Purpose: The aim of the article is to propose an innovative method of selecting cities, functioning on the basis of appropriately selected criteria shaping them. The article presents the possibility of matching the model city that was Opole with other 15 Polish cities, selected on the basis of the number of inhabitants approximating to the model city, in the context of the implementation of passenger transport within the city bus transport. The proposed methodology is aimed at selecting appropriate conditions and selecting an appropriate city, similar to the model city, in which an appropriate infrastructural or technical solution can be used. Approach/Methodology/Design: The following research methods were used to verify the objective: statistical analysis, which consisted of a detailed analysis of all surveyed cities, comparison of the analysed centres in order to create the most advantageous solution, and expert methods, which consisted of conducting a survey among 14 experts in management, transport, logistics and production engineering. Findings: The analysis has shown which cities are most likely to be able to introduce innovative solutions to improve the functioning of these centres and has identified various comparative aspects of urban development. Practical Implications: Carrying out such analyses will help city authorities in the development of their land, as well as show in which areas there are some shortcomings in relation to other centres. Originality/Value: There is a lack of unambiguous methods in the literature, consisting in searching for the best matches to the tested patterns, which are to be used to implement innovative solutions. A method has been developed which may serve to solve such problems.


This thesis explores the Star Wars films in terms of C.G. Jung's theories on the archetypes and the collective unconscious, particularly as described by Joseph Campbell in his discussion of the journey of the mythic hero. In Chapter 1 short definitions of relevant terms such as "myth," "the collective unconscious" and "archetypes" are given. Chapter 2 is a short discussion of four Jungian archetypes relevant to the topic, namely the Shadow, Guide, Mother, and Father. Chapter 3 focuses on the archetype of the Self and the psychological process of individuation as described by Jung, and its relation to the mythic hero and his journey. In Chapter 4 Star Wars is analysed in terms of the theoretical framework set out in Chapters 1-3. Chapter 5 is the concluding chapter, in which certain conclusions are made pertaining to the mythic character and psychological function of Star Wars, i.e., that the films contain elements that are mythic in character and may therefore perform the same psychological functions as myth. It is also argued that the popularity of Star Wars can therefore be ascribed to the same psychological reasons as the popularity of myth. Some attention is also given to possible further areas of study in this field, such as the mythic character of some other popular phenomena (for example Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings) and the function of myth and modern mythic equivalents as a community-shaping factor in people's lives.


We consider a general form of transductive learning on graphs with Laplacian regularization, and derive margin-based generalization bounds using appropriate geometric properties of the graph. We use this analysis to obtain a better understanding of the role of normalization of the graph Laplacian matrix as well as the effect of dimension reduction. The results suggest a limitation of the standard degree-based normalization. We propose a remedy from our analysis and demonstrate empirically that the remedy leads to improved classification performance.


The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector has experienced unprecedented global growth. This has greatly benefited the Philippines, where BPO has five main segments: call centers, medical transcription, animation, software development, and shared services. High population level, cultural affinity with the major markets, and advanced telecoms infrastructure are the key advantages of the Philippines. Political stability, on the other hand, is its main weakness. To ensure the sustainability of BPO sector growth in the Philippines, supply- and demand-side issues were examined. From the supply-side, BPO companies are increasingly finding it difficult and costly to attract, recruit, and retain qualified BPO professionals. The Government—both at the national and local levels—has partnered with the BPO industry and with academic institutions in addressing this issue. From the demand-side, on the other hand, critical developments in the United States—the main market for BPO services—highlighted potential threats to sustained BPO growth. First, the uncertain performance of the U.S. economy has led to increasingly vocal U.S. constituencies that demand protection for American workers. Second, heightened security precautions of the US have made it difficult, in general, to obtain visa. This has affected BPO professionals who need to travel to the US for technical, marketing, and human relations requirements of offshore projects. And third, there is an increasing need for data privacy and security especially in emerging BPO segments—health care and financial services. Should negotiations for the proposed RP-US Free Trade Agreement commence, it is recommended that the Philippine Government incorporate discussions on these potential threats to the sustainability of BPO sector growth.


People today are under intense pressure to be "ideal workers"—totally committed to their jobs and always on call. But after interviewing hundreds of professionals in many fields, the authors have concluded that selfless dedication to work is often unnecessary and harmful. It has dysfunctional consequences not only for individuals but also for their organizations. The authors discuss three typical strategies for coping with demanding workplaces, and the risks associated with each: Accepting involves prioritizing the job above all else and remaining available 24/7. Because accepters fail to cultivate outside interests, they're often slow to recover from professional setbacks. And they may be too focused on their own responsibilities to mentor others—a drawback for their organizations. Passing involves portraying oneself as an ideal worker while quietly pursuing a life beyond the office. But passers may feel isolated from their colleagues because they are hiding parts of themselves, and their perpetuation of the ideal-worker myth keeps the pressure on everyone.Revealing involves openly embracing nonwork commitments. Revealers may unwittingly put their careers at risk, however, and bosses who penalize them may drive away talent. So how can organizations build a healthier—and more productive—culture? Managers can act as role models by leading multifaceted lives themselves. They can reward employees for the quality and results of their work rather than the time put into it. And they can enforce reasonable work hours, require vacations, and take other steps to protect employees' personal lives


Objectives: There is a need for structural changes and increased physician competence and availability in the Norwegian emergency department (ED). The aim of this studywas to improve the knowledge of the ED patient population, including symptomatology, for better insight of competence and resources needed within Norwegian emergency medicine.Methods: Prospective data were collected from an ED database (Akuttdatabasen) and included all patients admitted to the main ED at the St. Olav's University Hospital over a period of two months. The patient`s main complaint were registered using International Classification of PrimaryCare-2 codes (ICPC-2).Results: 3163 patients arrived in the ED during the study period. The overall admission rate was 90%. The majority (71%) of patients presented with symptoms, where abdominal pain (13%), chest pain (13%) and dyspnea (9%) were the most common. The complaints of remainingpatients (29%) were primarily traumas, infections, and other diagnoses. There were significant differences in symptom distribution between the elderly (>65 years old) and the younger adults.Conclusions: Our results show that the patients in the ED have a diverse specter of complaints and the majority of patients present with symptoms rather than defined medical diagnosis. The broad spectrum of challenging s ymptoms and agerelated differences will require increased physician competence and availabilityin Norwegian EDs.


The objective of the Database on Energy Efficiency Programs (DEEP) is to document the measured cost and performance of utility-sponsored, energy-efficiency, demand-side management (DSM) programs. Consistent documentation of DSM programs is a challenging goal because of problems with data consistency, evaluation methodologies, and data reporting formats that continue to limit the usefulness and comparability of individual program results. This first DEEP report investigates the results of 20 recent commercial lighting DSM programs. The report, unlike previous reports of its kind, compares the DSM definitions and methodologies that each utility uses to compute costs and energy savings and then makes adjustments to standardize reported program results. All 20 programs were judged cost-effective when compared to avoided costs in their local areas. At an average cost of 3.9{cents}/kWh, however, utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs are not ``too cheap to meter.`` While it is generally agreed upon that utilities must take active measures to minimize the costs and rate impacts of DSM programs, the authors believe that these activities will be facilitated by industry adoption of standard definitions and reporting formats, so that the best program designs can be readily identified and adopted.


Asianart.com offers pdf versions of some articles for the convenience of our visitors and readers. These files should be printed for personal use only. Note that when you view the pdf on your computer in Adobe reader, the links to main image pages will be active: if clicked, the linked page will open in your browser if you are online. This article can be viewed online at: http://asianart.com/articles/guita


Earth scientists require timely, coordinated access to remote sensing resources, either directly by requesting that the resource be targeted at a specific location, or indirectly through access to data that has been, or will be acquired and stored in data archives. The information infrastructure for effective coordinated observing does not currently exist. This paper describes a set of capabilities for enabling model-based observing, the idea of linking scheduling observation resources more directly to science goals. Model-based observing is realized in this paper by an approach based on concepts of distributed planning and scheduling. The problem raises challenging issues related to planning under uncertainty, monitoring and repair of plans, and reasoning about human objectives and preferences


Developed by experts in trauma psychiatry and psychology and grounded in adolescent developmental theory, this is a modular, assessment-driven treatment that addresses the needs of adolescents facing trauma, bereavement, and accompanying developmental disruption. Created by the developers of the University of California, Los Angeles PTSD Reaction Index© and the Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder Checklist, the book links clinicians with cutting-edge research in traumatic stress and bereavement, as well as ongoing training opportunities. This innovative guide offers teen-friendly coping skills, handouts, and specialized therapeutic exercises to reduce distress and promote adaptive developmental progression. Sessions can be flexibly tailored for group or individual treatment modalities; school-based, community mental health, or private practice settings; and different timeframes and specific client needs. Drawing on multidimensional grief theory, it offers a valuable toolkit for psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, and others who work with bereaved and traumatized adolescents. Engaging multicultural illustrations and extensive field-testing give this user-friendly manual international appeal.


