OBJECTIVE
To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to collate evidence of the effects of smoking on the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

DATA SOURCES
We searched 4 electronic databases (from inception to October 2010) and scanned the reference lists of the publications retrieved to identify eligible comparative epidemiologic studies.

STUDY SELECTION
Titles, abstracts, and full text were assessed independently by 2 authors against prespecified inclusion/exclusion criteria.

DATA EXTRACTION
Data were extracted and quality was assessed independently by 2 authors using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2. Twenty-five studies were included. Smoking was significantly associated with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.15-2.01; I2 = 64%; 6 studies). Smoking was not significantly associated with basal cell carcinoma (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.82-1.09; I2 = 59%; 14 studies) or nonmelanoma skin cancer (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.21-1.79; I2 = 34%; 2 studies).

CONCLUSION
This study clearly demonstrates that smoking increases the risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; however, smoking does not appear to modify the risk of basal cell carcinoma.


It is the first of its kind to fully examine the measure of contextual operation regarding contemporary illustration practice. This book provides an exemplification of theoretical and intellectual processes necessary for the production of accomplished work. It does not emphasise matters of commercial or business practice, nor aspects of media or practical concern such as techniques or technical processes.

The book provides a defined understanding and application regarding all modes of project development including research, subject matter, conceptual processing, context and audience, analysis and visual language. It explores the breadth and use for illustration and does not discriminate. It presents a collective of five, distinct contextual domains that constitutes the role of illustration: documentation, reference and instruction; commentary; narrative fiction; persuasion; identity. It also introduces the concept of illustrator as a specialist or authority on a particular subject: illustrator as scientist or cultural historian; illustrator as journalist; illustrator as author of narrative fiction.


This article studies a one-manufacturer and -retailer supply chain facing uncertain demand. The manufacturer sells a perishable product to the retailer. Different from the traditional supply chain models based on risk neutrality, this article takes the viewpoint of the behavioural theory and assumes that the retailer is loss averse. The objective is to design the supply contract that provides a win-win coordination mechanism between the manufacturer and the retailer. Specifically, two types of contracts, buyback contract and markdown-price contract, are analysed. This article investigates the role of contracts mitigating the loss-aversion effect, which decreases the order quantity of the retailer and the total channel profit. As a comparison, these two types of contracts that ignore loss aversion are also discussed. The analytical and numerical results shed light on how a manufacturer can design a contract to improve the channel performance. In particular, it is shown that these two types of contracts can coordinate the supply chain and arbitrarily allocate the expected channel profit between the manufacturer and the retailer.


We describe a program called SketchIT capable of producing multiple families of designs from a single sketch. The program is given a rough sketch (drawn using line segments for part faces and icons for springs and kinematic joints) and a description of the desired behavior. The sketch is ``rough'''' in the sense that taken literally, it may not work. From this single, perhaps flawed sketch and the behavior description, the program produces an entire family of working designs. The program also produces design variants, each of which is itself a family of designs. SketchIT represents each family of designs with a ``behavior ensuring parametric model'''' (BEP-Model), a parametric model augmented with a set of constraints that ensure the geometry provides the desired behavior. The construction of the BEP-Model from the sketch and behavior description is the primary task and source of difficulty in this undertaking. SketchIT begins by abstracting the sketch to produce a qualitative configuration space (qc- space) which it then uses as its primary representation of behavior. SketchIT modifies this initial qc-space until qualitative simulation verifies that it produces the desired behavior. SketchIT''s task is then to find geometries that implement this qc-space. It does this using a library of qc-space fragments. Each fragment is a piece of parametric geometry with a set of constraints that ensure the geometry implements a specific kind of boundary (qcs-curve) in qc-space. SketchIT assembles the fragments to produce the BEP-Model. SketchIT produces design variants by mapping the qc-space to multiple implementations, and by transforming rotating parts to translating parts and vice versa.


Similarity analytic techniques such as distance based joins and regularized learning models are critical tools employed in numerous data mining and machine learning tasks. We focus on two typical techniques in the context of large scale data and distributed clusters. Advanced distance metrics such as the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) are usually employed to capture the similarity between data dimensions. The high computational cost of EMD calls for a distributed solution, yet it is difficult to achieve a balanced workloads given the skewed distribution of the EMDs. We propose efficient bounding techniques and effective workload scheduling strategies on the Hadoop platform to design a scalable solution, named HEADS-JOIN. We investigate both the range joins and the top-k joins, and explore different computation paradigms including MapReduce, BSP, and Spark. We conduct comprehensive experiments and confirm that the proposed techniques achieve an order of magnitude speedup over the state-of-the-art MapReduce join algorithms. The hypergraph model is demonstrated to achieve excellent effectiveness in a wide range of applications where high-order relationships are of interest. When processing a large scale hypergraph, one widely-adopted approach is to convert it to a graph and reuse the distributed graph frameworks. However, such an approach significantly increases the problem size, incurs excessive replicas due to partitioning, and renders it extremely difficult to achieve a balanced workloads. We propose a novel scalable framework, named HyperX, to directly operate on a distributed hypergraph representation and minimize the numbers of replicas while still maintaining a great workload balance among the distributed machines. We closely investigate an optimization problem of partitioning a hypergraph in the context of distributed computation. With extensive experiii iments, we confirm that HyperX achieve an order of magnitude improvement over the graph conversion approach in terms of the execution time, network communication, and memory consumption.


The Clinton administration originally had made 'industry self-regulation' its guiding principle for standardizing cyberspace. So far, this principle has not been changed by the succeeding administration. This paper is a historical and conceptual assessment of that policy, examined through the prism of comparative institutional theory. Historical analysis of the last two decades shows that industry 'self-regulation' was not always a coherent policy but partly a rhetorical device used to legitimize the government's own agendas, i.e. cyberspace's architecture and its infrastructure mandated design. Thus far, there are still far too many inconsistencies in its formal standardization policies. The intentions, actions and declarations aimed at further privatizing the net's funding and governance - on the one hand, as can be seen in the quasi-privatization of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) case study; On the other hand, the practice of offstage centralization of early infrastructure standardization policies.Consideration of cyberspace's unique multi-layered architecture, will then attempt to answer the comparative institutional question of 'who should standardize the net?' This question would be subject to the distinctive production process of cyber standards. Thus, distinguishing between early infrastructure standardization on the one hand and complementing application standardization on the other. This is in reference to the FCC's incomplete legal category definitions. This study will conclude with a set of comprehensive policy rules backed by a caveat; as with analogous IT standardization regimes, unless distinctive standardization categories and policies will be maintained en bloc and thus sequentially and context-based - cyberspace's present relatively successful institutional regulative reality may not always be preserved effectively also prospectively.


Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as an atmospheric pollutant is strongly related to increased mortality and morbidity. The empirically established link between aerosol concentration and human health compels increased efforts to reduce the atmospheric concentrations of fine particles. Organic material accounts for about 20-60% of the total PM2.5 and contains substances of known toxicity. It has been shown that in some areas secondary organic aerosol (SOA) accounts for 20% of the total organic aerosol throughout the year but can contribute up to 70% in smog episodes. The estimation of the sources and concentrations of organic aerosol is therefore crucial to the proper assessment of related health effects

Part of this work attempts a critical review of the literature on SOA. The goal is to describe formation mechanisms, to identify likely precursor gases, and to estimate the SOA contribution to PM2.5. SOA forms by oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC). The aerosol yield varies significantly among different VOC species as well as source sectors and the contribution of SOA to the total particulate organic material is dependent on the time of the day and the season. The consequences of these findings for reduction strategies are discussed.

The knowledge gained in the literature review is further used to exemplify a possible procedure to assess and compare the aerosol formation potential of some source sectors used in the RAINS model. It is found that traffic and solvent use in the printing industry and paint are important sectors for SOA production.


Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Andy Warhol all wrote fiction ? but there has never previously been a compilation of the prose of British artists. The Alpine Fantasy of Victor B and Other Stories brings together seventeen of Britain?s leading contemporary artists in one collection. Moving, humorous and sometimes deeply macabre, these stories deal with dementia, mortality, mass murder and madness. A young woman derails a Virgin train, killing twenty people, as an experiment in conquering death; a boy fakes an accident to get the attention of the girl of his dreams; an alpine hiker advocates murder as an environmental clean-up solution; and time goes backwards as we witness the ?unlynching? of a paedophile by the local neighbourhood watch. Challenging and expanding notions of art and what artists do, The Alpine Fantasy of Victor B and Other Stories is a haunting exploration of the impulses that drive today?s artists.


