This study investigated temporal and spatial patterns of heavy metal content in Ulva australis. Samples were collected from the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania, Australia, over 3 years (2013-2015) at locations where historically arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc were high in sediments and seawater. Zinc and lead content were high in U. australis at all sampling times, with levels consistent with the spatial distribution of metal within the system. Zinc in Ulva varied seasonally (4.8 – 320.7 mg·kg-1), but lead did not. Zinc and lead were highest in the middle-upper estuary, close to the zinc smelter, where seawater concentrations were higher. The results suggest that spatial variation of metal content in Ulva is a reflection of variability in the seawater, which in turn indicates that U. australis could be used for monitoring the effects of metals in estuarine systems, and that U. australis could be a useful addition to existing management strategies.


Introduction: The anesthesiologist is a representative of the specialty exposed to severe professional stress occurring in every field of his activity. They are reported to have higher rates of burnout compared with other specialists. Aim: The aim of this paper is to discuss the psychological aspects of working as an anaesthesiologist. Material and methods: This work is based on the authors' experience and available literature. Results and discussion: In the profession of anaesthesiologist not only the manual skills but above all the psychological resistance to stress is very important. The anaesthesiologist must act quickly, but in a thoughtful manner, because each decision can have enormous consequences. Resilience and teamwork combined with decisiveness should distinguish a good anaesthesiologist. Even experienced anaesthesiologists can experience tremendous stress in a sudden critical situation, therefore, simulation of adverse effects and development of appropriate habits are of great importance. The following article highlights the important aspects of anaesthetic practice, not only to reduce stress but also to increase safety during patient anaesthesia. Conclusion: Stress resistance is the most important quality of an anesthesiologist. Moreover, active listening, critical thinking, sound judgment, and decision-making are also crucial.


Abstract Gelatinisation of aqueous cornstarch dispersions with different amylose/amylopectin ratios were studied with respect to their response to the simultaneous application of thermal and mechanical stresses. The study was conducted using a combined controlled stress (CS) rheometer and microscope with camera, allowing variations of viscosity and microstructure to be recorded concurrently. The microscopic images were recorded by the camera, one image for each rheological data point. It is the first time a direct relationship between viscosity and physical variation of starch granules in dispersion has been established and directly optically observed for starch gelatinisation in the presence of an applied shear field. It was found that there are two steps for starch gelatinisation under these conditions with regard to the physical transition of the starch granules: (1) starch swelling and gradual dissolving and leaching of starch components; (2) rapid dissolution of a high proportion of the granule. In the first step the viscosity increaseed gradually, as the starch granule was slowly dissolved and materials were leached into the water carrier. The granules became almost transparent in the presence of the applied thermal and mechanical fields and dimensional changes in the starch granules (swelling) during the latter stages of gelatinisation can not be clearly observed. In the second step, the starch granule disappeared in a short time and viscosity of the aqueous material increased sharply. The gelatinisation temperature under shear stress, as measured by the CS rheometer/microscope combination is lower than that measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) under shear-less conditions.


Current biodiversity patterns of Neotropical amphibians are the result of their functional and phylogenetic relationships. Understanding the associations between ecological similarity and phylogenetic relatedness among species can provide a convincing statement on the role of evolutionary history in the filling of the niche space. Here, we assessed the ancestral character states of amphibian ecological traits and their evolutionary history in the Atlantic Forest Hotspot. We used 12 genes (11,906 bp) to reconstruct a phylogeny for 207 amphibian species and related it to eight ecological traits regarding their morphology, life-history and behavioural features. We revealed that closely related species can have similar ecological traits, suggesting that these traits are driven by phylogenetic history. Despite the high endemism rate of Atlantic Forest amphibians, our findings heavily rely on good studies on complete amphibian phylogenetic lineages to overcome potential biogeographical constraints. Using mechanisms of adaptive evolution in the context of phylogenetic diversification, we suggest that closely related species have different phylogenetic signals and ecological traits can evolve without relatedness.


Communities in social networks or graphs are sets of well-connected, overlapping vertices. The effectiveness of a community detection algorithm is determined by accuracy in finding the ground-truth communities and ability to scale with the size of the data. In this work, we provide three contributions. First, we show that a popular measure of accuracy known as the F1 score, which is between 0 and 1, with 1 being perfect detection, has an information lower bound is 0.5. We provide a trivial algorithm that produces communities with an F1 score of 0.5 for any graph! Somewhat surprisingly, we find that popular algorithms such as modularity optimization, BigClam and CESNA have F1 scores less than 0.5 for the popular IMDB graph. To rectify this, as the second contribution we propose a generative model for community formation, the sequential community graph, which is motivated by the formation of social networks. Third, motivated by our generative model, we propose the leader-follower algorithm (LFA). We prove that it recovers all communities for sequential community graphs by establishing a structural result that sequential community graphs are chordal. For a large number of popular social networks, it recovers communities with a much higher F1 score than other popular algorithms. For the IMDB graph, it obtains an F1 score of 0.81. We also propose a modification to the LFA called the fast leader-follower algorithm (FLFA) which in addition to being highly accurate, is also fast, with a scaling that is almost linear in the network size.


We investigated human Hap50, the large isoform of the previously characterized Hsp70/Hsc70-associating protein Hap46, also called BAG-1, for effects on transcriptional activities. Overproduction by transient transfection led to enhanced expression of reporter gene constructs in various cell types using different promoters, suggesting independence of promoter type. Similarly, overexpression of Hap50 resulted in increased levels of poly(A)(+ )mRNAs in HeLa, COS-7, 3T3 and HTC cells. Concomitantly, the expression of some selected endogenous genes, such as those coding for c-Jun and the glucocorticoid receptor, was enhanced significantly relative to actin. Nuclear runoff transcription assays using HeLa cells showed that the effect is caused by increased transcription rates rather than mRNA stabilization. Activation of transcription by Hap50 occurred at 37 degrees C and did not require prior thermal stress, as is the case for Hap46. In accordance with these biological effects, Hap50 is localized exclusively in the nuclear compartment of different cell types, whereas Hap46 is mostly cytoplasmic in unstressed cells, as revealed by use of fusion constructs with green fluorescent protein. High cellular levels of Hap50 were found to make cells less susceptible to adverse environmental effects such as heat stress. Our data suggest that Hap50 is a nuclear protein that acts in cells to increase the transcription of various genes.


Laboratory and field studies were made on Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks in the southwestern Wind River Mountains. A granite stock and related pegmatite and quartz veins have been emplaced in pelitic and quartzo-feldspathic metasedimentary rocks, which are mostly quartz-plagioclase-hornblende and quartz-biotite-plagioclase porphyroblastic schists belonging to the almandine-amphibolite regional metamorphic facies. A contact aureole belonging to the hornblende-hornfels contact metamorphic facies surrounds the granite stock and the greenschist facies mineral assemblages were produced by recrystallization of these metamorphics and the granitic rocks during retrogressive metamorphism. At least three phases of metamorphic adjustment have occurred--almandine-amphibolite regional metamorphism, contact metamorphism, and a retrogressive period of metamorphism.


Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) represents a phenomenological alternative to dark matter (DM) for the missing mass problem in galaxies and clusters of galaxies. We analyse the central regions of a local sample of ∼220 early-type galaxies from the ATLAS 3D survey, to see if the data can be reproduced without recourse to DM. We estimate dynamical masses in the MOND context through Jeans analysis and compare to ATLAS 3D stellar masses from stellar population synthesis. We find that the observed stellar mass–velocity dispersion relation is steeper than expected assuming MOND with a fixed stellar initial mass function (IMF) and a standard value for the acceleration parameter a0. Turning from the space of observables to model space (a) fixing the IMF, a universal value for a0 cannot be fitted, while, (b) fixing a0 and leaving the IMF free to vary, we find that it is 'lighter' (Chabrier like) for low-dispersion galaxies and 'heavier' (Salpeter like) for high dispersions. This MOND-based trend matches inferences from Newtonian dynamics with DM and from the detailed analysis of spectral absorption lines, adding to the converging lines of evidence for a systematically varying IMF.


©2019 Türkiye Spor Hekimleri Derneği. Tüm hakları saklıdır. ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study is to adapt the "Sport Injury Anxiety Scale" (SIAS) developed by Rex and Metzler (2016) to the Turkish language, and to test the validity and reliability of the adapted version. Material and Methods: The original form of SIAS consists of 21 items and seven subscales, and it is a five-point Likert-type scale (1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: neutral, 4: agree, 5: strongly agree). The sub-scales are: Loss of Athleticism, Being Perceived as Weak, Experiencing Pain, Letting Down Important Others, Reinjury, Loss of Social Support and Having an Impaired Self-Image. There is no negative item in the scale. In the study, firstly the English scale was translated into Turkish, and the Turkish scale was prepared according to experts' opinions. Correlation analysis was used for language equivalence of the scale. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis methods were used in order to reveal the measurement structure, and to examine the construct validity, respectively. The reliability analysis of the scale and its sub-scales were firstly examined by calculating the Cronbach α coefficient, which is the indicator of internal consistency. Then, the reliability of the scale was examined by calculating the stability coefficients of the scale and its sub-scales, by the test-retest method. Results: It was determined that the Turkish version of the scale has language equivalence, and that the measurement structure of the adaptation scale consisted of 19 items and six sub-scales, and explained 65% of the total variance. According to confirmatory factor analysis, the six-factor measurement structure had a good fit with the data. Cronbach α coefficients of the sub-scales were calculated as: 0.724 for Loss of Athleticism, 0.645 for Being Perceived as Weak, 0.780 for Experiencing Pain, 0.876 for Letting Down Important Others, 0.608 for Reinjury, and 0.812 for Loss of Social Support, respectively. Accordingly, it was determined that the scale and its sub-scales had high internal consistency and reliability. Stability coefficients of the scale and its subscales were found to be high. Conclusion: It can be said that the Turkish version of the Sports Injury Anxiety Scale is a valid and reliable scale for measuring anxiety of athletes.