A new scheme for nondestructive characterization of quasi-phase-matching grating structures and temperature gradients through inverse Fourier theory using second-harmonic-generation experiments is proposed. By inserting a mirror to reflect the signals back through the sample, we show how it is possible to retrieve the relevant information by measuring only the generated second-harmonic power, avoiding more complicated phase measurements. The potential of the scheme is emphasized through theoretical and numerical investigations in the case of periodically poled lithium niobate bulk crystals.


Bilateral relations with the People's Republic of China involve matters of great strategic interest to Canada. Recent changes in the frequency of high level visits; the effect, style and content of bilateral communications; and perspectives held by various sectors in each country about the other all suggest that the Canada-China relationship has changed significantly in recent years. China remains vitally important to Canada for a variety of reasons and in a variety of sectors. Political and diplomatic cooperation on issues of direct bilateral concern and also on issues of global import remains critically important. Commercial and trade ties linking Canada with the world's second largest and fastest growing economy are of obvious significance. Cultural and civil society ties, including immigration patterns and the ancillary effects they generate, are also important. While the diversity of links between Canada and China militates in favour of giving due attention to a multiplicity of sub-national business, academic, and civil society links, bilateral cooperation at the federal/central government level remains essential. Thus, the present conditions and future implications of relations with China should continue to command attention from Canadians.In keeping with the objectives of the Canadian International Council to advance research and dialogue on international affairs issues of importance and interest to Canadians, the CIC Canada-China Relations Project ("CCRP") has focused on building a non-partisan policy consensus for Canada's relationship with China, recognizing China's robust approach to sovereignty while also advancing Canadian interests. The papers in this 420 page volume provide insight and analysis on a range of issues important to the Canada-China relationship. Some focus on issues of immediate importance, while others examine 'over the horizon' issues, which may not command the front pages of newspapers today but surely will in the years to come. This combination of current and emerging policy issues on China will hopefully add value to the ongoing discussions on the Canada-China relationship. Taken together, the collected papers also make the case for the importance of China to Canada, and hence the importance of getting the relationship right.Project ThemesThe research, analysis, and policy dialogue activities of the CCRP were developed along three Thematic Areas, namely: a) Domestic contexts for Canada-China relations; b) Economic dimensions of the relationship; c) Collaboration on global issues of common concern.The full report of the Canadian International Council may be found online at their OpenCanada.org website.


Sustainability is beginning to transform the food industry with environmental, economic, and social factors being considered, evaluated, and implemented throughout the supply chain like never before. Sustainability in the Food Industry defines sustainability with a comprehensive review of the industry's current approach to balancing environmental, economic, and social considerations throughout the supply chain. In addition, tools and information are provided to enhance future progress. To achieve this, the book combines technical research summaries, case studies, and marketing information. Coverage includes sustainability as it relates to: agricultural practices, food processing, distribution, waste management, packaging, life cycle analysis, food safety and health, environmental labeling, consumer insight and market demand, product development, practices in food manufacturing companies, food retailing, and food service. An international group of authors covers the information from a global perspective. Sustainability in the Food Industry offers an overview of sustainable sources of impact and improvement, how they relate to the key sectors of the food industry, and how programs may be implemented for further improvement.


Property regimes shape the social relations, in particular, social settings, and represent an important element for external intervention and sustainable rural development. The introduction recalls common aspects and specific conceptualisations of property analysis in the field of economics, sociology and social anthropology and summarises main academic discourses about property rights in order to develop a differentiated understanding of property. In Section 1, general trends in property relations characterising modern rural societies are outlined. It is argued that economic and social changes in rural areas have brought about a process of revalorisation of rural property objects. Property rights can be a useful analytical concept to scrutinise and understand the transformation processes in rural areas and, moreover, a concept that has meaning in everyday talk. More important than accounting new property objects is the notion that revalorisation is connected with shifts in the balance of rights and obligations, of benefits and costs, and with qualitative changes of internal and outward social relations of rural societies.


Objectives
Insufficient iron in utero may impair neurocognitive development. Prenatal physiological stress, as in obesity, inhibits fetal iron accumulation. Emerging evidence suggests prenatal psychosocial stress may similarly suppress fetal iron, a novel potential mechanism linking prenatal stress and child neuro-cognition. In a pregnancy cohort in Mexico City, Mexico, we investigated associations between maternal prenatal stress and psychological function, pre-pregnancy BMI and fetal iron at delivery. We hypothesized that maternal prenatal psychosocial stress and psychological dysfunction and pre-pregnancy BMI would be associated with lower cord blood Hb and ferritin.

Methods
Psychosocial stress and psychological function were assessed with validated questionnaires in mid-pregnancy: depression symptoms (CES-D), trait anxiety (STI), perceived stress (PSS-4), lifetime exposure to violence (ETV), and negative life events (NLEs, CRISYS). Pre-pregnancy BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Cord blood was collected at delivery and ferritin (ferr.) and hemoglobin (Hb) measured. Regression models were developed for Hb and log-transformed ferr. as functions of dichotomized stress scores (CES-D ≥ 13, STI > median, PSS-4 >4th quartile, ETV >0.5, CRISYS >1st quartile) and pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity in separate models, each adjusted for maternal age, SES, child sex and maternal prenatal iron supplementation (yes/no).

Results
In 455 dyads with complete data, median (IQR) ferr. and Hb were 186 µg/L (125, 265) and 16 g/dL (14.7, 17), respectively. In adjusted models, lower ferr. was associated with prenatal depression symptoms (11%, 95% CI: -0.26, 0.01), elevated perceived stress (23%, -0.35, -0.09), high lifetime violence (21%, -0.33, -0.06) and high NLEs count (10%, -0.22, 0.02), as well as maternal pre-pregnancy obesity (17%, -0.31, -0.00). Interaction models suggested possible stronger prenatal stressor effects among overweight and obese mothers. No associations with cord blood Hb were observed.

Conclusions
In Mexico City pregnant women, excess pre-pregnancy BMI and multiple prenatal psychosocial stressors were each associated with fetal iron stores at birth. Insufficient fetal iron accrual may explain links between maternal prenatal stress and child neurocognitive development, but more research is needed.

Funding Sources
National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.


Abstract Background: The intrinsic sensitivity limitations of basic parasitological methods, along with the particular biological characteristics of parasites, make these methods ineffective to differentiate morphologically indistinguishable species. Molecular detection and characterization techniques could be used to overcome these problems. The purpose of this work was to standardize molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, described in the literature, for the detection and molecular characterization of intestinal protozoa and other pathogens in humans. Methods: DNA was extracted from human or animal feces, previously washed or cultured in Boeck Drbohlav's Modified Medium. DNA extraction was performed with Machery-Nagel extraction kits. The standardization of the PCR, nested-PCR or RFLP techniques was carried out according to the literature. For each molecular technique performed, the sensitivity of the test was determined based on the minimun quantity required of DNA (sensitivity A) and the minimum quantity of life forms that the test detected (sensitivity B). Results: Sensitivity A was 10 fg for G. duodenalis, 12.5 pg for Entamoeba histolytica or Entamoeba dispar, 50 fg for Cryptosporidium spp., 225 pg for Cyclospora spp. and 800 fg or 8 fg for Blastocystis spp. after performing a 1780 bp PCR or 310 bp nested PCR, respectively. The sensitivity B was 100 cysts for G. duodenalis, 500 cysts for E. histolytica or E. dispar, 1000 oocysts for Cyclospora spp. and 3600 or four vegetatives forms for PCR or nested PCR of Blastocystis spp., respectively. Conclusions: The molecular detection of protozoa and chromist was achieved and the molecular characterization allowed the genotyping of some of the parasites such as Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and Blastocystis spp. This study summarizes the molecular techniques for epidemiological studies in humans and animals, and helps in the investigation of their transmission sources in countries where intestinal parasites are a public health problem.


A five degrees of freedom analysis of a perfect precision grinding spindle supported by a pair of back to back angular contact ball bearings is performed. The ball to race contacts are simulated by a non-linear contact spring, representing the elastic deformation of the mating rolling members. Major frequencies associated with various degrees of freedom are observed and a number of design curves, suggesting the best zones of operation for the simulated spindle under radial/ axial loading are also presented. The gyroscopic contribution of an ideal precision spindle was found to be insignificant.

The model was further expanded to study the response characteristics of the spindle under lubricated contact conditions. A regression formula is used to model the non-linear spring/ damper arrangement,corresponding to the contact elastohydrodynamic oil film thickness. It is noted that the presence of the oil film along the line of contacts do not significantly alter the position of the major modes of the system. However; its contribution in damping the amplitude of oscillation are found to be significant. Various graphs indicating the overall system response, subjected to varying oil film viscosity, number of balls and the spindle mass are also presented. Furthermore, experimental investigations are conducted to validate the employed methodology. Good agreement is observed between the results of the simulation and the experimental spectra for the fundamental modes of response.

Although manufacturing anamalies are not simulated,the formulated models incorporate sufficient versatility to forsee various spindle/bearing configurations, different loading arrangement as well as various geometrical features of a system to be modelled.