Abstract An advanced Mendelian Cannabis breeding program has been developed utilizing chemical markers to maximize the yield of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids with the aim to improve therapeutic efficacy and safety. Cannabis is often divided into several categories based on cannabinoid content. Type I, Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-predominant, is the prevalent offering in both medical and recreational marketplaces. In recent years, the therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol have been better recognized, leading to the promotion of additional chemovars: Type II, Cannabis that contains both Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, and cannabidiol-predominant Type III Cannabis. While high-Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol and high-myrcene chemovars dominate markets, these may not be optimal for patients who require distinct chemical profiles to achieve symptomatic relief. Type II Cannabis chemovars that display cannabidiol- and terpenoid-rich profiles have the potential to improve both efficacy and minimize adverse events associated with Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure. Cannabis samples were analyzed for cannabinoid and terpenoid content, and analytical results are presented via PhytoFacts, a patent-pending method of graphically displaying phytocannabinoid and terpenoid content, as well as scent, taste, and subjective therapeutic effect data. Examples from the breeding program are highlighted and include Type I, II, and III Cannabis chemovars, those highly potent in terpenoids in general, or single components, for example, limonene, pinene, terpinolene, and linalool. Additionally, it is demonstrated how Type I – III chemovars have been developed with conserved terpenoid proportions. Specific chemovars may produce enhanced analgesia, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and anti-anxiety effects, while simultaneously reducing sequelae of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol such as panic, toxic psychosis, and short-term memory impairment.


A perfect leek from France. Flavorful zucchini from Italy. An infamous potato from Ireland, and a humble lentil from Ethiopia. "100 Vegetables" offers a veritable cornucopia of vegetables and stories from around the world--from Argentina to Zimbabwe, from Australia to the United States. William Woys Weaver--veggie connoisseur, gardener, and historian--guides us through a range of peppers, potatoes, peas, gourds, onions, tomatoes, greens, and a whole lot more. Not every carrot is the same. All beans aren't equal. Take the Petaluma Gold Rush bean, a rugged legume, grown for over 150 years and brought to California by an American whaler from Peru. Or the violet carrot, which the Greeks brought back from India following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Mixing history, culinary suggestions, practical information, and personal anecdotes, Weaver introduces us to unusual heirloom vegetables as well as to common favorites. He provides answers to general questions, such as the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, and presents lively portraits of one hundred vegetable varieties, which he's grown and harvested in his own kitchen garden. Organized alphabetically by common name, 100 Vegetables includes beautifully detailed drawings throughout and a helpful appendix of seed resources.


Systemic immune-mediated reactions are known to occur following typhoid illness. Vasculitis, neuroretinitis and macular neurosensory detachment are amongst the rarely documented aftermath of typhoid fever. A 32-year-old male came with complaints of decreased vision in both eyes with history of typhoid fever (treated adequately 4 weeks prior and declared cured 2 weeks prior to ocular manifestations) who was found to have vasculitis, neuroretinitis and neurosensory detachment at macula. His BCVA was 1/60 in right eye and 6/12 in left eye. The inflammation completely resolved and there was marked improvement in the visual acuity, 6/12 in right eye and 6/6 in left eye after treatment with oral steroids. Immune-mediated vasculitis and neuroretinitis, the ocular aftermath of typhoid fever responded well to oral steroids


The Hunter River is a source of mudstone and silcrete raw material utilised in the manufacture of stone implements in the Central Lowlands of the Hunter Valley. The innate differences in the physical properties of these materials provide a potential source for raw material variability in lithic assemblages. The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate this variability and identify any patterning. A limited survey of the Hunter River channel was undertaken to determine the occurrence of the materials. Samples were taken from two locations where both mudstone and silcrete occur in the gravel deposits. A controlled experiment was devised to objectively test the differences in the materials' physical properties, as expressed by their flakability and heat induced variation. To produce results in a consistent manner, and to eliminate subjective human input in the flaking process, a flaking machine was designed to simulate the human model of hard hammer percussion flaking. Also, similarly shaped rectangular cores were used. Experimental data suggests that the differences in the physical properties of the two materials can account for some of the variability in artefact form, and even assemblage variation. Heat treatment provided the Aboriginal stone worker with a lithic reduction strategy to effectively minimise the behaviour differentials of the two materials, and significantly enhance the flaking properties of one of the materials, silcrete. Experimentally heat treated mudstone and silcrete also exhibited macroscopically distinct colour change.


Road transport is a key source of ambient pollution especially in urban regions. While the moderation of engineout emissions from road transport is seen as key in the improvement of global air quality, the overall sales of automobiles which contribute to air pollution keep rising. This trend has impelled global alertness due to the grave consequences of human exposure to air pollutants. In this light, a study was conducted to review the steps that are being taken by stakeholders in the automotive industry in contending the menace, in terms of research and development; the economy cum the suitability of the methods and devices that are being used in extenuating engine-out emissions. The study revealed that modern hardware based solutions such as high-pressure fuel injection equipment (FIE), sophisticated piezo-injectors, diesel particulate filters (DPF) and associated control systems are prevalent among the existing methods in use by engine designers and manufacturers. However, these technologies are prone to salient setbacks such as limited durability, high cost and difficulty in installing on extant engines, among others. Hence, much as the modern hardware based solutions had to offer, yet there were no one-size-fits-all solutions in place. Most of the existing solutions enjoy, at best, relative advantages over one another. Conversely, the significant revelation of this study were the plethora of prospects that the fuel based solutions and combustion based solutions could offer various stakeholders in the drive towards finding an enduring panacea to engine-out emissions. Therefore, there are room for progress in research and development toward finding sustainable solutions to the threats that engine-out emissions pose to humans and the environments.


Results of demographic analyses of four species of elasmobranchs were compared by use of life-history tables, Leslie matrices, and several stage-based matrix models. Dasyatis violacea, with few age classes, was used to demonstrate the basics of Leslie-matrix and stage-based matrix model calculations. The demography for Carcharias taurus, with a 2-year reproductive cycle, produced higher potential population growth using actual fertility rather than effective annual fertility. The demography for Alopias pelagicus, with continuous reproduction, produced higher potential population growth for a birth-flow than a birth-pulse population. The Carcharodon carcharias example demonstrated only a small difference in potential population growth between step-like and logistic fertility functions. Stage-based models with fixed stage duration produced potential population growths identical to those obtained from a life-history table or Leslie matrix, but the net reproductive rates and generation times differed. Stage-based models with few stages had different dynamics with shorter recovery to the stable age distribution; they underestimated the elasticity of juvenile survival and overestimated the elasticity of adult survival, suggesting that interpretation should be cautious. Elasticity analyses were used to estimate the number of juvenile age classes that could be fished and have the same effect on potential population growth as fishing all the adult age classes.


BACKGROUND
Pathological gambling (PG), a disabling disorder experienced by approximately 1% of adults, has few empirically validated treatments. A recent study demonstrated that 6 sessions of imaginal desensitization plus motivational interviewing (IDMI) was effective in achieving abstinence for a majority of individuals with PG. This study sought to examine whether those benefits were maintained 6 months post-treatment.

METHODS
Sixty-eight individuals who met DSM-IV criteria for PG were randomly assigned to 6 sessions of IDMI or Gamblers Anonymous (GA) referral over an 8-week period. Participants who failed to respond to GA were offered IDMI after the 8-week acute treatment period. All individuals who responded to IDMI were contacted after 6 months and assessed with measures of gambling severity and psychosocial functioning.

RESULTS
Forty-four participants completed 6 sessions of IDMI (25 initially assigned to IDMI and 19 to GA). Thirty-five of the 44 (79.5%) responded during acute treatment, and all 35 were available for a 6-month evaluation. All gambling severity scales maintained statistically significant gains from baseline, although some measures showed significant worsening compared with post-IDMI treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
Six sessions of IDMI resulted in statistically significant reductions in PG urges and behavior, which were largely maintained for 6 months.


ABSTRACT
Background and objective: There is increasing recognition that sleep is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aims of this study were 2-fold: (i) to analyze the relationship between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome (MetS); and (ii) to examine the associations between sleep problems and MetS in Colombian children and adolescents.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis from the FUPRECOL study (2014-15). Participants included 2,789 (54.2% girls) youth from Bogota (Colombia). MetS was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the metabolic abnormalities (waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], triglycerides, fasting glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure) according to the criteria of de Ferranti and colleges. Self-reported sleep duration and sleep-related problems were assessed with the BEARS questionnaire.
Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that boys who meet recommended duration of sleep had a decreased risk of elevated blood glucose levels (Odds Ratio [OR]=0.71, 95%CI [0.40–0.94]; p=0.031). Excessive sleepiness during the day was related to low HDL-c levels in boys (OR=1.36, 95%CI [1.02–1.83]; p=0.036) and high triglyceride levels in girls (OR=1.28, 95%CI [1.01–1.63]; p=0.045). Girls with irregular sleep patterns had decreased HDL-c levels (OR=0.71, 95%CI [0.55–0.91]; p=0.009).
Conclusions: Recommended sleep duration was associated with a decreased risk of elevated fasting glucose levels in boys, and sleep problems was related to lower HDL-c in girls and higher triglyceride levels in boys. These findings suggested the clinical importance of improving sleep hygiene to reduce metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents.


