are able to model complicated distributions p(y) with strong inter-dimensional correlations and high multimodality by transforming a simple base density p(z) through an invertible neural network under the change of variables formula. Such behavior is desirable in multivariate structured prediction tasks, where handcrafted per-pixel loss-based methods inadequately capture strong correlations between output dimensions. We present a study of conditional normalizing flows (CNFs), a class of NFs where the base density to output space mapping is conditioned on an input x, to model conditional densities p(y|x). CNFs are efficient in sampling and inference, they can be trained with a likelihood-based objective, and CNFs, being generative flows, do not suffer from mode collapse or training instabilities. We provide an effective method to train continuous CNFs for binary problems and in particular, we apply these CNFs to super-resolution and vessel segmentation tasks demonstrating competitive performance on standard benchmark datasets in terms of likelihood and conventional metrics.


This chapter analyses the economic situation in the UK as it attempts to recover from the financial and economic crisis that began in 2008. In particular, we focus on the probability that the fiscal consolidation, introduced by the new coalition government in 2010, is likely to be expansionary or contractionary. To analyse this we first briefly survey the large economic literature on the impact of government borrowing on economic growth. We identify the key factors that empirical evidence suggests affect the probability that a fiscal consolidation will be expansionary. We then examine these factors in the context of the UK to identify whether they are favourable or not towards the consolidation being expansionary.


This article attempts to make a contribution to the discourse of missiology by engaging critically with the much debated studies of theology and development. The two widely used definitions of development are analysed to point out commonalities and weaknesses. A theology of relationality is then introduced with reference to the Trinity, relationships and personhood. Some pointers then emerged to form a more integral understanding of development. I then make some connections between human and social development and the Trinity and perichoresis and to point out the missiological and ecclesiological implications for the mission of the church.


Women now account for the majority of all new HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in the United States. Yet, the resources allotted to women for research, health services, education, and outreach remain woefully inadequate. The Gender Politics of HIV/AIDS in Women fills crucial gaps in understanding the specific effects of HIV and AIDS on and in women's lives. It takes as its starting point the premise that it is vitally important for researchers, teachers, health service providers, public policy makers, and community-based organizers to begin taking gender-- especially as it intersects with race, class, and sexuality-- into consideration as they work with HIV-infected women. The first comprehensive, interdisciplinary volume on this topic, The Gender Politics of HIV/AIDS in Women goes beyond tokenism, with a contributor's list made up of approximately 45% people of color, including African Americans, Latinos/as, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. The volume emphasizes marginalized populations such as the homeless, sexworkers, youth, the elderly, intravenous drug users, transgendered people, lesbians, bisexuals, incarcerated women, and victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. The contributors, including Evelyn Hammonds, Risa Denenberg, Michelle Murrain, and Paul Farmer, are recognized experts in their diverse fields. From their posts at the center of the pandemic--in the laboratory, the academy, clinics, and community based organizations--they criticize blind spots in the recognition and treatment of HIV in women and articulate accessible and practical solutions to specific areas of difficulty.


This book is about the theatre of power and identity that unfolded in and between Britain and Germany in the decades before the First World War. It explores what contemporaries described as the cult of the navy: the many ways in which the navy and the sea were celebrated in the fleet reviews, naval visits and ship launches that were watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators. At once royal rituals and national entertainments, these were events at which tradition, power and claims to the sea were played out between the nations. This was a public stage on which the domestic and the foreign intersected and where the modern mass market of media and consumerism collided with politics and international relations. Conflict and identity were literally acted out between the two countries. By focusing on this dynamic arena, Jan Ruger offers a fascinating new history of the Anglo-German antagonism.

(Description from the publisher web page
http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521875769)


In this paper, we investigate the use of ambient technology to create a classroom presence for hospitalised children. We present results from four case studies, each of which included data from hospitalised children, their parents, classmates and teachers (at both school and hospital). Primary school-aged children from both metropolitan and rural areas were included. Data collected at both the hospital and the classroom were analysed to investigate children's experience of the ambient technology and their desire to be aware of the presence of their peers, from both ends of the hospital-school setting. The results indicate that ambient technology is positive at fostering a mutual sense of presence, from the perspective of the hospitalised children, their family, teachers and classmates.


The polygon covering problem is an important class of problems in the area of computational geometry. There are slightly different versions of this problem depending on the types of polygons to be addressed. In this paper, we focus on finding an answer to a question of whether an orthogonal rectangle, or spatial query window, is fully covered by a set of orthogonal rectangles which are in smaller sizes. This problem is encountered in many application domains including object recognition/extraction/trace, spatial analyses, topological analyses, and augmented reality applications. In many real-world applications, in the cases of using traditional central computation techniques, working with real world data results in a performance bottlenecks. The work presented in this paper proposes a high performance MapReduce-based big data framework to solve the polygon covering problem in the cases of using a spatial query window and data are represented as a set of orthogonal rectangles. Orthogonal rectangular polygons are represented in the form of minimum bounding boxes. The spatial query windows are also called as range queries. The proposed spatial big data framework is evaluated in terms of horizontal scalability. In addition, efficiency and speed-up performance metrics for the proposed two algorithms are measured.


This Article traces the evolution of the Uniform Probate Code's (UPC) broad equality framework for inheritance by nonmarital children in the context of the wider movement for legal equality for such children in society. It concludes that the UPC is to be lauded for its efforts to provide equal treatment to all nonmarital children. The UPC's commitment to such equality serves an expressive function for state legislatures and courts to follow its lead. The UPC has fulfilled its promise that all children regardless of marital status shall be equal for purposes of inheritance from or through parents, with one exception: its adoption of an agency approach to the inclusion of such children in class gifts from nonparent transferors. The Article analyzes this one exception and evaluates the systemic costs and constitutional concerns surrounding the use of an agency theory in this context. The Article concludes that a previous default rule under the UPC was the more equitable approach and suggests a return to that rule as it existed from 1975 to 1990. This approach was recently embraced by the Massachusetts legislature in its new probate code.


Background Decreased metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive activation is a recurrent finding and a likely functional marker of schizophrenia. Aims To investigate the occurrence of hypofrontality in patients with first-episode psychosis, with or without evolution to schizophrenia. Method We used fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography during the performance of an attention task and magnetic resonance imaging to study the dorsolateral prefrontal region in 13 men with a first episode of psychosis. Data from patients who progressed to schizophrenia were compared with those of patients who did not meet criteria for this diagnosis after 2 years. Results Patients who developed schizophrenia demonstrated a significant hypofrontality in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in comparison with the non-schizophrenia and control groups. Conclusions Our results suggest that hypofrontality could be a marker of schizophrenia at the time of the first psychotic episode, in agreement with neurodevelopmental theories of schizophrenia.


Will Print get a drubbing at the biggest spectator event known to wo/man? Interesting questions are being raised in media and marketing industry circles about the role Print has to play in the 2010 Soccer World Cup. With adspend figures down significantly, there is no question that the economic recession has hurt Print media globally. So, concerns about Print's relevance in 2010 are to be expected.


Both the growth and ubiquitous character of the Internet have had a profound effect on how we access and consume data and information. More recently, the Semantic Web, an extension of the current Web has come increasingly relevant due to its widespread adoption.
 The Web of Data (WoD) is an extension of the current web, where not only documents are interlinked by means of hyperlinks but also data in terms of predicates. Specifically, it describes objects, entities or "things" in terms of their attributes and their relationships, using RDF data (and often is used equivalently to Linked Data). Given its growth, there is a strong need for making this wealth of knowledge accessible by keyword search (the de-facto standard paradigm for accessing information online).
 The goal of this thesis is to provide new techniques for accessing this data, i.e., to leverage its full potential to end users. We therefore address the following four main issues: a) how can the Web of Data be searched by means of keyword search?, b) what sets apart search in the WoD from traditional web search?, c) how can these elements be used in a sound and effective way?, and d) How can the techniques be adapted to a distributed environment?
 To this end, we develop techniques for effectively searching WoD sources. We build upon and formalise existing entity modelling approaches within a generative language modelling framework, and compare them experimentally using standard test collections. We show that these models outperform the current state-of-the-art in terms of retrieval effectiveness, however, this is done at the cost of abandoning a large part of the semantics behind the data. We propose a novel entity model capable of preserving the semantics associated with entities, without sacrificing retrieval effectiveness. We further show how these approaches can be applied in the distributed context, both with low (federated search) and high numbers (Peer-to-peer or P2P) of independent repositories, collections, or nodes.
 The main contributions are as follows: We develop a hybrid approach to search in the Web of Data, using elements from traditional information retrieval and structured retrieval alike. We formalise our approaches in a language model setting. We discuss and analyse based on our empirical evaluation and provide insights into the entity search problem..