Background: Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) is highly prevalent among subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and cancer as well as in elderly subjects. ACD is also highly associated with infections, severe trauma and critical illness. Anemia of chronic disease is immune driven and is associated with decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Iron is an essential nutrient for erythropoiesis and its metabolism is altered in ACD. Macrophages play a central role in iron homeostasis by engulfing senescent and damaged red blood cells (RBCs), and recycling iron daily in a process known erythrophagocytosis. Hepcidin, a master iron regulating hormone, prevents iron egress from macrophages and thus prevents normal recycling of the iron needed to support erythropoiesis. Hepcidin binds to ferroportin, the only known iron exporter, leading to its internalization and degradation and consequent iron retention in macrophages. Cytokines like IL-1I² and IL-6 are commonly elevated in chronic diseases and stimulate hepcidin production from the liver and macrophages. Circulating hepcidin levels are increased in patients with chronic diseases and recently found to be inversely correlated with vitamin D status. Purpose: To investigate whether vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) regulates the hepcidin-ferropotin axis in macrophages and thus improves iron egress to circulation to ameliorate ACD. Study design and Results: We sought to examine whether 1,25(OH)2D decreased local expression of hepcidin and increased ferroportin expression in human monocyte/macrophage cell line. THP-1 cells were cultured in the presence of increasing concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D prior to incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS (20ng/ml)), a known stimulator of hepcidin, to mimic an inflammatory state found in ACD. We performed RT-PCR to quantify the changes in mRNA expression in these cultured cells. We found that 1,25(OH)2D statistically decreased the mRNA expression of hepcidin and increased the expression of ferroportin in a dose dependent manner. These preliminary data strongly suggest that vitamin D plays a crucial role in macrophage recycling of iron by increasing expression of ferroportin. Although the liver is the primary source of hepcidin, we found that vitamin D also inhibited hepcidin expression in THP-1 cells. We performed in silico analysis on hepcidin promoter; however, no vitamin D response element (VDRE) consensus was identified in hepcidin promoter. Therefore, vitamin D indirectly suppresses hepcidin expression. We examined whether vitamin D may decrease inflammatory cytokines that stimulate hepcidin expression. We measured cytokine release from THP-1 cells cultured in the presence of increasing concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D prior to LPS exposure and found a dose dependent decrease in IL-1I² and IL-6 release suggesting that vitamin D suppresses hepcidin expression by lowering pro-hepcidin cytokines. Conclusion: Our in vitro studies show that vitamin D regulates hepcidin-ferroportin axis in macrophages which facilitates iron egress. Thus vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of ACD. To translate our finding, we are currently conducting a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, in subjects with early chronic kidney disease supplemented with oral high dose vitamin D or matching placebo for one year.


Abstract. Flow dynamics around a downwelling submarine canyon were analysed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model. Blanes Canyon (northwestern Mediterranean) was used for topographic and initial forcing conditions. Fourteen scenarios were modelled with varying forcing conditions. Rossby and Burger numbers were used to determine the significance of Coriolis acceleration and stratification (respectively) and their impacts on flow dynamics. A new non-dimensional parameter (χ) was introduced to determine the significance of vertical variations in stratification. Some simulations do see brief periods of upwards displacement of water during the 10-day model period; however, the presence of the submarine canyon is found to enhance downwards advection of density in all model scenarios. High Burger numbers lead to negative vorticity and a trapped anticyclonic eddy within the canyon, as well as an increased density anomaly. Low Burger numbers lead to positive vorticity, cyclonic circulation, and weaker density anomalies. Vertical variations in stratification affect zonal jet placement. Under the same forcing conditions, the zonal jet is pushed offshore in more uniformly stratified domains. The offshore jet location generates upwards density advection away from the canyon, while onshore jets generate downwards density advection everywhere within the model domain. Increasing Rossby values across the canyon axis, as well as decreasing Burger values, increase negative vertical flux at shelf break depth (150 m). Increasing Rossby numbers lead to stronger downwards advection of a passive tracer (nitrate), as well as stronger vorticity within the canyon. Results from previous studies are explained within this new dynamic framework.


The Bridling of the Tongue and the Opening of the Mouth in Biblical Prophecy, by Gregory Yuri Glazov. JSOTSup 311. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001. Pp. 449. $90.00 (cloth). The purpose of this book is to dig deeper into the prophetic call narratives of the Hebrew Bible in order to ascertain why so many of the prophets become silent before the divine imperative to prophesy and preach. Synthesizing a broad segment of the secondary literature, the author boils down the scholarly discussion into three basic questions: What is the nature of the prophet's reluctance to speak? What are the principles by which this reluctance is resolved? What hermeneutical patterns of intrabiblical and versional reaction to this phenomenon can be legitimately detected in the biblical and postbiblical literature? Chapter 1 breaks down into: (a) a critical review of modern interpretations of several call narratives; (b) an attempt to relate the results of this Forschungsgeschichte to the three aforementioned questions; (c) an attempt to isolate patterns and parallels in these variegated scholarly positions; and (d) an attempt to formulate, on the basis of this analysis, a hypothesis about the "intrabiblical literary tradition concerned with the 'keys' or 'bridles' to the opening and closing of the mouth in prophecy" (p. 24). Chapters 2-5, then, "test and refine this hypothesis in the course of a more detailed analysis of the prophetic call narratives of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel" (p. 24), focusing on these particular prophets because the objections and "mutisms" in their calls are most explicit and most obvious. Chapter 6 investigates the "mouth-opening" and "tongue-bridling" motifs in several psalms (Pss 32, 39, 81, and 131), because Glazov suspects that a few of them have been composed for (or at least influenced by) the "cult prophets" (p. 24). The book concludes with a helpful twenty-two-page appendix listing and explaining several Egyptian and Babylonian "mouth-opening" and "mouth-washing" rituals, followed finally by a listing of biblical and postbiblical passages containing what Glazov thinks are Yahwistic adaptations of these priestly rituals (pp. 361-83). Unfortunately the author does not engage the work of A. Berlejung or M. Dick on these rituals (see also the recent study of C. Walker and M. Dick, The Induction of the Cult Image in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Mesopotamian Mis Pi Ritual [SAALT 1; Helsinki: Helsinki University, 2001]). In ch. 1, the author critically engages three previous attempts to describe the character and development of the prophetic call narratives. First, he rejects much of K. Baltzer's analysis outright (HTR 61 [1968]: 567-81), because, in spite of the fact that it adduces several ancient Near Eastern parallels (particularly Egyptian), it fails to give adequate attention to the human half of the deity-prophet encounter. Glazov thinks that Baltzer, in his desire to counter the hyper-humanizing trends of the 1960s, goes too far to the other end of the spectrum. Thus "the elements of pain, pathos, wonder and dread underlying many of the prophetic expressions of reluctance to speak and objections to the call" are inappropriately marginalized (p. 32). For Glazov, Baltzer's scheme lacks "any recognition of the numinous character of the encounter and the, vocational problems of the individual called to office" (p. 50). Second, Glazov praises N. C. Habel's well-known form-critical analysis (ZAW 77 [1965]: 297-323), and even adapts it for his own purposes. Primarily, he questions the "imprecise" way Habel describes the multiple prophetic objections in "typical" Hebrew call narratives. He thinks that "the first is aimed against the self, while the second is aimed against the commission" (p. 49), but Habel does not, and this leads him to conclude that Habel has not sufficiently grasped this distinction. …


A certain philosophical frame of mind holds that contentless imaginings are unimaginable, "inconceivable" (Shapiro 2014a, p. 214) - that it is simply not possible to imagine acts of imagining in the absence of representational content. Against this, this paper argues that there is no naturalistically respectable way to rule out the possibility of contentless imaginings on purely analytic or conceptual grounds. Moreover, agreeing with Langland-Hassan (2015), it defends the view that the best way to understand the content and correctness conditions of non-basic, hybrid imaginative attitudes is to assume that basic sensory imaginings are enlisted to play many different kinds of cognitive roles depending on the surrounding contentful attitudes that imaginers adopt toward them. Finally, it argues that when it comes to understanding how pure, basic sensory imaginings do their explanatorily important work there is every reason to focus on the properties of such imaginings that enable appropriate interactions and exactly no reason for thinking that representational contents are amongst those properties.


Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we explore the causal effect of gender-identity norms on female teenagers' engagement in risky behaviors relative to boys in the US. To do so, we exploit idiosyncratic variation across adjacent grades within schools in the proportion of high-school peers' mothers who think that important skills for both boys and girls to possess are traditionally masculine ones, such as to think for him or herself or work hard, as opposed to traditionally feminine ones, namely to be well-behaved, popular or help others. We find that a higher proportion of mothers who believe that independent thinking and working hard matter for either gender reduces the gender gap in risky behaviors, traditionally more prevalent among males, both in the short and medium run. We also find evidence of convergence in the labor market in early adulthood. Short- and medium-run results are driven by a reduction in males' engagement in risky behaviors; long-run results are driven by females' higher annual earnings and lower welfare dependency.


