This study presents a new analytical framework for combining historical flood data derived from sedimentological records with instrumental river flow data to increase the reliability of flood risk assessments. Historical flood records were established for two catchments through re‐analysis of sedimentological records; the Nant Cwm‐du, a small, steep upland catchment in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales, and a piedmont reach of the River Severn in mid Wales. The proposed framework is based on maximum likelihood and least‐square estimation methods in combination with a Generalised Logistic distribution; this enables the sedimentological data to be combined effectively with existing instrumental river flow data. The results from this study are compared to results obtained using existing industry standard methods based solely on instrumental data. The comparison shows that inclusion of sedimentological data can have an important impact on flood risk estimates, and that the methods are sensitive to assumptions made in the conversion of the sedimentological records into flood flow data. As current industry standard methods for flood risk analysis are known to be highly uncertain, the ability to include additional evidence of past flood events derived from sedimentological records as demonstrated in this study can have a significant impact on flood risk assessments.


The radiological appearance of the female breast varies among individuals because of differences in the relative amounts and X-ray attenuation characteristics of fat and epithelial and stromal tissues. Fat is radiolucent and appears dark on a mammogram, and epithelium and stroma are radiodense and appear light. We review here the evidence that these variations, known as mammographic parenchymal patterns, are related to risk of breast cancer. Studies that used quantitative measurement to classify mammographic patterns have consistently found that women with dense tissue in more than 60-75% of the breast are at four to six times greater risk of breast cancer than those with no densities. These risk estimates are independent of the effects of other risk factors and have been shown to persist over at least 10 years of follow up. Estimates of attributable risk suggest that this risk factor may account for as many as 30% of breast cancer cases. Mammographically dense breast tissue is associated both with epithelial proliferation and with stromal fibrosis. The relationship between these histological features and risk of breast cancer may by explained by the known actions of growth factors that are thought to play important roles in breast development and carcinogenesis. Mammographically dense tissue differs from most other breast cancer risk factors in the strength of the associated relative and attributable risks for breast cancer, and because it can be changed by hormonal and dietary interventions. This risk factor may be most useful as a means of investigating the etiology of breast cancer and of testing hypotheses about potential preventive strategies.


Almost weightless and able to pass through the densest materials with ease, neutrinos seem to defy the laws of nature. But these mysterious particles may hold the key to our deepest questions about the universe, says physicist Heinrich Pas. In "The Perfect Wave," Pas serves as our fluent, deeply knowledgeable guide to a particle world that tests the boundaries of space, time, and human knowledge. The existence of the neutrino was first proposed in 1930, but decades passed before one was detected. Pas animates the philosophical and scientific developments that led to and have followed from this seminal discovery, ranging from familiar topics of relativity and quantum mechanics to more speculative theories about dark energy and supersymmetry. Many cutting-edge topics in neutrino research--conjectures about the origin of matter, extra-dimensional spacetime, and the possibility of time travel--remain unproven. But Pas describes the ambitious projects under way that may confirm them, including accelerator experiments at CERN and Fermilab, huge subterranean telescopes designed to detect high-energy neutrino radiation, and the Planck space observatory scheduled to investigate the role of neutrinos in cosmic evolution. As Pas's history of the neutrino illustrates, what is now established fact often sounded wildly implausible and unnatural when first proposed. The radical side of physics is both an exciting and an essential part of scientific progress, and "The Perfect Wave" renders it accessible to the interested reader."


BACKGROUND
Preclinical studies suggest that Reed-Sternberg cells exploit the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway to evade immune detection. In classic Hodgkin's lymphoma, alterations in chromosome 9p24.1 increase the abundance of the PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and promote their induction through Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling. We hypothesized that nivolumab, a PD-1-blocking antibody, could inhibit tumor immune evasion in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma.

METHODS
In this ongoing study, 23 patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma that had already been heavily treated received nivolumab (at a dose of 3 mg per kilogram of body weight) every 2 weeks until they had a complete response, tumor progression, or excessive toxic effects. Study objectives were measurement of safety and efficacy and assessment of the PDL1 and PDL2 (also called CD274 and PDCD1LG2, respectively) loci and PD-L1 and PD-L2 protein expression.

RESULTS
Of the 23 study patients, 78% were enrolled in the study after a relapse following autologous stem-cell transplantation and 78% after a relapse following the receipt of brentuximab vedotin. Drug-related adverse events of any grade and of grade 3 occurred in 78% and 22% of patients, respectively. An objective response was reported in 20 patients (87%), including 17% with a complete response and 70% with a partial response; the remaining 3 patients (13%) had stable disease. The rate of progression-free survival at 24 weeks was 86%; 11 patients were continuing to participate in the study. Reasons for discontinuation included stem-cell transplantation (in 6 patients), disease progression (in 4 patients), and drug toxicity (in 2 patients). Analyses of pretreatment tumor specimens from 10 patients revealed copy-number gains in PDL1 and PDL2 and increased expression of these ligands. Reed-Sternberg cells showed nuclear positivity of phosphorylated STAT3, indicative of active JAK-STAT signaling.

CONCLUSIONS
Nivolumab had substantial therapeutic activity and an acceptable safety profile in patients with previously heavily treated relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01592370.).


Wilson, Jacqueline. Lily Alone . London: Doubleday, 2011. Print. Lily often retreats into escapist reveries as a reprieve from the anxiety and responsibility of negotiating life with her unreliable mother. The novel's title is not a reference to Lily's mother's decision to leave for vacation without securing a caregiver for eleven year old Lily and her three younger siblings. "Lily alone" is a phrase that articulates the solitude that Lily imagines for her future self – a retreat from the untenable demands of being the most stable and present person in the lives of her little brother and sisters. Wilson develops constant peaks of tension and suspense in her attention to how, for children alone, mundane situations can be threatening, thrilling and nearly insurmountable. Her vivid and unsentimental depiction of the sanity-eroding realities for caring for young children is a poignant contrast to Lily's vulnerability and nascent grasp of the four children's predicament. Adult readers, particularly parents, may find the textual realism, in contrast with the naivete of the narrative perspective, induces stomach-churning apprehension. Lily is articulate, determined and canny and young adult readers will respond to the excitement inherent in the challenges Lily faces as she moves through the world with her siblings. Wilson's depiction of the temperaments and limitations of all four children is pragmatic but nuanced. The unrelentingly obnoxious behaviour of Lily's six year old brother runs concurrent to an implicit empathy for this robust, little lost boy and for the pitiable dilemma faced by each of the children. How are they to understand a world filled with compromised adult role models? Where does their intense need to be cared for, acknowledged and valued come to rest when the objects of their love and loyalty are so unmatched to the challenge of providing care? Wilson doesn't patronize her audience with emotionally reassuring or reductionist answers. Lily Alone is a carefully considered and realistic urban adventure that unflinchingly considers issues of personal responsibility and social justice without compromising its compelling pacing and characterization. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Matilda Roche Matilda spends her days lavishing attention on the University of Alberta's metadata but children's illustrated books, literature for young adults and graphic novels also make her heart sing. Her reviews benefit from the critical influence of a four year old daughter and a one year old son – both geniuses. Matilda's super power is the ability to read comic books aloud.


This study compares the changes in programs and courses reported by Chairs and faculty with the assessments of new engineering hires reported by employers in a national study of engineering accreditation. Employers report that new engineers demonstrate adequate competency in foundational science, math, and technical skills—and program Chairs and faculty report little change in their courses and program curricula in these areas. In the areas where employers perceive the need for more attention to skill building, such as communication, teamwork, and use of modern engineering tools, faculty and Chairs report the greatest increases in curricular emphasis.


The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between elite rowers and their coaches. We were particularly interested in how the rowers constructed and negotiated the interactions and pedagogical actions of the coaches. Drawing upon participant observation and the principal researcher's reflexive journal, data were collected over a five-month period while ten rowers participated in a preparatory training camp for subsequent selection to compete at upcoming major events. The data were analyzed inductively (Rubin & Rubin, 1995). The findings demonstrate the importance of social expectations within the coaching context. Such expectations have to be at least partially met if the coaching "contract" is to be honored (Jones, 2009). Not doing so, puts at risk the respect of athletes, without which coaches simply cannot operate (Potrac, Jones & Armour, 2002).


Abstract. A major objective of the Mediterranean INtensive Oxidant Study (MINOS) was to investigate long-range transport of pollutants (notably ozone precursor species). Here we present trace gas measurements from the DLR (German Aerospace Organization) Falcon aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean troposphere. Ten day backward trajectories and a coupled chemistry-climate model (ECHAM4) were used to study the nature and origin of pollution observed in the upper troposphere between 6 and 13 km altitude. We focus on a large pollution plume encountered over the eastern Mediterranean between 1 and 12 August originating in South Asia (India and Southeast Asia), referred to as the Asian plume, associated with the Asian Summer Monsoon. Vertical as well as longitudinal gradients of methane, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons including acetone, methanol, and acetonitrile, halocarbons, ozone and total reactive nitrogen (NO y ) are presented, showing the chemical impact of the Asian plume compared to westerly air masses containing pollution from North America. The Asian plume is characterized by enhanced concentrations of biomass burning tracers (acetylene, methyl chloride, acetonitrile), notably from biofuel use. Concentrations of the new automobile cooling agent HFC-134a were significantly lower in the Asian plume than in air masses from North America. Relatively high levels of ozone precursors (CO, hydrocarbons) were found in both air masses, whereas lower ozone concentrations in the Asian plume suggest NO x -limited conditions. Consistently, ECHAM model simulations indicate that the expected future increase of NO x -emissions in Asia enhances the photochemical ozone production in the Asian plume. The size and location of the Asian plume near the tropopause provides an important potential for pollution transport into the lowermost stratosphere. We present observations indicative of Asian pollution transport into the lower stratosphere.