We present an air-contained display medium that can be directly deformed and spatially moved by various physical interaction techniques for interactive games. We first investigated familiar objects in our everyday lives that allow users to easily anticipate the idea of exertion interaction. We then introduce a novel concept of interactive medium, dubbed Inflated Roly-Poly, which consists of an inflated body with a roly-poly structure. This device receives physical input, provides passive haptic feedback and allows spatial interaction. We discuss a number of interaction techniques with game applications on Inflated Roly-Poly that presents an engaging experience through full-body interaction. Finally, we conducted an experience workshop with four participants. The workshop proved that an inflated screen coupled with a roly-poly structure exceeds the capabilities of the rigid touch screens in terms of engagement in physical interaction.


There are 14 million female adolescents in Bangladesh. Half of them aged 15-19 years are married. A large majority of adolescents are ignorant about sexuality, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV and AIDS. Attempts to address the needs of the adolescents through the existing health and education systems have so far been inadequate despite relevant policies have been in place. The country is facing the challenge of implementing the policies in an effective manner. This study was carried out to assess the feasibility of providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services, and to assess its impact on knowledge, attitude and service utilization. A quasi-experimental design with pre-post measurements was used. Interventions included training of teachers, facilitators, and service providers for providing SRH information and services to adolescents in schools, communities, and health facilities respectively. Interventions resulted in a significant increase in the level of SRH knowledge among adolescents compared to the control site. Adolescents who were exposed to the interventions showed more favorable attitudes towards use of health facility for contraceptives services and use of condom by unmarried sexually active adolescents than the non-exposed in the experimental sites. This was also translated into the increased use of health facilities for SRH services.


This paper examines how Brexit has influenced the UK's transparency regime and how openness, in turn, will shape the UK's Brexit process. There are three ways of looking at Brexit and open government: through possible changes to old policies and the pushing of new ones, through the new Prime Minister championing transparency or supporting secrecy, and the openness of the Brexit process itself, which so far has seen a struggle between the executive's secretive prerogative powers and the legislature's rights to know.
May's government will also be seen as one that prized secrecy but conceded openness, an object (and abject) lesson in how hard it is to keep government closed in the 21st century. The May administration 2016-2017 is likely to be remembered as a secretive one, headed by a Prime Minister that wished to govern through confidentiality and closed networks. Though there were some high profile openness policies they were inherited and proceeded slowly, if at all.
Brexit reveals how badly the approach misfired. The government's plan of no 'running commentary' and secrecy was undermined by the Supreme Court, the UK Parliament and the EU Commission, who all forced greater transparency and greatly limited May's room for manoeuvre and concealment. The three institutions, creating and using 'institution friction' to open up government, also exposed the government's lack of preparation and undermined the UK's credibility and leverage even before Brexit began.


Provenance, from the French word "provenir" meaning "to come from", describes the lineage of an entity. Provenance is critical information in eScience to accurately interpret scientific results. Though information provenance has been recognized as a hard problem in computing science (British Computing Society, 2004), many fundamental research issues in provenance have yet to be addressed. A common provenance model with well-defined formal semantics to facilitate interoperability of provenance metadata from different sources has not been defined. Another important issue is the lack of a systematic study of provenance query characteristics across multiple applications. A classification or taxonomy of the provenance queries will not only help to better understand provenance metadata, but will also enable the definition of provenance query operators. Finally, while provenance for a user or an application is a specific view over all available provenance metadata, a provenance management system that supports provenance storage as views has not been implemented. In this paper we propose a novel provenance algebra consisting of a common provenance model called provenir, defined in description logic based W3C Web Ontology Language (OWLDL), along with a set of provenance query operators derived from the classification of provenance queries. We also introduce a practical provenance storage solution using materialized views over a generic relational database system. Our approach takes advantage of provenance query operators and well-defined indices to efficiently process complex provenance queries over very large datasets. To support our claims we present an evaluation of both performance and scalability aspects of our initial implementation. To the best of our knowledge this is the first provenance management system that supports the complete process from a formal provenance model and query operators to storage and efficient queries over provenance data.


Comparisons on scores for the Cognitive Dissonance Test were made between 243 Canadian and 1275 United States high school students. Some gender differences were found for the two groups and in general, the United States male high school students showed greater cognitive dissonance than did the females. The Canadian students were shown to have both significantly lower dissonance scores and lie scores than their United States counterparts. The structure of the two societies might have contributed to the difference. The present study sought to make comparisons on scores for The Cognitive Dissonance Test (DISS) (Cassel et al., 2000) between Canadian and United States high school students. DISS seeks to assess the nature and degree of cognitive dissonance (feeling of discomfort) present, which is often hidden deep in the unconscious, and sometimes causes serious health problems. These feelings tend to interfere with effective learning and human productivity. When people are made aware of the presence and nature of cognitive dissonance, they can take action to eliminate it. Groups Involved There were 243 students from three high schools in rural Northern Ontario, Canada, ranging in age from 13 to 27 years of age, with a mean age of 16.58, and with a standard deviation of 1.49 years. There were 146 females and 97 males. The United States high school group was from several urban high schools and had 1275 members ranging in age form 14 to 20, with a mean age of 16.18, and with a standard deviation of 1.37 years. There were 651 females and 624 males. Gender Differences A t-statistic was computed between the DISS mean scores for both the Canadian and United States students in relation to gender. For the Canadian high school students, there was no significant difference in scores for the different ages, and only two of the eight part scores showed a statistical difference for gender: (1) the Personal Adjustment score with a statistical significance of 0.034, with females showing the greater cognitive dissonance; and (2) the School and Learning score with a significance of 0.041, with males showing the greater cognitive dissonance. For the United States high school students the following scores showed statistically significant differences for gender as follows: the Home and Family score was significantly different at the 0.003 level, with greater cognitive dissonance for females; the School and Learning score was significant at the 0.038 level, with the greater cognitive dissonance for males; Social and Affiliation showed a difference at the 0.016 level, with the greater cognitive dissonance for males; and Survival and Power showed a difference at the 0.001 level, with the greater cognitive dissonance for males. As a group, the United States male high school students showed greater cognitive dissonance than did the females. Differences Between the Two High Schools A t-statistic was computed between the DISS mean scores for the Canadian and United States high schools as depicted in Table 1 below. Every one of the DISS scores showed a statistically significant difference at the 0.001 level with lower scores for the Canadian students. The Canadian students were 1.44 years older than the United States students, which may account in part for the lower cognitive dissonance mean scores. Except for Home and Family, all Canadian standard deviations were larger than comparable deviation scores for the United States students. Many of the Canadian students had low cognitive dissonance on the eight DISS part scores, but none of the United States students had such low cognitive dissonance scores. The LIE scores were significantly lower for the Canadian students showing greater understanding than their American counterparts. In spite of the referenced lower LIE score, 90 Canadian students failed to indicate either their age or their gender, and were dropped from the study. Table 1 A t-Statistic Between DISS Means for Two High School Groups (Canada=243 & US=1275) United DISS Canadian States Diffe- t- Proba- Scores Students Students rence Statistic bility Home & Family-HOM: M 26. …


Getting Started with a SIMPLIS Approach is particularly appropriate for those users who are not experts in statistics, but have a basic understanding of multivariate analysis that would allow them to use this handbook as a good first foray into LISREL. Part I introduces the topic, presents the study that serves as the background for the explanation of matters, and provides the basis for Parts II and III, which, in turn, explain the process of estimation of the measurement model and the structural model, respectively. In each section, we also suggest essential literature to support the utilization of the handbook. After having read the book, readers will have acquired a basic knowledge of structural equation modeling, namely using the LISREL program, and will be prepared to continue with the learning process.


Eating and Healing is aimed at exploring the idea that food can heal. The underlying argument of the volume is that, around the world, indigenous and rural people do not separate food and medicine, but rather consider them in a continuum. From the use in Spain of herbal teas as digestive beverages, to the antioxidant properties of Tibetan foods, we learn that the continuum concept is not unique to a single culture, but a common way in which humans use the natural environment. The various chapters of the volume describe a range of wild and semi-domesticated foods that traditionally have been used both as food and medicine. Although most chapters focus on the use of wild and semi-domesticated plants, the consumption of other foods (i.e., fish, mushrooms, seaweed) suggests that the overlapping nature of food and medicine is not particular to the plant kingdom, but a common way of conceptualizing. The publication of this volume is timely. The book appears at a moment in which the use of food as medicine is gaining attention among the general public in Western society. The volume, however, presents a refreshing perspective of the link between food intake and health. While medical doctors recommend the intake of dietary supplements and food scientists work to develop new "miraculous" foods (such as the golden rice) containing the nutrients lacking in many diets, this book is a call to go back to the essentials, to look at the local resources around us, and to consider the cultural context interwoven with the consumption of foods and medicines. As a whole, however, the volume does not present an overly optimistic and simplistic approach. Throughout the book, different authors point at three potential caveats of generalizing the ingestion of traditional foods as medicines. First, plants that are highly nutritious also have the potential to be highly toxic, so it is not possible to generalize their consumption without further inspection. Second, the eating of traditional foods and medicines is culturally prescribed and their intake disregarding the cultural system associated to them can result in a loss of effectiveness. Last, promoting the consumption of wild foods as medicines can increase the demand of those foods with potential pernicious effects on their sustainable use because of overextraction. By addressing the interface between food, medicine, and culture, Eating and Healing fills an important gap in ethnobiological research. The volume, however, would have benefited from including more quantitative contributions testing the various hypotheses presented. For example, quantitative data should allow researchers to test whether, in fact, people maintaining traditional diets enjoy better health. Future studies on the topic would benefit from using quantitative methods to test the relations between food and medicine. Victoria Reyes-García Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambiental Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain email@example.com


In this article we aim to redefine the notion of informal space through the analysis of their cartographic representations as produced by urban planners. To this end we undertake a historical review of three key planning episodes of Buenos Aires (Argentina) developed during the post-war period. Rather than delving into the content or context of plans and maps, we focus on the effects of transparency they produce, to show how technical knowledge and political objectives are mutually structured, stabilizing and naturalizing, in this process, a specific epistemology of informal spaces. Beyond empiric legal and sociological definitions, informal spaces are a specific type of heterotopia that, filtered by the modernist normativity, can be explained by notions such as the transitory, the omitted and the prospective. The article contributes not only to critical theory discussions about urban planning practice, but also to the analytical frameworks of Urban Studies and urban informality.