Abstract The long-necked turtle Chelodina mccordi is considered Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List criteria. In Timor-Leste, the subspecies Chelodina mccordi timorensis is restricted to a small area of lacustrine habitat near the eastern tip of Timor around Lake Iralalaro in the Lautém District. We collected information on C. m. timorensis biology and harvest and assessed current threats and community perceptions. Data were collected during 2 surveys (February and July 2014) around Lake Iralalaro in Nino Konis Santana National Park. Threats were identified by direct observation, and local perceptions were recorded during expert interviews. Human harvest is the main threat in the area. Animals are captured using fishing line, are located using a bamboo stick in shallow water to probe the mud, or are captured by hand at the edge of the lake or under dry grass. Turtles are captured mainly during the dry season (April to October). Most experts identified C. m. timorensis under 2 different names according to the color (staining) of the plastron (veu = yellow and clear; sepe veu = dark and red). Local perspectives as to the population status of the turtle (stable, declining, or increasing) varied between 2 villages. Factors that may be reducing the capacity of this turtle to survive human harvest include predation by pigs and dogs. Fire and climate change are also likely to be important factors resulting in declines.


Mastitis represents one of the major economical and animal welfare concerns within the dairy industry. Animals affected with this disease can experience a range of clinical symptoms from mild discomfort and swelling of the udder to a severe systemic inflammatory response that could result in the death of the animal. This range of responses is due to differences in pathogen, environment, and inter-animal differences in their innate immune response. A dermal fibroblast model was used to predict the magnitude of an animal's innate immune response towards an intra-mammary S. aureus challenge. Animals whose fibroblasts exhibited a low response phenotype, characterized by lower levels of IL-8 following in vitro immune stimulation, suffered less mammary tissue damage and a less severe reduction in milk quality following the in vivo S. aureus challenge as compared to animals classified as high responders. Furthermore, the heightened inflammatory response of the high responders offered no advantage in bacterial clearance. For a S. aureus infection, the lower response phenotype is preferred. To further explore inter-animal variation in the innate immune response, fibroblast cultures were established and challenged with LPS from two breeds of cattle, Holsteins, a dairy breed and Angus, a beef breed. Cultures from Holstein animals exhibited a higher responding phenotype than cultures from Angus animals. As these two breeds undergo selection for different traits and are reared differently as calves, whole transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) and DNA methylation analysis (Methylated CpG Island Recovery Assay; MIRA-Seq) of their fibroblasts was completed to examine the genetic and epigenetic basis for the contrasting responses. RNA-Seq revealed several immune associated genes that were expressed at higher levels in Holstein cultures compared to Angus cultures, including TLR4, IL-8, CCL5, and TNF-α, both basally and following LPS exposure. Although MIRA-Seq analysis revealed 49 regions with differential methylation between the Holstein and Angus cultures, overall, the methylation of the fibroblast genome was similar between these breeds. A combination of genetic and epigenetic factors seems to contribute to the breed-dependent differences observed between Holstein and Angus fibroblasts. Early life exposure to bacterial compounds or inflammatory mediators can have long-term effects on the magnitude of an animal's innate immune response, and may contribute to inter-animal variation in this response. To determine if an early life exposure to LPS would modify the response to a subsequent LPS challenge in dairy animals, neonatal Holstein calves were treated with LPS or saline at 7 days of age and subsequently challenged with LPS 25 days later. Calves that received LPS at 7 days of age had greatly elevated levels of plasma IL-6 and TNF-α compared to calves that received saline, indicating a substantial inflammatory response. However, following the subsequent LPS challenge completed on all calves, there were no differences in plasma IL-6 and TNF-α between the LPSand salinetreated calves. Alternative exposure strategies in calves may generate the long-term effects observed in other model systems. There is a wide range in the responses observed in the innate immune response of the bovine. Animals with a lower innate immune response effectively clear the infection, but avoid the collateral tissue damage from excessive inflammation. Therefore, it seems that a reduced innate immune response would be more beneficial to the dairy cow.


Nowadays, while large-sized multimedia objects are becoming very popular throughout the Internet, one of the important issues appears to be the acceleration of content delivery network (CDN) performance. CDN is a web system that delivers the web cached objects to the client and accelerates the web performance. Therefore the performance factor for any CDN is vital factor in determining the quality of services. The performance improvement can be achieved through load balancing technique, so the server load could be distributed to several clustered groups of machines and processed in parallel. Also the performance of CDN heavily depends on caching algorithm which is used to cache the web objects. This study investigates a method that improves the performance of delivering multimedia content through CDN while using RADS algorithm for caching large-sized objects separately from small-sized ones. We will also consider the efficient distribution of requests outgoing from local servers in order to balance the CDN load. This method uses various types of factors such as CPU processing time, I/O access time and Task Queue between nearby servers. At the end of the paper, we will see the experimental results derived from implementing the proposed optimization technique and observe how it could contribute to the effectiveness of CDN.


In this chapter we propose a combined Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), i.e. OFDM-MIMO system, in order to increase the capacity of High Altitude Platform (HAP) communication links. In the proposed system, the OFDM parameters and various compact MIMO antenna array configurations are investigated and their performance, in term of capacity, is analysed. In addition, since these special compact MIMO antenna array configurations depend on the array elements being positioned very closely together, the effect of mutual coupling and spatial correlation will also be analysed and taken into account when performing the simulation for this combined diversity system. Further, we will investigate the influence of the separation angle between the multiple relaying platforms on system performance, and determine the optimal separation angles that maximize the total capacity of the system.


The pathways, through which water quality in the distribution network can be compromised, may be classified into five categories: intrusion of contaminants into the distribution system (e.g. through cross connection); regrowth of bacteria in pipes and distribution storage tanks; water treatment breakthrough; leaching of chemicals or corrosion products from system components (pipes, tanks, liners, etc.); and permeation of organic compounds through plastic pipe and pipe components in the system. Quantification and characterization of the various risk factors in water distribution systems is a difficult task. Many kilometres of pipes of different ages and materials, uncertain operational and environmental conditions, unavailability of reliable data, and lack of understanding of some factors and processes affecting pipe performance make it extremely challenging. It is often difficult to identify or validate specific cause(s) for water contamination or waterborne disease outbreak because real-time data are rarely, if ever, available. For these reasons, high uncertainties are inherent in any risk measure that may be assigned to the distribution system. Further, the current inability to precisely quantify most of these risks may warrant the usage of a quantitative–qualitative framework. In this paper, a framework is presented for the analysis of aggregative risk associated with water quality failure in the distribution system. Each risk item is defined by the product of the likelihood of a failure event and its consequence (peril). Both the likelihood and the consequences of a failure event are defined using fuzzy numbers to capture vagueness in the qualitative linguistic definitions. A multi-stage hierarchical model of aggregative risk for water quality failure is developed. An analytic hierarchy process is used for estimating the priority matrix (weights) for grouping risk attributes. The framework is applied on a simplified structure of risk hierarchies for a water distribution system.


Winterkill has long been a problem for winter wheat growers in Montana. In any given year up to 50% of the seeded acres of winter wheat may have to be reseeded to spring wheat. Research has addressed injury thresholds on when to reseed winter wheat. But little information is available regarding reseeding to spring wheat. The objectives of this study were to determine the level of injury whereby it is more profitable to reseed to spring rather than leave the reduced stand of winter wheat. Eighteen treatments were used to simulate different levels of winter injury and methods of termination of the winter wheat before reseeding. Soil water and nitrogen use by the winter wheat before termination was also determined. Mechanical and chemical termination of 60%, 40% and 20% stands of winter wheat were replanted to spring wheat. An early and late reseeding was also imposed. A 20% stand of winter wheat out yielded the early seeded spring wheat check in all environments. Early reseeded treatments were significantly better than late reseeded treatments. There was no difference between mechanically and chemically terminated plots.


Technical and organizational innovations such as Open Data, Internet of Things and Big Data have fueled renewed interest in policy analytics in the public sector. This revamped version of policy analysis continues the long-standing tradition of applying statistical modeling to better understand policy effects and decision making, but also incorporates other computational approaches such as artificial intelligence (AI) and computer simulation. Although much attention has been given to the development of capabilities for data analysis, there is much less attention to understanding the role of data management in a context of AI in government. In this paper, we argue that data management capabilities are foundational to data analysis of any kind, but even more important in the present AI context. This is so because without proper data management, simply acquiring data or systems will not produce desired outcomes. We also argue that realizing the potential of AI for social good relies on investments specifically focused on this social outcome, investments in the processes of building trust in government data, and ensuring the data are ready and suitable for use, for both immediate and future uses.


The aim of this paper is to investigate whether different credit institutions, and in particular cooperative banks, have a different impact on the reduction of income inequalities. By analyzing Italian local credit markets, i.e. Italian provinces, over the period 2001-2011, we find that cooperative banks' diffusion significantly reduces income inequality. This finding is robust to different measures of income inequality, different proxies of local banking structure (cooperative banks branches, popular banks branches, commercial banks branches), and different estimation techniques. When we study the channel of influence, we find that the diffusion of cooperative banks is particularly relevant for income distribution where loans to families and firms are larger, bank-firm relationships are tighter and the number of new firms over incumbent is larger.


Prepared by the Council on Disaster Reduction and the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering of ASCE. This TCLEE Monograph provides engineers and decision makers with tools to help them better understand acceptable risk processes and then develop risk reduction strategies and implement mitigation actions to reduce lifeline losses from future earthquakes. The disruption of lifelines from natural hazards has a direct impact on the world's regional economies and the health of their citizens. Therefore, it is important to understand what natural hazards are, how they can affect infrastructure lifelines, and what can be done to minimize their impact. These three elements, in turn, influence decisions that involve acceptable risk processes. The topic of acceptable risk provides one way of bringing integrated systems risk evaluations for disaster explicitly into a decision-making context. Topics include technical issues; risk criteria issues; and communication, administration, and regulation issues.