This qualitative study explores the pedagogical and curricular thinking of five professional astronomers, faculty at a university, about teaching the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in introductory astronomy courses for non-science majors. Data sources for this study included two semi-structured interviews per participant, in which they were asked about teaching the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, as well as about the introductory course in general. In addition, participants were asked to complete four cognitive tasks; the creation of a lesson plan, a concept map on how they would like their students to think about the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram at the end of the course, a Pathfinder network rating task, and responding to stereotypical student statements regarding the HertzsprungRussell diagram. The data was analyzed using a case study approach, followed by a discussion of themes that emerged from the data. Results indicate that participants had primarily affect and process goals for the course, rather than content goals. In addition, they wanted students to view the HR diagram as a part of a flow chart, where input physics (both observed and inferred properties of stars) leads to the construction of the HR diagram, which in turn is used to make inferences about stellar evolution. Participants identified several student difficulties with the HR diagram, among which interpreting a graph was the most pertinent. In several stereotypical student statements, participants responded using the exact same analogies to explain the concepts to the students. This may be indicative of some underlying pedagogical content knowledge.


An air bottle, machined from a solid block of aluminum alloy 2219-T852, displayed liquid-penetrant crack indications after assembly welding. The air bottle was machined to rough shape, a 3.8 mm (0.15 in.) wall thickness cylindrical cup with a 19 mm (3/4 in.) wall thickness integral boss on one side. After annealing, hot spinning, annealing a second time, and tack welding a port fitting, the assembly was torch preheated to 120 to 150 deg C (250 to 300 deg F). The port fitting was then welded in place. Final full heat treatment to the T62 temper was followed by machining, testing, and inspection. The crack indications were found only on one side of the boss and on the lower portion of the hot-spun dome region. The metallographic specimens revealed triangular voids and severe intergranular cracks. The cracks displayed the glossy surfaces typical of melted and resolidified material. The localized cracks in the air bottle were from grain-boundary eutectic melting caused by local torch overheating used in preparation for assembly welding of a port fitting. A change in design was scheduled to semiautomatic welding without the use of preheating for the joining of the port fitting for the dome opening.


Purpose: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is a significant health and economic burden on the U.S. Costs related to osteoporosis are approximately $14 billion per year, driven primarily by fractures. We undertook a review of clinical trial and pharmacoeconomic literature related to PMO to summarize efficacy and cost-effectiveness data for current and future pharmaceutical treatment options. Methods: We searched Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Business Source Premier, and Research Digest (published by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research) for articles from 1995 to 2006 using osteoporosis-related terms. We selected articles for review if they focused on a PMO population, if they were stratified by sex and age to identify the PMO population, if they reported fracture endpoints, or if they covered U.S. pharmacoeconomic data. Results: Current pharmacotherapy for PMO includes antiresorptive agents (bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and calcitonin), which reduce bone turnover, and anabolic agents (parathyroid hormone), which stimulate bone development. Antiresorptive products reduce vertebral fracture rates by 30% to 70% and are cost-effective in preventing fractures in women with osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD) or with a previous fragility fracture. Teriparatide, a parathyroid hormone (PTH) reduces vertebral fracture rates by 65% to 69%, although cost-effectiveness is limited to high-risk patients of advanced age or with very low BMD. Promising products under review include strontium ranelate, available for PMO outside the U.S., and PTH (1-84), an anabolic agent. Conclusion: Antiresorptive agents are cost-effective for preventing fractures in women with osteoporosis, but they might not offer enough protection in high-risk populations. Thus, there is a cost-effective place for an anabolic agent in the highest-risk patients. Strontium ranelate and PTH (1-84) may offer additional therapeutic options in preventing fractures in PMO.


Abstract. To address climate change, accurate and automated forest cover monitoring is crucial. In this study, we propose a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) which mimics professional interpreters' manual techniques. Using simultaneously acquired airborne images and LiDAR data, we attempt to reproduce the 3D knowledge of tree shape, which interpreters potentially make use of. Geospatial features which support interpretation are also used as inputs to the CNN. Inspired by the interpreters' techniques, we propose a unified approach that integrates these datasets in a shallow layer in the CNN network. With the proposed CNN, we show that the multi-modal CNN works robustly, which gets more than 80 % user's accuracy. We also show that the 3D multi-modal approach is especially suited for deciduous trees thanks to the ability of capturing 3D shapes.


Abstract The present paper shows the importance of Inverse Gas Chromatography (IGC) for the determination of the surface properties of bentonites. These properties are dispersive surface energy, acid-base properties, surface heterogeneity, sorption isotherms, BET surface areas and heat of sorption, using different probe molecules. IGC can contribute to the interpretation, prediction and optimization of the studied materials' properties. The paper focuses on two distinctive bentonite samples from Porto Santo Island, Madeira archipelago. In view of their potential value, achieved through their incorporation in products for dermopharmacy and dermocosmetics, particle size and particle surface properties are of fundamental importance.


The article focuses on relations of reciprocity in three centres for child protection in Estonia. The relations are based on the asymmetrical positions occupied, on the one hand, by social workers in the area of child protection and, on the other hand, by parents (essentially mothers). This relation is analysed as characterised by both domination and exchange. It implies formal contractual reciprocity, as well as affective subjective reciprocity. These two types of reciprocity interact and together construct the overall relationship of aid.


Prominent "risk society" theorists such as Giddens and Beck have identified risk as a fundamental organizing principle of contemporary society. Importantly, a major cause of risk awareness and anxiety in modern society is individualism . . a concept Lesthaeghe linked to changes in family formation. In this regard, of the types of risk discussed in the sociological literature, "interpersonal risks" associated with cohabitation, marriage, and parenting are of obvious salience. This paper explores how the modern "risk society" thesis, and the concept of interpersonal risk could materially contribute to understanding the second demographic transition.


An experimental model of haemorrhagic hypotension was standardized using rabbits to investigate the shock lung syndrome over a period of 120 minutes. Acute hypovolaemia was induced by withdrawal of blood under anaesthesia to a mean arterial pressure of 30 +/- 5 mmHg within 10 minutes. The mean leucocyte counts and the release of lysosomal enzymes (acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase) in the blood and in lung tissue, as well as the metabolic capacities of lung tissue in terms of protein and lipid biosynthesis, were investigated at set intervals after 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The results indicate a progressive decline in leucocyte numbers over 120 minutes to about 40% of the original. An immediate granulocytopenia was observed with a relative lymphocytosis within 30 minutes. The beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase contents of the plasma increased with time; beta-glucuronidase activity increased progressively as leucocytes disappeared from the circulation. Concomitantly, the capacity of the lung tissue to synthesize protein and lipids was retarded with time, becoming significantly lower than baseline values after 60 minutes of hypovolaemia. The decline in leucocyte numbers in the circulation correlated well with the increase in beta-glucuronidase activity and the retarded metabolic capacity of the lung tissue.


This paper presents how we adapted a website search engine for cross language information retrieval, using the Uplug word alignment tool for parallel corpora.We first studied the monolingual search queries posed by the visitors of the website of the Nordic council containing five different languages. In order to compare how well different types of bilingual dictionaries covered the most common queries and terms on the website we tried a collection of ordinary bilingual dictionaries, a small manually constructed trilingual dictionary and an automatically constructed trilingual dictionary, constructed from the news corpus in the website using Uplug. The pre-cision and recall of the automatically constructed Swedish-English dictionary using Uplug were 71 and 93 percent, re-spectively. We found that precision and recall increase significantly in samples with high word frequency, but we could not confirm that POS-tags improve pre-cision. The collection of ordinary dic-tionaries, consisting of about 200 000 words, only cover 41 of the top 100 search queries at the website. The automatically built trilingual dictionary com-bined with the small manually built trilingual dictionary, consisting of about 2 300 words, and covers 36 of the top search queries.


Gas hydrates are known to be extensive across the Danube Delta, as indicated by the presence of bottom simulating reflections (BSRs). The shelf break in this region is characterised by several incised submarine canyons, the largest of which is the Viteaz Canyon, and numerous slope failures. BSRs often coincide with submarine landslides, and it has been proposed that hydrates may play a role in triggering, or facilitating such events. This study focuses on a seafloor canyon (the S2 Canyon) to the north-east of the main Viteaz Canyon, where geophysical survey data and sediment cores were acquired in 2014. Active venting from the seafloor is known to be occurring at this site as multiple flares were been imaged in the water column. The location of these flares coincides with a significant slope failure adjacent to the canyon, and some can be correlated to subsurface gas chimneys, indicating a complex 'plumbing system' of gas migration pathways. This site is of particular interest as the 'present-day' BSR imaged in seismic data is not at equilibrium with the present-day seafloor conditions.