The upcoming 5G technologies promise to enable ultra low latency services such as remote robotics, augmented reality or vehicle to vehicle communications. Fog and MEC computing can enable low latency services for many different scenarios by moving the cloud and some network functions closer to the user. In the case of mobile networks this improvement is traditionally introduced in the reference point that defines the limit of the operator domain. In this paper we explore the introduction of an intermediate component in the LTE standard architecture, describing its functionality and providing experimental results on its use. This component, called Fog Gateway, can process the data plane for specific services to prevent all the traffic reaching the core network. The gateway analyzes the GTP traffic inner destination IP in order to determine whether to route the packet to the fog network or forward it to the destination SGW. The solution is compliant with standard LTE equipment all along the path (UE, eNodeB, EPC), so it can be implemented in current networks, and the preliminary figures, obtained combining emulated and COTS equipment, show an improvement of up to the 78% in terms of latency reduction.


The contest between 'bricks versus clicks', with the disruptive effect of ecommerce on traditional retail formats, is starting to be felt in Thailand. Specifically, home improvement retailers are therefore having to adapt, by creating unique online shopping experiences, which is enhanced by sophisticated electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) systems designed to capture and retain a digitally savvy Thai consumer. Seeing the critical nature if the eCRM process, the researchers undertook an analysis of the opinions of 465 consumers who shopped at one of the five top Thai home improvement retailer stores. Using LISREL 9.10 software to examine the nine hypotheses structural equation model (SEM), it was determined that all the causal factors in the model have a positive influence on customer loyalty, which can be explained by 73% of the variance in Thai home improvement retailer customer loyalty (R2). The causal variables influencing customer loyalty ranked from highest to lowest, were SERVQUAL, customer satisfaction, corporate social responsibility, and eCRM, with a total value of the influence at 0.57, 0.38, 0.29 and 0.29, respectively. Additionally, the study revealed that extreme caution was needed when social media platforms are used in marketing, as overwhelming consumers with poorly targeted, 'spray and pray' style marketing campaigns can generate disenfranchised consumers who unsubscribe from the marketer's channel.


Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) as candidates for dominant energy conversion devices based on the higher energy densities of liquid methanol show unique advantages over hydrogen-based fuel cells, such as cheapness and ease of storage and transportation. However, the fundamental challenges for electrochemical oxidation of methanol are the sluggish electro-oxidation kinetics and recovery of Pt surfaces to lower costs. Here, we report a mixed solvent strategy to prepare a highly active and durable class of electrocatalysts with connected single crystalline nanoparticles (NPs), forming an open architecture. Each single crystalline NP along PtCu nanotubes (NTs) can be considered as a highly active unit with specific facet and assembles along one-dimensional (1D) direction. The Pt1Cu1–AA NTs achieve a factor of 5.5 and 10.3 enhancement in mass activity (2252 mA mg−1) and specific activity (6.09 mA cm−2) for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) relative to Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Moreover, after long-term stability tests, the activity of the NTs could be recovered via a simple potential cycling process (reactivation process) to the initial value or better. Thus this kind of catalysts would limit the costs to the initial investment and recovery and show potential possibility in real DMFC devices.


To maximise the benefits of globalisation, countries and their stakeholders must become familiar with and adhere to the rights and obligations set out by the World Trade Organization under the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. Furthermore, for trade in animals and animal products, they must adhere to the standards, guidelines and recommendations established by the OIE (World organisation for animal health), which also encourages participation of countries in the standard-setting process. Only after implementing these requirements and strengthening veterinary infrastructures and surveillance and monitoring systems, will countries be able to fully benefit from the new international trade rules.


Abstract Biomedical nanotechnology is revolutionizing the approach to many infectious diseases by providing rapid and simple therapeutic and diagnostic agents. About half of the world's population is at risk of infection with malaria, while treatment and control have become more difficult. Traditional protein-based malaria vaccines elicit only antibody-mediated (humoral) immune responses and are often expensive because they rely on costly manufacturing methods that are not usually available in countries where the disease is endemic. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a rapid, effective and inexpensive vaccine that might be affordable in low-resource areas. DNA vaccines have emerged as a potential new strategy against malaria because of their low manufacturing cost and ability to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses against antigens encoded by recombinant DNA. However, the efficiency of delivery of the DNA vaccines is often observed to be low. The use of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs) vectors to deliver the malaria gene via magnetofection could help improve the efficacy of gene delivery with a low dose and site specific in vivo applications. Here, magnetofection was used to enhance the delivery of malaria DNA vaccine encoding Plasmodium yoelii merozoite surface protein MSP119 (VR1020-PyMSP119) that plays a critical role in Plasmodium immunity. The plasmid DNA (pDNA) containing membrane associated 19-kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment of merozoite surface protein1 (PyMSP119) was conjugated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) - coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs) with different molar ratios of PEI nitrogen to DNA phosphate (N/P). The effects of SPIONs/PEI complexation pH on the properties of the resulting particles are reported, including their ability to condense DNA and express gene in eukaryotic cells in vitro. SPIONs/PEI complexes under acidic pH conditions showed a better binding capability with VR1020-PyMSP119 than those at neutral conditions, despite the negligible differences in size and surface charge of complexes. The transfection efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles as a carrier for malaria DNA vaccines in vitro as indicated via PyMSP119 expression was significantly enhanced under the application of an external magnetic field, while the cytotoxicity was comparable to the benchmark non-viral reagent (Lipofectamine 2000). Subsequently, magnetofection also showed higher serum antibody titers against PyMSP119 with intraperitoneal and intramuscular injections via in vivo mouse study, compared to subcutaneous and intradermal injections. Robust IgG2a and IgG1 responses were observed for intraperitoneal administration, which could be due to the physiology of peritoneum as a major reservoir of macrophages and dendritic cells. Heterologous DNA prime followed by a single protein boost with recombinant EcPyMSP119 protein vaccination regime was also tested. The regime showed enhanced IgG2a, IgG1, and IgG2b responses, indicating that the induction of appropriate memory immunity that can be elicited by proteins on recall. The assembly order of different quaternary magnetic gene vector configurations comprising SPIONs, PEI, hyaluronic acid (HA), and pDNA (VR1020-PyMSP119) was also investigated in this thesis. The impacts of different cell media on the particle stability in terms of complex size, surface charge, stability, and ability to bind and release DNA were studied. Generally, all vectors showed a relatively small size in water, whereas a higher degree of aggregation was observed immediately after transferring to high-ionic strength media such as 150 mM NaCl buffer and RPMI 1640 culture media. However, the pre-addition of HA to DNA prior adding them to SPIONs/PEI complexes effectively reduced the extent of aggregation in serum-free RPMI, particularly at high HA : PEI % charge ratio. This study demonstrated that structurally well-defined magnetic gene carriers could be designed to improve malaria DNA vaccine delivery systems, for in vitro and in vivo applications. Non-viral polymeric DNA vaccine carriers are likely to be more immunogenic if they can be efficiently taken up by potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells (DCs). Efficient DC targeting vaccines require high efficiency for binding and up-take of the vaccine by cells, followed by DC activation and maturation. Since the pre-addition of HA to DNA prior to SPION/PEI configuration vectors, in particular, displayed the desired degree of stability in terms of narrow size distributions and high stability in RPMI cell media, these vectors was used to transfect dendritic cells that were problematic in order to transfect through HA receptor-mediated endocytosis. The effects of magnetic fields on the transfection and maturation of DCs in vitro by these vectors were investigated using different molecular weights of the HA and % charge ratios of HA: PEI. Among the vectors tested, complexes containing high molecular weight of HA with % high charge ratio of HA : PEI under an external magnetic field yielded a better DC transfection/ maturation than others. This phenomenon was attributed to gene complex stability and transfection efficiency, possibly due to long molecular chains and the higher mucoadhesive properties of high molecular weight HA that enhanced HA ligands accessibility to the DC cell receptors and promoted the multivalent binding to the receptors. Insights gained should improve the design of more effective DNA vaccine delivery systems.