This study aims to re-address the issue of flaring and venting of reproduced gases in carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2EOR) projects. Whilst a number of studies have not recognised the impact of flaring/venting in CO2EOR developments, a study completed at Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) "Carbon Accounting for Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery" highlighted the significant control that flaring/venting of reproduced gases may have on a projects life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. This study utilises operational data from offshore UK oil fields to analyse the rates of current flaring and venting in oil operations in these established fields.
Although no CO2EOR developments are currently operating in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS), it is thought that these offshore fields may provide an analogue for flaring and venting rates at future offshore CO2EOR fields. An even better analogue may exist in the form of non-CO2 offshore EOR projects of which there a number operating in the UKCS (Awan et al. 2008). Given that some of these EOR projects utilise gas injection, much like the proposed CO2EOR projects, flaring/venting rates at these fields in particular will be analysed further.


We discuss the concept of colimitation of primary productivity in aquatic environments, with an emphasis on reconciling this concept with recent advances in marine bioinorganic chemistry. Colimitations are divided into three categories on the basis of their mathematical formulations and visualizations: type I, independent nutrient colimitation (e.g., N and P); type II, biochemical substitution colimitation (e.g., Co and Zn); and type III, biochemically dependent colimitation (e.g., Zn and C), where the ability to acquire one nutrient is dependent upon sufficient supply of another. The potential for colimitation occurring in the marine environment and the critical importance of understanding nutrient bioavailability are discussed.


Abstract Kingstonite, ideally Rh3S4, is a new mineral from the Bir Bir river, Yubdo District, Wallaga Province, Ethiopia. It occurs as subhedral, tabular elongate to anhedral inclusions in a Pt-Fe nugget with the associated minerals isoferroplatinum, tetraferroplatinum, a Cu-bearing Pt-Fe alloy, osmium, enriched oxide remnants of osmium, laurite, bowieite, ferrorhodsite and cuprorhodsite. It is opaque with a metallic lustre, has a black streak, is brittle and has a subconchoidal fracture and a good cleavage parallel to [001]. VHN25 is 871−920 kg/mm2. In plane-polarized reflected light, kingstonite is a pale slightly brownish grey colour. It is weakly pleochroic and displays a weak bireflectance. It does not possess internal reflections. The anisotropy is weak to moderate in dull greys and browns. Reflectance data and colour values are tabulated. Average results of twenty electron microprobe analyses on four grains give Rh 46.5, Ir 16.4, Pt 11.2, S 25.6, total 99.7 wt.%. The empirical formula is (Rh2.27Ir0.43Pt0.29)∑2.99S4.01, based on 7 atoms per formula unit (a.p.f.u.). Kingstonite is monoclinic (C2/m) with a = 10.4616(5), b = 10.7527(5), c = 6.2648(3) Å, β = 109.000(5)°, V = 666.34(1) Å3 (Z = 6). The calculated density is 7.52 g/cm3 (on the basis of the empirical formula and unit-cell parameters refined from powder data). The seven strongest X-ray powder-diffraction lines [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 3.156 (100) (310), 3.081 (100) (1̅̅31), 2.957 (90) (002), 2.234 (60) (202), 1.941 (50) (2̅23), 1.871 (80) (4̅41) and 1.791 (90) (060, 1̅̅33). The structure of kingstonite was solved and refined to Rp = 3.8%. There are four distinct metal sites with Rh occupancies of 0.64−0.89. Two metal sites are regular RhS6 octahedra that share edges to form a ribbon running parallel to c. The other two metal sites are coordinated by 4 S + 2 Rh and 5 S + 2 Rh and define a puckered Rh6 ring. The ribbons of regular RhS6 octahedra alternate with the columns of Rh6 rings linked by S atoms. S−S bridges also connect the ribbons and columns. As such, the kingstonite structure is essentially that of synthetic Rh3S4. Minor differences in the unit-cell parameters, atom coordinates and displacement parameters of kingstonite and synthetic Rh3S4 arise from the considerable substitution of Ir for Rh. The mineral name honours Gordon Kingston (formerly of Cardiff University) in recognition of his contributions to platinum group element mineralogy and the geology of their mineral deposits.


Education adds value, no doubt. It imparts good practices and strategies for survival in a competitive world. Hence, LIS educators have roles to play in nurturing the connection between the classroom and the real world experiences of engaging the masses. Smart educators always structure programs that mix, mash and excite. Taking ownership of library and information services through development of curriculum is the first step of training and education. The authors have been in dialogue where colleagues stated that LIS is boring and unexciting. This affects teaching and training, thus, creating librarians that seem too reserved for comfort. This study highlighted the experiences of LIS educators in integrating strategies in library schools, outcome of the experiences, lessons learnt and implications of the study. It was a qualitative study from Madonna University, Nigeria and Ignatius Aguru University of Education, Rumuorlumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The instruments used were dialogues, focal group discussion, talk shows and presentation. The strategies were implemented from 2017 to 2019. Results showed that the LIS educators incorporated world book day, world literacy day, world language day, human rights anniversary, IFLA global vision, motivational and ICT trainings into the curriculum. It was discovered that streaming and initiating these activities stimulated interest in career charting as well as attracted more recognition and acknowledgement to LIS departments. The lessons learnt included craving from students and colleagues for more engaging programs, secret admiration from other departments and awareness creation for inclusive learning program. Indeed, updating the training and LIS education are very important in building radical career ready professionals. LIS is a serious business, thus, educators in this field have every need to keep the motor moving with stimulating dialogue and practices.


ABSTRACT Cell polarization is a fundamental process that underlies epithelial morphogenesis, cell motility, cell division and organogenesis. Loss of polarity predisposes tissues to developmental disorders and contributes to cancer progression. The formation and establishment of epithelial cell polarity is mediated by the cooperation of polarity protein complexes, namely the Crumbs, partitioning defective (Par) and Scribble complexes, with Rho family GTPases, including RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42. The activation of different GTPases triggers distinct downstream signaling pathways to modulate protein–protein interactions and cytoskeletal remodeling. The spatio-temporal activation and inactivation of these small GTPases is tightly controlled by a complex interconnected network of different regulatory proteins, including guanine-nucleotide-exchange factors (GEFs), GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), and guanine-nucleotide-dissociation inhibitors (GDIs). In this Commentary, we focus on current understanding on how polarity complexes interact with GEFs and GAPs to control the precise location and activation of Rho GTPases (Crumbs for RhoA, Par for Rac1, and Scribble for Cdc42) to promote apical–basal polarization in mammalian epithelial cells. The mutual exclusion of GTPase activities, especially that of RhoA and Rac1, which is well established, provides a mechanism through which polarity complexes that act through distinct Rho GTPases function as cellular rheostats to fine-tune specific downstream pathways to differentiate and preserve the apical and basolateral domains. This article is part of a Minifocus on Establishing polarity. For further reading, please see related articles: 'ERM proteins at a glance' by Andrea McClatchey (J. Cell Sci. 127, 3199–3204). 'Integrins and epithelial cell polarity' by Jessica Lee and Charles Streuli (J. Cell Sci. 127, 3217–3215).


This volume includes a critical literature review (Part 1) and a small scale empirical study (Part 2) on the topic of 'emotionally-based non-attendance' at school. Part one of the volume critically reviews the existing research on 'school refusal', in terms of conceptualisation, prevalence, and associated risk and protective factors. This review argues that there is a significantly limited amount of research into the school factors associated with school refusal, and the voice of the child has been insufficiently represented. Overall, there appears to be a bias towards clinical and adult discourses in the school refusal research. Part two of this volume presents an empirical study which investigated the factors associated with emotionally-based non-attendance at school from young people's perspective. The subjective views and lived experiences of three girls with emotionally-based non-attendance were elicited, using techniques derived from personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955). These girls were from a non-clinical sample, and were identified as 'at risk' of developing more severe and persistent forms of emotionally-based non-attendance in the future. The results are discussed in terms of the 'young carer role', 'ambivalence', 'returning to school' and 'school factors'. Several implications for practice are drawn from the study.


Abstract. In response to global warming, the Brewer–Dobson circulation in the stratosphere is expected to accelerate and the mean transport time of air along this circulation to decrease. This would imply a negative stratospheric age of air trend, i.e. an air parcel would need less time to travel from the tropopause to any point in the stratosphere. Age of air as inferred from tracer observations, however, shows zero to positive trends in the northern mid-latitude stratosphere and zonally asymmetric patterns. Using satellite observations and model calculations we show that the observed latitudinal and vertical patterns of the decadal changes of age of air in the lower to middle stratosphere during the period 2002–2012 are predominantly caused by a southward shift of the circulation pattern by about 5°. After correction for this shift, the observations reveal a hemispherically almost symmetric decrease of age of air in the lower to middle stratosphere up to 800 K of up to −0.25 years over the 2002–2012 period with strongest decrease in the northern tropics. This net change is consistent with long-term trends from model predictions.