1. We describe a method for supporting pieces of human bronchi in Ussing chambers, for radiolabelling the contents of the secretory cells with 35S, and for collecting radiolabelled macromolecules secreted on to the luminal aspect of the tissue. This method has previously been used to study airway secretions in animals [R. J. Phipps, J. A. Nadel & B. Davis, American Review of Respiratory Disease, (1980) 121, 359-365]. Evidence is given that the radiolabelled molecules are secretory glycoproteins, probably mucus glycoproteins. 2. Phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, increased the rate at which the bronchi secreted radiolabelled glycoproteins. Thymoxamine, an alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, blocked this effect but propranolol, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, did not. 3. Dobutamine, a beta-adrenoceptor agonist, increased the rate of secretion of radiolabelled glycoproteins. Propranolol blocked this but thymoxamine did not. 4. Salbutamol, a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, also increased the rate of secretion of radiolabelled glycoproteins. Propranolol blocked this effect. 5. We conclude that both alpha- and beta- adrenoceptor agonists increase the rate of glycoprotein secretion in human bronchi in vitro and that this almost certainly means that they increase the rate of mucus secretion.


Particulate matter (PM), classified according to aerodynamic diameter, is one of the harmful pollutants causing health damaging effects. It is considered as cancerogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of the substances found in the chemical composition of PM. In this study, short-term prediction of PM2.5 pollution at 1, 2 and 3 hours was modelled using deep learning methods. Three deep learning algorithms and the combination thereof were evaluated: Long-short term memory units (LSTM), recurrent neural networks (RNN) and gated recurrent unit (GRU). Air Quality Monitoring Stations of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of Turkey were utilized to obtain the data. Specifically, meteorological and air pollution data were obtained from a monitoring station located in Keçiören District of Ankara. Several trials were conducted using different combinations of RNN, GRU and LSTM models. Pollutant concentrations and meteorological factors were integrated into the model as input parameters to predict PM2.5 concentration for 1,2 and 3 hours. Best results with R2 of 0.83, 0.7 and 0.63 for 1-, 2-, and 3-hour predictions, respectively, were obtained by using a combination of GRU and RNN models. The results of this study are promising for explaining the effect of different deep learning models on prediction performance.


Coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models are the simplest models which
are capable of simulating both the variability which occurs within each component
of the climate system, and the variability which arises from the interactions between
them. Only recently has it become computationally feasible to use coupled general
circulation models to study climate variability and change on timescales of O(104)
years and longer. Flux adjustments are often employed to maintain a control climate
that is both stable and realistic; however, the magnitude of the adjustments
represents a source of concern.
This study employs the CSIRO Mk3L climate system model, a low-resolution
coupled atmosphere-sea ice-ocean general circulation model. The atmospheric and
oceanic components are spun up independently; the resulting atmospheric simulation
is realistic, while the deep ocean is too cold, too fresh and too buoyant. The
spin-up runs provide the initial conditions for the coupled model, which is used to
conduct a 1400-year control simulation for pre-industrial conditions. After some
initial adjustment, the simulated climate experiences minimal drift. The dominant
mode of internal variability is found to exhibit the same spatial structure and correlations
as the observed El Ni˜no-Southern Oscillation phenomenon.
The ability of Mk3L to simulate the climate of the mid-Holocene is evaluated. It
correctly simulates increased summer temperatures at northern mid-latitudes, and
cooling in the tropics. However, it is unable to capture some of the regional-scale
features of the mid-Holocene climate, with the precipitation over northern Africa
being deficient. The model simulates a 13% reduction in the strength of El Ni˜no,
a much smaller decrease than that implied by the palaeoclimate record.
A 1400-year transient simulation is then conducted, in which the atmospheric
CO2 concentration is stabilised at three times the pre-industrial value. The transient
simulation exhibits a reduction in the rate of North Atlantic Deep Water formation,
followed by its gradual recovery, and a cessation of Antarctic Bottom Water formation.
The global-mean surface air temperature warms 2.7◦C upon a trebling of
CO2, and 5.3◦C by the end of the simulation.
A number of modifications to the spin-up procedure for the ocean model are
evaluated. A phase shift in the prescribed sea surface temperatures and salinities is
found to reduce the phase lag between the model and observations, and to lead to
a reduction in the magnitude of the diagnosed flux adjustments. When this spin-up
run is used to initialise the coupled model, the reduced flux adjustments are found
to have negligible impact upon the nature of the internal variability. While the flux
adjustments are not found to have any direct influence upon the response of the
model to external forcing, they are found to have an indirect influence via their
effect upon the rate of drift within the control simulation.
An iterative spin-up technique is also developed, whereby the response of the
ocean model is used to derive a set of effective surface tracers. These result in a
much more realistic vertical density profile within the ocean. The coupled model
exhibits slightly increased internal variability, with reduced convection within the
ocean. There is a slightly greater surface warming in response to an increase in
the atmospheric CO2 concentration, with the reduced convection resulting in slower
penetration of the surface warming to depth.


The analysis and characterization of imaging patterns is a significant research area with several applications to biomedicine, remote sensing, homeland security, social networking, and numerous other domains. In this paper we study and develop mathematical methods and algorithms for disease diagnosis and tissue characterization. The central hypothesis is that we can predict the occurrence of diseases with a certain level of confidence using supervised learning techniques that we apply to medical imaging datasets that include healthy and diseased subjects. We develop methods for calculation of sparse representations to classify imaging patterns and we explore the advantages of this technique over traditional texture-based classification. We introduce integrative sparse classifier systems that utilize structural block decomposition to address difficulties caused by high dimensionality. We propose likelihood functions for classification and decision tuning strategies. We performed osteoporosis classification experiments on the TCB challenge dataset. TCB contains digital radiographs of the calcaneus trabecular bone of 87 healthy and 87 osteoporotic subjects. The scans of healthy and diseased subjects show little or no visual differences, and their density histograms have significant overlap. We applied 30-fold crossvalidation to evaluate the classification performances of our methods, and compared them to a texture based classification system. Our results show that ensemble sparse representations of imaging patterns provide very good separation between groups of healthy and diseased subjects and perform better than conventional sparse and texture-based techniques.


The karst landscapes of southern Italy, even though they show a lack or scarce presence of water at the surface, host a variety of ancient hydraulic works realized to collect and store water resources, to the advantage of the local settlements and for agricultural purposes as well. Ancient populations were forced to gain a deep knowledge of the territory in order to exploit the few available water resources, and developed for this aim several techniques, reaching a high level of capability to collect, transport, and distribute water, even at long distances. Many areas in southern Italy still nowadays present hydraulic works of remarkable interest and historical value, which are briefly described in the present paper, together with other features used for water storage in karst. Studying these ancient works, and safeguarding them, should be a priority aimed at educating the young generations toward a sustainable use of the water resource.


A novel technique is proposed for improving the standard Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension estimate for the Support Vector Machine (SVM) framework. The improved VC estimates are based on geometric arguments. By considering bounding ellipsoids instead of the usual bounding hyperspheres and assuming gap-tolerant classifiers, a linear classifier with a given margin is shown to shatter fewer points than previously estimated. This improved VC estimation method directly motivates a different estimator for the parameters of a linear classifier. Surprisingly, only VC-based arguments are needed to justify this modification to the SVM. The resulting technique is implemented using Semidefinite Programming (SDP) and is solvable in polynomial time. The new linear classifier also ensures certain invariances to affine transformations on the data which a standard SVM does not provide. We demonstrate that the technique can be kernelized via extensions to Hilbert spaces. Promising experimental results are shown on several standardized datasets.


In data-driven inverse optimization an observer aims to learn the preferences of an agent who solves a parametric optimization problem depending on an exogenous signal. Thus, the observer seeks the agent's objective function that best explains a historical sequence of signals and corresponding optimal actions. We formalize this inverse optimization problem as a distributionally robust program minimizing the worst-case risk that the {\em estimated} decision ({\em i.e.}, the decision implied by a particular candidate objective) differs from the agent's {\em actual} response to a random signal. We show that our framework offers attractive out-of-sample performance guarantees for different prediction errors and that the emerging inverse optimization problems can be reformulated as (or approximated by) tractable convex programs when the prediction error is measured in the space of objective values. A main strength of the proposed approach is that it naturally generalizes to situations where the observer has imperfect information, {\em e.g.}, when the agent's true objective function is not contained in the space of candidate objectives, when the agent suffers from bounded rationality or implementation errors, or when the observed signal-response pairs are corrupted by measurement noise.