Leaders in undergraduate biology education have recommended that post-secondary programs recognize the importance of communication. Scientists are generally recognized as the conduit for communicating scientific information with the public. Traditionally, scientific training has focused on building students' content knowledge, knowledge of terminology, and ability to communicate with other scientists. The majority of undergraduate biology programs do not include a focus on building their students' ability to communicate scientific information to non-scientists. Due to both its controversy (outside the scientific community) and conflicting scientific and lay terminology, speaking to non-scientists about evolution can be especially challenging. In this Tips and Tool article, we present an interactive approach to help build students' conceptual knowledge of evolution and to develop their ability to orally communicate with non-scientists.


In ad hoc cognitive radio (CR) networks, medium access control (MAC) design has been raised as a major challenge due to its highly dynamic nature and strong user diversity, particularly in situations where a dedicated control channel is not reserved among the distributed CR nodes. In this paper, we propose a novel Stochastic Medium Access (SMA) scheme that takes interference constraints into account to improve spectrum sharing efficiency. Specifically, the proposed SMA scheme is developed to serve in a CR network without dedicated control channels, such that the probability of successful channel accesses can be maximized. The formulated optimization problem is then solved by using a dynamic Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo scheme. Moreover, the paper introduces a suite of mechanisms for implementation of the proposed SMA scheme, including segmentation of long packets and contention resolution, which is working on top of power controlled Request-to-Send (RTS) and Clear-to-Send (CTS) exchanges in a multichannel environment. An analytical model is developed on the proposed SMA scheme using an absorbing Markov chain model to evaluate throughput of the secondary user network. Extensive simulation is conducted to study the impact of some important factors on the proposed SMA scheme, such as channel conditions and secondary traffic loads.


Objectives : The aim of the present study was to examine the factorial structure of marital satisfaction scale in staff members of Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran. Method : 200 married staff members of Shahid Chamran University who were randomly selected from among the staff of the university, completed Mehrabian Marital Satis- faction Scale as well as Enrich Marital Satisfaction Ques- tionnaire. Results : Internal consistency of all the scale in women, men and the two extracted factors, indicated a high validity of the scale. Correlation coeficient between each scale item with the total score of the items ranged between 0.06 to 0.88, and all (exept for item 10) were satistically significant (p<0.001). Concurrent validity coefficient between this scale and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire was 0.83. Principle Axis Factoring (oblique rotation) on Marital Satisfaction Scale accounted for 57.46% of the variance. The greater portion of this variance (45.64%) was accounted for by the first factor. Also, confirmatory factor analysis determined the two-factor model relative to the one- factor model. Conclusion : Regarding the satisfactory reliability and validity of Marital Satisfaction Scale, this scale could be useful in research settings and measuring couple satisfaction in consultation centers.


This document is a case study of the implementation of routing between
the NSFNET and the DDN components (the MILNET and the ARPANET). We
hope that it can be used to expand towards interconnection of other
Administrative Domains. We would welcome discussion and suggestions
about the methods employed for the interconnections. No standards are
specified in this memo.


In the United States, the debate on civil associations has coincided with the revival of interest in the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, particularly Democracy in America (1835; 1840) in which he praised the Americans' propensity to form civil and political associations. Tocqueville regarded these associations as laboratories of democracy that teach citizens the art of being free and give them the opportunity to pursue their own interests in concert with others. Tocqueville's views on political and civil associations cannot be properly understood unless we also take into account the larger intellectual and political background of his native France. The main sections of this essay examine Tocqueville's analysis of civil and political associations in America. Special attention is paid to the strong relationship between democracy and civil and political associations and the effects that they have on promoting democratic citizenship, civility, and self-government.


Simulation has been the dominant research method- ology in wireless and sensor networking. When mobility is added, real-world experimentation is especially rare. However, it is becoming clear that simulation models do not sufficiently capture radio and sensor irregularity in a complex, real-world environment, especially indoors. Unfortunately, the high labor and equipment costs of truly mobile experimental infrastructure present high barriers to such experimentation. We describe our experience in creating a testbed to lower those barriers. We have extended the Emulab network testbed software to provide the first remotely-accessible mobile wireless and sensor testbed. Robots carry motes and single board computers through a fixed indoor field of sensor-equipped motes, all running the user's selected software. In real-time, interactively or driven by a script, remote users can position the robots, control all the computers and network interfaces, run arbitrary programs, and log data. Our mobile testbed provides simple path planning, a vision-based tracking system accurate to 1 cm, live maps, and webcams. Precise positioning and automation allow quick and painless evaluation of location and mobility effects on wireless protocols, location algorithms, and sensor-driven applications. The system is robust enough that it is deployed for public use. We present the design and implementation of our mobile testbed, evaluate key aspects of its performance, and describe a few experiments demonstrating its generality and power.


The current feed capability of typical flip chip electrical interconnects is constrained by the solder alloy, as it is more susceptible to electromigration than the copper used for the pads and wires. Hence, interconnects formed by copper only mitigate the electromigration risk and/or allow to increase the current limit of the all-copper interconnect. In this work, two methods to form all-copper flip chip interconnects at an annealing temperature of 250 °C are presented. The interconnects in the contact region between Cu pillars and Cu pads with a pitch down to 150 μm are formed by Cu nanoparticle self-assembly and sintering. In the first method, the entire gap between a Cu pillar chip and a substrate was filled with a Cu nano-suspension. The formation of capillary bridges during the evaporation of the dispersant directed the self-assembly of the nanoparticles towards the contact region between Cu pillars and Cu pad. In the second method, the Cu pillar chip was dipped into a film of the Cu nano-suspension, followed by a transfer, placement and release with a die bonder onto pads on a substrate. The annealing of the Cu nanoparticles is performed in both cases in a reducing formic acid atmosphere. The first method was more susceptible to the formation of shorts between pillars, whereas the second method resulted in electrical functional chip to substrate assemblies. Interconnects with a mean electrical resistance of 26 ± 3 mΩ and a shear strength ranging from 4.6 to 12.3 MPa were achieved. The sintered Cu nanoparticles bridged gaps up to 10 μm between copper pillars and pads, demonstrating the potential to apply the joint also on non-planar substrates. Nevertheless, imperfections such as voids and cracks are still present in the joints and need further process development, to improve the quality and process robustness further.


We describe the inquiries regarding Ebola virus disease (EVD) received by the Department of Public Health Alerts of the Community of Madrid between April and December 2014. A total of 242 inquiries were received. Consultations were initiated most frequently by hospital clinicians (59 inquiries, 24%), private citizens (57 inquiries, 24%) and primary care physicians (53 inquiries, 22%). The most frequent topic of inquiry was possible EVD in a patient (215 inquiries, 89%). Among these, 31 persons (14%) presented both EVD-compatible symptoms and epidemiological risk factors, and 11 persons (5%) fulfilled the criteria for a person under investigation. Recent travel abroad was reported in 96 persons (45%), but only 32 (15%) had travelled to an EVD-affected area. Two high-risk and one low-risk contact were identified through these inquiries. Low specificity of the EVD symptoms led to many difficulties in protocol application. Ineffective communication with healthcare professionals and unfamiliarity with the EVD protocols caused many case classification errors. A rapid consultation service by telephone is essential for providing qualified advice during emergencies. Our experience may help other countries dimension their activities and resources for managing similar exceptional outbreaks in the future.


The realization and the characterization of the leaky loop integrated Fourier transform spectrometer (LLIFTS) is described. The principle of the LLIFTS lies on a two-beam interferometer in planar design using a leaky loop waveguide structure. The interference pattern is measured at the edge of the component. The LLIFTS has been realized using the silver/sodium ion exchange on glass substrate technology, which is low cost and requires only a single lithography step. A mask has been designed considering a numerical model recently developed. Interference patterns have been measured in the wavelength range from 1500 to 1630 nm. Wavelength resolutions of 14 and 11 nm have been measured, respectively, on the 350 and the 500 microm radii leaky loop structures on a compact optical device.


A wire drive pulse echo method of measuring the spectrum of solid bodies described. Using an 's' plane representation, a general analysis of the transient response of such solids has been carried out. This was used for the study of the stepped amplitude transient of high order modes of disks and for the case where there are two adjacent resonant frequencies. The techniques developed have been applied to the measurenent of the elasticities of refractory materials at high temperatures. In the experimental study of the high order in-plane resonances of thin disks it was found that the energy travelled at the edge of the disk and this initiated the work on one dimensional Rayleigh waves.Their properties were established for the straight edge condition by following an analysis similar to that of the two dimensional case. Experiments were then carried out on the velocity dispersion of various circuits including the disk and a hole in a large plate - the negative curvature condition.Theoretical analysis established the phase and group velocities for these cases and experimental tests on aluminium and glass gave good agreement with theory. At high frequencies all velocities approach that of the one dimensional Rayleigh waves. When applied to crack detection it was observed that a signal burst travelling round a disk showed an anomalous amplitude effect. In certain cases the signal which travelled the greater distance had the greater amplitude.An experiment was designed to investigate the phenanenon and it was established that the energy travelled in two nodes with different velocities.It was found by analysis that as well as the Rayleigh surface wave on the edge, a seoond node travelling at about the shear velocity was excited and the calculated results gave reasonable agreement with the experiments.