The traditional academic imperative to "publish or perish" is increasingly coupled with the newer necessity of "impact or perish"—the requirement that a publication have "impact," as measured by a variety of metrics, including citations, views, and downloads. Gaming the Metrics examines how the increasing reliance on metrics to evaluate scholarly publications has produced radically new forms of academic fraud and misconduct. The contributors show that the metrics-based "audit culture" has changed the ecology of research, fostering the gaming and manipulation of quantitative indicators, which lead to the invention of such novel forms of misconduct as citation rings and variously rigged peer reviews. The chapters, written by both scholars and those in the trenches of academic publication, provide a map of academic fraud and misconduct today. They consider such topics as the shortcomings of metrics, the gaming of impact factors, the emergence of so-called predatory journals, the "salami slicing" of scientific findings, the rigging of global university rankings, and the creation of new watchdogs and forensic practices.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe how gender shapes the concerns and adaptations of long-term (i.e., more than five years) colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.

DESIGN
Qualitative study using content analysis of focus group content.

SETTING
Oregon, southwestern Washington, and northern California.

SAMPLE
Four female and four male focus groups (N = 33) selected from 282 quantitative survey participants with health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores in the highest or lowest quartile.

METHODS
Eight focus groups discussed the challenges of living with an ostomy. Content was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directive and summative content analysis.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
HRQOL domains of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being.

FINDINGS
All groups reported avoiding foods that cause gas or rapid transit and discussed how limiting the amount of food eaten controlled the output. All groups discussed physical activities, getting support from friends and family, and the importance of being resilient. Both genders identified challenges with sexuality and intimacy. Coping and adjustment difficulties mostly were discussed by women, with men only discussing these issues to a small extent. Difficulties with sleep primarily were identified by women with low HRQOL. Problems with body image and depression were discussed only by women with low HRQOL.

CONCLUSIONS
Common issues included diet management, physical activity, social support, and sexuality. Although both genders identified challenges, women described more specific psychological and social issues than men.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Application of these gender-based differences can inform educational interventions for colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.


Multiple Imputation Methods for Nonignorable Nonresponse, Adaptive Survey Design, and Dissemination of Synthetic Geographies by Thais Viana Paiva Department of Statistical Science Duke University Date: Approved: Jerome Reiter, Supervisor Alan Gelfand Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel D. Sunshine Hillygus An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Statistical Science in the Graduate School of Duke University 2014 Copyright c © 2014 by Thais Viana Paiva All rights reserved Abstract This thesis presents methods for multiple imputation that can be applied to missing data and data with confidential variables. Imputation is useful for missing data because it results in a data set that can be analyzed with complete data statistical methods. The missing data are filled in by values generated from a model fit to the observed data. The model specification will depend on the observed data pattern and the missing data mechanism. For example, when the reason why the data is missing is related to the outcome of interest, that is nonignorable missingness, we need to alter the model fit to the observed data to generate the imputed values from a different distribution. Imputation is also used for generating synthetic values for data sets with disclosure restrictions. Since the synthetic values are not actual observations, they can be released for statistical analysis. The interest is in fitting a model that approximates well the relationships in the original data, keeping the utility of the synthetic data, while preserving the confidentiality of the original data. We consider applications of these methods to data from social sciences and epidemiology. The first method is for imputation of multivariate continuous data with nonignorable missingness. Regular imputation methods have been used to deal with nonresponse in several types of survey data. However, in some of these studies, the assumption of missing at random is not valid since the probability of missing depends on the response variable. We propose an imputation method for multivariate data sets when there is nonignorable missingness. We fit a truncated Dirichlet process ivThis thesis presents methods for multiple imputation that can be applied to missing data and data with confidential variables. Imputation is useful for missing data because it results in a data set that can be analyzed with complete data statistical methods. The missing data are filled in by values generated from a model fit to the observed data. The model specification will depend on the observed data pattern and the missing data mechanism. For example, when the reason why the data is missing is related to the outcome of interest, that is nonignorable missingness, we need to alter the model fit to the observed data to generate the imputed values from a different distribution. Imputation is also used for generating synthetic values for data sets with disclosure restrictions. Since the synthetic values are not actual observations, they can be released for statistical analysis. The interest is in fitting a model that approximates well the relationships in the original data, keeping the utility of the synthetic data, while preserving the confidentiality of the original data. We consider applications of these methods to data from social sciences and epidemiology. The first method is for imputation of multivariate continuous data with nonignorable missingness. Regular imputation methods have been used to deal with nonresponse in several types of survey data. However, in some of these studies, the assumption of missing at random is not valid since the probability of missing depends on the response variable. We propose an imputation method for multivariate data sets when there is nonignorable missingness. We fit a truncated Dirichlet process iv mixture of multivariate normals to the observed data under a Bayesian framework to provide flexibility. With the posterior samples from the mixture model, an analyst can alter the estimated distribution to obtain imputed data under different scenarios. To facilitate that, I developed an R application that allows the user to alter the values of the mixture parameters and visualize the imputation results automatically. I demonstrate this process of sensitivity analysis with an application to the Colombian Annual Manufacturing Survey. I also include a simulation study to show that the correct complete data distribution can be recovered if the true missing data mechanism is known, thus validating that the method can be meaningfully interpreted to do sensitivity analysis. The second method uses the imputation techniques for nonignorable missingness to implement a procedure for adaptive design in surveys. Specifically, I develop a procedure that agencies can use to evaluate whether or not it is effective to stop data collection. This decision is based on utility measures to compare the data collected so far with potential follow-up samples. The options are assessed by imputation of the nonrespondents under different missingness scenarios considered by the analyst. The variation in the utility measures is compared to the cost induced by the follow-up sample sizes. We apply the proposed method to the 2007 U.S. Census of Manufactures. The third method is for imputation of confidential data sets with spatial locations using disease mapping models. We consider data that include fine geographic information, such as census tract or street block identifiers. This type of data can be difficult to release as public use files, since fine geography provides information that ill-intentioned data users can use to identify individuals. We propose to release data with simulated geographies, so as to enable spatial analyses while reducing disclosure risks. We fit disease mapping models that predict areal-level counts from attributes in the file, and sample new locations based on the estimated models. I illustrate v this approach using data on causes of death in North Carolina, including evaluations of the disclosure risks and analytic validity that can result from releasing synthetic geographies.


The uptake of trace metals by plants is commonly assumed to depend on the free metal-ion activity, rather than on the total concentration of dissolved metal. Although this free-ion hypothesis has proved to be useful for the interpretation and prediction of metal uptake, several exceptions have been reported where metal complexes also affected metal uptake by plants. In this study, we measured uptake of Zn and Cu by spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) and tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum L.) in chelator-buffered or resin (Chelex)-buffered solutions, under Zn-deficient and non-deficient conditions. Several ligands, with differing dissociation rates, were used in the chelator-buffered solutions. At the same free-ion activity, Cu and Zn uptake was less in Chelex-buffered than in chelator-buffered solutions. In the chelator-buffered solution, uptake of Cu and Zn at same free-ion activity and same total concentration followed the order: NTA > HEDTA > EDTA > CDTA, i.e. the same order as the dissociation rate. These differences in metal uptake were also reflected in the deficiency symptoms and plant yield in the experiments where Zn deficiency was imposed. The critical Zn 2+ activity for Zn deficiency varied by one order of magnitude depending on the buffer, and followed the order HEDTA < CDTA < resin-buffered (no soluble ligand). These results suggest that, when present, aqueous complexes can increase metal uptake by plants because uptake is rate-limited by diffusion of the free ion to the root or cell surface. Thus, the critical free-ion activity in chelator-buffered solutions depends on the type and concentration of the ligand employed.


Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) causes adverse effects on quality of eggs by modifying the fatty acid composition of the yolk. Supplementing oils prevent CLA-induced changes, but cause a decrease in the level of egg CLA. The objective of the study was to investigate the incorporation of CLA into the egg and its effect on the fatty acid metabolism when laying hens were fed diets containing different levels of canola oil. Hens (15 per group) were assigned to six groups and were fed for 50 days diets containing 0.5% canola oil (Group A), 0.5% CLA (Group B), 0.5% CLA plus 1.25% canola oil (Group C), 0.5% CLA plus 2.5% canola oil (Group D), 0.5% CLA plus 5% canola oil (Group E) or 0.5% CLA plus 10% canola oil. Eggs were collected daily. Three eggs per group were used for fatty acid analysis. Eggs laid on days 1 to11 were stored at 4 °C or room temperature for 30 days, and were separated into yolk and albumen for pH analyses. Yolk from Group B had increased concentrations of C16:0 and C18:0 and decreased concentrations of C18:1(n-9) compared to Group A. Adding 5% or 10% canola oil (Groups E or F) to the diet prevented an increase in C16:0 and C18:0 and a decrease in C18:1(n-9) concentrations. Relative amounts of CLA in eggs from Groups A, B, C, D, E and F were 0, 2.38, 2.33, 1.68, 1.36, and 1.17%, respectively. The concentrations of C18:3(n-3) in Groups A, B, C, D, E and F were 0.23, 0.25, 0.61, 0.70, 1.23 and 1.58%, respectively. The ratios of UFA/SFA in the eggs from Groups B, C and D decreased. When the eggs were stored at 4 °C, the yolk from Groups B, C and D had higher pH values than the other treatments, while the albumen pH of eggs from Groups B, C and D were lower. However, when eggs were stored at room temperature, no abnormal pH changes were observed in the yolk or albumen. This study suggested that adding a certain level of canola oil rich in n-3 fatty acids restored the level of egg yolk SFA to UFA, prevented CLA-induced abnormal changes in egg quality and thus led to a higher level of C18:3(n-3) and CLA in the egg. Keywords : Conjugated linoleic acid; unsaturated fatty acids; egg yolk and albumen pH; chickens South African Journal of Animal Sciences Vol. 35 (3) 2005: pp.172-179