Open-circuit voltage (VOC) is an important parameter in determining the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Given the desire for superior VOC values in PSCs, we have designed and synthesized a series of 'medium bandgap' donor–acceptor (D–A) copolymers containing carbazole (Cz) and quinoxaline (Qx) (PCzDT-Qx, PCzDT-fQx, and PCzDT-ffQx). As a result of their deep-lying HOMO levels (−5.45 to −5.61 eV), high VOC values are achieved in PSCs with the resulting copolymers, despite the expense of short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor (FF) parameters. In this study, in addition to the best power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 4.03% from PCzDT-fQx-based on PSCs, we have demonstrated a VOC value exceeding 1.0 V with PSCs of PCzDT-ffQx, which is among the highest VOC values achieved to date. Moreover, a comprehensive investigation on the mechanism of charge recombination and transport characteristics can determine a clear structure–property correlation in this class of molecules, which is helpful for designing better materials with maximum VOC without scarifying other key photovoltaic parameters.


Background: In current study, chemical composition and antibacterial activity of leaves and flowers essential oils of Origanum vulgare ssp. gracile against four food-borne pathogens including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella thyphimurium and Staphylococcus aureus were examined. Methods: The different organs (leaves and flowers) of O. vulgare ssp. gracile were harvested at flowering stage from wild grown plants in Kurdistan province, Iran. Phytochemical properties of the essential oils were identified by GC and GC/MS analysis. Also, antibacterial effects of O. vulgare ssp. gracile against each bacterial strain were detected by calculating the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration using microdilution method. Data was analyzed by chi square and fisher exact tests using SPSS 16.0. Results: Main components of leaf and flower oils were carvacrol (46.5% and 60.6%), γterpinene (13.91% and 16.64%) and ρ-cymene (13.54% and 7.21%). E. coli and S. aureus had similar sensitivity to essential oils, but S. typhimurium showed more sensitivity. Output of composition analysis showed that the O. vulgare ssp. gracile flowers essential oil has more effect than those from leaves. Conclusion: This work showed substantial inhibitory effect of O. vulgare ssp. gracile essential oils on food-borne pathogens. The efficiency of O. vulgare ssp. gracile flowers oils in reduction of the bacterial activity was higher than the leaves essential oils. According to the results of this research, this essential oil can be utilized as a natural preservative in food products.


Like other West European countries, the Netherlands are facing a growing uneasiness about its changing demographics. It is within this context that animated discussions concerning immigrant neighbourhoods dominate. The general opinion is that living in such neighbourhoods hinders the 'integration' of immigrants into Dutch society. This book contributes to the academic and policy debate by not only examining the effects of ethnic concentration, but also by finding out how people are sorted into neighbourhoods. Bringing together different bodies of literature, this book offers a more holistic view of the creation of ethnic residential segregation and its potential significance for individual life chances.


The objective of the project is to investigate the relationship between the
stress-strain characteristics of oil palm trunk vascular bundles and its moisture
content. Based on the stress-strain graphs, the mechanical characteristics are
then related to the microstructure of the vascular bundles. The results show
that for all samples tested, 3 zones of deformation are found i.e an initial zone
that is slightly curving, a plateau zone and finally a linear zone. The existence
of the plateau zone is then explained in terms of the vascular bundle
microstructure. AJ; a result of the presence of the plateau zone, the stress-strain
curve is then described by 2 modulus of elasticity i.e the initial modulus and
final modulus. The final modulus was found to be higher than the initial
modulus thus indicating that the vascular bundles become stiffer after
encountering the plateau zone. The maximum stress and final modulus of the
vascular bundles were found to increase when the moisture content of the
vascular bundles decreased.


Abstract. The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) represents a ~170 kyr episode of anomalous global warmth ~56 Ma ago. The PETM is associated with rapid and massive injections of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean–atmosphere system reflected as a prominent negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) in sedimentary components. Earth's surface and deep ocean waters warmed by ~5 °C, of which part may have occurred prior to the CIE. However, few records document continental climatic trends and changes in seasonality have not been documented. Here we present the first high-resolution vegetation and paleoclimate reconstructions for the PETM, based on nearest living relative analysis of terrestrially derived spore and pollen assemblages preserved in an expanded section from the central North Sea. Our data indicate reductions in boreal conifers and an increase in mesothermal to megathermal taxa, reflecting a shift towards wetter and warmer climate. We also record an increase in summer temperatures, greater in magnitude than the rise in mean annual temperature changes, and a shift to a summer-wet seasonality. Within the CIE, vegetation varies significantly with initial increases in epiphytic and climbing ferns, and development of extensive wetlands, followed by abundance of Carya spp. indicative of broadleaf forest colonization. Critically, the change in vegetation we report occurs prior to the CIE, and is concomitant with anomalous marine ecological change, as represented by the occurrence of Apectodinium augustum. This suggests that amplifications of seasonal extremes triggered carbon injection.


The identification at species level of subfossil remains of lizards from tropical regions currently suffers from strong limitation linked to the lack of comprehensive work conducted on the osteology of modern taxa. The aim of this study is to provide osteological criteria allowing for the specific identification of the subfossil remains of Sundaland and continental Southeast Asian monitor lizards (Varanus sp.), which are often well-represented in the deposits of this geographic area. To do so we performed an osteological study of the four species occurring in this region (V. bengalensis sensu lato, V. salvator, V. dumerilii, and V. rudicollis) using a large set of 88 skeletons of modern specimens. The observation of the full set of specimens allows us to define 41 osteological criteria distributed on 20 different anatomical parts which enable the specific identification of isolated bones of the studied species. The results highlight the importance of taking account of the morphological intraspecific variability by the use of large samples of specimens to avoid identification errors. They also show that the distinction of closely related taxa remains complex even when detailed morphological analyses are performed.


Child labour in India has long been the focus of research, policy concern and intervention. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of children's work in cottonseed production in Andhra Pradesh, drawing on evidence from two case studies from the qualitative component of Young Lives. In parts of rural Andhra Pradesh, children work in the cotton fields for two to three months of the school year. Children highlighted the importance of this work in their everyday lives and its consequences for their schooling. Evidence shows marked gender and age differentiation. In the early stages of cotton production, there was reported to be a cultural as well as an economic basis for children's work in cottonseed pollination, when it was believed that pre-pubescent girls were preferred for this kind of work, as they were considered to be 'pure'. However, this has shifted somewhat, and children appear to work in cotton pollination for economic reasons, as well as practical ideas that they are better-suited to this type of work because of their physical height and dexterity. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the research for discourses related to children's rights in India.


A randomized controlled trial of the plastic BioSand filter (BSF) was performed in rural communities in Tamale (Ghana) to assess reductions in diarrheal disease and improvements in household drinking water quality. Few studies of household water filters have been performed in this region, where high drinking water turbidity can be a challenge for other household water treatment technologies. During the study, the longitudinal prevalence ratio for diarrhea comparing households that received the plastic BSF to households that did not receive it was 0.40 (95% confidence interval: 0.05, 0.80), suggesting an overall diarrheal disease reduction of 60%. The plastic BSF achieved a geometric mean reduction of 97% and 67% for E. coli and turbidity, respectively. These results suggest the plastic BSF significantly improved drinking water quality and reduced diarrheal disease during the short trial in rural Tamale, Ghana. The results are similar to other trials of household drinking water treatment technologies.


The olive sector participates in the self-sufficiency of the country in food fluid vegetable oils, up to 16 %; it accounts for 5% of the Gross Domestic agricultural Product (GDP), and 15 % of the food exports. With the implementation of the Moroccan Green Plan (MGP), this sector was given a great importance especially regarding the extension of cultivated areas and improvement of the conditions of production. However, it still faces several difficulties related to the technical and social conditions of production. This work aims to: (a) identify, through a structured diagnosis, the constraints hindering the quality of olive oil production by the groups involved in this activity, (b) estimate the capacity of these groups to produce an olive oil with a standard quality, and (c) determine the potential of the olive oil production for a future quality label as a distinctive sign of origin and quality (SDOQ). The field work was carried out through the combination of two complementary methodological steps: a survey via a questionnaire led with 15 groups including more than 300 farmers, and a diagnosis of the olive oil production units, based on check lists. Diagnosis of units with a SDOQ showed that such a quality label can be an effective means to improve the oil standard quality. However, the SDOQ label leads to a higher price of the oil, due to the costs of production and certification. This label is also hampered by the weakness of collective action, and consumer ignorance of the importance of quality labels, which may jeopardize the sustainability of SDOQ.


ENANDER, A. and HOLM:E:R, 1. Evaluation of heat stress during sedentary work. Scand. j. work environ. & health 5 (1979) 23-30. The aim of the investigation was to study physiological effects and subjective experience during sedentary work in two different climates (air temperature 40°C and relative humidity 40 %, and 32°C and 80 %, respectively). Four men and four women, all unacclimatized and of normal body weight and height, participated in the study. Earh subject was exposed to both climate conditions for 90 min. Body temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, and body weight loss were measured continuously. At certain intervals during exposure subjects rated perceived temperature and comfort. Significant differences in the physiological reactions to the two conditions were observed. Heart rate, mean skin temperature and sweat rate were higher under the 40°C temperature conditions than at 32°C. The mean rise in body temperature was approximately O.2-Q.3°C. All subjects rated the climate at 40°C as warmer and more uncomfortable than at 32°C. During the last half hour of exposure, air velocity was increased with the aid of a fan. This action increased the heat loss at 32°C and resulted in a decrease in mean skin temperature although body temperature mainly remained unchanged. The increased air velocity had a positive effect on perceived comfort. The men had a higher sweat rate and reported more discomfort than the women. Indices such as the Swedish wet-bulb globe temperature and corrected effective temperature did not discriminate between the two climates, but they yielded lower values with decreased air velocity. On the other hand, indices based on heat balance analysis or calculations of sweat rate (heat stress index, predicted 4-h sweat rate and effective temperature) could more accurately predict the physiological and psychological strain.