Landfast sea ice (sea ice which is held fast to the coast or grounded icebergs, also
known as fast ice) is a pre-eminent feature of the Antarctic coastal zone, where it
forms an important interface between the ice sheet and pack ice/ocean to exert a major
influence on high-latitude atmosphere-ocean interaction and biological processes.
It is highly vulnerable to climate variability and change, given that its formation
and breakup are intimately associated with oceanic and atmospheric forcing, yet is
not currently represented in global climate models or coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice
models. Fast ice forms a key breeding habitat for a number of iconic species, including
Weddell seals and Emperor penguins, and plays a crucial role in the breeding
success and foraging behaviour of Ad´elie penguins. Recent work further suggests
that fast ice may stabilize floating glacier tongues and ice shelves, to affect iceberg
calving and ultimately the mass balance of the ice sheet plus the drift rates of icebergs.
Moreover, fast ice has a major impact on the logistics of the resupply of
Antarctic bases.
While Antarctic sea ice extent and variability has been the focus of considerable recent
research, fast-ice extent and variability are currently poorly understood. This
is in large part due to the difficulty associated with discriminating fast ice from
pack ice on a large scale in satellite data. "Snapshot" analyses are unable to discriminate
between the ice types (i.e., fast ice has a non-unique signature), and ice
motion techniques have various problems, including persistent cloud cover at visible
and infrared wavelengths and low spatial resolution for passive microwave sensors.
Furthermore, Synthetic Apterture Radar (SAR) imagery is inherently difficult to
interpret over the sea-ice zone.
This thesis, presented in a "thesis-by-publication" style, overcomes the problems
associated with remotely sensing fast ice at visible and infrared wavelengths to produce
cloud-free time-averaged images of the surface from March 2000 to December
2008, enabling discrimination between pack and fast ice. From these, the first East
Antarctic (10◦ W - 172◦ E) high spatio-temporal resolution (2-km, 20-day) maps
of fast-ice extent are created. This allows the first detailed time series analysis of
the seasonal to inter-annual variability of East Antarctic fast ice. Fast-ice growth
and breakout events are then related to large scale and local atmospheric forcing
parameters.
In addition to presenting the first near decade-long, high spatio-temporal resolution
time series of fast-ice maps in East Antarctica, the main findings of this thesis are
as follows. Using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) visible
and thermal infrared data, quality cloud-free composite images of the high-latitude
surface can generally be constructed using 20 days' raw imagery. The compositing
technique developed here involves using a modified MODIS cloud mask to select cloud-free pixels, which are then composited together over number of days. The
MOD35 MODIS cloud mask performs well during daytime, when shortwave tests
could be included into the cloud masking algorithm. However, during night-time,
cloud mask performance is insufficient to create quality cloud-free composite images.
Spatial filtering on the cloud mask is required to produce high-quality composite
images. With a sufficiently long compositing interval (i.e., 20 days), pack ice motion
acts to "blur" the pack ice zone in the composite imagery, while the fast/pack ice
shear zone remains sharply defined. This property of the compositing process is
very useful for discriminating between pack and fast ice.
Despite the success of the compositing technique, persistent cloud cover and inaccurate
cloud masking are found to lower composite image quality at times. Thus, a
technique is developed to augment lower quality composite images with Advanced
Microwave Scanning Radiometer - EOS (AMSR-E) and additional MODIS data.
Fast-ice maps are generated from the resulting imagery. An error analysis shows
that fast-ice extent can be retrieved to within ∼ ±3% for over 80% of the 159 consecutive
fast-ice maps comprising the 8.8-year time series, with the remainder retrieved
to within ∼ ±9%.
Analysis of the 8.8-year East Antarctic fast-ice time series shows a statistically significant
increase in fast-ice extent (1.43 ± 0.30% yr−1), albeit based upon a
relatively short period. Regionally, there is a stronger increase observed in the
Indian Ocean sector (20 - 90◦ E) of 4.07 ± 0.42% yr−1, compared to a slight (nonsignificant)
decrease in the Western Pacific Ocean sector (90 - 160◦ E) of -0.40 ±
0.37% yr−1. In the Indian Ocean sector, a slightly decreasing trend in fast-ice extent
changes to a strongly increasing trend from 2004 - 2008. An analysis of the timing
of maximum and minimum fast-ice extent shows high variability compared to that
of overall sea ice. Analysis of the shape of the mean annual fast-ice extent cycle
reveals a limit to maximum fast-ice extent, apparently related to the locations of
grounded icebergs. Ten fast-ice regimes were identified across the coast, relating
to bathymetry, coastal configuration, and prevailing atmospheric conditions. The
percentage of fast ice comprising overall sea-ice extent varies seasonally from ∼19%
during the summer minimum extent to ∼3.8% during the winter maximum extent.
Nine case studies of anomalous fast-ice breakout or growth are conducted in four
regions around the East Antarctic coast. These anomalous fast-ice extents are observed
in conjunction with locally anomalous wind speeds and directions, surface
air temperatures, and pack ice conditions. On a hemisphere-wide scale, a reasonably
strong correlation is found between the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and
fast-ice extent in the Indian Ocean sector (R=+0.45). No strong correlation is observed
in the Western Pacific Ocean sector, and, in contrast to previous work, the
correlation between SAM and fast-ice extent is weak in both sectors.
This work has greatly improved our knowledge of fast-ice distribution and variability
around the East Antarctic coast, and provides benefits for many areas of current
research. It has also provided an important new climatic dataset that is directly
comparable to, and complements, the widely-used passive microwave-derived time
series of overall sea-ice extent.


Ion transport through narrow water-filled channels is impeded by a high electrostatic barrier. The latter originates from the large ratio of the dielectric constants of the water and the surrounding media. We show that "doping," i.e., immobile charges attached to the walls of the channel, substantially reduces the barrier. This explains why most of the biological ion channels are "doped." We show that at rather generic conditions the channels may undergo ion exchange phase transitions (typically of the first order). Upon such a transition a finite latent concentration of ions may either enter or leave the channel, or be exchanged between the ions of different valences. We discuss possible implications of these transitions for the Ca-vs-Na selectivity of biological Ca channels. We also show that transport of divalent Ca ions is assisted by their fractionalization into two separate excitations.


To date most mid-infrared spectroscopic studies have been limited, due to lack of sensitivity, to the structural characterization of a single oligonucleotide probe immobilized over the entire surface of a gold-coated slide or other infrared substrate. By contrast, widely used and commercially available glass slides and a microarray spotter that prints approximately 120-μm-diameter DNA spots were employed in the present work. To our knowledge, mid-infrared chemical imaging (IRCI) in the external reflection mode has been applied in the present study for the first time to the detection of nanostructure-based DNA microarrays spotted on glass slides. Alkyl amine-modified oligonucleotide probes were immobilized on glass slides that had been prefunctionalized with succinimidyl ester groups. This molecular fluorophore-free method entailed the binding of gold-nanoparticle–streptavidin conjugates to biotinylated DNA targets. Hybridization was visualized by the silver enhancement of gold nanoparticles. The adlayer of silver, selectively bound only to hybridized spots in a microarray, formed the external reflective infrared substrate that was necessary for the detection of DNA hybridization by IRCI in the present proof-of-concept study. IRCI made it possible to discriminate between diffuse and specular external reflection modes. The promising qualitative results are presented herein, and the implications for quantitative determination of DNA microarrays are discussed.


In spite of the vast deposit of resources and human endowments in ECOWAS region, gains from trade have really been marginal in the region. ECOWAS region is characterized with poor performance in export of dynamic products; they remained commodity dependent in its exports, leading to transfer of economic gains across border. Over 90% of the region's export is primary products with very little value-added which accentuated from commodity price and demand inelasticity resulting in terms of trade losses and volatile foreign earnings. Based on these facts, the study tries to investigate the impact of export diversification and composition on GDP growth and GDP per capita respectively. This was achieved using econometric analyses involving co-integration technique and a panel least square technique for the period of 1975-2009 and 1990-2007 respectively in 15 ECOWAS states. The study was deemed significant, as export diversification and manufacturing value-added index induced a positive and significant impact on per capita income growth. The study found high skewness of ECOWAS to commodity export in the period observed but a vertical diversification of product base would emanates more spill-over and surplus gains from the regions endowments. The conclusive finding centred on that fact that it is not how much that is exported that matters but very important is what is exported as regions with less specialization and more diversified exports generally experienced higher economic growth rates and contributed much more to overall exports. The notable recommendation for ECOWAS policy makers is the need to develop domestic processing capability and see export as originating from domestic sufficiency.