Fundamentally, truck crash research is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable improvements in road safety, with benefits not only for customers but for all transport operators who share the road. This report continues a unique series of longitudinal studies involving the tracking of Australian heavy vehicle crashes where National Transport Insurance (NTI) is the insurer, since 1998. These studies are undertaken every two years by the National Centre of Truck Accident Research. NTI provides insurance, risk appraisal, claims and accident management services to the road transport and earthmoving industry. It currently insures more than 131,000 items of plant and equipment having an insured asset value of $9.4 billion. Since 2002, NTI has settled 41,000 notified losses (per item) with claims payments exceeding $570 million (AUD). The research into major losses in 2009 follows quantitative studies completed on major truck crash incidents reported during 2003, 2005 and 2007. Since the initial study conducted in 2003, NTI-insured equipment numbers has grown by 48% whilst major crashes over (>) $50,000 have increased marginally by 7%. There was a 1% decrease in the number of major incidents reported, when compared to those investigated for the prior period, the average financial loss per incident increased by 6.2% to $136,472. For the duration of the 2009 period, 323 major incidents were reported at a total cost of $44 million.


Since 1994 a rapid rate of large-scale development in the region of Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, has generated significant urban spatial changes. This dissertation aimed to identify and examine the factors that have generated and sustained these changes. Qualitative information, sourced from interviews conducted with various professionals and actors involved in Ballito's recent development procedures, was utilized to this extent. The study focused on localised institutional, socio-economic, historical, physical/environmental, policyand agency-based explanations of Ballito's spatial metamorphosis. It was found that the town's resulting pattern of spatial growth reflects tendencies towards urban fragmentation that have been observed in many South African and international urban contexts. Whilst forces of globalisation have played a role in driving the urban changes of Ballito, many localised and region-specific trends have influenced the development process in unobvious manners. In particular, issues relating to local government incapacity have served to undermine state planning initiatives, which take as their focus the reversal of apartheid's socio-developmental discrepancies. Likewise, incongruencies within the South African developmental policy position have served to create uncertainty in the local urban management arena. As a corollary of these trends, the interests of private-sector and central government institutions have assumed the position of greatest power within Ballito's urban process, to the neglect of local governmental and communal concerns. It is concluded that the representative capacity of local government and disenfranchised communities must be improved as a mean~ of promoting the delivery of complex political concerns such as 'integrated' and 'sustainable' development. It is also suggested that urban analytical models involving institutional explanations of urban change are more effective in providing recommendations for the reversal of socio-spatial inequalities than traditional, economic-based analytical models.


The rehabilitation robot Lokomat allows automated treadmill training for patients with neurological gait disorders. The basic position control approach for the robot has been extended to patient-cooperative strategies. These strategies provide more freedom and allow patients to actively influence their training. However, patients are likely to need additional support during patient-cooperative training. In this paper, we propose an algorithm based on iterative learning control that shapes a supportive torque field. The torque field is supposed to assist the patient as much as needed in performing the desired task. We evaluated the algorithm in a proof-of-concept experiment with 3 healthy subjects. Results showed that the amount of support was automatically adapted to the activity and the individual needs of the subjects. Furthermore, the support improved the performance of the subjects.


Seed gal nematode (Anguina tritici Stein.) has not been reported as a parasite of wheat and barley in Bulgaria for more than thirteen years. However, in 2012 it has been detected in two locations of southeastern Bulgaria. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to focus on the nematode pathogenicity and its impact on wheat plants. In a laboratory experiments were tasted five varieties of wheat against A. tritici. None of them showed to be resistant to the nematode. Field experiment were carried out in infested farmer fields during the 2012/2013 growing season to evaluate the effect of seed gall nematode on grain yield. A. tritici severity corresponded both with a decrease in number of grain spike and with an increase of number of distorted and died spike. Nematode pathogenicity potential corresponded also with a decrease of grain weight spike and its affect on yield.


The study was performed on forages ( = 8), nonforage fibrous feeds ( = 10), and crop residues ( = 2). Samples were characterized for in situ NDF degradability (NDFD) at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 240 h of ruminal incubation. Then, samples were characterized for enzymatic NDFD by adopting a multistep enzymatic method consisting of a preincubation (PreInc) phase followed by enzymatic incubation (EnzInc) steps. In the PreInc phase, samples were incubated in a NaOH solution for 0, 30, 60, or 90 min. Then, in the EnzInc phase, samples were first incubated in a buffered enzymatic solution containing hemicellulase, cellulase, and Viscozyme L enzymes. Then, samples were incubated in a xylanase-buffered enzymatic solution. These 2-step EnzInc lasted for a total of 16 (8 h for the first enzymatic step + 8 h for the second enzymatic step), 32 (16 + 16 h), or 48 h (24 + 24 h). The enzymatic NDFD coefficients were increased by increasing both PreInc and EnzInc incubation times, and no PreInc × EnzInc interaction was observed, except for ryegrass hay. On average, enzymatic NDFD increased ( < 0.05) by 0.35, 0.54, or 0.68, respectively, for 30-, 60-, or 90-min PreInc compared with 0-min PreInc. The enzymatic NDFD increased ( < 0.05), on average, by 0.11 in 32-h EnzInc or 0.16 in 48-h EnzInc with respect to 16-h EnzInc. Enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD coefficients by adopting single regression equations. High coefficients of regression ( > 0.80, < 0.05) and low errors of prediction were measured when specific enzymatic conditions were performed to predict in situ NDFD at intermediate (from 24 to 48 h) ruminal incubation. Generally, worse regression performances were obtained when enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD evaluated after shorter or longer incubation times. The direct prediction of the rate of NDF degradation was not possible using enzymatic NDFD coefficients. Even if the proposed multistep enzymatic method appeared promising, further studies are required to improve enzymatic NDFD prediction ability within specific forage types or nonforage fibrous feeds.


The present work is based on the Visual Routine theory of Shimon Ullman. This theory holds that efficient visual perception is managed by first applying spatially parallel methods to an initial input image in order to construct the basic representation-maps of features within the image. Then, this phase is followed by the application of serial methods --- visual routines --- which are applied to the most salient items in these and other subsequently created maps. Recent work in the visual routine tradition is reviewed, as well as relevant psychological work on preattentive and attentive vision. An analysis is made of the problem of devising a visual routine language for computing geometric properties and relations. The most useful basic representations to compute directly from a world of 2-D geometric shapes are determined. An argument is made for the case that an experimental program is required to establish which basic operations and which methods for controlling them will lead to the efficient computation of geometric properties and relations. A description is given of an implemented computer system which can correctly compute, in images of simple 2-D geometric shapes, the properties {\em vertical}, {\em horizontal}, {\em closed}, and {\em convex}, and the relations {\em inside}, {\em outside}, {\em touching}, {\em centred-in}, {\em connected}, {\em parallel}, and {\em being-part-of}. The visual routines which compute these, the basic operations out of which the visual routines are composed, and the important logic which controls the goal-directed application of the routines to the image are all described in detail. The entire system is embedded in a Question-and-Answer system which is capable of answering questions of an image, such as ``Find all the squares inside triangles'''' or ``Find all the vertical bars outside of closed convex shapes.'''' By asking many such questions about various test images, the effectiveness of the visual routines and their controlling logic is demonstrated.


A model and numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations describing the propagation of short, solitonlike pulses in nonlinear dispersive optical media are presented. The model includes linear dispersion expressed in the time domain, a Kerr nonlinearity, and a coordinate system moving with the group velocity of the pulse. Numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations are presented for circularly polarized and linearly polarized electromagnetic fields. When the electromagnetic fields are assumed to be circularly polarized, numerical solutions are compared directly with solutions of the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation. These comparisons show good agreement and indicate that the NLS equation provides an excellent model for short-pulse propagation. When the electromagnetic fields are assumed to be linearly polarized, the propagation of daughter pulses, small-amplitude pulses at three times the frequency of the solitonlike pulse, are observed in the numerical solution. These daughter pulses are shown to be the direct result of third harmonics generated by the main, solitonlike, pulse.