Dairy calves in North America traditionally are housed individually and fed by manual milk feeding (MMF) systems with buckets or bottles. Automated milk feeders (AMF) allow for more natural milk feeding frequencies and volumes, and calves are usually housed in groups. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the prevalence of various milk-fed calf management and feeding practices and (2) compare these practices between dairy farms using MMF and AMF systems. A national online survey was performed from January to May 2015 to quantify management practices for the care of milk-fed dairy calves in Canada. A total of 670 responses were received (6% of all dairy farms in Canada). Among respondents, 16% used AMF and 84% used MMF. Seventy percent of the farms using AMF had freestall barns compared with only 48% of those using MMF. A greater proportion of AMF farms (30%) also had automatic milking systems (AMS) compared with MMF farms (8%). Among tiestall farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows was associated with having an AMF [odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-11.4]. For freestall or bedded-pack farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows (OR = 3.5; CI: 1.8-6.6), having an AMS (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.6-5.7), and use of cow brushes (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.3-6.9) were associated with having an AMF. Calves fed with AMS typically were housed in groups of 10 to 15, whereas almost 76% of the farms with MMF housed calves individually. Although both AMF and MMF farms fed similar amounts of milk in the first week of life (median = 6 L/d), the cumulative volume fed in the first 4 wk differed significantly, with a median of 231 versus 182 L for AMF and MMF, respectively. Median peak milk allowance was higher for AMF than for MMF (10 vs. 8 L/d, respectively). In summary, farms using AMF were larger, provided more milk to calves, and used more automation in general (i.e., in other areas of their operation). These data provide insights into calf-rearing practices across Canada and into how the use of AMF is affecting calf feeding and management on dairy farms.


The study relates to road management in Nigeria, on one (land locked) state out of the
36 that comprise the country. The state (Sokoto) has a population of over four million
people, and the acute shortage of road connections to the majority of its rural
inhabitants necessitated the research. The practice of road management in Sokoto is
broadly representative of other Nigerian States. Sokoto like all the northern states, is
distant from the coast, and its main asset is an abundant supply of cheap labour. Roads
provide the principal mode of access, and are a key factor to trade, industry and social
development.
An intensive literature review was carried out to determine the existing state of
knowledge on the problems encountered by practitioners in the field. The review (desk
study) occupied the first stage of the research. It rapidly became clear that the topic is
seriously under-researched, both internationally and specifically in the study area. The
review has also drawn upon a variety of published and unpublished sources, drawing
upon the limited amount of quantified and rigorous data that is available, but also
assessing the more substantial quantity of partially quantified or impressionistic
information to be found in project reports and case studies. For research to be
successful, observable indicators must be found for at least some of the abstract
concepts used in the theory. In this regard, six months field work (data collection) was
carried out in Nigeria as the study's second stage. This translates the research
hypothesis into an operational hypothesis. The third stage of the research covers the
analysis and validation of data. This includes an interpretation, which serves as a bridge
between the theoretical and practical data.
The thesis describes how the empirical data has been used in analysis, to spell out
parameters that affect rural road management in Nigeria as in many Sub-Saharan
Africa. The research revealed the inappropriate use of technology to be the major
factor hindering performance. The study suggests some workable operating methods
as possible alternatives that can simplify the difficulties of road maintenance under
different operating conditions.


Introduction: Indian industrial workers had reported a high prevalence of risk factors and morbidity due to non-communicable diseases (NCD). In the past few decades, the nature of work in many organizations has been radically transformed due to growth in the use of information technology, and this has introduced a range of work related morbidity in their daily life. Objective: This study aims at profiling the risk factors of non-communicable diseases and the work related morbidity in an industrial setting in Puducherry, targeting Information Technology sector. Methods: Cross- sectional study was done among the employees of an industry under the Information technology sector (n=907). Survey of behavioural risk factors using structured questionnaires, work related morbidity and anthropometric measurements were done for the study population. Results: Mean age of the study population was 27.8 + 5.5 years. Stress and back ache was reported by almost half of the respondents. Baseline risk assessment showed that around 40% of the employees were obese and 21% were hypertensive. High levels of risk factors and morbidity as in other studies among industrial population was noted in this study. Conclusion: The study indicates high levels of behavioral risk factors and high prevalence of obesity and hypertension in a young working population. Work related morbidity like backache and stress is also high in this industrial sector. The long-term follow-up in such settings will provide an opportunity to design interventions targeting physical and psychosocial environment and health promotion in order to control the outcomes of non communicable diseases. Key words: Cardiovascular risk factors, Industrial population, Occupational Health, Surveillance, Work related morbidity.


Abstract Despite the general consistency in the treatment of international humanitarian law by international courts and tribunals, recent decisions have seen significant disagreement regarding the scope of indirect responsibility for individuals and States for the provision of aid or assistance to non-State actors that perpetrate war crimes. The divisions at the international criminal tribunals with regard to the "specific direction" element of aiding and abetting are reminiscent of the divergence between the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on the question of State responsibility for supporting or assisting non-State actors that engage in violations of international law. This article analyzes this jurisprudence on individual and State responsibility for the provision of support to non-State actors that breach international humanitarian law, and considers the interaction and interrelationship between these related but distinct forms of responsibility.


study was carried out in city of Marvedasht, Fars Province, in 2007 to estimate the water demand functions, to determine the factors affecting water consumption, and to estimate household water consumption sensitivity to water pricing during different seasons of the year. Regression analysis and the TSP software were used for estimating the functions and the t-test was used to determine the significance of the parameters studied. The required data were obtained from 50 households using the stratified random sampling method and questionnaires. The factors investigated included income level, water price, size of household, average age and literacy, residence construction type and garden, number of bathrooms, number of cooling systems installed, application of washing machine, number of automobiles, number of floors, and ownership. Based on the results obtained from the linear model, the independent variables used were capable of predicting 90.4, 84, 85.6, and 91.5% of the changes in water demand (the dependent variable) during the different seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Based on the estimated price elasticity, water demand falls by 11.6% for a 10% increase in water price. The independent variables used in the logarithmic method were capable of predicting 89, 85.5, 87.5 and 89.9% of the changes in water demand during spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Price elasticity rates for spring, summer, autumn, and winter were estimated at -0.9, -0.86, -0.87 and -0.92, respectively. The independent variable used in this study were able to account for 89.2% of the variations in water demand over the whole period and water price elasticity for the sampled households was estimated at - 0.88.


Through the use of the recent litigation on renewable energy subsidies in the World Trade Organization ('WTO') as case-study, this paper highlights the importance of methodology in legal analysis and, in particular, of integrity, coherence and legitimacy. Reference is made to those cases where, in presence of pressing policy considerations, the adjudicator is led to commit serious errors in order to reach what is perceived as a just and desirable outcome. It is sometimes the case that adjudicators are called to distinguish a 'good' policy from a 'bad' one, and, if the regulatory framework is not sufficiently responsive to such distinctions, the act of accommodation of law and policy may lead to 'ugly' constructions of the law. The twist of this course of conduct is that the effects of legal interpretation tweaking might not be easily confined to the case at hand and may have broader, negative implications for the legal system at large. Rather than resolving into a simple criticism of adjudicating bodies, the paper argues that the ultimate responsibility for dispute settlement mistakes caused by policy pressures is that of law-makers and their inability to take the lead and reform the law.


This paper investigates whether children make the distinction between syntactic marking and prosodic marking of focus. The acquisition of focus marking provides a good testing ground to compare parametric and interface views on focus. If focus marking is parametric, children acquiring a language with syntactic focus marking should fail to comprehendmarked word orders. If a language marks focus only prosodically, they should initially fail to comprehend prosodic markedness. Crucially, in Portuguese, in which both strategies co-exist, children are expected to fail on both. The results show that children have problems with the prosodic strategy only, favoring an interface approach to focus.


European energy policy is characterized by a complex allocation of authority between the European Union and its Member States which results in an intricate interplay of regulatory competence. Knowing the difficulties European countries face in coordinating and proposing common solutions in the area of energy, there is the urgent need to question the legal foundations underlying the decisionmaking process. Institutional paralysis, low reactivity to events and changes as well as systematic political horse-trading across all questions call for an alternative framework allowing some pioneering Member States to promote ad hoc common policies escaping the formal and procedural requirements of EU law. Our paper assesses the legal feasibility of short-run differentiation by means of partial international agreements inspired by the Schengen regime, namely entirely outside the EU framework. The key challenge from a legal point of view is to assess the substantive compatibility of such agreements in energy with the existing rules of the Union. Short run differentiation in energy cannot indeed be assessed at a high level of generalities. We therefore take two areas where legally-binding coordination at the sub-Union level is often called for: nuclear policy and gas security of supply. The possible substantive content of such cooperation is derived from the economic and political literature before legal feasibility is assessed. Our findings suggest that the scope for such agreements is limited for security of gas supply whereas it could be an improved cooperation device in certain areas of nuclear policy.