There are currently two types of intra-arterial drug-delivery system (DDS) in clinical use in the palliative treatment of primary liver cancer. The chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) can be formulated into a drug-in-lipiodol emulsion (LIPDOX) or a microparticulate drug-eluting bead system (DEBDOX). To facilitate development of future DDSs, we need to understand the release and local distribution of drug from these DDSs into the complex, in vivo, pathological environment.The overall aim of this project was to assess and improve understanding of the in vivo release of DOX from LIPDOX and DEBDOX and its local disposition in the liver. These processes were investigated in detail in a multisampling-site, healthy pig model and in human patients with liver cancer. The mechanisms involved in DOX disposition were studied by examining potential interactions between DOX and lipiodol and/or cyclosporine A (CsA) in pigs. In this project, the main elimination pathway for DOX and its primary metabolite doxorubicinol (DOXol) was via bile; their extensive canalicular carrier-mediated transport (e.g. ATP-binding cassette transporters ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCC2 and ABCG2) was inhibited by CsA. CsA had no effect on the carbonyl and aldo-keto reductases responsible for the metabolism of DOX into DOXol. LIPDOX released DOX more rapidly and to a greater extent into the circulation than DEBDOX, which had only released 15% of the dose in patients after 24 hrs. The systemic exposure to DOX was lower for DEBDOX than for LIPDOX. Greater fractions of DOXol were formed in blood and bile with LIPDOX than with DEBDOX. This may have been because DOX was more widely distributed into regions with increased metabolic capacity or because of increased intracellular uptake when DOX was delivered in LIPDOX. The excipient lipiodol in the LIPDOX formulation did not interact with transporters, enzymes or membranes that would explain the increased cellular uptake of DOX.In conclusion, the release of DOX from DEBDOX is more controlled in vivo than that from LIPDOX, indicating that DEBDOX is a more robust pharmaceutical product. The formulations for future optimized DDSs should therefore be more similar to DEBDOX than to LIPDOX.


BACKGROUND
Patient safety is considered to be crucial to healthcare quality and is one of the major parameters monitored by all healthcare organizations around the world. Nurses play a vital role in maintaining and promoting patient safety due to the nature of their work.

AIMS
The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses' perceptions about patient safety culture and to identify the factors that need to be emphasized in order to develop and maintain the culture of safety among nurses in Oman.

METHODS
A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used. Patient safety culture was assessed by using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture among 414 registered nurses working in four major governmental hospitals in Oman. Descriptive statistics and general linear regression were employed to assess the association between patient safety culture and demographic variables.

RESULTS
Nurses who perceived more supervisor or manager expectations, feedback and communications about errors, teamwork across hospital units, and hospital handoffs and transitions had more overall perception of patient safety. Nurses who perceived more teamwork within units and more feedback and communications about errors had more frequency of events reported. Furthermore, nurses who had more years of experience and were working in teaching hospitals had more perception of patient safety culture.

CONCLUSION
Learning and continuous improvement, hospital management support, supervisor/manager expectations, feedback and communications about error, teamwork, hospital handoffs and transitions were found to be major patient safety culture predictors. Investing in practices and systems that focus on improving these aspects is likely to enhance the culture of patient safety in Omani hospitals and others like them.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY
Strategies to nurture patient safety culture in Omani hospitals should focus upon building leadership capacity that support open communication, blame free, team work and continuous organizational learning.


Ultrafiltered Aurore grape juice (pH 3.5, 20° Brix) was inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Leuconostoc oenos PSU-1 with and without the addition of insoluble grape solids (13 g/L, dry wt) and/or yeast ghosts (1 g/L). Wine made without insoluble materials (control) attained higher levels of decanoic acid (∼5 mg/ L) during alcoholic fermentation than treatments with insoluble grape solids, (∼1 mg/L), yeast ghosts (∼2.5 mg/ L), or grape solids and yeast solids (∼0.8 mg/L). Alcoholic fermentation stuck and malolactic fermentation (MLF) occurred most rapidly in control wines, while addition of grape solids and/or yeast ghosts stimulated alcoholic fermentation but delayed MLF. These results suggest that inhibition of malolactic bacteria by yeast was probably due to factors other than production of decanoic acid and other medium-chain fatty acids. Presence of insoluble materials during alcoholic fermentation further influenced the formation of higher alcohols and esters and altered the sensory quality of the finished wine.


These five chapters cover a wide variety of subjects. First, we explored naked mole-rat foraging patterns via a laboratory study measuring how naked mole-rats allocated their foraging efforts when searching for hidden treats. Contrary to our expectations of cooperative foraging, they appear to forage only for themselves, and may even hide information about food patches from one another: naked mole-rat society is apparently despotic rather than cooperative. Second, we traveled to Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa, to look at the distribution of aardvark-dug burrows, how quickly they appear and disappear, and how frequently they are used. We confirmed what many suspected: these burrows are distributed in a clumped pattern, and while they appear and collapse all the time, some last for many years and all have a good chance of being visited by some animal at any time. We also monitored dozens of burrows with camera traps to determine the identity of these burrow-users. Warthogs are king. This may reflect species abundance, as warthogs are quite numerous at Mapungubwe. The distribution of these burrows indicates that for aardvarks they are likely feeding digs, reflecting the clumped distribution of ant and termite nests. We then considered what actually happens when an aardvark tears into a termite mound. The termites can run away, send soldiers to defend the mound, or both. We created and explored a generalized model of how this additional decline, a form of behavioral resource depression, affects the time the predator spends in the patch and how much food they actually consume. We also took the first step toward combining this with the slow renewal of resources within a patch and how a finite number of these patches can affect the predator's long-term harvest. Finally, we modeled how hunger may affect a forager and its predator. Inspired by the well-studied gerbil–owl foraging game, we developed a model which shows that the likelihood a predator will hunt increases with the forager's hunger level.


We describe contact-resonance atomic force microscopy AFM methods to quantitatively measure Poisson's ratio or shear modulus G at the same time as Young's modulus E. In contact-resonance AFM, the frequencies of the cantilever's resonant vibrations are measured while the tip is in contact with the sample. Simultaneous measurement of flexural and torsional vibrational modes enables E and to be determined separately. Analysis methods are presented to relate the contact-resonance frequencies to the tip-sample contact stiffness, which in turn determines the sample's nanoscale elastic properties. Experimental results are presented for a glass specimen with fused silica used as a reference material. The agreement between our contact-resonance AFM measurements and values obtained from other means demonstrates the validity of the basic method. © 2007 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2767387


After reviewing the findings of previous studies of anger management programs, this paper discusses the findings of a study of 200 male offenders (mainly prisoners) in South Australia and Western Australia before and after they participated in an anger management intervention. The study found that the overall impact of the anger management interventions was small and no significant differences were observed for community versus prison participants. The paper discusses the question of who benefits most from anger management programs, concluding that those high in anger and low in anger control at the outset, and those who were motivated to work on their anger problems, showed greater improvement on a wide range of anger measures. The paper also discusses the reasons for the low impact of offender anger management programs, and makes recommendations for improving anger management outcomes.


In the last decade, the use of neural networks (NN) and of other soft computing methods has begun to spread also in the astronomical community which, due to the required accuracy of the measurements, is usually reluctant to use automatic tools to perform even the most common tasks of data reduction and data mining. The federation of heterogeneous large astronomical databases which is foreseen in the framework of the astrophysical virtual observatory and national virtual observatory projects, is, however, posing unprecedented data mining and visualization problems which will find a rather natural and user friendly answer in artificial intelligence tools based on NNs, fuzzy sets or genetic algorithms. This review is aimed to both astronomers (who often have little knowledge of the methodological background) and computer scientists (who often know little about potentially interesting applications), and therefore will be structured as follows: after giving a short introduction to the subject, we shall summarize the methodological background and focus our attention on some of the most interesting fields of application, namely: object extraction and classification, time series analysis, noise identification, and data mining. Most of the original work described in the paper has been performed in the framework of the AstroNeural collaboration (Napoli-Salerno). q 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.


Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, but unfortunately many children are not consuming enough to meet the recommendations. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies towards increasing the acceptance of this food group. This study aims to investigate the effect of different repeated exposure frequencies on fruit and vegetable acceptance using a novel vegetable, daikon, among 3–6-year-old children. One hundred and fifty-nine children participated in this study. Eight kindergarten teams were assigned to one of the following groups: Three different intervention groups with varying exposure frequencies, but all receiving seven exposures: Twice a week (n = 47), once a week (n = 32) and once every second week (n = 30), and a control group (n = 50). Liking and familiarity of daikon and other vegetables (cucumber, celery, celeriac, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and two follow up sessions (3 and 6 months) to test for potential generalisation effects and observe the longevity of the obtained effects. Intake of daikon was measured at all exposures and test sessions. Results showed significant increases (p ≤ 0.05) in liking and intake of daikon for all three frequencies and the control group. Over the exposures, intake of daikon increased until the 4th exposure for all the groups, where a plateau was reached. No systematic generalisation effects were found. Repeated exposure was a successful approach to increase liking and intake of a novel vegetable with all exposure frequencies to be effective, and no particular exposure frequency can be recommended. Even the few exposures the control group received were found to be sufficient to improve intake and liking over 6 months (p ≤ 0.05), indicating that exposures to low quantities of an unfamiliar vegetable may be sufficient.


This thesis sought to explore how restorative justice (RJ) could be implemented into the Bermuda Department of Corrections using action research. The aim was to explore how RJ can work for victims and incarcerated offenders in Bermuda in regards to the potential for reduction of harm, increasing empathy and as an addition to the existing CJS. Training was provided and partnerships established with the Bermuda Police Service and Prison Fellowship Bermuda for the specific purpose of the initiative. Phase-one involved the introduction of two prerequisite programmes (Victim Empathy and the Sycamore Tree) that offenders were invited to voluntarily participate in. Respectively, one programme delivered by Corrections staff and consisting of only prisoners and the other delivered by Prison Fellowship facilitators and involving 16 surrogate victim-participants.

A mixed-method approach was used to examine impact and process. These included questionnaires pre and post the phase-one programmes and the CRIME-PICS II psychometric to assess attitudinal change, participatory and non-participatory observations and a focus group. Both programmes increased the offenders' empathy while the Sycamore Tree programme involving participants from the community, helped create further positive attitudinal change on the main scales measured by the CRIME-PICS II. 93% of the Sycamore Tree victim-participants were 'very satisfied' overall and 'would definitely' recommend the programme to others. Qualitative findings indicated victim healing, with some referring to a sense of closure and forgiveness for themselves and the offender.

The second-phase introduced RJ conferencing, two conferences were held and the experience of participants was again very positive. The offenders considered trained conference facilitators from the Police and Corrections as being impartial. Overall benefits for both parties (offenders and victims) indicated a promising start to the initiative.

A number of previous findings from empirical research were found in the current study. Victims valued having a voice and rehabilitation; and offenders valued the 'victim's forgiveness and reintegration'. The social interconnectedness of Bermuda creates a need for RJ as the stigmatization of criminality often extends beyond the offender to include their family. The pilot indicated the need in some cases for reparatory preparation work with offenders and their families before the offender feels comfortable, or able to call upon family members as conference supporters. Further the importance of community lay in the fact that the likelihood of victims coming into contact with the person who offended against them, once released is virtually inevitable.

The success of the action research pilot led to the Department of Corrections adopting the initiative and continuing with it and produced nine trained facilitators. The content of the Sycamore Tree Project was superior as a phase-one prerequisite programme to RJ conferencing; however, an adaption to the programme would be needed to reduce the strong religious content. Victims and offenders benefitted from the initiative.


Despite the apparent gender-neutrality of many migration theories, there has been a tendency to configure economic migrants as male, especially within a European context. This has been exacerbated by an historical amnesia about women's patterns of migration. Until recently migrant women have been either ignored or subsumed into accounts of household migration or family reunification. Thus, men have been constructed as active, economic migrants, while women have been contained within domestic and familial roles. This paper seeks to complicate such a dichotomous construction by drawing upon the narratives of 26 Irish nurses who migrated to Britain in the postwar period. The women in this study present themselves as economic actors who made the pragmatic decision to migrate to Britain. Nonetheless, it is clear that they also were implicated in complex webs of family migration and kinship. However, far from the stereotypical image of household or nuclear family migration, these women's narratives reveal the range and diversity of transnational kinship ties. Most of the women were encouraged to migrate by female relatives, especially sisters, aunts and cousins. The paper concludes by considering the implications for an understanding of family-led migration.


The International Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and the South African ground based network of dual frequency Global Positioning System receivers provide a unique chance to monitor the space weather effects on the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) over South Africa. In particular, using the University of New Brunswick ionospheric modelling software, TEC was computed over collocated HRAO (27.69°E, 25.89°S) ASTECH X-ZII3 and HARB (27.71°E, 25.89°S) TRIMBLE 4000SSI GNSS receivers located at Hartebeesthoek for the solar X17 flare which occurred on day 301, 2003 and the recent solar X9 flare which occurred on day 339, 2006. TEC values were compared by computing the TEC differences between these stations for the two selected flares. It was found that the TEC difference between HRAO and HARB is large (~9 TECU) for the X17 flare compared to the X9 (~6 TECU). The possible reasons for the TEC difference between the two receivers could presumably be attributed to the receivers' instrumental differences, inaccuracy associated with the single-layer ionospheric model, and inaccuracy within the geometric mapping function. Furthermore, a comparison of the TEC values over South Africa for these flares show evidence of solar cycle dependence. This is important for future application in high frequency radio communication, navigation, positioning, frequency management and long term studies of impact of solar outputs on climate change over South Africa.


She still hears the whispered and anxious voices of her three children at night ... always blaming herself for what her boyfriend did to them. All of them had significant physical damage to their vaginal and rectal areas from her alcoholic boyfriend who was molesting each of them on a regular basis--the same boyfriend who beat her within an inch of her life. She remains haunted by how the state system viewed her ... another Native mother who was absent ... separated from her children when they were taken into state custody and later brought in alone to tell their story to federal investigators working in their rural reservation community. They took her children away but never inquired or investigated the domestic violence. She was hospitalized at the time with broken ribs and internal injuries to her organs; she told the medical provider they were the result of being mugged by a tourist visiting her community--a community that is economically barren and largely unaware of the child sexual abuse and domestic violence that she and her three children were experiencing. It is a community she feels now perhaps didn't know how to respond. (1) ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AMERICAN Indians and Crime (Greenfield and Smith, 1999), rates of violent victimization were higher for Native women than for all other groups in the United States. Natives are more likely to be victims of crime than are any other group in the United States. People of a different race committed 70% of violent victimizations against Natives. The report also notes the rate of violent crime experienced by Native women between 1992 and 1996 was nearly 50% higher than that reported by African American males, long known to experience very high rates of violent victimization. According to the Department of Justice, 70% of sexual assaults of Native women are never reported, which suggests that the number of violent victimizations of Native women is actually higher (Ibid.). The purpose of this article is to explore issues relevant to understanding the current high rates of violence against Native women in North America. Based on a review of the literature, the historical context of the Native experience is presented and we identified four factors that contribute to high rates of violence against Native women. The current tribal community context is also discussed and five factors that may contribute to high rates of violence against Native women are identified. Next, we present the results of a roundtable discussion with Native women on violence against women. Implications for research and practice that address the needs of Native women and Native peoples are discussed. A Community Readiness model is also introduced as a potential tool for working with tribal communities to address violence against Native women. Violence and Native Americans A brief discussion on violence and Native Americans as well as a more specific discussion on Native women will set the foundation for discussing violence against Native women. The Department of Justice report mentioned above was a compilation and new analysis of data on violent crime among American Indians. In that report, Native Americans were found to be twice as likely to be the victims of crime than is the case for any other group of U.S. residents (Ibid.). Beyond highlighting the incidence of violence among Native Americans, the report showed that nearly 70% of the violent victimizations (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault) experienced by Native Americans were perpetrated by persons not of the same ethnic group. This represents a substantially higher rate of interracial violence than is experienced by Anglo or African American victims (Ibid.). While crime rates for Natives were highest in urban areas, the crime rate against Natives in rural communities is more than twice the rate of violence for rural Anglos. There are fewer law enforcement officers in tribal communities than in other rural areas and nationwide there is less law enforcement per capita in tribal communities. …


Humanitarian assistance coupled with an unsustainable policy of regional containment have only created greater poverty and misery for Syrians fleeing civil war. How this has been allowed to happen on the southern shores of the Mediterranean – where extraordinary social linkages and networks have existed for centuries – lies mainly in the disparities between perceptions, aspirations and behaviour among refugees, practitioners and policymakers in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. This article highlights in particular three such disconnects: the a historical approach to engaging with displaced people in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, which has led to the implementation of international blueprints of humanitarian support that are disconnected from people's needs; the imposition of an encampment policy at odds with displaced people's need for temporary settlement enabled through their own social networks; the redundancy of humanitarian practitioners' background and experience in dealing with the particularities of displaced populations in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the failure to build on practices that work.