Conceptually, adopting a life course approach when analysing residential mobility enables us to investigate how experiencing particular life events affects mobility decision-making and behaviour throughout individual lifetimes. Yet although a growing body of longitudinal research links mobility decision-making to subsequent moving behaviour, most studies focus solely upon examining year-to-year transitions. As a result of this 'snap-shot' approach, little is known about how pre-move thoughts and subsequent mobility relate over longer periods within the context of dynamic life course trajectories. Current research therefore fails to distinguish ephemeral moving desires from those which are persistently expressed. This study is one of the first to move beyond investigating year-to-year transitions to explore the long term sequencing of moving desires and mobility behaviour within individual life courses. Using innovative techniques to visualise the sequences of a panel of British Household Panel Survey respondents, the study demonstrates that the meanings and significance of particular transitions in moving desires and mobility behaviour become apparent only when these transitions are arranged into individual mobility histories. We uncover previously ignored groups of individuals persistently unable to act in accordance with their moving desires. Visualising mobility histories also highlights the oft-neglected importance of residential stability over the life course.


At the origin of human at this material world the first knowledge Awarded to him was the Medical. From the Medical knowledge the Man came to know the change in physiology of a human according to the health and nature disease. The cause of Medical knowledge is to maintain the existing health, cure and restore the health after any disease.

The herbal medicines have always an important role in cure of health. In present era the western medical science create so many problems for human health by use of non-botanical substances. The side Effects of these medicines are very well known and resultantly the people once again preferred to use natural recourse for medical Treatment. "Tibb-e-Nabvi" is a natural medical treatment and .according to its type consists of herbal treatment as well as food treatment. The said Tibb-e-Nabvi is free from all side effects. This thesis consists of seven chapters. The First Chapter discussed the facts of Medical sciences and detail of all Departments covered Therein. Further the chapter also discussed the some popular kinds of treatment. The Second Chapter discussed the prevailing medical theories in Asia, Arabia, Europe and other parts of the world along with the different stages of improvement in medical sciences. The third chapter discussed the Tibb-e-Nabvi its importance, Characteristics of medicines and diets and procedure of their use. The fourth chapter discussed symptoms of different diseases, their Causes and treatment. The chapter further discussed the food of patient, preventive measures and importance of worship and prayers.

The fifth chapter of the thesis consists of treatment of various physical and spiritual diseases through prayers and Rehmani verses. The sixth chapter discussed the basic principles for prevention of Health including cleaning, exercise, diet, and healthy habits. The Seventh and final chapter consists of routine of Muhammad Peace be upon him, his favorites and their benefits. Tibb-e-Nabvi is a turning Point of medical knowledge started approx. 1400 years ago and till date the same is effective and satisfactory way of treatment for welfare of the welfare of the humanity.


This paper presents the somewhat unexpected findings of a preliminary archaeometric study of 'painted' early Neolithic pottery from the site of Dzhulyunitsa, north central Bulgaria. While there is still no consensus on the actual model of Neolithisation of this region, expectations are that there would have been a transfer of pottery technology and possible small quantities of painted pottery from the West Anatolian homeland to early Neolithic sites in Bulgaria. However, our findings confound these expectations. Pottery from the earliest levels of the site are all based on local materials: there are no imported wares. There is no evidence of the experimental phase that would be expected as migrant potters learned to adjust to local clays. Instead the pottery is of a very high quality from the outset, using naturally fine clays that do not require temper: though organic material is sometimes added, albeit often in non-functional quantities. What were thought to be dark-painted layers are shown to be simply the high-quality burnishes that can be developed using these micaceous local clays: in some cases with outer surfaces enhanced with ochre. White-slipped and white-on red decorated sherds from the second layer of the site continue to showcase a mastery of local materials, with white pigments base on nearby limestones and marls. But here, petrographic analysis identifies some white-painted wares which are clearly not local, with both bodies and paint compositions pointing to a different provenance and technology. As it continues, this project aims to establish the full range of Dzhulyunitsa pottery fabrics to reconstruct manufacturing technologies and raw material sourcing patterns, for comparison with contemporary sites across the region.


During the last three decades Mexico has grown with an annual average rate of 4%, even with the changes from an inward-looking developing economic strategy towards a more open economy with a far-reaching trade liberalisation program. But the story at the sub-national level is different; these changes have modified the regional development strategies and consequently the growth paths of the 32 Mexican states. There is evidence of an uneven growth, greater disparities and important differences in welfare standards among regions. Labour, physical and human capital are traditional factors that can explain these differences, but how much agglomeration economies and institutions have contributed to them. Using elements from the neoclassical, new growth theories and new economic geography we measure the contribution of these factors. We open the discussion on how institutional factor determine growth rate, how we define and measure them in a developing economies such as Mexico. Firstly, we assume that markets are socially constructed and economic behaviour is created in networks of interpersonal relations. Institutions are according to North(1991) the game rules, in other words, the man-designed limits that determine the forms of social relationships. The importance of these institutional elements in the regional level could be found in the contribution they have had in the reorganization of the production forms, through the reduction of transaction and production costs, the definition of the incentives structure and the changes of social participation. In this scheme, two groups of institutional elements could be identified: a)the soft institutional factors that refers to individual habits, routines, customs, traditions, social norms and values, which show some of the characteristics of the networks of interpersonal relations; b)the hard institutional factors are the long-lasting collective forces that shape the economy, such as rules, laws, constitutions, property rights, etc. However institutional factor can not explain by itself high growth rate, but added to economic and social variables, it might contribute to create a dynamic processes with higher levels of growth. Assuming this perspective, we hypothesise that the uneven regional growth in Mexico can be explained by institutional factors. Firstly, we propose that states with an economic local policy more open to trade and foreign investment have led to higher growth rates; contrasting with those states that maintain stronger links with central government. Secondly, we add some of the characteristics of the networks in the regions, in order to show if a greater participation of population and changes in the political local governments have had an impact on growth. Our results indicate that there has not been any regional convergence after the openness period (1985-2000) and that the institutional structure has a significant relation with higher growth rates states.


Transitions at CpG dinucleotides, referred to as "CpG substitutions", are a major mutational input into vertebrate genomes and a leading cause of human genetic disease. The prevalence of CpG substitutions is due to their mutational origin, which is dependent on DNA methylation. In comparison, other single nucleotide substitutions (for example those occurring at GpC dinucleotides) mainly arise from errors during DNA replication. Here we analyzed high quality BAC-based data from human, chimpanzee, and baboon to investigate regional variation of CpG substitution rates. We show that CpG substitutions occur approximately 15 times more frequently than other single nucleotide substitutions in primate genomes, and that they exhibit substantial regional variation. Patterns of CpG rate variation are consistent with differences in methylation level and susceptibility to subsequent deamination. In particular, we propose a "distance-decaying" hypothesis, positing that due to the molecular mechanism of a CpG substitution, rates are correlated with the stability of double-stranded DNA surrounding each CpG dinucleotide, and the effect of local DNA stability may decrease with distance from the CpG dinucleotide.Consistent with our "distance-decaying" hypothesis, rates of CpG substitution are strongly (negatively) correlated with regional G+C content. The influence of G+C content decays as the distance from the target CpG site increases. We estimate that the influence of local G+C content extends up to 1,500 approximately 2,000 bps centered on each CpG site. We also show that the distance-decaying relationship persisted when we controlled for the effect of long-range homogeneity of nucleotide composition. GpC sites, in contrast, do not exhibit such "distance-decaying" relationship. Our results highlight an example of the distinctive properties of methylation-dependent substitutions versus substitutions mostly arising from errors during DNA replication. Furthermore, the negative relationship between G+C content and CpG rates may provide an explanation for the observation that GC-rich SINEs show lower CpG rates than other repetitive elements.


In this paper we report results from an experimental study of games and traffic safety performed in an advanced gaming environment. During car simulator-sessions we collected data over different traffic safety variables, such as speed, headway distance and lane change behavior, from 70 subjects. The data was analyzed in order to investigate possible individual learning effects and differences between groupings of subjects. The experiment shows clear positive individual learning effects for all traffic safety variables analyzed. Hence we conclude that game based simulations can be used to enhance learning in driving education.


The purpose of this project was to study the effects of problem-solving scenarios in biology as a learning strategy for high school biology students. Students were exposed to a variety of problem-solving scenario activities including video, written, and hands-on activities that related biology content to real-world applications. The project began with a nontreatment unit on DNA structure and function where students were engaged in traditional biology learning activities that included reading, lecture, video, labs, and hands-on simulations. Students were then exposed to two treatment units, one on gene expression and mutation and the other on natural selection. During both treatment units students engaged in a variety of problem-solving scenarios for the purpose of connecting biology content to real-world applications with the hope of improving student understanding and motivation. Scenarios included video, reading, and simulation case studies on a variety of topics. Data were collected using student preunit and postunit assessments, surveys, and interviews with concept mapping as a measure of student content understanding, higher-order thinking, and motivation. In addition, teacher data were collected using classroom observations and teacher reflections to gain understanding of student motivation, as well as, teacher motivation and pedagogy. The data showed improvement of student understanding and motivation, especially when a combination of problem-solving case studies included hands-on scenarios activities.