Against the backdrop of the explosive expansion of the Internet and the continued dramatic increase in demand for high-speed multimedia wireless services, there is an urgent demand for flexible, bandwidth-efficient transceivers. Multistandard operation is also an important requirement for the future generations of wireless systems. This article presents a versatile broadband multiple access scheme, combining frequency hopping with multicarrier DS-CDMA (FH/MC DS-CDMA). In the short term, the proposed FH/MC DS-CDMA scheme could be employed in the existing second- and third-generation CDMA system bands. Hence, it has the potential of supporting compatibility with these existing systems. This article also shows that FH/MC DS-CDMA exhibits a high grade of flexibility in the context of system design and parameter reconfiguration. Therefore, in the long term, the proposed FH/MC DS-CDMA scheme is capable of meeting the requirements of future broadband mobile wireless systems, with the aid of introducing more advanced techniques facilitated by the employment of software-defined radios (SDR) and with the advent of efficient adaptive baseband algorithms.


Air temperature is one of the most relevant input variables for snow and ice melt calculations. However, local meteorological conditions, complex topography, and logistical concerns in glacierized regions make the measuring and modeling of air temperature a difficult task. In this study, we investigate the spatial distribution of 2 m air temperature over mountain glaciers and propose a modification to an existing model to improve its representation. Spatially distributed meteorological data from Haut Glacier d'Arolla (Switzerland), Place (Canada), and Juncal Norte (Chile) Glaciers are used to examine approximate flow line temperatures during their respective ablation seasons. During warm conditions (off‐glacier temperatures well above 0°C), observed air temperatures in the upper reaches of Place Glacier and Haut Glacier d'Arolla decrease down glacier along the approximate flow line. At Juncal Norte and Haut Glacier d'Arolla, an increase in air temperature is observed over the glacier tongue. While the temperature behavior over the upper part can be explained by the cooling effect of the glacier surface, the temperature increase over the glacier tongue may be caused by several processes induced by the surrounding warm atmosphere. In order to capture the latter effect, we add an additional term to the Greuell and Böhm (GB) thermodynamic glacier wind model. For high off‐glacier temperatures, the modified GB model reduces root‐mean‐square error up to 32% and provides a new approach for distributing air temperature over mountain glaciers as a function of off‐glacier temperatures and approximate glacier flow lines.


A two dimensional mathematical model has been developed to simulate the coupled heat and mass transfer in a porous medium undergoing a strong exothermic reaction. The problem has received a lot of interest due to its relevance in a wide variety of engineering applications such heat pipes, nuclear reactors, drying technologies, catalytic reactors and others. The fluid flow is modelled via the Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer equation. This model is solved numerically by the finite volume method, and the code is validated by comparing with previously published works. The influence of the exothermic chemical reaction on the heat and mass transfer in the porous medium is discussed. The effects of pertinent parameters such as the Biot number, the Reynolds number and the Frank-Kamenetskii number were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative results are presented. Comparisons with other works in the literature are performed and excellent agreement between the results is obtained.


The present volume is the outcome of a seminar on the Ideology and Status of Sanskrit held in Leiden under the auspices of the International Institute for Asian Studies. The book contains studies of crucial periods and important areas in the history of the Sanskrit language, from the earliest, Vedic and pre-Vedic periods, through the period in which the (restricted) use of Sanskrit spread over practically all of South (including part of Central) and Southeast Asia (sometimes referred to as the period of "Greater India"), up to the recent history of Sanskrit in India. The contributions of this volume are divided into three sections: (1) Origins and Creation of the "Eternal Language"; (2) Transculturation, Vernacularization, Sanskritization; (3) The Sanskrit Tradition: Continuity from the past or Construction from the present?


The parallel programming paradigm based on migratable objects, as embodied in Charm++, improves programmer productivity by automating resource management. The programmer decomposes an application into a large number of parallel objects, while an intelligent run-time system assigns those objects to processors. It migrates objects among processors to effect dynamic load balance and communication optimizations. In addition, having multiple sets of objects representing distinct computations leads to improved modularity and performance. However, for complex applications involving many sets of objects, Charm++'s programming model tends to obscure the global flow of control in a parallel program: One must look at the code of multiple objects to discern how the multiple sets of objects are orchestrated in a given application. In this paper, we present Charisma, an orchestration notation that allows expression of Charm++ functionality without fragmenting the expression of control flow. Charisma separates expression of parallelism, including control flow and macro data-flow, from sequential components of the program. The sequential components only consume and publish data. Charisma expression of multiple patterns of communication among message-driven objects. A compiler generates Charm++ communication and synchronization code via static dependence analysis. As Charisma out puts standard Charm++ code, the functionality and performance benefits of the adaptive run-time system, such as automatic load balancing, are retained. In the paper, we show that Charisma programs scale up to 1024 processors without introducing undue overhead.


Have regional trade agreements (RTAs) improved market access conditions for developing countries? Employing a measure expressing effective tariff margins and using disaggregated panel data for a sample of 45 developing country exporters, 60 export destinations, and the period between 1991 and 2015, it is shown that this question can generally be answered in the affirmative. Although the effect is estimated to be moderate, RTAs might thus be an important long‐run building block in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in order to increase developing countries' participation in world trade. On closer inspection, however, for the countries included in the sample, there is considerable variation depending on the choice of integration partners and economic sectors. More specifically, market access improvements cannot be found for African economies in South–South agreements and developing countries engaging formally with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) or the Republic of Korea, while leading industrialized nations are reluctant to grant improved market access to developing countries in RTAs especially in capital‐intensive (high‐productivity) manufacturing sectors.


In Hudson Bay, all the ice melts in summer, and the last areas to be ice-free (around mid-to-late July) are usually off the coasts of Manitoba and Ontario. Thus, all polar bears are forced ashore to fast until freeze-up in November (ca. four months). Pregnant females remain ashore for eight months. In most years from 1963 through 1997, aerial surveys to monitor polar bear populations were conducted along all or part of the coastline between Cape Churchill, Manitoba, and Cape Henrietta Maria, Ontario, in late August and early September. Satellite data, from which breakup and ice absence times could be estimated, first became available in 1971. The numbers of animals counted were tallied in two subareas within Manitoba and three within Ontario. We evaluated the coastal counts, along with independent data on the movements of tagged bears and annual patterns of ice breakup from 1971 through 1996. We concluded that 1) the coastal survey data reliably indicated the population trends in Manitoba and Ontario; 2) little exchange occurred between the Western Hudson Bay (Manitoba) and Southern Hudson Bay (Ontario) populations; 3) between 1971 and 2001, there was a statistically significant trend toward earlier breakup of sea ice off the Manitoba coast, but not off the Ontario coast; 4) the onset of ice absence along the coast had no significant relationship to the number of bears present in each sub-sampling area within either the Manitoba or the Ontario population, but did significantly influence the distribution of bears on the coastline of each province independently of the other; 5) timing of the surveys can influence the results; and 6) adult male and female bears both showed a high degree of fidelity to specific areas during summer, independent of the pattern of ice breakup.


Linear-switching hybrid DC/DC converters consist of a voltage linear regulator (classic NPN or nMOS topologies and LDO) connected in parallel with a switching DC/DC converter. In order to control these hybrid structures, different strategies exist, allowing to fix the switching frequency as a function of some parameters of the linear regulator. This article compares two control strategies that, although they can be applied to the same circuital structure of linear-assisted converter, they are slightly different. The first one, reported in previous literature, cancels completely the average current through the linear regulator in steady state to achieve a reduction of power losses. Thus, the efficiency of the whole system increases and almost equals the one of the standalone switching converter. The proposed approach, in spite of a slightly increment of linear regulator's losses, reduces the output ripple that is caused by the crossover distortion of linear regulator output stage.


An essential update to the key web authoring standards of HTML, XHTML, and CSS The existence of Web pages depends on three vital technologies: HTML (base language that Web pages are written in), XHTML (standards that define how to write HTML pages), and CSS (standard that applies formatting styles to Web pages). This new edition provides you with critical coverage of these three Web authoring standards, and places special focus on the upcoming releases of HTML 5 and CSS 3. Serving as a tutorial and reference, this comprehensive resource explains the basic structure and necessary formatting to create a static (non-changing) and dynamic (changing) page on the Internet. HTML, XHTML, and CSS are the three major Web authoring standards for creating either a static or dynamic Web page Guides you through using HTML to create Web documents and introduces updates to HTML 5 Demonstrates best practices for using tools and utilities to create Web documents Includes coverage of the new CSS 3 and tips and tricks for maximizing its abilities Helpful examples round out this essential guide and will get you up and running with HTML, XHMTL, and CSS in no time! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.