High-pressure (H P ) meta-ophiolites – usually termed 'greenstones' by archaeologists – were used in the Neolithic to produce polished stone implements all over Western Europe. Their accurate petrographic characterization may help to infer the provenance of the raw materials, thus contributing to reconstruct the migratory routes of our ancestors. The lithic industry of Castello di Annone (northwestern Italy) was investigated by means of a multi-analytical approach including density measurements, X-ray powder diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and geothermometry. More than half of the studied tools (52 %) are made of fine-grained eclogites subdivided in three different groups – each with a peculiar metamorphic history. Another 26 % consists of Na-pyroxene-rich rocks, with mixed Na-pyroxenites (omphacite + jadeite-bearing rocks) more abundant than jadeitites. The remaining 22 % is made up of serpentinites and a variety of minor lithologies. In most greenstone implements, both pyroxene and garnet show a complex compositional zoning, almost unknown in geologic samples due to the lack of detailed petrologic data on these rocks. Therefore, though it has been ascertained that these H P meta-ophiolites derive from the Piemonte Zone, more systematic field and laboratory data are necessary to refine the exact recognition of the raw material sources. A recent geologic survey in the Pellice Valley discovered small boudins of fine-grained eclogites and omphacitites, similar to those found in the prehistoric tools. The Castello di Annone eclogites, which appear to be poorly fashioned from fluvial pebbles, must be considered low quality materials. This confirms the marginal role of this site in the production and distribution network of greenstone implements in northern Italy during the Neolithic.


This book clarifies the specific nature of the Austrian theory and restores the unity and open-mindedness of the Austrian school in general. The intention is not to offer a collection of different or parallel ideas, but rather to retrace, from a pedagogical and constructive perspective, the various stages of the construction of a well-founded theoretical edifice: from Ludwig von Mises to Murray Rothbard, from Friedrich Hayek to Israel M. Kirzner and from Lachmann to Lavoie. The book is a reconstitution of the way Austrian ideas and concepts organize themselves in a common structure.


ABSTRACT Cashew nut shells have not been fully utilized untill recently, and most of them are still in a form of wastes.  Cashew nut shell wastes are organic matter containing macro elements that are useful for plants, such as N (0.84%), P (0.21%), K (0.70%), Ca (0.13%) and Mg (0.24%) that are useful for plants. Cashew nut shell wastes would be very potential if they were composted into organic fertilizers. The aim of this research was to analyze the effect of cashew nut shell compost formula application on growth and nutrient uptake of cashew seedlings. The research was conducted at IPB Teaching Farm Dramaga Bogor from November 2012 to May 2013. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with 5 treatments and 3 replications. The results showed, that cashew nut shell compost formula application at 50 g polybag-1 and 100 g  polybag-1 were significantly increased plant height, leaf number, stem diameter, roots length, fresh weight, dry weight of seedling, and N, P, K uptake at 3 months after planting (MAP) compared to no compost (top soil). The treatment of cashew nut shell compost formula at 50 g polybag-1 showed not significantly compared with goat manure at 100 g polybag-1 on the  plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, roots length and N, P, K uptake at 3 MAP. Both  of the  treatment can improve the balance of nutrients in the soil thus enhancing the growth and vigor of cashew seedling. The treatment of cashew nut shell compost formula (50 g polybag-1) could replace the treatment of goat manure (100 g polibag-1) tended to increase cashew seedling growth. Keywords: A. occidentale L., bioactivator, cashew seedling, KBM compost


The absorbed dose enhancement of a hollow gold nanoparticle (GNPs) at varying shell sizes were determined using Geant4, a Monte Carlo simulation toolkit for particle-matter interactions. The set-up was composed of a GNP at varying shell sizes submerged in a water volume and irradiated with 200 keV and 6 MeV photon energies. The energy deposition in the water volume from these interactions were then obtained to acquire the corresponding absorbed dose for each GNP at different shell sizes. The results showed that the GNPs irradiated with 200 keV produced higher absorbed doses than GNPs irradiated with 6 MeV. This may be attributed to the higher cross section of lower energy photons with the GNP compared to the higher energy photons. On the other hand, for both incident photon energies, the absorbed dose in the water volume decreases as a function of decreasing GNP shell size. This is attributed to the fewer secondary particle production at decreasing shell size which means that the total energy deposition from these secondary particles also decreases with decreasing shell size.


Wireless signal recognition is becoming increasingly more significant for spectrum monitoring, spectrum management, and secure communications. Consequently, it will become a key enabler with the emerging fifth-generation (5G) and beyond 5G communications, Internet of Things networks, among others. State-of-the-art studies in wireless signal recognition have only focused on a single task which in many cases is insufficient information for a system to act on. In this work, for the first time in the wireless communication domain, we exploit the potential of deep neural networks in conjunction with multi-task learning (MTL) framework to simultaneously learn modulation and signal classification tasks. The proposed MTL architecture benefits from the mutual relation between the two tasks in improving the classification accuracy as well as the learning efficiency with a lightweight neural network model. Additionally, we consider the problem of heterogeneous wireless signals such as radar and communication signals in the electromagnetic spectrum. Accordingly, we have shown how the proposed MTL model outperforms several state-of-the-art single-task learning classifiers while maintaining a lighter architecture and performing two signal characterization tasks simultaneously. Finally, we also release the only known open heterogeneous wireless signals dataset that comprises of radar and communication signals with multiple labels.


Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures were obtained by the directed formation of multilayer block copolymer (BCP) thin films. The initial step in this strategy involves the assembly and cross-linking of cylinder-forming polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) BCP, in which 1.5 mol % of reactive azido (-N(3)) groups were randomly incorporated along the styrene backbone. Significantly, assembly of thin films of lamellar-forming BCPs on top of the underlying cross-linked cylindrical layer exhibited perpendicular orientations of microdomains between lamellae and cylinder layers. From the theoretical calculation of free energy in the multilayers, it was found that the nematic interactions between polymer chains at the interface play a critical role in the perpendicular orientation of lamellae on the cross-linked cylinder layers. Removal of the PMMA domains then affords nonsymmetrical nanostructures which illustrate the promise of this strategy for the design of well-defined 3D nanotemplates. It was also demonstrated that this structure can be effectively used to enhance the light extraction efficiency of GaN light-emitting diodes. Furthermore, we anticipate that such 3D nanotemplates can be applied to various areas, including advanced BCP nanolithography and responsive surface coating.


The vast majority of modern criminal investigations involve some element of digital evidence, from mobile phones, computers, CCTV and other devices. Digital Forensics: Digital Evidence in Criminal Investigations provides the reader with a better understanding of how digital evidence complements traditional scientific evidence and examines how it can be used more effectively and efficiently in a range of investigations. Taking a new approach to the topic, this book presents digital evidence as an adjunct to other types of evidence and discusses how it can be deployed effectively in support of investigations. The book provides investigators/SSMs/other managers with sufficient contextual and technical information to be able to make more effective use of digital evidence sources in support of a range of investigations. In particular, it considers the roles played by digital devices in society and hence in criminal activities. From this, it examines the role and nature of evidential data which may be recoverable from a range of devices, considering issues relating to reliability and usefulness of those data. Includes worked case examples, test questions and review quizzes to enhance student understanding Solutions provided in an accompanying website Includes numerous case studies throughout to highlight how digital evidence is handled at the crime scene and what can happen when procedures are carried out incorrectly Considers digital evidence in a broader context alongside other scientific evidence Discusses the role of digital devices in criminal activities and provides methods for the evaluation and prioritizing of evidence sources Includes discussion of the issues surrounding modern digital evidence examinations, for example; volume of material and its complexity Clear overview of all types of digital evidence Digital Forensics: Digital Evidence in Criminal Investigations is an invaluable text for undergraduate students taking either general forensic science courses where digital forensics may be a module or a dedicated computer/digital forensics degree course. The book is also a useful overview of the subject for postgraduate students and forensic practitioners.


This paper presents a computable general equilibrium model that simulates the effects on employment, output, wages, and economic efficiency of introducing comparable worth into the U.S. economy. The model calculates economy-wide aggregate impacts and disaggregated results for individuals grouped by sex, marital status, and education. The effects depend on the hiring rules that would accompany comparable worth, the source of existing male-female wage differentials, the extent of coverage of comparable worth, the intra-household behavior of married couples, and demand and supply elasticities. If, after comparable worth is introduced, employers are constrained to employ men and women in historical proportions, the adverse effects on aggregate employment, output, and efficiency would be much larger than if the employment constraint is based on applicant proportions. If existing wage gaps are the result of sex differences in productivity, the adverse of facts of comparable worth are relatively large; but if they are the result of discrimination, the efficiency losses are much smaller. If only part of the economy is subject to comparable worth, the efficiency loss is reduced under the productivity gap assumption, but increased if the wage gap is the result of discrimination. The redistributive effects of comparable worth on married men and women are sensitive to assumptions about intra-household behavior and the size of the gains from marriage. By contrast, unmarried women appear to benefit from comparable worth under most sets of assumptions while unmarried men lose.