The Torricchi hypogeum, located in the necropolis of Ulimeto in the east part of Volterra, is a large Etruscan tomb carved into the limestone rock, accessible through a little steep dromos provided with steps. It shows a multiple chamber plan composed of a large central rectangular atrium with benches along the walls and, on the back side of the central room, three small rectangular chambers, each with similar benches for burials. Although this monument had already been discovered in the last decades of the 18th century and frequented for a long time, recent archaeological investigations have allowed to discover a layer of earth leveling the base rock with a large number of small sherds inside belonging to the original funerary sets deposed in the hypogeum, dating between the second half of 4th century BC and the half of 2nd century BC. The sherds thus confirm that the tomb hosted several generations of the Etruscan gens who built it. Other Etruscan tombs with multiple chambers, dating to the late-Archaic period, were found in Volterra, especially in the north-west Guerruccia necropolis, and also in the surrounding territory, such as Val d'Elsa, with burials that can be dated between the end of 6th and 5th century BC. Torricchi hypogeum testifies that funerary monuments with complex plan were constructed at least until the Hellenistic age.


Supposing only that future variability in fertility, mortality improvement, and migration will be the same as past variability, and that it is the variability that creates the uncertainty in population forecasts, permits an ex ante estimate of uncertainty. This is calculated by taking the fertility level of a random past year, the mortality improvement of a random past five-year period, and the net immigration of a random past year. The future population that is shown by 1000 such random choices of each of the three input variables for each projection cycle gives the variability to which individual estimates are subject.

We need to check this ex ante calculation with what actually happens, and are able to do so for past projections, comparing a large number of medium projections made by the United Nations and other bodies with what subsequently occurred. It turned out that this ex post estimate was slightly higher than the ex ante as shown by the simulation.

Thus, contrary to appearances, the method of this paper does not exaggerate the variability hut if anything underestimates it.

Estimating variability is less important for the total than it is for certain ratios. Of these the most sought after is that of old people to the number who are at working age, a ratio that determines the tax rate needed to provide old age pensions. The uncertainty of this and any other function of future population can be found by the same simulation.


1 University Hospital, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. 2 Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Palhoça, SC, Brazil. 3 Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. Introduction: Burns are defined as important lesions to the skin or organic tissue caused by electricity, chemical, radioactive agents, friction or friction, exposure, or contact with extreme heat or cold. Methods: Ecological study of time series, with data obtained in the state of Santa Catarina, using the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System database, from 2008 to 2018. For each year of the studied period, the hospitalization rates for burns were calculated, grossly and specifically, according to the dependent variables of interest: age group and sex. It was used the simple linear regression method for the analysis of temporal trends and standardized morbidity coefficients. Results: There were 9,158 hospitalizations in the studied period. At the beginning of the period, the hospital admission rate was 12.06/100,000 inhabitants, ending the period with an increase to 17.07/100,000 inhabitants. In males, the rate started with 14.52/100,000, ending the historical series with 22.51/100,000 inhabitants. For women, the initial rate was 9.52/100,000 and, at the end of the period, increased to 11.72/100,000. The age group most affected in both sexes was 0 to 4 years. Conclusion: There was an increase in the general hospitalization rate. The male sex presented higher rates in the period, but both sexes tended to increase. The age group from 0 to 4 years old stood out as the most affected in the state of Santa Catarina. ■ ABSTRACT


"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized." Article 9, Japanese Constitution


This study compares the use of like in Irish English (IrE) to its use in southeasternBritish English (SE-BrE). There are significant differences between theuse of like in IrE and SE-BrE in terms of overall frequency, social meaning andpositioning. This paper argues that the differences in the use of like require afunctional explanation on two levels, namely on a language-external social leveland on a language-internal discourse-pragmatic level. On the extra-linguisticlevel, the differences in like's social profile indicate distinct social meaningswhile, on a language-internal level, differences in positioning suggest thateither like is used to perform distinct pragmatic functions or that uses of like inclause-medial and clause-final positions compete to perform similar functions,e.g. focusing elements. The substantial differences revealed by the analysis areaccounted for by historical and identity-related factors.


This dissertation follows the development of the mentor figure from Frances Burney's Evelina published in 1778 to Maria Edgeworth's Belinda in 1801. The mentor becomes a key figure for exploring women's revolutionary ideas on female education and women's roles in society. My dissertation contributes to discussions on mentoring, development of the Gothic mode, and debates over sensibility and sentimental fiction. It considers how the female mentee paradoxically both desires and criticizes her male mentor and his authority. Each author under discussion employed the mentor figure in a way that addressed their contemporary society's issues and prejudices toward the treatment of women and the power of sensibility. Much of this treatment was traced to a conversation of reforming female education from an accomplishment-based pedagogy to a moral, intellectual-based instruction that was more masculine in nature (emphasizing a balance between sensibility and reason).

Frequently, the mentor provides general comments and recommendations about love to his female pupil, who is entering into the marriage market, but his advice often turns out to be wrong or misplaced since it does not fit the actual situation. He is a good spiritual guide but a poor romantic advisor. I assert that the mentor figure's usual lack of romantic sentiment and his pupil's ability to surpass him in matters of the heart reveal a tendency to subvert male authority. Throughout this discussion, questions related to gender arise. Women's desire for their own agency and control over both their minds and bodies underpin much of women's eighteenth-century fiction. My dissertation explores these complex relationships between male mentors and their female pupils.


This paper investigates the effects of market-wide changes in health insurance by examining the single largest change in health insurance coverage in American history: the introduction of Medicare in 1965. I estimate that the impact of Medicare on hospital spending is over six times larger than what the evidence from individual-level changes in health insurance would have predicted. This disproportionately larger effect may arise if market-wide changes in demand alter the incentives of hospitals to incur the fixed costs of entering the market or of adopting new practice styles. I present some evidence of these types of effects. A back of the envelope calculation based on the estimated impact of Medicare suggests that the overall spread of health insurance between 1950 and 1990 may be able to explain about half of the increase in real per capita health spending over this time period.


Abstract. Integrating malaria data into a decision support system (DSS) using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing tool can provide timely information and decision makers get prepared to make better and faster decisions which can reduce the damage and minimize the loss caused. This paper attempted to asses and produce maps of malaria prone areas including the most important natural factors. The input data were based on the geospatial factors including climatic, social and Topographic aspects from secondary data. The objective of study is to prepare malaria hazard, Vulnerability, and element at risk map which give the final output, malaria risk map. The malaria hazard analyses were computed using multi criteria evaluation (MCE) using environmental factors such as topographic factors (elevation, slope and flow distance to stream), land use/ land cover and Breeding site were developed and weighted, then weighted overlay technique were computed in ArcGIS software to generate malaria hazard map. The resulting malaria hazard map depicts that 19.2 %, 30.8 %, 25.1 %, 16.6 % and 8.3 % of the District were subjected to very high, high, moderate, low and very low malaria hazard areas respectively. For vulnerability analysis, health station location and speed constant in Spatial Analyst module were used to generate factor maps. For element at risk, land use land cover map were used to generate element at risk map. Finally malaria risk map of the District was generated. Land use land cover map which is the element at risk in the District, the vulnerability map and the hazard map were overlaid. The final output based on this approach is a malaria risk map, which is classified into 5 classes which is Very High-risk area, High-risk area, Moderate risk area, Low risk area and Very low risk area. The risk map produced from the overlay analysis showed that 20.5 %, 11.6 %, 23.8 %, 34.1 % and 26.4 % of the District were subjected to very high, high, moderate, low and very low malaria risk respectively. This help to plan valuable measures to be taken in early warning, monitor, control and prevent malaria epidemics.


This essay concerns the body's positioning in discussions of teaching, specifically focusing on the authors' efforts to trace discursive invocations of teachers' bodies by students reflecting on the teaching vocation. The authors explore, through a series of intertwined autoethnographic narratives, the research process that led them through focus group data collection and analysis, to reflections on students' metaphorical use of the "teacher's body" in these focus groups, to (in light of feedback from anonymous reviewers) the role of the authors' own teachers' bodies in constituting this research and its implications.


ABSTRACT Ubiquitylation of receptor tyrosine kinases plays a critical role in regulating the trafficking and lysosomal degradation of these important signaling molecules. We identified the multidomain scaffolding protein intersectin 1 (ITSN1) as an important regulator of this process (N. P. Martin et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 70:1463–1653, 2006) ITSN1 stimulates ubiquitylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) through enhancing the activity of the Cbl E3 ubiquitin ligase. However, the precise mechanism through which ITSN1 enhances Cbl activity was unclear. In this study, we found that ITSN1 enhances Cbl activity through disrupting the interaction of Cbl with the Sprouty2 (Spry2) inhibitory protein. We demonstrate that ITSN1 binds Pro-rich regions in both Cbl and Spry2 and that interaction of ITSN1 with Spry2 disrupts Spry2-Cbl interaction, resulting in enhanced ubiquitylation of the EGFR. Disruption of ITSN1 binding to Spry2 through point mutation of the Pro-rich ITSN1 binding site in Spry2 results in enhanced Cbl-Spry2 interaction and inhibition of receptor ubiquitylation. This study demonstrates that ITSN1 enhances Cbl activity by modulating the interaction of Cbl with Spry2. In addition, our results reveal a new level of complexity in the regulation of Cbl through the interaction with ITSN1 and Spry2.