Image restoration is a critical preprocessing step in computer vision,
producing images with reduced noise, blur, and pixel defects.
This enables precise higher-level reasoning as to the scene content in
later stages of the vision pipeline (e.g., object segmentation,
detection, recognition, and tracking).
Restoration techniques have found extensive usage in a broad range of
applications from industry, medicine, astronomy, biology, and
photography.
The recovery of high-grade results requires models of the image
degradation process, giving rise to a class of often heavily
underconstrained, inverse problems.
A further challenge specific to the problem of blur removal is noise
amplification, which may cause strong distortion by ringing artifacts.
This dissertation presents new insights and problem solving procedures
for three areas of image restoration, namely (1) model
foundations, (2) Bayesian inference for high-order Markov
random fields (MRFs), and (3) blind image deblurring
(deconvolution).

As basic research on model foundations, we contribute to reconciling
the perceived differences between probabilistic MRFs on the one hand,
and deterministic variational models on the other.
To do so, we restrict the variational functional to locally supported finite
elements (FE) and integrate over the domain.
This yields a sum of terms depending locally on FE basis coefficients,
and by identifying the latter with pixels, the terms resolve to MRF
potential functions.
In contrast with previous literature, we place special emphasis on robust
regularizers used commonly in contemporary computer vision.
Moreover, we draw samples from the derived models to further
demonstrate the probabilistic connection.

Another focal issue is a class of high-order Field of Experts MRFs
which are learned generatively from natural image data and yield
best quantitative results under Bayesian estimation.
This involves minimizing an integral expression, which has no closed
form solution in general.
However, the MRF class under study has Gaussian mixture potentials,
permitting expansion by indicator variables as a technical measure.
As approximate inference method, we study Gibbs sampling in the
context of non-blind deblurring and obtain excellent results, yet
at the cost of high computing effort.
In reaction to this, we turn to the mean field algorithm, and show
that it scales quadratically in the clique size for a standard
restoration setting with linear degradation model.
An empirical study of mean field over several restoration scenarios
confirms advantageous properties with regard to both image quality and
computational runtime.

This dissertation further examines the problem of blind deconvolution,
beginning with localized blur from fast moving objects in the
scene, or from camera defocus.
Forgoing dedicated hardware or user labels, we rely only on the image
as input and introduce a latent variable model to explain the
non-uniform blur.
The inference procedure estimates freely varying kernels and we
demonstrate its generality by extensive experiments.

We further present a discriminative method for blind removal of camera
shake.
In particular, we interleave discriminative non-blind deconvolution
steps with kernel estimation and leverage the error cancellation
effects of the Regression Tree Field model to attain a deblurring
process with tightly linked sequential stages.


Eight herbicide treatments were applied by low-volume basal applications and compared to hand cutting for the removal of Ailanthus altissima. Manual cutting of Ailanthus stimulated resprouting and increased overall stand density. Chemical control not only removed existing trees but also prevented resprouting. When evaluated 2 years after treatment, optimal control of Ailanthus was achieved with a combination of Garlon 4 and Tordon K herbicides. Garlon 4 at 20% v/v alone, Garlon 4 combined with Stalker, or Stalker herbicide alone controlled Ailanthus better than hand cutting but were not as effective as treatments containing picloram. Removal of Ailanthus resulted in a shift in herbaceous species to native species of the region without reseeding with naturally occurring herbs. Manual control of Ailanthus should be avoided in order to prevent proliferation. Herbicide control of Ailanthus is the preferred method of control because it successfully kills the trees and prevents resprouting. Because major Ailanthus infestations occur near roadways, access with a backpack sprayer should be achievable.


You code. And code. And code. You build only to rebuild. You focus on making your site compatible with almost every browser or wireless device ever put out there. Then along comes a new device or a new browser, and you start all over again.You can get off the merry-go-round.It's time to stop living in the past and get away from the days of spaghetti code, insanely nested table layouts, tags, and other redundancies that double and triple the bandwidth of even the simplest sites. Instead, it's time for forward compatibility.Isn't it high time you started designing with web standards?Standards aren't about leaving users behind or adhering to inflexible rules. Standards are about building sophisticated, beautiful sites that will work as well tomorrow as they do today. You can't afford to design tomorrow's sites with yesterday's piecemeal methods.Jeffrey teaches you to: Slash design, development, and quality assurance costs (or do great work in spite of constrained budgets) Deliver superb design and sophisticated functionality without worrying about browser incompatibilities Set up your site to work as well five years from now as it does today Redesign in hours instead of days or weeks Welcome new visitors and make your content more visible to search engines Stay on the right side of accessibility laws and guidelines Support wireless and PDA users without the hassle and expense of multiple versions Improve user experience with faster load times and fewer compatibility headaches Separate presentation from structure and behavior, facilitating advanced publishing workflows


As social roles and relationships become increasingly inseparable from people's interactions with information technologies (ITs), new constructs representing this intertwinement are needed to expand understandings of human behavior. As part of that endeavor, this paper draws on structural symbolic interactionist identity theories to systematically develop a conceptual definition of one such construct, IT identity--defined as the extent to which an individual views use of an IT as integral to his or her sense of self--as a new form of identity. The construct is framed within a theoretical model. Our goal is to facilitate the establishment of IT identity as an important and relevant construct that can improve our understanding of a variety of phenomena. In doing so, this paper makes three contributions to the information systems (IS) literature. First, it delineates current understanding of IT as a medium, determinant, or consequent of identity. Second, it defines the conceptual domain and theme of IT identity, which is necessary for investigating the construct's theoretical influence. Third, it demonstrates the utility of IT identity to a wide range of IS topics relating to how people express, maintain, and expand their self-concepts. In doing so, it offers potential directions and opportunities for IS researchers to incorporate this novel concept into IS research.


This article aims to assess the role played by the rule of law in discourse by critics of the Singapore Government's policies and in the Government's responses to such criticisms. It argues that in the past the two narratives clashed over conceptions of the rule of law, but there is now evidence of convergence of thinking as regards the need to protect human rights, though not necessarily as to how the balance between rights and other public interests should be struck. The article also examines why the rule of law must be regarded as a constitutional doctrine in Singapore, the legal implications of this fact, and how useful the doctrine is in fostering greater solicitude for human rights.


A lack of renewable resources and their inefficient use is a major challenge facing the society. Lignin is a natural biopolymer obtained mainly as a by-product from the pulp- and paper-making industries, and is primarily burned to produce energy. However, interest for using lignin in more advanced applications has increased rapidly. In particular, lignin based nanoparticles could find potential use in functional surface coatings, nanoglue, drug delivery, and microfluidic devices. In this work, a straightforward method to produce lignin nanoparticles from waste lignin obtained from kraft pulping is introduced. Spherical lignin nanoparticles were obtained by dissolving softwood kraft lignin in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and subsequently introducing water into the system through dialysis. No chemical modification of lignin was needed. Water acts as a non-solvent reducing lignin's degrees of freedom causing the segregation of hydrophobic regions to compartments within the forming nanoparticles. The final size of the nanoparticles depended on the pre-dialysis concentration of dissolved lignin. The stability of the nanoparticle dispersion as a function of time, salt concentration and pH was studied. In pure water and at room temperature the lignin nanoparticle dispersion was stable for over two months, but a very low pH or high salt concentration induced aggregation. It was further demonstrated that the surface charge of the particles could be reversed and stable cationic lignin nanoparticles were produced by adsorption of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC).


During the last years, component based software development has become a well accepted software engineering paradigm within the automotive industry. This fact is not only reflected by upcoming development tools but also by newly arising automotive software standards. In component based software engineering, applications are built by assembling small reusable building blocks, the components. Typically more than one component implementation meets the application developer's requirements, so proper selection of the assembled components becomes a key element of the whole procurement and engineering process. This paper's contribution is twofold: First, a basic set of performance and dependability metrics and measures for automotive components is identified. Second, a unified benchmarking process is proposed, that allows an unambiguous comparison of distinct component implementations of a given component class.


Diel variation of feeding by ostracods and harpacticoid copepod species on microalgae was examined in a mudflat of a Spartina alterniflora saltmarsh. Feeding (gut pigments and consumption of 14C‐labeled algae) and benthic microalgal abundance and composition (HPLC analysis of photopigments) were measured every 6 h over a 48‐h period. Midday feeding peaks were detected in Coullana sp. juveniles and adult females (but not males), Microarthridion littorale, Pseudostenhelia wellsi, and ostracods and were coincident with peaks in microalgal biomass. This pattern of midday feeding peaks by meiofauna differs from classical models of zooplankton feeding, which typically peak at night. Midday feeding peaks were apparently influenced by functional responses to food availability (ostracods and Coullana sp. females and juveniles), entrained diel rhythms (M. littorale), influence of light—positive (M.littorale) or negative (Coullana sp.), and possibly by vertical migration of diatoms within sediment. The negative influence of light on grazing by Coullana sp. may have implications for its feeding activity during midday low tides. Diatoms dominated the benthic microalgae, but cyanobacteria and chlorophytes contributed significantly to the planktonic community. Coullana sp. gut pigments indicate that at least part of its diet is planktonic, but it selectively avoids planktonic cyanobacteria. Diel variation of microalgal biomass appears to be influenced by meiofaunal grazing, which implies that meiofauna represent an important link between microalgal primary production and higher trophic levels.