A major challenge in science education is to align the teaching methodology with the aptitudes and experiences of the students. Teenagers are used to learning in front of a computer screen even if at times they are unaware that learning is taking place. They jump from one topic to another by following links to related material rather than traditional book learning where the student starts at the beginning and finishes at the end. According to Prensky (2001), they learn in parallel rather than sequentially and are 'native speakers' of the digital language of computers. As teachers, we need to embrace new learning methodologies to meet the ever-widening gap between how we were taught and how students now learn. In this paper I analyse the effect of introducing a classroom blog to a group of 13 to 15 year old boys. I look at how participation in this blog affects the way in which students participate in science, how they perform in science examinations and whether or not this has an effect on their enjoyment of science. Participants in the study demonstrate increased levels of attentiveness and participation in class compared with a control group. They also display an increased tendency to study science outside of class time. I present statistical evidence that the process of blogging is of significant benefit to students who may have struggled considerably with science concepts in the past. I look at some of the effects on classroom dynamics and show that there are a number of factors that influence the level and quality of student participation in a blog, not least of which is the exposure their work receives compared with class work they have done in the past.


The structure, morphology and organization of the radula teeth of the chiton Acanthopleura hirtosa, together with their surrounding superior epithelium tissue, have been examined by using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Considerable amounts of iron are first seen in inclusions resembling ferritin aggregates and haemosiderin within the cells of the superior epithelium just before the onset of tooth-cusp mineralization. Iron appears to be delivered to the mineralizing surface of the cusp (presumably as FeII) via a series of microvilli, which extend out from the cells of the superior epithelium and which are contiguous with the surface of the tooth cusp. Before mineralization, the tooth cusp consists of a series of fine organic fibrils arranged perpendicular to the posterior edge but parallel to the anterior edge of the cusp. Mineralization within the cusp begins with the deposition of small spherules of ferrihydrite, which appear to have a close spatial relation to the organic matrix. Depending on their location within the cusp these spherules are rapidly replaced by crystals of either goethite, lepidocrocite and/or magnetite as mineralization proceeds. Mineralization is preferentially concentrated towards the posterior surface of the tooth cusp with a greater deposition of magnetite than is found on the anterior surface. We suggest that the initial control of mineralization in the tooth cusp is mediated by the organic matrix. However, the phase transformations among the several mineral phases found in the cusp may well be due to differential competition among reactions leading to these phases and this, in turn, may be controlled by the generation of differential redox and related potentials within the cusp.


In the present paper we study the degree of convergence in the European Union from the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) point of view. The price of the shopping basket can be the cause of disparities in a global market in construction that, like the European Union, is formed by different countries with different consumption habits. In addition, in this construction process twelve out of fifteen countries of the EU have left its national currency to adopt the Euro like common currency. Therefore, it is necessary for the stability of the Union process in the long run that, among others, purchasing power of the different state members tends towards a same common value. Moreover, the question is whether that process of convergence within the European Union is taking place or not. In order to solve this question, the series of the Absolute Purchasing Power Parity (APPP) are estimated through the suggestion of Rodriguez et al (2004). These authors use the Harmonized Consumer Price Index in the European Union and the nominal exchange rates of the different currencies with euro. Monthly estimates of the APPP series for the 1995-2002 period are obtained for each of the fifteen countries. These figures show, for each country, their relative position to the average value of the European Union. Using these series we applied the Markov Chain methodology to study the time evolution of the distribution of APPP in the European Union. This methodology has been very used by its facility of calculation and interpretation of the results. Nevertheless, with the purpose of obtaining good estimations it is necessary to solve the discretization problem of a continuous variable. This is, to use a finite set, and relatively small number of states, for a variable with infinite values. In the present work different approaches are used to solve the problem. We test for structural change on the estimated probabilities using adapted test to Markov Chains. This allows us to study if an effect exists on the Purchasing Power Parity with the entrance of the Euro. Markov Chains are estimated by Maximum likelihood, and allow us to do different analyses. In the first place, we can study the mobility of the distribution, measured through the probabilities of permanence or not in the same state, and in the degree of diagonal structure of the resulting matrix. This objective can obtained by direct observation, calculating Mobility Index, or using expected time of first passage. Secondly, we can obtain the ergodic or long term distribution. This one shows the temporary evolution in the long run of the distribution, under the hypothesis of maintenance of the present conditions. This distribution would show the possible convergence or not of the whole distribution. We also estimate elasticities of ergodic probabilities, to analyze the effect of each probability in the Markov chain in the long run distribution. Results show differences with the Euro Entry, mobility towards convergence within the distribution is slow, with high elasticities of the ergodic distribution to changes in the transition probabilities.


This contribution to a collection on Neil MacCormick's INSTITUTIONS OF LAW explores the general relationship between theoretical methodology and analytical insight through exploring issues regarding the general enterprise of intellectual inquiry, the value of conceptual analysis, and the role of theoretical methodology. A broader portrayal of conceptual analysis is advanced than that allowed by Brian Leiter in his embrace of naturalism. It recognizes four distinct roles for conceptual analysis: (1) initial elucidatory expository analysis; (2) secondary expository analysis; (3) exploratory explanatory analysis; (4) normatively exploratory analysis. From this broader perspective, observations are made on epistemology, particular problems in conceptual anlaysis, and the possibility of theoretical disagreement. Through linking sound methodology to an appropriate role for conceptual analysis, a number of interventions are made in the contemporary debate over methodology in jurisprudence, engaging with the views of Dworkin, Leiter and Dickson. Emphasis is laid on the significant part to be played by the particular experiential base relating to the subject matter under investigation in the articulation of valuable insight. The extent to which MacCormick's work illustrates and promotes this approach is considered in some detail.


Holocene palaeolimnological conditions were reconstructed by analysing fossil diatom assemblages within a lacustrine sediment core from Lake Sokoch, southern Kamchatka (Russia). Sediments of this proglacial lake cover the past 9400 years and hence represent almost the whole Holocene history. The biosiliceous muddy sample material was analysed for several geochemical and biological parameters, such as the total organic carbon and biogenic silica content, and the diatom community (quantitative and qualitative changes). Based on changes in the relative abundances of the most frequent species Aulacoseira subarctica, Staurosira martyi and Stephanodiscus alpinus and a depth‐constrained cluster analyses (CONISS), five diatom assemblage zones could be identified. The oldest stage recovered lies between 9400 and 9000 cal. a BP and reflects the initial lake stage after the retreat of local glaciers, with a high detrital sediment supply, shallow‐water conditions and a high diatom diversity. The next zone (9000–6200 cal. a BP) shows a more mature lake system with accumulating biogenic remains and higher water levels during climate amelioration. This is followed by the most obvious change in the diatom assemblage, delineated by an occurrence of S. alpinus, between 6200 and 2700 cal. a BP. Wet conditions in spring probably led to an enhanced fluvial runoff and eutrophic to hypertrophic conditions. The end of this period might reflect climate deterioration related to the Neoglacial epoch of the Holocene. Between 2700 and 1600 cal. a BP the sediments of Lake Sokoch reveal oligotrophic water conditions in a windy high‐energy environment. The youngest interval, between 1600 cal. a BP and the Present, indicates shallow‐water conditions and a very short growing season, which might reflect the Little Ice Age. The results may offer a baseline for the interpretation of Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes in Kamchatka and their relation to regional climate change from a palaeoecological perspective.


In 2002, the Indian state of Gujarat erupted in violence against Muslims that left thousands homeless and hundreds of women raped and assaulted. The relation between nation, religion, and gender has often been violent in the South Asian context, no less so with the emergence of India as a major economic power in the early 21st century. This article examines what the Gujarat genocide reveals about the Indian nation-state and its particular forms of religious and gendered identities. It also examines the symbiotic relation between the nation-state and the Indian film industry, which plays a critical role in mediating forms of national subjectivity and belonging.


Ultra-thin gold nanowires with uniform diameters of 2 nm and lengths of over 100 μm are synthesized via the reduction of gold(III) chloride in an oleylamine matrix. The gold nanowires, dispersed on an oxidized substrate, are top-contacted with metallic electrodes to manufacture back gated transistors. We investigate the transport properties in the fabricated devices as a function of the gate voltage, the bias voltage, and the temperature. The nonlinear current-bias voltage characteristics from 7 K up to 300 K are well described by the Coulomb blockade model in a nearly one-dimensional quantum dot array (which results from the gold nanowires' thermal fragmentation into a granular material). Our results support a picture in which the electronic transport is governed by sequential tunneling at an applied bias above the global Coulomb blockade threshold, whereas in the Coulomb blockade regime, inelastic cotunneling is dominant up to 70 K, at which point it crosses over to activated behavior. The current depen...