Abstract. The diurnal pattern of the vertical distribution of biogenic pollen in the lower troposphere was investigated by LIDAR. Meteorological data were taken at the ground. Pollen concentrations were measured at the surface using a Burkard 7-day-recording volumetric spore sampler. Aerosol extinction coefficients and depolarization ratios at 532 nm were obtained from LIDAR measurements in spring (4 May–2 June) 2009 in Gwangju, South Korea. Linear volume depolarization ratios varied between 0.08 and 0.14 and were observed only during daytime (09:00–17:00 local time (LT)) during days of high pollen concentration (4 to 9 May). Daily average pollen concentrations ranged 1000–2500 cm−3 in the same period. The temporal evolution of the vertical distribution of the linear volume depolarization ratio showed a specific diurnal pattern. Linear volume depolarization ratios of more than 0.06, were measured near the surface in the morning. High depolarization ratios were detected up to 2 km aboveground between 12:00 and 14:00 LT, whereas high depolarization ratios were observed only close to the surface after 17:00 LT. Low values of depolarization ratios (≤0.05) were detected after 18:00 LT until the next morning. During the measurement period, the daily variations of the high depolarization ratios close to the surface showed correlation to number concentration measurements of pollen. This finding suggests that high depolarization ratios could be attributed to enhanced pollen concentrations. The diurnal characteristics of the high values of depolarization ratios are thought to be closely associated with turbulent transport. Diurnal and vertical characteristics of pollen, if measured continuously, could be used to improve the accuracy of pollen-forecasting models via data assimilation studies.


Deforestation and forest degradation have long been recognized as environmental problems, with concerns over conservation of natural habitats and biological diversity capturing both scientific and public attention. More recently, the debate over tropical forest conservation has radically shifted to the approximately fifteen percent of global greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by deforestation and forest degradation, and to the potential synergies from integrating forest management with climate change policies.


The first standardized Neonate Patient Transport System is currently being deployed in the Province of Ontario. The equipment has been designed to meet various transport safety regulations; however, there is concern that this new equipment may result in elevated vibration of the patient. The research presented in this paper is part of our on-going efforts to understand and mitigate vibrations in the Neonate Patient Transport System. Our previous investigations focused strictly on indoor transportation of patients. Moving to actual road transport has presented challenges, due to the many confounding variables including driver behavior and road conditions. We therefore intend to transition to a controlled environment, using an industrial shaker table. This study reports on our efforts to instrument a ground ambulance and patient transport equipment to collect baseline accelerations to be used to drive the shaker table and verify accurate simulation of actual patient transport. Results indicate significant vibrations at low frequencies, resulting from both the underlying vehicle dynamics and the response of the patient transport equipment. Keywords— neonatal transport, vibration, patient safety.


The cinema, as originally an analogue apparatus of representation, has a particularly
complex and contradictory relationship to the incursion of new digital practices and
potentialities. This thesis examines this relationship through a study of the impact of
computer-generated images (CGI) on the Hollywood mode of production, and on its
visual and narrative filmic codes.
Computer animation is unquestionably a technology of digital simulation, and its initial
presence is necessarily based on an aesthetics of simulation, visually separating, and
diegetically demarcating, the digital image as virtual and artfficial. Consequently, most
previous accounts of CGI have focused predominantly on films depicting cyberspace and
VR, such as Tron and The Lawnmower Man, within the parameters of debates on special
effects, the generic conventions of science fiction, and postmodern concerns with
virtuality and simulation.
In the early 1 990s, however, technological innovations facilitated the transition to an
aesthetics of photorealism, emphasising the seamless compositing and integration of CGI
characters, objects and environments with live-action. The thesis argues that the this shill
is fundamental in establishing the commercial and aesthetic credibility of CGI as a
production tool, and it is closely examined through a case study of Jurassic Park. The
processes by which the first organic, photorealistic CG characters were created are
analysed, with particular reference to the role of procedural and hand methods of
computer animation in constructing a new virtual aesthetics.
The integration of CGI as a production tool is also related to the diegetic presence of
information technologies as narrative devices, and the extra-textual commercial and
professional discourses through which CGI is explicated and celebrated. The thesis
argues that the cinema is able to exploit the potential of digital methods, whilst
simultaneously displaying a fundamental anxiety over the status of its own
representational codes. Finally, strategies of visibility and virtuality in computer
animation are further examined in the context of the emerging digital mode of production
in Hollywood, and of the high concept film's role in multimedia marketing and
distribution strategies


This thesis examines the problem of low Reynolds number viscous fluid–structure interactions (FSIs) at the microscale. A myriad of examples of such phenomena exist, both in nature (blood flow in arteries, air flow in lungs), as well as in the laboratory (microfluidics devices, soft robotics). For this thesis, we restrict to internal flows in conduits with deformable walls. Specifically, two types of conduits of different cross-sectional shapes are considered: microchannels and microtubes. Both of these geometries are slender and thin.Different types of material behavior are considered, via constitutive laws, in the solid domain, namely linearly elastic, hyperelastic and viscoelastic; and in the fluid domain, namely Newtonian and power-law fluids with shear-dependent viscosity. Similarly, the geometry and dimensions of the structures allow us to use shell and plate theories in the solid domain, and the lubrication approximation of low Reynolds number flow in the fluid domain.First, we study a rectangular microchannel with a deformable top wall of moderate thickness, conveying a power-law fluid at steady conditions. We obtain a nonlinear differential equation for pressure as a function of imposed steady flow rate, consisting of infinite expansions of hypergeometric functions. We also conduct simulations of FSI using the commercial computer-aided engineering (CAE) software ANSYS, to both benchmark our perturbative theory and to establish the limits of its applicability.Next, we study fluid–structure interactions in a thin microtube constituted of a linearly elastic material conveying a generalized Newtonian fluid. Here, we employ the Donnell shell theory to model the deformation field in the structure of the tube. As a novel contribution, we formulate an analytical expression for the (radial) deformation of the tube using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, taking into account the bending boundary layers near the clamped ends. Using our perturbative theory, we also improve certain classical but partial results, like Fung's model and the law of Laplace, to match with direct numerical simulations in ANSYS.Subsequently, we explore FSI in hyperelastic tubes via the Mooney–Rivlin model. In a thin-walled vessel, we formulate a novel nonlinear relationship between (local) deformation and (local) pressure A similar approach for the thick-walled tube, yields a nonlinear ODE to be solved numerically. Due to strain hardening, the hyperelastic tube appears stiffer and supports higher pressure drops than a linearly elastic tube.Finally, we study transient compressible flow being conveyed in a linearly viscoelastic tube. By employing a double perturbation expansion (for weak compressibility and weak FSI), a predictive relationship between the deformed radius, the flow rate and the (local) pressure is obtained. We find that, due to FSI, the Stokes flow takes a finite time to adjust to any changes emanating from the boundary motion. In the case of oscillatory pressure imposed at the inlet, acoustic streaming is shown to arise due to FSI in this compressible flow. Fundamentally, the goal of the research in this thesis is to generate a catalog of flow rate–pressure drop relationships for different types of fluid–structure interactions, depending on the combinations of fluid mechanics and structural mechanics models (behaviors). These relationships can then be used to solve practical problems. We formulate a theory of hydrodynamic bulge testing, through which the elastic modulus is estimated from the pressure drop and flow rate measurements in a microchannel with a (thick and pre-stressed) compliant top wall, without measuring the deformation. A sensitivity analysis, via Monte Carlo simulation, shows that the hydrodynamic bulge test is only a slightly less accuratethan the traditional bulge test, but is less susceptible to uncertainty emanating from the noise in measurements.


STUDY QUESTION Can a core outcome set to standardize outcome selection, collection and reporting across future infertility research be developed? SUMMARY ANSWER A minimum data set, known as a core outcome set, has been developed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews evaluating potential treatments for infertility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Complex issues, including a failure to consider the perspectives of people with fertility problems when selecting outcomes, variations in outcome definitions and the selective reporting of outcomes on the basis of statistical analysis, make the results of infertility research difficult to interpret. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A three-round Delphi survey (372 participants from 41 countries) and consensus development workshop (30 participants from 27 countries). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Healthcare professionals, researchers and people with fertility problems were brought together in an open and transparent process using formal consensus science methods. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The core outcome set consists of: viable intrauterine pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound (accounting for singleton, twin and higher multiple pregnancy); pregnancy loss (accounting for ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth and termination of pregnancy); live birth; gestational age at delivery; birthweight; neonatal mortality; and major congenital anomaly. Time to pregnancy leading to live birth should be reported when applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION We used consensus development methods which have inherent limitations, including the representativeness of the participant sample, Delphi survey attrition and an arbitrary consensus threshold. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Embedding the core outcome set within RCTs and systematic reviews should ensure the comprehensive selection, collection and reporting of core outcomes. Research funding bodies, the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) statement, and over 80 specialty journals, including the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group, Fertility and Sterility and Human Reproduction, have committed to implementing this core outcome set. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This research was funded by the Catalyst Fund, Royal Society of New Zealand, Auckland Medical Research Fund and Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study, the collection, management, analysis or interpretation of data, or manuscript preparation. B.W.J.M. is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellowship (GNT1082548). S.B. was supported by University of Auckland Foundation Seelye Travelling Fellowship. S.B. reports being the Editor-in-Chief of Human Reproduction Open and an editor of the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility group. J.L.H.E. reports being the Editor Emeritus of Human Reproduction. J.M.L.K. reports research sponsorship from Ferring and Theramex. R.S.L. reports consultancy fees from Abbvie, Bayer, Ferring, Fractyl, Insud Pharma and Kindex and research sponsorship from Guerbet and Hass Avocado Board. B.W.J.M. reports consultancy fees from Guerbet, iGenomix, Merck, Merck KGaA and ObsEva. C.N. reports being the Co Editor-in-Chief of Fertility and Sterility and Section Editor of the Journal of Urology, research sponsorship from Ferring, and retains a financial interest in NexHand. A.S. reports consultancy fees from Guerbet. E.H.Y.N. reports research sponsorship from Merck. N.L.V. reports consultancy and conference fees from Ferring, Merck and Merck Sharp and Dohme. The remaining authors declare no competing interests in relation to the work presented. All authors have completed the disclosure form. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative: 1023.