Coleoptera, the beetles, account for nearly 25% of all known animal species, and nearly 18% of all described species of life on the planet. Their species richness is equal to the number of all plant species in the world and six times the number of all vertebrate species. They are found almost everywhere, yet many minute or cryptic species go virtually un-noticed even by trained naturalists. Little wonder, then, that such a dominant group might pass through time relatively unknown to most naturalists, hobbyists, and even entomologists; even an elementary comprehension of the beetle fauna of our own region has not been attempted. A single, fragmentary and incomplete list of beetle species was published for Wisconsin in the late 1800's; the last three words of the final entry merely say, "to be continued." The present, preliminary, survey chronicles nothing more than a benchmark, a definitive starting point from which to build. For we cannot hope to manage, or even fully appreciate, a community or ecosystem when we do not even know the magnitude or identity of the most species-rich components. Of 103 beetle families known or presumed to inhabit Wisconsin, this survey establishes the presence of 51 families. The annotated list documents approximately 127 species as well as 16 new county records and one new state record.


Bargaining structure has traditionally been at the centre of
Industrial Relations research, and increasingly attention is being
given to the influences upon it. This study examines management's
attempts to regulate union behaviour in four organisations having
different bargaining structures. These are treated as case studies
and using qualitative data they are compared to study three relationships:
between management structure and bargaining structure; between
bargaining structure and union behaviour; and between situational
determinants and bargaining structure.
The background to the thesis is outlined in Part I. This
introduces the study, des0ribes the research method, and then applies
some of the research data available to previous hypotheses. A number
of tentative proposals are put forward regarding bargaining structure
and the influences upon it which are pursued in Part III.
The four case studies are systematically analysed in the
following four chapters. For each collective bargaining in practice
is outlined followed by an analysis of managerial attempts to regulate
this.
Part III draws on this raw data and analyses managerial
involvement in Industrial Relations in two stages. Initially a framework
for the study of managerial involvement is developed which puts
bargaining structure in its context. Secondly using an established
criterion the effectiveness of management control over union activity
is examined. Finally the implications of the analysis for management,
trade unions, and the reform of Industrial Relations are pursued.
A number of proposals are put forward in this thesis. First
the level of bargaining cannot be studied in isolation, but must be
placed in the context of the other dimensions of bargaining structure.
Second, bargaining structure is influenced by constraints both
internal and external to the organisation, yet management appear
to have a good deal of discretion in choosing a particular structure.
Third, bargaining structure must be placed within the context of the
control systems used by management, many of which may not immediately
be concerned with Industrial Relations. Finally, to understand
managerial control over union activity we must look not only at the
control systems but also the legitimacy of managerial authority.
Put together these proposals contribute to our understanding of likely
future changes in bargaining structure, and the shape possible reforms
might take.


The problems of observing, controlling and stabilizing wave processes arise in many different contexts ranging from structural mechanics to seismic waves. In a suitable functional setting, they are closely interconnected and sometimes completely equivalent. In a series of previous articles we have addressed the problem of the optimal design of sensors for purely conservative wave models. We analyzed a relaxed version of the optimal observation problem, considering the expectation of solutions under a randomisation procedure, rather than that where all possible solutions are considered in a purely deterministic setting. From an analytical point of view, this randomisation procedure had the advantage of leading to a spectral diagonalisation of the observations. In this way, using fine asymptotic spectral properties of the Laplacian, we disclosed the links between the geometric properties of the domain where waves propagate and the existence of optimal locations for the sensors or, by the contrary, the emergence of relaxation phenomena. Here we show that spectral randomised observability is equivalent to the property of spectral controllability by means of a discrete set of lumped controls acting everywhere on the domain, and distributed according to the shape of the eigenfunctions. Our results on optimal observation then find natural equivalents on the problem of optimal spectral control. We also give an interpretation of these results in terms of a feedback stabilization property, ensuring the exponential decay of the energy of solutions as time tends to infinity.


Intelligent machines increasingly outperform human experts, raising the question of when (and why) humans should remain 'in the loop' of decision-making. One common answer focuses on outcomes: relying on intuition and experience, humans are capable of identifying interpretive errors — sometimes disastrous errors — that elude machines. Though plausible today, this argument will wear thin as technology evolves.

In this Article, we seek out sturdier ground: a defense of human judgment that focuses on the normative integrity of decision-making. Specifically, we propose an account of democratic equality as 'role-reversibility.' In a democracy, those tasked with making decisions should be susceptible, reciprocally, to the impact of decisions; there ought to be a meaningful sense in which the participants' roles in the decisional process could always be inverted. Role-reversibility infuses the act of judgment with a 'there but for the grace of god' dynamic and, in doing so, casts judgment as the result of self-rule.

After defending role-reversibility in concept, we show how it bears out in the paradigm case of criminal jury trials. Although it was not the historical impetus behind the jury trial — at least, not in any strong sense — we argue that role-reversibility explains some of the institution's core features and stands among the best reasons for its preservation. Finally, for the sci-fi enthusiasts among us, role-reversibility offers a prescription as to when the legal system will be ready for robo-jurors and robo-judges: when it incorporates robo-defendants.


An increase in groundwater chloride concentrations was first reported 20 years ago in Finland. This discovery coincided with a sharp rise in the rate of road-salt application – the annual amount of NaCl consumed had increased from 50 t a � 1 in the late 1970s to 140 t a � 1 10 years later. To reverse these trends, research and development projects aimed at the reduced application of sodium chloride and improved protection of valuable groundwater resources were initiated. Several innovations, methods and practices, including the use of brine and pre-wetting, preventive anti-icing, advanced devices for salt spreading, utilization of meteorological online data and rewarding the private contractors for accurate, timely and scarce anti- and deicing, has resulted in a decline of 35% in the amount of salt applied since the early 1990s. Research on the fate and behavior of road salt in groundwater aquifers, predictions of future chloride concentrations and risk assessment have guided the risk management actions taken. Campaigns with reduced salting, use of geomembranes and recent progress on alternative deicing agents provide attractive options for further work towards sound deicing at valuable groundwater areas.


The National Curriculum Statement of South Africa envisages qualified and competent teachers to deal with the diversity of learners and their needs in the classroom. One of the needs refers to all learners (Gr R-12) who need to acquire the necessary social skills to enable them to work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organization and community. These skills refer inter alia to: learning to work with others, listening to others, giving attention, asking clarifying questions, learning how to evaluate, and to praise others, handling conflict, reflecting on group work and allowing all group members to participate. The most obvious place to deal purposefully with the development of social skills is the classroom. This implies that alternative ways and methods of teaching must be introduced to develop the necessary social skills. This article reports on the findings obtained from a combined quantitative and qualitative study that set out to determine the levels of social competence achieved by a group of Grade 2 learners, and the possible association of a cooperative teaching and learning intervention programme for enhancing the social skills of these learners. The results revealed the latent potential of cooperative learning to enhance the social skills of Grade 2 learners. The significance of this research lies in the contribution it makes to establish the social competence of a group of Grade 2 learners and to determine the possibilities for enhancing their social skills through cooperative learning.


This paper presents a dual-edge sampling clock-embedded signaling (CES) DLL based CDR. By combining the proposed dual edge sampling and half-UI embedded clock coding, the proposed method can save 4 times number of the required delay cells compared to the conventional DLL, enhancing the power efficiency and reducing silicon area. The test chip is designed in TSMC 180-nm CMOS process. The core area of the test chip is 0.519*0.137 mm2 and the power efficiency of the proposed CDR is 1.43 mW/Gb/s with wide operating range of 0.5 Gb/s to 3.0 Gb/s.


During the year 2008 La Plata National University (UNLP) has stressed up in its Strategic Plan that all Intellectual Creation from professors, students and researchers must be visible and accessible from outside the scope of this college: the University has a considerable scientific and academic production, and the world might see it if it was somewhere easily available. In this direction, projects such as SeDiCI UNLP have been strongly strengthen, and new projects have been created: The Portal of Journals and The Portal of Congresses. The Portal of Journals, launched in October 2008, aims to provide UNLP's groups —laboratories, researchers, dependences, teachers and students— that have or wish to have an on-line publication with a platform that facilitates the hard work that this kind of task demands; this portal is supported on PKP's OJS software. In the same way, the Portal of Congresses, brought out in April 2009, provides services for everyone in the University that needs help in the accomplishing of any kind of scientific-academic meeting (e.g. congresses, symposiums, workshops); OCS is the platform that is behind this portal. Both brand-new projects have presented many challenges, since most people in UNLP have never had a service as such and they need to learn a new way of carrying out theirs Journals and/or Conferences (including internal organization by division of roles and tasks, communication, revision and publication) and a new software platform as well. In order to smooth out these difficulties, the group in charge of the projects (PrEBi UNLP) have put into practice many measures including workshops, modifications to the platform by users requests, help via email, scheduled meetings with people of one single journal or conference, on-line examples and a collaborative wiki. Besides the advantages that these portals contemplates, both projects articulate theirs efforts with the Diffusion Service of UNLP (SeDiCI), which boosts the dissemination of academic-scientific production. Along this article these measures will be explained in detail, together with the experiences and results obtained from each one which have enable us to identify best practices, detect future problems and achieve great results.