This paper revisits five previous studies spanning a decade, which were used in the development and validation of a computational model named PreSS (Predict Student Success) to predict student success in an introductory programming module with 80% accuracy. PreSS was initially developed over three studies from 2004 – 2006, recording data from 240 students across multiple institutions incorporating three studies. These studies examined 25 factors and six machine learning algorithms, resulting in a model that used only three factors and the naïve Bayes machine learning algorithm (coupled with multiple other statistical techniques) called PreSS. The authors completed two subsequent independent studies over the academic years 20132015 that were used to investigate if the PreSS model was still valid on a modern data set while also collecting new data (factors) that were not considered during the initial development of PreSS. These two studies successfully validated PreSS, even with a decade separating the student profiles and landscapes. This paper has two main objectives; the first objective is an investigation on factors gathered during the initial development of PreSS that were not used in the final model. This is important as several factors were found to be significant at the time but were excluded as their associated sample size was small and the goal was to develop the most generalizable model possible. PreSS is arguably a universal model for two reasons. 1) PreSS is independent of the programming language used. PreSS has been so far been exposed to 6 different programming languages that include: Java, C#, Processing, Python, Visual Basic and C++ and still maintained the same high level of accuracy. 2) PreSS is also independent of any specifics of the cohort sampled such as gender bias, institution bias, age bias etc. The second objective of this paper is an examination of additional data collected in two recent independent studies, to determine if incorporating some or all of these new factors could improve the accuracy of PreSS. This paper reports on 90 experiments using data from all five previous studies, examining 126 possible factors. The work successfully identified 16 factors that when used in combination with the original PreSS factors either produced significant increases in prediction accuracy or exhibited noteworthy findings. Some of the 16 factors produced substantial gains in accuracy (in some cases in excess of 8%) or when integrated into the PreSS model, revealed interesting substitutions of factors.


PURPOSE
A systematic review examining the economic effects of pharmacist-provided direct patient care on health outcomes in the United States was conducted.

METHODS
A comprehensive literature search was conducted using 13 academic and medical databases. Studies were included in the analysis if they described pharmacist-provided direct patient care, used comparison groups, evaluated economic outcomes, and were conducted in the United States. Outcome results were categorized as (1) favorable, indicating significant improvement as a result of pharmacists' interventions or services, (2) not favorable, indicating significant improvement as a result of nonpharmacist care, (3) mixed, having favorable results on one measure of a study variable but not favorable results or no effect on another, (4) having no effect, indicating no significant difference between pharmacists' interventions or services and the comparison, or (5) unclear, indicating the outcome could not be determined based on presented data.

RESULTS
Of the 56,573 citations considered, a total of 126 studies met the criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Results favoring pharmacist-provided care were found in 20 studies (15.9%), mixed results were seen in 53 studies (42.1%), no effect was found in 6 studies (4.8%), and unclear results were found in 47 studies (37.3%).

CONCLUSION
A majority of studies examining the economic effects of pharmacist-provided direct patient care in the United States were limited by their partial cost analyses, study design, and other analysis considerations. A majority of the 20 studies that found positive economic benefits examined pharmacists' interventions involving technical methods or multimodal approaches.


This essay examines how concern for the economic plight of the middle class should influence debates over federal tax reform. It begins with an overview of data on two key developments in American economic life over the past quarter century. The first is the deteriorating economic position of the middle class, a long-term trend illustrated by stagnant income growth, job polarization, and more limited economic opportunities as compared to earlier eras. The second development is the declining federal tax burden of the American middle class, including historically low average tax rates and relative tax shares, not just for the federal income tax but for all federal taxes combined. The juxtaposition of these two empirical developments presents policymakers with a dilemma in crafting tax reform proposals, especially those designed to address the country's long-term fiscal imbalance through increased revenues. One approach would be to address these challenges exclusively through increased tax burdens on the wealthy while maintaining (or continuing to reduce) middle class tax burdens. While the impulse to pursue such a strategy is understandable in light of the economic vulnerability experienced by middle-income households, this approach also carries with it several costs, including a likely erosion in the fiscal viability of federal spending programs designed to provide income security for low- and middle-income households. In recognition of these costs, the essay considers an alternative strategy of increasing middle class tax burdens (as well as those of higher income households) with an eye toward ensuring the long-term fiscal viability of federal social safety net and other programs aimed at promoting economic mobility. This latter approach calls for less progressive taxes (perhaps even regressive taxes) to support more progressive spending programs.


In this series of papers, the dynamics of polymers in melts and concentrated solutions are discussed with the eventual aim of constructing the rheological constitutive equation. The basic ideas are introduced in this paper. A mathematical model chain which describes the motion of the polymer in the fully entangled state is presented and its Brownian motion in equilibrium is studied. The model chain, called the primitive chain, shows much qualitatively different behaviour from that of the Rouse chain used in dilute solution theory.


Stagnant global trade, subdued investment, and heightened policy uncertainty marked another difficult year for the world economy. A moderate recovery is expected for 2017, with receding obstacles to activity in commodity exporters and solid domestic demand in commodity importers. Weak investment is weighing on medium-term prospects across many emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). Although fiscal stimulus in major economies, if implemented, may boost global growth above expectations, risks to growth forecasts remain tilted to the downside. Important downside risks stem from heightened policy uncertainty in major economies.


In this paper, a direct computational method for the searching and determination of stability switching delays is introduced. The primary procedure is applicable to retarded linear timeinvariant time-delay systems and it is based on the iterative (successive) estimation of the dominant pole of the infinite system spectrum by means of the Taylor's series expansion in every node of the selected grid of discrete delay values. Whenever a crossing of the stability border is detected, the switching pole loci and the corresponding set of switching delays are further enhanced. To perform it, a linear Regula Falsi interpolation has been used in the original version. Here, two versions of the use of root tendency property are applied and compared. Root tendency expresses the change in the pole position with respect to the infinitesimal change in delays, i.e. the complex valued gradient. Once a finite set of stability switching delays' values is determined these delays can be joined so that infinitely many switching delays are obtained. In this paper, the linear and the quadratic interpolations are compared in addition. The whole procedure is simply implementable by using standard software tools and it does not require special ones; neither a deep mathematical knowledge is required, which is favorable for the practice. A numerical example performed in MATLAB/Simulink environment demonstrates the accuracy of the algorithm and its substrategies compared to a well-established method for the delay-dependent stability analysis. Some beneficial and worthwhile ideas how to cope with neutral delay systems are given and supported by an example as well.


Civil engineers have become increasingly involved with the use of computers to help solve engineering problems. Many problems that previously could be solved only approximately, or that required a tremendous number of man-hours, now can be solved quickly and directly through the use of computers. As a result, civil engineering organizations have become increasingly concerned about how computer-related costs fit into their over-all pricing policies. To bill for engineering services on cost-plus-fee contracts, a pricing policy is mandatory. For lump-sum or percentage of construction cost contracts, a pricing policy assists in the determination of an equitable price. For management purposes, in all organizations, a pricing policy serves as a cost control guideline. Owing to rapid changes in computer equipment and the availability of computer software, computers have become more economical to purchase and use. Usage has become more widespread, sophisticated, and complex. Establishing satisfactory computer-usage charging policies has become more difficult. While clients will have the benefit of quicker, more accurate, and more comprehensive solutions to problems, the firm providing them needs to be adequately compensated for the value of its work. Adequate compensation becomes more imperative when engineers contract with governmental clients that fix a low overhead percentage. This manual presents a clear statement of pricing practices for computer services and computer-aided services, along with alternative pricing methodologies for computer services that the firm can use and the client can understand. Examples of pricing methods are given.


When reviewing collections of video such as recorded meetings or presentations, users are often interested only in an overview or short segments of these documents. We present techniques that use automatic feature analysis, such as slide detection and applause detection, to help locate the desired video and to navigate to regions of interest within it. We built a web-based interface that graphically presents information about the contents of each video in a collection such as its keyframes and the distribution of a particular feature over time. A media player is tightly integrated with the web interface. It supports navigation within a selected file by visualizing confidence scores for the presence of features and by using them as index points. We conducted a user study to refine the usability of these tools.


Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks rise in frequency, diversity, and intensity. Often, centralized defense approaches lack hard- and software capabilities. A cooperative, multi-domain DDoS mitigation system provides defense services on top of an existing, distributed infrastructure. However, participants in these systems lack incentives for cooperation and reputation. Thus, reward systems can fill this gap by providing necessary incentives for cooperation among service providers and consumers. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a reputation scheme for the Blockchain Signaling System (BloSS). A smart contract-enabled process automates reputation management to diminish malicious behavior by incentive design. Among other metrics, Beta reputation provides intelligence to identify and reward honest participants.


The overall aim of the project was to further the research into the objective measurement of the symptoms of arthritic disease. There were three major parts to this study. The first part was to design a measurement system capable of making large scale, objective measurements of the stiffness of the human metacarpophalangeal joint. The second part was to design a new device to measure the grip strength of the human hand objectively. The last part was to use these two measurement systems to conduct research into the clinical manifestations of arthritic disease and study the effects of some therapeutic agents. A new, microcomputer controlled arthrograph system was developed to measure the stiffness of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger. The system proved to be reliable, easy to use and sufficiently accurate to quantify changes in joint stiffness. A new design of grip machine was produced which enabled the forces developed during a power grip to be analysed. Measurement was made of the force contributions of individual digits and the maximum total gripping force. The machine was portable and extremely easy to use. A study of the circadian variation of joint stiffness and grip strength, over a full twenty four hour period, was carried out. Measurements were made every two hour in both healthy and arthritic subjects. A circadian variation of stiffness was observed in the joints of arthritic subjects. Joint stiffness was elevated in the early morning and for some subjects the degree of change was profound. No significant circadian variation was observed in the joint stiffness of healthy subjects. A circadian variation of grip strength was observed in arthritic subjects. Grip strength reached a minimum value between 2.00 and 4.00 a.m. in the majority of subjects. No consistent relationship was found between changes in joint stiffness and changes in grip strength. The effect of several forms of physiotherapy on the joint stiffness of arthritic subjects was studied in both the short and long term. The subjects were measured before, and then immediately after, treatment each time they visited a physiotherapy hand clinic. Only the results of those patients who attended the clinic for a minimum of five weeks were used in any subsequent analysis. Four different treatments were studied: hot wax and ultrasound, hot wax alone, ultrasound alone and exercise. The combination of hot wax baths and ultrasonic therapy effected temporary reductions in all joint stiffness parameters. The reductions in energy dissipation and torque range were highly significant ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 respectively ). No significant reductions were found for hot wax, ultrasound alone or exercise. In the long term, no significant change in joint stiffness was found for any of the treatments considered.