Accounts of the nature and role of productive dialogue in fostering educational outcomes are now well established in the learning sciences and are underpinned by bodies of strong empirical research and theorising. Allied to this there has been longstanding interest in fostering computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in support of such dialogue. Learning analytic environments such as massive open online courses (moocs) and online learning environments (such as virtual learning environments, VLEs and learning management systems, LMSs) provide ripe potential spaces for learning dialogue. In prior research, preliminary steps have been taken to detect occurrences of productive dialogue automatically through the use of automated analysis techniques. Such advances have the potential to foster effective dialogue through the use of learning analytic techniques that scaffold, give feedback on, and provide pedagogic contexts promoting, such dialogue. However, the translation of learning science research to the online context is complex, requiring the operationalization of constructs theorized in different contexts (often face to face), and based on different data-sets and structures (often spoken dialogue).. In this paper we explore what could constitute the effective analysis of this kind of productive dialogue, arguing that it requires consideration of three key facets of the dialogue: features indicative of productive dialogue; the unit of segmentation; and the interplay of features and segmentation with the temporal underpinning of learning contexts. We begin by outlining what we mean by 'productive educational dialogue', before going on to discuss prior work that has been undertaken to date on its manual and automated analysis. We then highlight ongoing challenges for the development of computational analytic approaches to such data, discussing the representation of features, segments, and temporality in computational modelling. The paper thus foregrounds, to both learning-science-oriented and computationally-oriented researchers, key considerations in respect of the analysis dialogue data in emerging learning analytics environments. The paper provides a novel, conceptually driven, stance on the state of the contemporary analytic challenges faced in the treatment of dialogue as a form of data across on and offline sites of learning.


Many composers have incorporated monograms into their music, using pitch letters to spell out words and names. Alfred Schnittke9s monogram technique pervades his works from the 1970s until the end of his career. He derived cryptograms from the names of performer-dedicatees, influential composers, and recently deceased friends, using a systematic procedure that accounts in some way for every possible letter in a given name. Although previous scholars have identified individual monograms in some works, the broader principles by which Schnittke generated and deployed his monograms had not been articulated until now. Many of Schnittke9s monograms thus remained unidentified, and the ways in which they interact with twelve-tone technique had not been fully understood. Schnittke appropriated the well-known B–A–C–H and D–S–C–H monograms frequently, but other monograms appear in more than a dozen works. He derived monograms for Russian names from their German transliterations. Schnittke adhered to a principle of chromatic complementation, often integrating monograms into statements of the complete aggregate of twelve pitch classes. I interpret Schnittke's monogram technique as a facet of the composer's memorializing impulse, by which he sought to establish in his music the deep connections he felt to the past and the important people in his life.


In four scientific papers, this thesis investigates the processes, in terms of movements of individuals, that have produced, reproduced and transformed patterns of residential segregation in Swedish cities between 1990 and 2000.Paper 1 examines processes of immigrant concentration, and the role of the Swedish majority population in these processes. Neighbourhood transition and mobility are described and analysed for a selection of residential areas that have experienced increased immigrant concentration. The results show that low in-migration rate among Swedes, rather than high out-migration rate, has been the main driving force behind the production and reproduction of immigrant concentration areas.Paper 2 investigates the hypothesis that distressed neighbourhoods retain their character of distress through selective migration. The socio-economic situations of in-migrants, out-migrants and stayers in the distressed neighbourhoods of Stockholm are analysed and compared, and the results show the hypothesis to be confirmed. The people who move in are more likely to be unemployed and dependent on social benefits, and have on average lower incomes than those who move out and those who remain in the neighbourhoods. Paper 3 further investigates the selective character of the out-migration from distressed neighbourhoods. One important conclusion is that the out-migration flow from the distressed residential areas is socio-economically and ethnically selective. When demographic and socio-economic differences are controlled for, the likelihood of leaving the distressed neighbourhoods is much lower for an immigrant than for a Swedish-born person.Paper 4 examines the migration flows of a whole city, Goteborg. The paper deals with some of the most common questions within segregation research; the degree of spatial concentration of different ethnic groups, processes of concentration and dispersal, the role of the minority enclaves as ports of entry to the local housing market, and how this differs between ethnic groups.


Caring for people approaching the end of their lives is intensely personal. Experiential teaching is regarded as one of the more reflective and suitable ways of teaching about end-of-life care. Doctors and medical students are used to bedside teaching. Lectures, especially didactic ones, may be comfortingly familiar, but their impact is variable. E-learning has been around for quite some time, but in terms of learning about end-of-life care, it is a relatively 'new kid on the block'.

Many clinicians and educators regard e-learning with scepticism, especially in relation to a subject as personal and sensitive as end-of-life care. This is especially the case if they have been exposed to poorly designed e-learning programmes, or those that appear irrelevant, simplistic or not rooted in the real world of practice. The increasing pressure to complete requirements for statutory and mandatory training through e-learning programmes has increased the aversion that some clinicians have toward this whole way of learning.

One of the major advantages that e-learning has over the more traditional forms of teaching is that it can reach great numbers of learners at the same time. This is why e-learning was identified as key to delivering training to the health and social care workforce across England, estimated to be 2.5 million people, when the End of Life Care Strategy was published in 2008.1 Commissioned by the Department of Health in England, and developed under the auspices of the e-Learning for Healthcare Programme, End of Life Care for All, known …


Pneumococcal diseases such as otitis media, pneumonia, and meningitis are invariably preceded by nasopharyngeal colonization, and herd immunity against pneumococcal disease requires protection against colonization. An early study in mice demonstrated that mucosal immunization with cholera toxin B subunit as adjuvant could elicit solid mucosal immunity. Recent data from several laboratories provides support for three different mechanisms by which adaptive immunity can provide protection against colonization. (1) IL-17-dependent T cell immunity can recruit PMN to sites of colonization. This IL-17-dependent immunity can be elicited by immunization with antigen plus a mucosal adjuvant, or can be elicited by colonization itself. (2) Immunity against colonization can be mediated by mucosal IgA and at the mucosal surface passive mucosal IgA antibody provides much better protection against carriage than passive IgG antibody. (3) Complement-fixing IgG antibody can protect against colonization and may act by protecting against colonization of bacteria.


This chapter will present a research synthesis of a series of studies, termed here the Ealing research. The studies use the same general framework to conceptualise tasks and task performance, enabling easier comparability. The different studies, although each is self-contained, build into a wider picture of task performance. The major point of this research synthesis is to search for more powerful generalisations than are possible with separate individual studies. The generalisations concern the conditions under which tasks are done (particularly planning and post-task activities), and the influence of task characteristics, such as task structure, information organisation, and necessary elements. The findings then frame a discussion of two current theoretical accounts of tasks and task performance – the Trade-off Hypothesis and the Cognition Hypothesis, and it is argued that a more precise version of the Trade-off Hypothesis provides a better account of existing results.


This article demonstrates that the large feed-in tariffs currently guaranteed for solar electricity in Germany constitute a subsidization regime that threatens to reach a level comparable to that of German hard coal production, a notoriously outstanding example of misguided political intervention. Yet, as a consequence of the coexistence of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the increased use of renewable energy technologies does not imply any additional emission reductions beyond those already achieved by ETS alone. Similarly disappointing is the net employment balance, which is likely to be negative if one takes into account the opportunity cost of this form of solar photovoltaic (PV) support. Along the lines of the international energy agency [IEA, 2007. Energy policies of IEA countries: Germany, 2007 review. International Energy Agency, OECD, Paris, p. 77], we recommend the immediate and drastic reduction of the magnitude of the feed-in tariffs granted for solar-based electricity. Ultimately, producing electricity on this basis is among the most expensive greenhouse gas abatement options.


This paper discusses open-loop and closed-loop active control investigations of a full-scale Bo 105 helicopter rotor with active camber morphing. The potential of an active camber morphing concept to reduce non-rotating vibratory hub loads and rotor power using active control was investigated. The mechanism employed was a dynamically actuated airfoil camber morphing concept known as Fish Bone Active Camber (FishBAC) that smoothly deforms the camber over the aft section of the airfoil. A comprehensive rotorcraft aeromechanics analysis was used that modeled the blade elastic motion using one-dimensional finite beam elements combined with multibody dynamics. Aerodynamic forces were calculated with a free-vortex wake model together with lifting line theory for the blade aerodynamics. The open-loop investigation comprised of a parametric study of relevant control parameters that govern the active camber deflection cyclic actuation profile and their effects on rotor performance and hub vibration. It was found that active camber morphing using superimposed once-per-revolution (1P) and 2P control inputs was able to simultaneously reduce rotor power by 4.3% and overall vibratory hub loads by 27%. Additionally, a closed-loop adaptive multicyclic controller was used to identify the potential of this morphing concept for hub vibration reduction using multicyclic active control inputs. Active camber actuation using a sum of four control harmonic inputs, i.e. 1-4P, resulted in a maximum hub vibration reduction of 50%.