In Argentina, rice is mechanically sowed on dry soil and is then flooded from early tillering to maturity. This practice gives rise to conditions that promote nitrogen losses by volatilization and denitrification. The most recommended N fertilizers for rice have N in the form of ammonium or amides; however, nitric sources have shown advantages. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the responsiveness and absorption efficiency of different sources and forms of nitrogen. Urea, ammonium sulfate (AS), calcium nitrate (CN), solution of urea-ammonium nitrate-thiosulfate (UAN + ATS) and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) were tested. A fertilizer rate of 60 kg N/ha was applied before irrigation and a control treatment with no N was included. Rice N uptake and yield was measured. The control treatment yielded 9756 kg/ha and total N uptake was 137 kg/ha, while the fertilized treatments absorbed from 164 to 185 kg N/ha. Pure fertilizer sources (urea, SA, CN) showed a high rate of initial N uptake, with an 80 to 100% apparent recovery of N fertilizer at the panicle differentiation stage. Surprisingly, the greatest response was observed in the treatment with CN, presenting a high fertilizer use efficiency. The mixed sources (UAN+ATS, CAN) showed a lower N uptake and fertilizer recovery. The results of this field trial indicate that denitrification losses were not significant and nitric sources could be used in rice fertilization.


The effectiveness and reliability of the EU ETS depends for a substantial part on the level of compliance in each of the 31 participating states. A lack of compliance in even one or just a few participating countries may harm the functioning of the ETS in the entire EU. So far, attention for compliance of the EU ETS has been mainly focused on harmonization of the MRV-process and on the role of the verifiers in the MRV-process. Little or no attention is paid to enforcement of the EU ETS by the competent authorities in the participating states. We have researched whether in the third phase the compliance mechanism of the EU ETS has sufficiently improved in terms of effectiveness with a specific focus on the role of competent enforcement agencies in the participating countries. From empirical research in a number of EU Member States, we conclude that the final, essential element of the compliance cycle, i.e., administrative and criminal enforcement by the domestic authorities in the Member States is not overall effective. In order to increase resilience and reliability of the EU's central instrument to achieve future climate change targets, we suggest that more efforts should be undertaken to harmonize the practice of the national competent authorities responsible for the enforcement of the EU ETS.


Glomerular abnormalities in S-b thal patients were also evident; in fact, 4 patients had mild proteinuria while six more patients also had microal-buminuria. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels were higher in S-b thal patients than in normal subjects but lower than expected for the degree of anemia. There was a strong correlation between hemoglobin concentration and EPO levels ( R 4 0.48, P < 0.01) which was stronger in patients with GFR less than 80 ml/min. This finding supports the notion that low EPO production for the hematocrit value is to some extent responsible for the anemia and the EPO concentration becomes the important limiting factor in red-cell production when renal insufficiency is present. Finally, despite the lack of significant differences in plasma renin activity (PRA) between patients and controls, serum aldosterone levels were higher in S-b thal patients. This increase is possibly indicative of an increased serum-independent direct secretion of aldosterone in response to a tubular dys-function-mediated increase in serum potassium


A solid‐state thermoelectric device is attractive for diverse technological areas such as cooling, power generation and waste heat recovery with unique advantages of quiet operation, zero hazardous emissions, and long lifetime. With the rapid growth of flexible electronics and miniature sensors, the low‐cost flexible thermoelectric energy harvester is highly desired as a potential power supply. Herein, a flexible thermoelectric copper selenide (Cu2Se) thin film, consisting of earth‐abundant elements, is reported. The thin film is fabricated by a low‐cost and scalable spin coating process using ink solution with a truly soluble precursor. The Cu2Se thin film exhibits a power factor of 0.62 mW/(m K2) at 684 K on rigid Al2O3 substrate and 0.46 mW/(m K2) at 664 K on flexible polyimide substrate, which is much higher than the values obtained from other solution processed Cu2Se thin films (<0.1 mW/(m K2)) and among the highest values reported in all flexible thermoelectric films to date (≈0.5 mW/(m K2)). Additionally, the fabricated thin film shows great promise to be integrated with the flexible electronic devices, with negligible performance change after 1000 bending cycles. Together, the study demonstrates a low‐cost and scalable pathway to high‐performance flexible thin film thermoelectric devices from relatively earth‐abundant elements.

publisher-specific, author manuscript: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions


The aim of this paper is to show how the corporal character of activities commonly provided in sports-based policy interventions has implications for the results of policy implementation. By employing the theoretical concepts of embedded expectations and embodied knowledge, this paper examines how expectations embedded in such activities interact with experiences embodied by the participants and combine in availing or restricting the possibilities for participation – thereby affecting the outcome of policies for increased participation in organised sport. The paper builds on data from a case study of a sports-based intervention that aimed to usher so-called un-associated youth in to participation in regular sport-club activities by offering 'organised spontaneous sports' in 'drop-in' sessions that focus on the intrinsic characteristics of non-competitive sports and participants' wishes. Findings from interviews, the intervention's internal documentation, and observations show how expectations embedded in these activities require a very specific embodied knowledge of the individual participant. Instead of challenging dominant notions of what sport 'is' and 'can be', the activities reproduce existing preconceptions and, in extension, existing patterns of sport participation instead of supporting the formation of new ones as aimed for by policy makers. The findings are discussed in relation to the wider discussion about policy implementation in sport and highlight the necessity for understanding the content of the activities offered in sports-based interventions relative to the previous experiences of the pronounced recipients.


Wireless visual sensor networks (WVSNs) provide great opportunities to use a large number of low-cost low-resolution camera-equipped sensor nodes to monitor the areas of interest thanks to the rapid development of sensor technology with cost reduction. As compared to traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that can only provide scalar data (e.g., temperature, light, sound, pressure, vibration, etc.), visual data (e.g., image/video) can provide much richer sensing and monitoring information, enabling more applications such as security, military, industrial, medical and environmental monitoring. However, it also introduces new challenges with opportunities. In this paper, we review existing research efforts on the visual sensor coverage/deployment, and visual data capturing/processing/transmission issues in WVSNs, as well as the recent research advances therein. Based on our survey, we identify several future research directions with a number of issues that have not been fully addressed yet. New solutions and schemes are envisioned to be proposed to tackle these issues to better improve the performance for visual sensor coverage and visual data capturing/processing/transmission in WVSNs.


The current method of seawater bio-desalination can effectively provide freshwater. This method works by separating the salt contained in water into clean water with a lower salinity. In this study, the researchers conducted an experiment of the bio-desalination method by combining mangrove plant and Vibrio alginolyticus bacteria as well as the presence of a filter layer component composed of sand and gravel in red beed system reactor. The concept of phytotechnology was to utilize plants as environmental technology capable of solving environmental problems. In contrast, the term phytoremediation was used to denote the process of plants absorb, take, change and release contaminants from one medium to another. The purpose of this study was to determine the reduction of salinity on the mangrove plant Rhizophora mucronata (Rm) and Avicennia marina (Am) with the addition of Vibrio alginolyticus (Va) bacteria in the bio-desalination process using a reed bed system. This study combines plants and bacteria for artificial saline desalination processes. The compounds contained in plants are absorbed in the form of cations or anions, while the addition of the bacteria was carried out to support the process of salt absorption in plants. The results of this study indicated a percentage of salinity decreasing up to the last day of experiment. The results showed the percentage of salinity removal at the last day reaching 49.16%, and 40.58% in reed bed reactor with Avecennia marina and Vibrio alginolyticus of 15‰ and 25‰, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of salinity using Rhizophora mucronata showed 64.68% and 40.18% in in reed bed reactor with Rhizophora mucronata and Vibrio alginolyticus of 15‰ and 25‰, respectively. The removal of salinity also occured in the control reactor, containing only reed bed system without plant, reaching 57.36% and 58.41% in initial salinity of 15‰ and 25‰. All treatment reactors exhibited high salinity removal. It showed that the all concentrations of salinity were below 4‰ at Day 2 of reactor operation. It suggested that the process of desalination occurred in the entire reactor treatment. In conclusion, the reed bed system reactor can be used to treat saline water but the process of absorption of salts with mangrove plant and addition of Vibrio alginolyticus can be more stable.

http://www.jeeng.net/pdf-102792-35619?filename=Removal of Salinity using.pdf


The interaction between religion and the state in post-Communist countries has naturally received a great deal of scholarly attention.  The situation provides an almost natural experiment to examine the influence that government policies can have on religious behavior and organization.  The bulk of research has attempted to explain religious behavior in post-Communist countries using either the secularization approach or the supply-side approach.  Both of these models were developed with respect to non-Communist countries and have not been able to fully explain religious behavior patterns.  The current study suggests that two key factors are crucial to account for religious behavior in post-Communist countries:  the strength of the Communist legacy and the role of religious organizations in opposition movements.  A most similar systems design is employed by analyzing religious behavior in Estonia and Latvia.  Some support is found through the analysis.  Latvia, where the Lutheran Church was involved in opposition and displays a slightly weaker Communist legacy, has greater religious participation and belief than Estonia.  By grounding expectations of post-Communist religious behavior in characteristics of the transition the current study makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature.