The potential health consequences of carbon nanotube (CNT) exposure is often compared to asbestos and other fibre like materials due to their similar high aspect ratio and potential biopersistence; both are key in driving fibre toxicity and pathogenicity. With similar characteristics CNT are hypothesised to induce similar toxicity, and potentially similar pathogenicity. It is important to test this hypothesis in order to inform safe methods for production, handling and disposal of CNT.
The aim for this research was to employ a range of biological techniques to ascertain the cytotoxicity of different multi-walled (MW)CNT that are morphologically and compositionally distinct, and comparing these samples to toxicologically relevant materials such as asbestos and carbon black nanoparticles. The MWCNT used were either supplied by an industrial source, or were produced using controlled growth methods to allow investigation into certain size ranges, catalytic iron content, and sample purity (crystallinity). Using cell free, in vitro and in vivo techniques for oxidative stress assessment, an early generation of ROS was found in response to entangled MWCNT, with greater observed responses to both short and long, straight MWCNT found as exposure times progressed. Also most prominent at the later exposure periods, substantial and significant cell death was observed in MM6 and J774A.1 cells in response to MWCNT samples, measured through reduced cellular viability and LDH release. The level of cell death induced by MWCNT was not matched by cell exposures to reference materials. Numerous markers of a pro-inflammatory responses and markers indicative of tissue damage and angiogenesis were assessed in vitro using MM6 and J774.A1 cell. Both cell types were found to secrete significantly elevated levels of MCP-1, TNF-α, TGF-β and VEGF in response to MWCNT. Although not as high as the CNT, LFA was also found to stimulate pronounced pro-inflammatory conditions, when compared to the other reference materials. Numerous techniques were employed to assess the ability of immortalised and primary cells to phagocytose particles. Frustrated phagocytosis was observed in response to the longer particles (both CNT and asbestos) and to agglomerates formed of shorter CNT. This frustrated phagocytosis induced by the long MWCNT samples was found to translate to an exaggerated respiratory burst, and a dysfunction and inhibition in the ability of cells to phagocytose fluorescently labelled E. coli.
Taking all of the results of this study into consideration it was clear that the MWCNT samples tested display a greater toxicity than the reference materials in this panel. Above all, differences in the responses to the five MWCNT samples were considered to be induced by either a long individual length, or large agglomerate formation, and therefore the effects attributed to a high aspect ratio and frustrated phagocytosis. However, at times there was an inference that a high bioavailable iron content or high level of sample purity may intensify cellular response to MWCNT. The findings here, and throughout the current literature, demonstrate that CNT are certainly capable of inducing pathogenesis, but biological responses vary with differences in CNT morphology and composition.


Previous cross-national research suggests that women may be less likely to prefer family-based support to older adults and more likely to prefer government-based support compared to men. Guided by theories of gendered paid and unpaid labor, social network resources and strain, and global inequality, this paper investigates whether a gender gap in attitudes exists and, if so, whether it can be explained by characteristics of family, work, social networks and roles, and national context. Analyzing data from two cross-sectional International Social Survey Programme samples (2001, N = 23,360; 2012, N = 16,558) and aggregate nation-level data sources across 20 nations, the authors use multilevel modeling to predict four measures of attitudes toward family-based and/or government-based support. We find evidence of a small gender gap in attitudes. Overall, women are less likely to agree that children have a duty, more likely to say the government should definitely be responsible, and more likely to prefer that the government pay for care instead of the family/individual compared to men. Family resources, social support, occupational insecurity, and role strain are each associated with attitudes in the theorized directions, but only partially explain the gender gap in attitudes. Finally, attitudes toward older adult support vary predictably by national cultural, political, and economic measures, but the gender gap in attitudes varies cross-nationally and is likely limited to specific contexts. We discuss these findings in light of measurement options, gendered patterns of care cross-nationally, and global disparities in formal resources for caregiving.


Introduction: Older people should have opportunities to be active participants in society because aspects such as lifestyle, physical and social environment and physical and mental status have influence on active ageing. The purpose of this study was to explore the interests pursued by 85-year-old people living in ordinary housing in relation to gender, cognition, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Method: A sample of 240 participants completed a postal questionnaire, including the EuroQoL HRQoL measurement. Additional instruments used during a subsequent home visit were the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Mini Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Women experienced poorer health than men, lived alone to a greater extent and used more mobility devices. Compared with men, women had a larger number of interests within household management, but there were no gender differences in the leisure area. A lower number of interests in active recreation was associated with lower cognitive function, poorer HRQoL and a higher risk of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The main finding is that engaging in active recreation interests is associated with better cognition, less depression and higher HRQoL in these 85-year-old people and is, therefore, a concern of occupational therapists.


Christopher Clark's "Kaiser Wilhelm II: A Life in Power" is a short, fascinating and accessible biography of one of the 20th century's most important figures. King of Prussia, German Emperor, war leader and defeated exile, Kaiser Wilhelm II was one of the most important - and most controversial - figures in the history of twentieth-century Europe. But how much power did he really have? Christopher Clark, winner of the Wolfson prize for his history of Prussia, Iron Kingdom, follows Kaiser Wilhelm's political career from his youth at the Hohenzollern court through the turbulent decades of the Wilhelmine era into global war and the collapse of Germany in 1918, to his last days. He asks: what was his true role in the events that led to the outbreak of the First World War? What was the nature and extent of his control? What were his political goals and his success in achieving them? How did he project authority and exercise influence? And how did his people really view him? Through original research, Clark presents a fresh new interpretation of this contentious figure, focusing on how his thirty-year reign from 1888 to 1918 affected Germany, and the rest of Europe, for years to come. "Clark's fresh and enlightening history brings the Kaiser's life into critical and illuminating review". (German History). Christopher Clark is a lecturer in Modern European History at St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge. His book "Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600 to 1947" was the winner of the Wolfson Prize for History.


Every binary word with at least four letters contains a square. A. Fraenkel and J. Simpson showed that three distinct squares are necessary and sucient to construct an infinite binary word. We study the following complementary question: how many square occurrences must a binary word contain? We show that this quantity is, in the limit, a constant fraction of the word length, and prove that this constant is 0.55080....


The aim of this paper is to report on findings from a media analysis of the policing of school violence in the Western Cape, South Africa. This paper uses 41 articles, published in the Cape Times over a period of two-and-a-half years as a data source. The articles were retrieved from the SAMedia database. The media analysis illustrates privately owned news media's dual role, namely to act as watchdog for public interest in a democracy and to protect the financial interests of its owners and shareholders. The study moreover highlights two contrasting arguments regarding the policing of school violence, namely that an increased presence of Metro Police officers and members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) in schools may result in (1) the perpetuation of inequalities, the criminalisation of youths and a failure to address the root causes of school violence, and (2) the creation of a safe teaching and learning environment. Findings from this study reveal similar fears, prejudices and praises in South Africa and the USA regarding the presence of police officers in schools.


A statistical framework for comparing the output of ensemble simulations from global climate models with networks of climate proxy and instrumental records has been developed, focusing on near-surface temperatures for the last millennium. This framework includes the formulation of a joint statistical model for proxy data, instrumental data and simulation data, which is used to optimize a quadratic distance measure for ranking climate model simulations. An essential underlying assumption is that the simulations and the proxy/instrumental series have a shared component of variability that is due to temporal changes in external forcing, such as volcanic aerosol load, solar irradiance or greenhouse gas concentrations. Two statistical tests have been formulated. Firstly, a preliminary test establishes whether a significant temporal correlation exists between instrumental/proxy and simulation data. Secondly, the distance measure is expressed in the form of a test statistic of whether a forced simulation is closer to the instrumental/proxy series than unforced simulations. The proposed framework allows any number of proxy locations to be used jointly, with different seasons, record lengths and statistical precision. The goal is to objectively rank several competing climate model simulations (e.g. with alternative model parameterizations or alternative forcing histories) by means of their goodness of fit to the unobservable true past climate variations, as estimated from noisy proxy data and instrumental observations.