This paper describes a mostly automatic method for taking the output of a single panning video camera and creating a panoramic video texture (PVT): a video that has been stitched into a single, wide field of view and that appears to play continuously and indefinitely. The key problem in creating a PVT is that although only a portion of the scene has been imaged at any given time, the output must simultaneously portray motion throughout the scene. Like previous work in video textures, our method employs min-cut optimization to select fragments of video that can be stitched together both spatially and temporally. However, it differs from earlier work in that the optimization must take place over a much larger set of data. Thus, to create PVTs, we introduce a dynamic programming step, followed by a novel hierarchical min-cut optimization algorithm. We also use gradient-domain compositing to further smooth boundaries between video fragments. We demonstrate our results with an interactive viewer in which users can interactively pan and zoom on high-resolution PVTs.


For more than 400 years, scholars from an array of disciplines have recognized Theodor de Bry's 1590 edition of Thomas Hariot's "A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia" as a book whose influence shaped contemporary European perceptions of North America, as well as subsequent research on that period for centuries to come. The book, upon which the present volume is based, is from the collections of the Library at the Mariners' Museum. It is extremely rare, containing hand-colored illustrations from the period, and is one of only three recorded copies with colored plates. This complete facsimile edition presents de Bry's exceptional engravings, based on John White's sixteenth-century watercolors, in their original hand-colored form. The book is available in paperback and as a limited cloth edition of two hundred numbered copies. Both editions are printed by the award-winning Stinehour Press. As the first volume in de Bry's celebrated "Grand Voyages", a series of publications chronicling many of the earliest expeditions to the Americas, this book, which incorporates a 1588 text by Thomas Hariot, was illustrated and published in four languages. It became for many Europeans their first glimpse of the American continent. Accompanying the Latin facsimile is an English text. The first section is modernized from earlier versions of the English, and the second part, which accompanies the plates, is newly translated from the original Latin. In addition to a valuable introduction, the book includes two illuminating essays. The first, by Karen Ordahl Kupperman, examines the early American settlement and tells how a collaboration between the writer and mathematician Thomas Hariot and the artist John White (later governor of the Roanoke Colony) evolved into a rich study not only of English colonial life but of the Indian culture and the natural resources of the region. The second essay, by Peter Stallybrass, uncovers new information in the much studied plates and presents an intriguing theory about the creation and importance of the engravings. This facsimile edition will appeal to students and scholars in several fields of study, from American history and ethnography to fine arts and the history of the book, and will provide the reader with the best illustration of the New World as it was first presented to the Old.


Pierre Bauduin. Le Monde franc et les Vikings, VIIIe-Xe siecle. Paris: Albin Michel, 2009. Pp. 4-60. For the last fifteen years, Pierre Bauduin has been producing fruitful research on various topics connected with Scandinavian and French medieval history, such as the ethno genesis and the territorial boundaries of early Normandy, the Scandinavian establishments in Western Europe, the integration of the Vikings in the Frankish kingdom, questions of ethnic identities, and a useful synthesis on the Vikings. This work has made him a respected and influential specialist of the Vikings in his country and some might see in his work a continuation of the work of the late Lucien Musset, well-known by our readers. Le Monde franc et les Vikings, VIIIe- Xe siecle represents both a good achievement of his previous research and a major revitalization of the studies of the relations between the Frankish world and the Scandinavian societies from the eighth to the tenth centuries. Indeed, writing in a post-war context, Lucien Musset and Louis Halphen addressed the "invasions" in terms of a capitulation to the enemy in a climate of defeatism. In this book it is the concept of accommodation that guides Pierre Bauduin's reflection and produces a new approach of the Viking impact in the regnum Francorum. Accommodation is defined by the author as "a process of regulation between new-comers and established communities and the strategies of coexistence between these groups" (36) and is used in order to point out "the mechanisms that could have helped or not the integration of the Vikings in native societies" (25). Moreover, accommodation is also "a concept allowing us to analyze the phenomena of compromise and adaptation, in various contexts, of a society facing a population that it considered at a moment of its history, the settlement in its territory" (343). In chapters two and three, P. Bauduin discusses the general frame of negotiation through a detailed study of the terminology used in the written sources. If most of the transactions are not clearly mentioned in the written sources, one might deduct from them. Many types of agreements appear, overcoming the lack of actual treaties, such as pax and the relation of amicitia. The stories of miracles concerning the Vikings are used by the author as an example: in the early 870s, Saint Malo saves the villagers of Cherrueix from the Vikings after they had given him four deniers in donation. According to Bauduin's analysis, the donation might hide a tribute given to the Vikings. Many contemporary stories are distorted by ideological factors and it is probably the best quality of the author to renew the reading and use of well known-sources. As we will discover in the examples selected all throughout the book, Bauduin denounces what he calls an "apologetic vision of history," a mental construct opposing the subjectivity of the medieval writers to the historical truth: "one of its effect was to fuel the controversy about the impact of the Vikings' invasions and the toughness of the choc [...] that some considered as a mental construct fueled by an apologetic view of history" (223). According to Bauduin, this debate hides one element: the part of circumstances in which the men of the time might have written down their story. As a consequence, Bauduin's approach tends to restitute this element in order to obtain a more dynamic approach of a history of the relation to one another. For example the narration of Scandinavian destructions can conceal a critic of the inability of the royal power to defend the territory with efficiency whereas the story of a peace can glorify the king as a rex pacificus. In this context the "basic grammar of these relations passes through the most universally recognized elements in ancient societies: the oaths, the hostages, the gift-giving system" (86). Places of negotiation are well-selected and prepared. Due to the imprecision of the documentation available, Bauduin selected only two types: the border and the assemblies. …


This paper contains nine criteria or guidelines for reviewing written work. I have published these criteria in Books 1 and 2 of the Dr. Mac! Dissertation Mentoring Handbook. Book 1 is the Strategies for
Quantitative Research. Book 2 is the Strategies for Qualitative Research. These criteria are important because they must reflect in each section of a written piece. The nine criteria are (a) depth of scholarship, (b) originality, (c) theoretical and conceptual framework, (d) use of literature, (e) substantive value, (f) clarity and logic of presentation, (g) grammar, (h) APA style, (i) and readability.


The paper presents data on two cores from the dispersion train of gold-bearing sulfide tailings in the Novo-Ursk deposit (Kemerovo region, Russia), where organic-bearing mud and natural organic matter are interbedded with cyanide tailings and acid mine drainage (AMD). The study focuses on speciation of Au, Ag and potentially toxic elements (PTE), including Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Se and Pb according to selective sequential extractions. Since large contents of elements are found in water solution and bound to Fe(III) compounds, sulfides and/or organic matter in both cores, the organic material behaves as a natural biogeochemical barrier for potentially toxic elements and precious metals released from AMD. The interaction with organic matter results in biogeochemical sorption and immobilization of elements and is favourable for secondary enrichment in gold and silver. It leads to immobilization of elements that further form new mineral phases or become partitioned between existing phases. On the other hand, very high concentrations of water-soluble and oxidizable species of PTE and Au, which are unstable in surface conditions and may become remobilized when the environment changes, make the organic material less workable and even potentially hazardous. Thus, both positive (secondary enrichment) and negative (pollution) effects should be taken into account in the planning and design of systems for purification, disposal of cyanide tailings and recovery of useful components from tailings using natural organic matter as a geochemical barrier.


We numerically study second harmonic generation from dipole gold nanoantennas by analyzing the different contributions of bulk and surface nonlinear terms. We focus our attention to the properties of the emitted field related to the different functional expressions of the two terms. The second harmonic field exhibits different far and near field patterns if both nonlinear contributions are taken into account or if only one of them is considered. This effect persists despite of the model used to estimate the parameters of the nonlinear sources and it is strictly related to the resonant behavior of the plasmonic nanostructure at the fundamental frequency field and to its linear properties at the second harmonic frequency. We show that the excitation of localized surface plasmon polaritons in these structures can remarkably modify the nonlinear response of the system by enhancing surface and/or bulk contributions, creating regimes where bulk nonlinear terms dominate over surface linear terms and vice versa. Finally, the results of our calculations suggest a method that could be implemented to experimentally extract information on the relevance of bulk and surface contributions by measuring and analyzing the generated far field second harmonic patterns in metal nanoantennas and, more in general, in plasmonic nanostructures.


In the energy sector, the most significant risk is price risk. Everyone knows that the price of oil is determined by the free market, which can be whether fast growing or rapidly falling. In recent years, oil prices have behaved ambiguously, showing that the facts support the changes in oil prices. Risk management of changes in the price of oil requires special attention to companies whose main source of income is the production and export of crude oil. The main income of these companies accounted for revenue derived from oil export sales.. In this situation, the calculation of potential losses from the sale of exported crude oil is a must, and should clearly distinguish between the roles, functions and levels of responsibility in risk management of all participants in the system of company risk management.


Forever a circus ringleader at heart, Federico Fellini (1920-1993) is remembered as one of cinema's greatest storytellers. From bittersweet, heart wrenching tales (La Strada and Nights of Cabiria) to semi-autobiographical classics (La Dolce Vita and the much-imitated 8 1/2) to ambitious period-pieces (Satyricon and Casanova) to dreamlike pseudo-documentaries (The Clowns, Roma, and Intervista), Fellini brought his inner world to the silver screen in a profoundly original and innovative way. Among his many gifts to the world of cinema are the roles he created for his wife, the unforgettable Giulietta Masina.