People with Alzheimer's disease or related neurodegenerative disorders may progress from absentmindedness and difficulty learning new things to a heartbreaking state in which they forget their own past and no longer recognize the faces of people they love. Expression of p25 (a truncated form of the p35 regulatory subunit of cyclin-dependent kinase 5) is associated with various neurodegenerative disorders, and the CK-p25 Tg mouse, in which p25 expression--and thereby neuronal loss--can be conditionally regulated, is a model for these disorders. Fischer et al. found that exposing CK-p25 Tg mice to an enriched environment (after neuronal loss had occurred and learning was impaired) improved their associative and spatial learning. Moreover, environmental enrichment led to the recovery of long-term memories that had apparently been lost. Experiments in wild-type mice revealed that exposure to an enriched environment stimulated histone acetylation in the hippocampus and cortex. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor sodium butyrate (SB) improved associative and spatial learning in wild-type and CK-p25 Tg mice (after p25 induction) and, like environmental enrichment, enhanced dendritic and synaptic growth in CK-p25 Tg mice without affecting brain atrophy or neuronal loss. Furthermore, SB enabled the recovery of lost memories. The authors conclude that their data raise the possibility that HDAC inhibitors may provide a means to enable people with neurodegenerative disorders associated with memory loss to recover lost memories. Sweatt provides thoughtful commentary, noting (as do the authors) that HDAC inhibitors may affect the acetylation status of proteins other than histones. A. Fischer, F. Sananbenesi, X. Wang, M. Dobbin, L. H. Tsai, Recovery of learning and memory is associated with chromatin remodelling. Nature 447, 178-182 (2007). [PubMed] J. D. Sweatt, Down memory lane. Nature 447, 151-152 (2007). [PubMed]


Migrating cells originating selectively in the ventral lateral edge of the somites adjacent to the mouse hindlimb bud were studied in transverse sections by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Collected during the 10th and 11th gestational days, the embryos were classified according to the number of metameres. As soon as the 28 somite stage, discrete cytological modifications occur in a limited caudal area of the ventro lateral somitic edge. Loosing the typical epithelial arrangement characteristic of the dermatome cells, these ventral cells show large areas of close contact between their plasma membrane and a superficial microfilamentous material accumulates in the contact areas. At the 33 somite stage, the same groups of cells elongate and form long cellular trails invading the proximal area of the limb bud mesoderm. The migrating cells become polarized along the migrating axis and they retain large and smooth intercellular contacts with each other. Very selective ultrastructural features of the migrating somitic cells can be interpreted in relation to their cinetic activity or to their early myogenic differentiation. In addition to their mutual superficial relationships, the migrating cells are characterized by the presence of numerous oriented microtubules, of a high number of active mitochondria, of an abundant granular endoplasmic reticulum and of an hypertrophied Golgi apparatus regularly located near the nucleus in the 'trailing' edge of the cells. Several dense granules with a diameter of 8 nm are present in the mitochondrial matrix. The extensive Golgi apparatus is associated to numerous thick walled vesicles, which increase from 60 to 150 nm in diameter as they become closer and closer to the plasma membrane. These vesicles are absent in the mesodermal cells of somatopleural origin; their presence in the migrating somitic cells is probably related to an early myogenic differentiation. The observation made near the distal end of the somitic cellular trails suggests that the more distal somitic cells rapidly loose their ultrastructural particularities as soon as they are dispersed in the limb bud mesoderm.


Part of a long-run project to put together a systematic database of prices and wages for the American contingents, this paper takes a first look at standards of living in a series of North American and Latin American cities. From secondary sources we collected price data that - with diverse degrees of quality - covers various years between colonization and independence and, following the methodology now familiar in the literature, we built estimations of price indexes for Boston, Philadelphia, and the Chesapeake Bay region in North America and Bogota, Mexico, and Postosi in Latin America exploring alternative assumptions on the characteristics of the reference basket. We use these indexes to deflate the (relatively more scarce) figures on wages, and compare the results with each other, and with the now widely known series for various European and Asian cities. We find that real wages were higher in North America than in Latin America from the very early colonial period: four times the World Bank Poverty Line (WBPL) in North America while only two times the WBPL in Latin America. These wages place the North American colonies among the most advanced countries in the world alongside Northwestern European countries and the Latin American colonies among the least developed countries at a similar level to Southern European and Asian countries. These wage differences existed from the early colonial period because wages in the American colonies were determined by wages in the respective metropoles and by the Malthusian population dynamics of indigenous peoples. Settlers would not migrate unless they could maintain their standard of living, so wages in the colonies were set in the metrople. Political institutions, forced labour regimes, economic geography, disease environments and culture shaped the size of the economy of each colony but did not affect income levels.


The Constitutional Court was conceived, primarily, as an appellate court (see also our article 'In which forum to litigate?' in 2004 (Sept) DR 30 and 'Step-by-step' practice note 'Appeals to the Constitutional Court' in 2004 (Aug) DR 32). There are, however, two ways in which the court can be approached as a court of first instance - firstly, where the court has exclusive jurisdiction over the dispute and secondly, where it is in the interests of justice.


Four safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars were evaluated at five plant populations in experiments over 2 yr at three North Dakota locations. Differences in achene yield due to plant population were not significant. Hybrid AGC-353 produced significantly higher achene yield than the other cultivars. Number of capitula per plant and achenes per capitulum were the yield components most influenced by plant population. Cultivar effects were significant for all yield components. Plant population did not influence achene oil content; however, significant differences among genotypes occurred. Cultivar S-541 and hybrid AGC-353 produced significantly higher and lower achene oil percent, respectively, than the other cultivars. The significantly higher hull content of hybrid AGC-353 compared with the other cultivars caused the low oil content


Abstract. This work estimates the primary marine organic aerosol global emission source and its impact on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations by implementing an organic sea spray source function into a series of global aerosol simulations. The source function assumes that a fraction of the sea spray emissions, depending on the local chlorophyll concentration, is organic matter in place of sea salt. Effect on CCN concentrations (at 0.2% supersaturation) is modeled using the Two-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) microphysics algorithm coupled to the GISS II-prime general circulation model. The presence of organics affects CCN activity in competing ways: by reducing the amount of solute available in the particle and decreasing surface tension of CCN. To model surfactant effects, surface tension depression data from seawater samples taken near the Georgia coast were applied as a function of carbon concentrations. A global marine organic aerosol emission rate of 17.7 Tg C yr−1 is estimated from the simulations. Marine organics exert a localized influence on CCN(0.2%) concentrations, decreasing regional concentrations by no more than 5% and by less than 0.5% over most of the globe, assuming direct replacement of sea salt aerosol with organic aerosol. The decrease in CCN concentrations results from the fact that the decrease in particle solute concentration outweighs the organic surfactant effects. The low sensitivity of CCN(0.2%) to the marine organic emissions is likely due to the small compositional changes: the mass fraction of OA in accumulation mode aerosol increases by only ~15% in a biologically active region of the Southern Ocean. To test the sensitivity to uncertainty in the sea spray emissions process, we relax the assumption that sea spray aerosol number and mass remain fixed and instead can add to sea spray emissions rather than replace existing sea salt. In these simulations, we find that marine organic aerosol can increase CCN by up to 50% in the Southern Ocean and 3.7% globally during the austral summer. This vast difference in CCN impact highlights the need for further observational exploration of the sea spray aerosol emission process as well as evaluation and development of model parameterizations.


This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of saturated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based interferometric switching arrangements. For the first time, it is shown that such devices can provide enhanced intensity modulation reduction to return-to-zero (RZ) formatted input pulse trains, when the SOA is saturated with a strong continuous-wave (CW) input signal. A novel theoretical platform has been developed in the frequency domain, which reveals that the intensity modulation of the input pulse train can be suppressed by more than 10 dB at the output. This stems from the presence of the strong CW signal that transforms the sinusoidal transfer function of the interferometric switch into an almost flat, strongly nonlinear curve. This behavior has also been verified experimentally for both periodically and randomly degraded, in terms of intensity modulation, signals at 10 Gb/s using the ultrafast nonlinear interferometer as the switching device. Performance analysis both in the time and frequency domains is demonstrated, verifying the concept and its theoretical analysis.


Theory predicts that galaxies are not randomly distributed in the Universe. They form a complex network of filamentary structures, the Cosmic Web, divided in clusters, groups, filaments and walls. This picture has been confirmed by the large galaxy redshift surveys. Galaxy properties like morphology and star formation rates are strongly influenced by their environment. The most radical transformations are observed in galaxy clusters, located at the intersection of filaments. Nevertheless, the location where the environment starts to play a role and the main physical phenomenon responsible for these changes are still unknown. The aim of this thesis is to determine where and how galaxies are affected by the environment, at local and global scales. We gathered high quality photometry in the 5 optical bands $u$, $g$, $r$, $i$ and $z$ with MegaCam on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope for 3 medium mass galaxy clusters at intermediate redshift, with a spatial extent on the sky plane reaching 8 to 13 times the cluster virial radii. These clusters were selected to represent as much as possible progenitors of clusters in the local Universe. The core of these clusters have rich ancillary data from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey. The redshift and mass ranges of these clusters, combined to the wide field of the observations make this study unique. We computed photometric redshifts to map the galaxy distribution around the clusters. We were able to identify overdense regions forming groups and filaments, unveiling for the first time the large scale structures in such details for this type of clusters. We studied the fraction of galaxies in the red sequence in different environments, namely in the field, filaments and groups. We find that significant quenching processes are already at work in filaments, even at large cluster-centric distances. We also show that the local neighborhood of galaxies has a stronger impact on galaxy colors than the global environment. An optical spectroscopic follow-up with the VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope confirms our photometric results. In particular, the fraction of galaxies with detected \otwo emission line is smaller with increasing density. We also find that the star formation rate, determined from [OII], is in average weaker in groups and clusters than in lower density environments. This thesis opens new perspectives to study the way galaxies populate the Cosmic Web. Combined to weak-lensing analysis and cosmological simulations, it will allow a deeper understanding of the structure formation and their baryonic content. It is a first step before extending the results to much larger samples, with the help of the upcoming all-sky cosmological surveys such as Euclid or the Square Kilometer Array.