The effective delivery of scarce legal goods to disadvantaged clients requires more than the provision of equal access, case-by-case representation, and zealous advocacy. Scarcity requires that effective legal change be measured not by the outcomes of individual cases, but rather by the progress of social change: specifically, by the degree to which individuals are able to collaborate in local and national alliances to enlarge civil rights and to alleviate poverty. This Essay argues that, by incorporating the theory of covering into their work, legal practitioners in civil rights and poor people's movements can facilitate such collective action. This Essay also makes the general claim that forming links between theory and practice should be a principal goal of clinical and nonclinical legal education.


Aims: In this paper we focus on the occurrence of glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH) in young solar analogs by performing the first homogeneous and unbiased study of this molecule in the Class 0 protostars of the nearby Perseus star forming region. Methods: We obtained sub-arcsec angular resolution maps at 1.3mm and 1.4mm of glycolaldehyde emission lines using the IRAM Plateau de Bure (PdB) interferometer in the framework of the CALYPSO IRAM large program. Results: Glycolaldehyde has been detected towards 3 Class 0 and 1 Class I protostars out of the 13 continuum sources targeted in Perseus: NGC1333-IRAS2A1, NGC1333-IRAS4A2, NGC1333-IRAS4B1, and SVS13-A. The NGC1333 star forming region looks particularly glycolaldehyde rich, with a rate of occurrence up to 60%. The glycolaldehyde spatial distribution overlaps with the continuum one, tracing the inner 100 au around the protostar. A large number of lines (up to 18), with upper-level energies Eu from 37 K up to 375 K has been detected. We derived column densities > 10^15 cm^-2 and rotational temperatures Trot between 115 K and 236 K, imaging for the first time hot-corinos around NGC1333-IRAS4B1 and SVS13-A. Conclusions: In multiple systems glycolaldehyde emission is detected only in one component. The case of the SVS13-A+B and IRAS4-A1+A2 systems support that the detection of glycolaldehyde (at least in the present Perseus sample) indicates older protostars (i.e. SVS13-A and IRAS4-A2), evolved enough to develop the hot-corino region (i.e. 100 K in the inner 100 au). However, only two systems do not allow us to firmly conclude whether the primary factor leading to the detection of glycolaldehyde emission is the environments hosting the protostars, evolution (e.g. low value of Lsubmm/Lint), or accretion luminosity (high Lint).


Consider the classical $(2+1)$-dimensional Solid-On-Solid model above a hard wall on an $L\times L$ box of $\bbZ^2$. The model describes a crystal surface by assigning a non-negative integer height $\eta_x$ to each site $x$ in the box and 0 heights to its boundary. The probability of a surface configuration $\eta$ is proportional to $\exp(-\beta \mathcal{H}(\eta))$, where $\beta$ is the inverse-temperature and $\mathcal{H}(\eta)$ sums the absolute values of height differences between neighboring sites.
We give a full description of the shape of the SOS surface for low enough temperatures. First we show that with high probability the height of almost all sites is concentrated on two levels, $H(L)=\lfloor (1/4\beta)\log L\rfloor$ and $H(L)-1$. Moreover, for most values of $L$ the height is concentrated on the single value $H(L)$. Next, we study the ensemble of level lines corresponding to the heights $(H(L),H(L)-1,...)$. We prove that w.h.p. there is a unique macroscopic level line for each height. Furthermore, when taking a diverging sequence of system sizes $L_k$, the rescaled macroscopic level line at height $H(L_k)-n$ has a limiting shape if the fractional parts of $(1/4\beta)\log L_k$ converge to a noncritical value. The scaling limit is an explicit convex subset of the unit square $Q$ and its boundary has a flat component on the boundary of $Q$. Finally, the highest macroscopic level line has $L_k^{1/3+o(1)}$ fluctuations along the flat part of the boundary of its limiting shape.


This paper investigates the technical, and allocative efficiencies of public schools in Kuwait over four levels of schooling (kindergartens, primary, intermediate and secondary) and two periods (1999/2000 and 2004/2005) using data envelopment analysis. Mean pure technical efficiency varies between 0.695 and 0.852 across all levels of education; the majority of schools at kindergarten, primary and intermediate levels are operating at a point where returns to scale are increasing, and there are considerable cost efficiencies to be gained. In a second-stage analysis of the determinants of efficiency, teacher salary and the proportion of teaching staff who are Kuwaiti are highly significant in explaining school efficiency at all levels. The former has a positive effect and the latter a negative effect. All-girls schools have significantly higher efficiency than all-boys schools. There is limited evidence that geographical location affects efficiency, and this may be a consequence of differences between regions in terms of affluence or density of population.


Forum Philosophicum is a scholarly journal that seeks new insights into philosophical discussions concerning the relationship between philosophy and faith. The tradition we are rooted in is that of Christian philosophy, understood as the independent exercise of reason in the context of the faith. However, we also welcome proposals that grow from the concerns important to philosophers shaped by other religious traditions, in particular those of Jewish or Muslim heritage. We seek articles that are able to engage in critical debate with evolving views on rationality and its relationship to the irrational, the indeterminate, and the non-binary, and look forward to receiving analyses that discuss the place of faith and the rationality of faith in such contexts. We encourage discussions of human nature and spirituality that seek to address the proposals of neuroscience and confront the declarations of posthumanists, as well as inquiries into that mode of philosophizing which, while resting on the hermeneutics of culture, gives special emphasis to the hermeneutics of sacred texts. We would like to distinguish our journal through a specific approach, rather than through the specificity of the subjects we are prepared to see raised in it: an approach that allows faith to shape, enlighten, and strengthen our rationality itself. In this way, we want to offer a true Forum for the community of philosophers who view their faith as a source of inspiration, especially when seeking to face up to the new and challenging forms being given to the age-old problems of philosophy.


"Hopes and Prospects" is Noam Chomsky's indispensable analysis of the world at present and a roadmap for the future. In "Hopes and Prospects", Noam Chomsky examines the challenges of our early twenty-first century. He explores obstacles and threats such as the widening gap between North and South America, US exceptionalism (which continues under Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the US-Israeli assault on Gaza and the recent financial bailouts. He sees hope for the future and opportunities to move forward, however - in the democratic wave in Latin America and in the global solidarity movements which suggest 'real progress towards freedom and justice'. "Hopes and Prospects" is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the primary challenges facing the human race in the coming years. "A treasure-trove of truths that shouldn't be left buried in our sandpit of propaganda and lies". (Johann Hari, "Independent"). "Noam Chomsky is a global phenomenon ...he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet today". ("The New York Times Book Review"). "The west's most prominent critic of US imperialism ...the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar". ("Guardian"). Noam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including "Hegemony or Survival", "Failed States", "Interventions", "Perilous Power", "What We Say Goes", "Imperial Ambitions", "Making the Future", "How the World Works", and "Hopes and Prospects" all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. He is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.


This article empirically assesses the evolution of European regions in terms of both employment and unemployment during the recent financial crisis and global recession. Our specific research questions are as follows: (i) has there been a reversal in employment and unemployment dynamics at a regional level during the crisis (2007–10) compared with the previous period (2004–07)? (ii) have the western regions ('old' EU states) behaved differently in response to the crisis compared with the eastern regions (NMS)? Finally, (iii) are the differences between the two groups of regions related to structural or institutional variables? After a review of the literature on the key determinants of regional unemployment, we summarise our main findings concerning the impact of the global crisis on the labour market. Our econometric investigation aims to answer the questions we pose. Structural characteristics are considered in terms of sector specialisation of regional economies. In addition, we consider certain institutional characteristics, by including indicators of the share of temporary workers and of long-term unemployed. Our analysis is then targeted at sub-samples of western and eastern European regions: we show that the critical factors for labour market performance during the crisis in these two groups differ greatly. From a methodological viewpoint, we exploit a spatial filtering technique which allowed us to greatly reduce any unobserved variable bias – a significant problem in cross-sectional models – by accounting for latent unobserved spatial patterns.


omentum above the duodenum and the fold is ballooned out with IO c.cs. of anaesthetic which tracks around the common bile duct. The gallbladder and biliary tract are now "damped off" and the operation can be performed confidently and the general anaesthetic can, if it is wished, be discontinued. 3. The Spleen.-The spleen is held forward from the splenic bed by the left hand the lienorenal and gastro splenic ligaments are soaked sub-peritoneally, taking care that the anaesthetic is not inserted into one of the large vessels in the splenic hilum by aspirating first.


Adaptive techniques based on machine learning and data mining are gaining relevance in self- management and self-defense for networks and dis- tributed systems. In this paper, we focus on early detection and stopping of distributed flooding attacks and network abuses. We extend the framework pro- posed by Zhang and Parashar (2006) to cooperatively detect and react to abnormal behaviors before the tar- get machine collapses and network performance de- grades. In this framework, nodes in an intermediate network share information about their local trac ob- servations, improving their global trac perspective. In our proposal, we add to each node the ability of learning independently, therefore reacting dierently according to its situation in the network and local trac conditions. In particular, this frees the admin- istrator from having to guess and manually set the parameters distinguishing attacks from non-attacks: now such thresholds are learned and set from expe- rience or past data. We expect that our framework provides a faster detection and more accuracy in front of distributed flooding attacks than if static filters or single-machine adaptive mechanisms are used. We show simulations where indeed we observe a high rate of stopped attacks with minimum disturbance to the legitimate users.