The basic problem of this particular investigation was to determine the stress concentration factors present at a shoulder in the root section of a model propeller blade manufactured from 76S-T aluminum alloy. The particular geometric section considered is found in the type propeller blades such as will be installed soon in the Southern California Cooperative Mind Tunnel, Pasadena, California. These blades were manufactured from forgings of 76S-T by the Hamilton Standard Propeller Division of the United Aircraft Corporation. Stress concentration factors were determined for what will be called the "critical section" of the blade. This section is understood to mean the cross section of minimum area which is located immediately above the stress-raising fillet at the junction of the blade itself and the root flange.

A secondary purpose of the investigation was to correlate these data with two other experiments that had already been carried out for this particular blade shape. These earlier experiments determined the magnitudes of surface stresses in the critical section, one utilizing a full-scale, three-dimensional model, and the other a two-dimensional full scale model one inch thick. Both of these experiments utilized static tension loads, the loads being applied over the upper surface of the flange, exactly as they are assumed to act when the blade is rotating in the wind tunnel. Also, an attempt was made to compare the data obtained in this investigation with other fatigue tests of a more general nature.

The tests made in this present investigation were all of a fatigue nature, in which one-tenth scale models of the actual blade were used as fatigue specimens. Two types of loading were used. The first consisted of a cyclic loading between varying upper tension limits to zero stress, and the second consisted of a constant upper tension stress limit with varying minimum stresses.

Tests were conducted using an upper tension nominal stress limit of approximately 28,000 psi and were extended to tension stresses of lower values which gave a fatigue life of more than 15,000,000 cycles. Due to the slow rate of loading (2,500,000 per day) in the Sonntag Universal Fatigue Testing Machine, the investigation was not continued to the generally accepted value of 500,000,000 cycles which marks the upper cyclic limit of fatigue investigations.

It was found that stress concentration factors determined from this type of fatigue testing came surprisingly close to those determined from the full-scale, three-dimensional, static tests.

The selection of the type loadings used was not entirely arbitrary. The stress cycle, which varied from zero to a peak tension value and then to zero again, would closely simulate the loadings in a start-stop cycle; while the superposition of a cyclic stress upon a steady tension load would result in approximately the type of loading experienced by the blade when it was rotating at a constant angular speed under aeroelastic axial forces.


The prevailing explanation of the institutionalization of the principles of war is misleading. Although the introduction of the principles into Western doctrine coincided with total war and the need to train unprecedented numbers of soldiers and junior officers in tactics, the fact that the principles disappeared from doctrines immediately prior to and during the Second World War suggests that they were not institutionalized to meet an increased need to educate the military. Instead, we test two other explanations: one drawing on the principles' military effectiveness and one drawing upon the principles' explanatory power. We find that neither one of these hypotheses stand. Instead, we conclude by elaborating on how the institutionalization of the principles of war can be made understandable using non-rationalist frameworks, in particular the growth of a particular kind of identity of staff officers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. According to this framework, the two world wars interrupted—rather than promoted—the institutionalization of the principles, since the wars with their large death tolls and mass recruitment increased the difficulties of creating a separate and unique identity for the burgeoning corps of staff officers.


Denise Linn is considered a creative force in past-life work and dream interpretation and has a large following worldwide. During a neardeath experience over 20 years ago she journeyed through the crack between two worlds, bringing back perceptions of the mysterious realm of dreams and past lives which she reveals in this book. Denise calls upon her Cherokee Indian heritage and her experience as an alternative practitioner to present little-known information regarding past lives and dreams in a helpful and accessible way. She shows how our past lives play an important role in who we are today and how reliving past lives can make our present life fuller, healthier, more loving and abundant. In this book provides tools for exploring the past on your own and enables you to benefit from what this work has to offer.


This paper investigates the low-frequency solutions to the tidal equations on a sphere under the conditions that the wavenumber n is fairly large and that 4Ω2/ghn2 ≼ O(1), where Ω is the angular rotation velocity of the sphere, g the gravitational constant, h the depth (assumed constant), and the radius of the sphere is taken as unity. It is shown that the equations reduce to the spheroidal wave equation the solutions of which, as the result of recent investigations, can be considered as known functions. In the special case when 4Ω2/ghn2 ≪ 1 one obtains the non-divergent planetary waves, studied in a previous paper (Longuet-Higgins 1964a). On the other hand, near to the equator the solutions can be represented approximately by parabolic cylinder functions, a special case considered by Rattray (1964) and Bretherton (1964). The present paper thus unifies the work of these authors. Next the β-plane approximation is studied. It is shown that whereas the spheroidal wave approximation is valid to order n-2 the β-plane approximation is valid only to order n-1 except near the equator, where it is valid to order n-2. The β-plane approximation is used to interpret the local character of solutions in an unbounded region on the sphere, and to obtain new solutions in closed basins of rectangular, triangular or circular shape. By means of the spheroidal wave approximation, the trajectories of wave packets on the surface of a sphere are calculated. The trajectories always lie between two critical latitude circles (one north and one south of the equator). Polewards of these latitudes the disturbance in any given mode is small. The critical latitudes themselves form ray caustics, where the amplitude is particularly large. The width of the caustic zone is of order n-2/3, and cannot be adequately described by the β-plane approximation with constant β. This explains some difficulties in a previous attempt by Arons & Stommel (1956) to describe waves travelling due east or due west, using a β-plane approximation. At a given latitude there is a minimum period for waves of planetary type. Waves of this period are easily excited and may be prominent in the oceans. The theory is readily extended to internal (or baroclinic) waves. It is suggested that some deep currents observed in the Atlantic by J. C. Swallow (1961) were planetary waves at the cutoff period.


Skythrenchelys n.gen. differs from other myrophine ophichthids in the condition of its gill openings (moderately elongate and below lateral midline), dentition (large, conical and uniserial), posterior nostril (entirely outside mouth), and other characters. Skythrenchelys zabra n.sp., the type species, is described from India, the Philippines, Indonesia and northern Australia; S. lentiginosa n.sp. is described from the Red Sea. Scolecenchelys Ogilby, previously a subgenus of Muraenichthys Bleeker, is generically distinct on the basis of differences in dentition (teeth conical and uniserial or biserial vs blunt and multiserial), cephalic pores (2 pores between anterior and posterior nostrils vs 1 pore), and its posterior nostril condition (within vs outside mouth). Valid species of Muraenichthys and Scolecenchelys and their synonyms are identified.


"Program" yields for individual farmers are utilized in determining the amount of deficiency payments individual farmers receive. They have been frozen since the 1985 Food Security Act (FSA). However, some farm groups are pressing for unfreezing these yields so that actual yields could be substituted for the program yields when the actual yields are higher. This change would indeed lead to higher deficiency payments. However, it would also stimulate increased fertilizer and pesticide use Ultimately resulting in lower net returns to producers. A preferable approach would be to index upward all producer program yields by the same amount.


The simulation of sediment transport by three-dimensional (3D) modelling is linked with the question how accurate such models are. The current paper provides a test where detailed field measurements of velocities and bed elevation changes over a three-month period from a prototype reservoir are compared with simulation results. The SSIIM software was used to compute water flow and sediment transport in the Iffezheim reservoir. The numerical model solved the Navier–Stokes equations on a 3D unstructured grid with dominantly hexahedral cells. The k-epsilon turbulence model was used, together with the SIMPLE method to find the pressure. The 3D convection–diffusion equation for suspended sediments was solved for nine sediment fractions. The computed velocity pattern showed good correspondence with the measurements. Grid sensitivity tests showed that the main flow features were computed in different grid sizes, but more accurately so with the finest grid. The sediment deposits were reasonably well computed in location and magnitude. A sensitivity test revealed that the computed bed elevation changes were most sensitive to the fall velocities of the finest cohesive sediment particles and sediment cohesion. The sediment deposition computations were also to some degree sensitive to the sediment discharge formula, bed roughness, discretization scheme and the grid resolution.


Background Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder (BD) have overlapping clinical presentations and symptoms – sources of persistent clinical confusion. Game-theory can characterize how social function might be sub-optimal in the two disorders and move the field beyond the anecdotal description of clinical history. Here, we tested the hypothesis that BPD and BD can be distinguished on the basis of diminished reciprocal altruism in iterated Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) games. Method Twenty females with BPD, 20 females with euthymic BD and 20 healthy (non-clinical) females, matched for age and cognitive ability, were assessed for Axis-I and personality disorders, and completed psychometric measures of state affect, impulsivity and hostility. Participants completed two iterated PD games and a test of gaze-cueing. Results In the PD games, BPD participants failed to show statistically stable preferences to cooperate with social partners (playing tit-for-tat) and made significantly fewer cooperative responses compared to BD or controls (ANOVA main effect p = 0.03, post-hoc Tukey p < 0.05 for both comparisons). BPD participants were also less likely to sustain cooperation following experiences involving mutual cooperation than the other groups. Neither BPD nor BD participants demonstrated impairments in shifting visual attention on the basis of other peoples' gaze. Conclusions These data indicate that BPD is (selectively) associated with difficulties in establishing, and then maintaining, reciprocal cooperation, involving altruism. These difficulties are not seen in euthymic BD. Our data support the differentiation of BPD from BD and offer fresh insights into the social difficulties experienced by individuals with diagnoses of BPD.