The increase in applications of off-shore structures has raised a growing interest in the determination of wave forces on piles. Both theory and model experiments have been applied to establish relations between wave characteristics, shape and dimensions of piles and wave forces exerted. As far as theory and computations are involved, the wave forces are generally assumed to be the resultant of drag and inertia forces. The influence of typical features of the flow pattern around the pile on the forces exerted is expressed in coefficients of drag (C_) and inertia (C..) which are, in practice, generally assumed to be dependent on the shape of the pile only. The latter assumption is not correct, which partly explains the variety in magnitude of CD. and CM" which is found in literature, The time-dependancy of the flow pattern leads to an influence of pile dimensions relative to those of orbital motions. The aim of the paper is to draw attention to this phenomenon and to provide a possible starting point for a more reliable approach of wave forces. The nature of forces exerted by oscillating flow is briefly discussed and illustrated by results of model experiments and computations. Subsequently model investigations on piles are described, the results of which are compared with computations for constant coefficients of drag and inertia.


This issue of Seminar.net contains three articles that were written in connection with a Norwegian e-learning conference titled "Networked collaboration, sharing and response". The conference was held in Mars 2008 in Trondheim, and the presentations from the conference is available (in norwegian language) at http://www.nvu.no. Networked collaboration was chosen as a theme because collaboration is important to achieve learning, according to the social-constructivistic pedagogy that has a strong standing in Norway, but how should this occur on the net? Sharing of content, as in digital learning resources, is a phenomenon with increasing popularity as described in the OECD-report "Giving Knowledge for Free". But to achieve reuse of content, not only publishing it, it is important with a networked community where the plethora of information can be sorted with relevance to specific topics. Response is about guiding, coaching and tutoring. In what ways may resources and tools be used to move in the direction of solving Bloom's two sigma problem/challenge? The first article, by Morten Flate Paulsen, shows how cooperative learning can be implemented successfully so that students have optimal individual freedom within online learning communities. The second article, by Carl F. Dons, shows how student teachers can be prepared to deal with pupils who have a wide range of experiences of the digital world. The third and last article, by Kristin Dale, is sharing experiences with multiple choice-tests to give midterm responses to students. In addition, this issue has a commentary article by Rune Krumsvik discussing the need to develop new practices for teachers and students on the background of the digital developments. The conference and articles covers three big themes. It may be difficult to find more important issues, apart from finding money and time to support its development. Olav Skundberg, guest editorAssociate professorSør-Trøndelag University CollegeEmail: firstname.lastname@example.com


For examining the improvement in antioxidant aptitude of Ceftriaxone, an antibiotic drug, through encapsulation, the bio-emulsion using Neem oil (Azadirachta indica) with aqueous Dodecyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (DTAB) have been framed. The prepared emulsions have been characterized with physicochemical properties (PCPs) where alterations in PCPs of pure and drug encapsulated emulsions were attributed for distinguishing them. The formulations have been screened for radical scavenging activity (RSA) with free radical 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl through spectrophotometric and physicochemical methods. With DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) assay, the antioxidant potential of pure drug and with emulsion have been carried out where the formulation showed increment in such activity of ceftriaxone. First time the scavenging activity is examined with PCPs along with DPPH assay where reduction in values of surface tension, viscosity and potential are attributed for the radical scavenging activity, similar to DPPH assay. The reduced values of such properties of ceftriaxone encapsulated emulsions have quantitatively confirmed the improvement of antioxidant activity of ceftriaxone.


Significant morbidity and social problems are associated with epilepsy, including social exclusion, disability and stigma. Effective epilepsy care can reduce morbidity and improve quality of life for people with epilepsy and their families: however reports continue to criticise care standards. Current information systems for individuals are practice-based whilst care-planning requires closer involvement of people with diseases and their carers.A mixed-methods study was carried out aimed at developing a patient-centred care plan to improve health care services for people with epilepsy by reviewing relevant research and policy, providing an important conduit for the views of all stakeholders, including the patient. A review on the development of care plans in epilepsy was completed and eight existing epilepsy care plans were reviewed. A series of semi-structured interview and focus groups were then carried out with 20 individuals with epilepsy, 10 family carers and 7 health care professionals. On the basis of the review and information gathered in the interviews and focus groups, a series of key themes were identified and a first-draft care-plan, extensively covering all of these areas was constructed. The first extensive draft of the care plan was reviewed at a meeting between members of Epilepsy Action and university researchers. A second draft of the care plan was then published online for consultation and comment. A total of 40 responses to the online care plan were received, 8 from people with epilepsy and 32 from epilepsy professionals. The importance of each of the themes covered by the care plan was rated and additional comments from respondents on the relevance of these were collated. Work then concentrated upon translating these varying viewpoints into a final document.The resulting care plan is a patient-held document, intended to serve as a flexible means of engagement for people with epilepsy and their carers. Taking on board the tension between having a short and user-friendly document with essential information presented "upfront", and acknowledging a holistic approach to disease management which incorporates wider information needs, the plan is in two parts. Part One includes essential personalisable information and Part Two comprises of wider information on health and lifestyle with a list of relevant web links for further exploration.


Results are reported from a search for low-multiplicity neutrino bursts in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Such bursts could indicate the detection of a nearby core-collapse supernova explosion. The data were taken from Phase I (1999 November–2001 May), when the detector was filled with heavy water, and Phase II (2001 July–2003 August), when NaCl was added to the target. The search was a blind analysis in which the potential backgrounds were estimated and analysis cuts were developed to eliminate such backgrounds with 90% confidence before the data were examined. The search maintained a greater than 50% detection probability for standard supernovae occurring at a distance of up to 60 kpc for Phase I and up to 70 kpc for Phase II. No low-multiplicity bursts were observed during the data-taking period.


This paper highlights how civil society organizations can play critical roles in establishing transparent and accountable climate finance systems that put communities at the center of decision-making. It draws from the Adaptation Finance Accountability Initiative's experiences in Ethiopia and Uganda as well as lessons learned from similar efforts in Bangladesh, Kenya, and the Philippines. It offers valuable information to help civil society organizations build their engagement and capacity on climate adaptation finance.


One of the major problems in machine vision is the segmentation of images of natural scenes. This paper presents a new proposal for the image segmentation problem which has been based on the integration of edge and region information. The main contours of the scene are detected and used to guide the posterior region growing process. The algorithm places a number of seeds at both sides of a contour allowing stating a set of concurrent growing processes. A previous analysis of the seeds permits to adjust the homogeneity criterion to the regions's characteristics. A new homogeneity criterion based on clustering analysis and convex hull construction is proposed.


Superconducting electrical machines are increasingly of interest for diverse applications such as generators, synchronous condensers and motors. These machines' dynamic behavior differs from that of conventional machines in significant ways due to certain time constants and reactances being very different. These differences can present difficulties when conventional testing procedures are applied. A 5 MW superconducting rotor machine designed and built by American Superconductor Corporation is currently being tested in the Advanced Test Facility of the Center for Advanced Power Systems at Florida State University. A variety of test procedures are being applied to determine the machine's dynamic performance and the effectiveness of these tests when applied to a superconducting machine is being assessed. In this paper, two means of analysing test data and extracting machine parameters are described.


ABSTRACT The protection against tuberculosis induced by the Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine is unpredictable. In our previous study, altered DNA methylation pattern in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in response to BCG was observed in a subgroup of individuals, whose macrophages killed mycobacteria effectively ('responders'). These macrophages also showed production of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in response to mycobacterial stimuli before vaccination. Here, we hypothesized that the propensity to respond to the BCG vaccine is reflected in the DNA methylome. We mapped the differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in PBMCs isolated from responders/non-responders at the time point before vaccination aiming to identify possible predictors of BCG responsiveness. We identified 43 DMGs and subsequent bioinformatic analyses showed that these were enriched for actin-modulating pathways, predicting differences in phagocytosis. This could be validated by experiments showing that phagocytosis of mycobacteria, which is an event preceding mycobacteria-induced IL-1β production, was strongly correlated with the DMG pattern.