The stresses developed in the material by impact load are analyzed experimentally, numerically, and analytically for specimens out of steel, aluminum, wood and woven graphite epoxy composites to investigate the material response to high strain rate stresses for aforementioned materials. The applied strain rates in experiments were set to be within 950 and 3500 s-1. The thin circular shape specimens were examined with high strain rate laboratory tests using the perforation split Hopkinson pressure bar (P-SHPB) with dimensional ratio accepted for One-dimensional stress analysis hypothesis. The article describes analytical solutions for one dimensional in detail to be implemented for numerical analyzing via trapezoid computation. The graphs of the four listed materials with two different thicknesses are compared for the specimen's energy absorbed, specimen's strain rate, stress strain rate relationship of the specimen, maximum energy absorbed, and maximum strain in specimen. It turned out that the dependency of deformation on energy absorption follows a power law for the woven composite and is approximated with linear relationships for aluminum and steel. Studying the effect of thickness in energy absorbed shows that doubling the thickness of the specimen reduces the strain of the specimen by 50 percentages for woven graphite epoxy and wood specimens, but the reduction is 25 percentages in the steel and aluminum specimens


Background: In a study aimed at identifying the items carrying information regarding the global severity of depression, the 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D6) was derived from the original 17-item version of the scale (HAM-D17). Since then, the HAM-D6 has been used in a wide range of clinical studies. We now provide a systematic review of the clinimetric properties of HAM-D6 in comparison with those of HAM-D17 and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature in PubMed, PsycInfo, and EMBASE databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Studies reporting data on the clinimetric validity of the HAM-D6 and either the HAM-D17 or MADRS in non-psychotic unipolar or bipolar depression were included in the synthesis. Results: The search identified 681 unique records, of which 51 articles met the inclusion criteria. According to the published literature, HAM-D6 has proven to be superior to both HAM-D17 and MADRS in terms of scalability (each item contains unique information regarding syndrome severity), transferability (scalability is constant over time and irrespective of sex, age, and depressive subtypes), and responsiveness (sensitivity to change in severity during treatment). Conclusions: According to the published literature, the clinimetric properties of HAM-D6 are superior to those of both the HAM-D17 and MADRS. Since the validity of HAM-D6 has been demonstrated in both research and clinical practice, using the scale more consistently would facilitate translation of results from one setting to the other.


Chromosomal rearrangements have been instrumental in genetic studies in Drosophila. Visibly marked deficiencies (deletions) are used in mapping studies and region-specific mutagenesis screens by providing segmental haploidy required to uncover recessive mutations. Marked recessive lethal inversions are used as balancer chromosomes to maintain recessive lethal mutations and to maintain the integrity of mutagenized chromosomes. In mice, studies on series of radiation-induced deletions that surround several visible mutations have yielded invaluable functional genomic information in the regions analyzed. However, most regions of the mouse genome are not accessible to such analyses due to a lack of marked chromosomal rearrangements. Here we describe a method to generate defined chromosomal rearrangements using the Cre--loxP recombination system based on a published strategy [R. Ramirez-Solis, P. Liu, and A. Bradley, (1995) Nature 378, 720--724]. Various types of rearrangements, such as deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations, can be engineered using this strategy. Furthermore, the rearrangements can be visibly marked with coat color genes, providing essential reagents for large-scale recessive genetic screens in the mouse. The ability to generate marked chromosomal rearrangements will help to elevate the level of manipulative mouse genetics to that of Drosophila genetics.


The aim of the paper is to present the hydrodynamic, mass transfer and illumination characteristics of a laboratory helical-tube photobioreactor Biostat PBR-2S, commercially available and used in many laboratories in Poland and worldwide. The investigated hydrodynamics parameters were: mean liquid circulation rate, liquid velocity/residence time in the tubular part of the apparatus and mixing time, measured in the wide range of rotary speed of the circulation pump. The influence of the aeration intensity on these parameters was also checked. The volumetric oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer coefficients in the liquid phase and their dependency on the liquid circulation rate and gas inflow rate were determined. The experiments were performed in tap water and then in a real three-phase cultivation broth at the end of thermophilic cyanobacteria T. synechococus growth. For the final evaluation of the tested PBR there were series of test cultivations run under different conditions of illumination. The highest final concentration of the biomass of tested cyanobacteria reached the relatively high value of 4.38 g/dm3 of the dry biomass, although the process conditions were not fully optimized. The laboratory photobioreactor PBR-2S proved to be a good tool for investigations of microalgae cultivation processes. The presented results and practical observations may help to analyze and understand the mutual influence of the specific process parameters in the described PBR, especially during autotrophic organism cultivations.


BackgroundLoneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality. ObjectivesA pilot study was conducted to learn more about the prevalence of loneliness in rural older adults with chronic illness and how it affects their quality of life. The purposes of the data analysis reported here were twofold: to describe loneliness, chronic illness diagnoses, chronic illness control measures, prescription medication use, and quality of life in a sample of rural older adults; and to examine the relationships among these elements. MethodsA convenience sample of 60 chronically ill older adults who were community dwelling and living in Appalachia was assessed during face-to-face interviews for loneliness and quality of life, using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (version 3) and the CASP-12 quality of life scale. Chronic illness diagnoses, chronic illness control measures, and medication use data were collected through review of participants' electronic medical records. ResultsOverall mean loneliness scores indicated significant loneliness. Participants with a mood disorder such as anxiety or depression had the highest mean loneliness scores, followed by those with lung disease and those with heart disease. Furthermore, participants with mood disorders, lung disease, or heart disease had significantly higher loneliness scores than those without these conditions. Loneliness was significantly related to total number of chronic illnesses and use of benzodiazepines. Use of benzodiazepines, diuretics, nitrates, and bronchodilators were each associated with a lower quality of life. ConclusionsNurses should assess for loneliness as part of their comprehensive assessment of patients with chronic illness. Further research is needed to design and test interventions for loneliness.


Introduction During the last 10 years Danish university teaching has been confronted with several new challenges. The classic well known university study tradition established by Immanuel Kant and Wilhelm von Humboldt and introduced in Denmark by the famous philologist Johan Nicolai Madvig (1804-1886) has now been replaced with other ideals (Flexner 1930, Gibbons 1994, Humboldt 1792, Huxley 1876, Jaspers 1923 and 1946, Kant 1798, Korsgaard 2004, Petersen 1993). In the classic tradition "the free academic study" with no narrow limitations and with an individually high degree of intellectual absorption the students could form their own academic personality. In this tradition famous Danish scientists such as Niels Bohr, Harald Bohr, August Krogh, Johan Ludvig William Valdemar Jensen, and B0rge Jessen were taught during their studies at the University of Copenhagen. In the first half of the 20th century only a few per cent of the Danish population were educated at high schools and at the universities. The high school teaching and the university studies were for the few privileged, but in the 1960ies this changed considerably. Many more young people got a high school exam on a relatively high academic level and many more were matriculated at the Danish universities and got an academic degree (Damberg 2006). Still the university teaching was based on the tradition from Kant, von Humboldt, and Madvig. After 1990 the high school teaching was changed in several steps. First of all many new subjects, that were not academic and were not taught at the universities, were introduced in high school teaching and at the same time the professional level in many subjects such as mathematics, physics and linguistics was reduced in a disastrous way (Damberg 2006). The students at high school were no longer trained sufficiently in basic academic and scientific methods, and when they started their university studies they got so many problems in their learning, that many dropped out very fast and many others were not able to pass their first year university exams. These problems increased substantially after the year 2000. Also after 2000, and especially after 2003 when a new legislation for the Danish universities was decided by the Danish parliament, the classic ideals for university studies have been changed. The free study has been replaced with short well determined courses and many exams, such that the students should be able to obtain a university degree faster than before. But this also implies that the university education must be very efficient with very definite courses such that it has become difficult for the students to obtain a deeper and abstract understanding of their syllabus. At the same time the Danish universities were transformed from classic universities into mass universities with many students. The classic ideals were replaced with other ideals based on management principles. This is a development that is also known from other western countries (Damberg 2006, Kaufer 2000, and Olesen 2007). The very increasing gap between the aim of the university education on a high academic level and the poor knowledge and the bad study ability the students now have from high school has become a more and more substantial problem for basic university teaching. In 2007 approximately 30 percent of the first year students at The Department of Economics were not able to pass their written exam in mathematics. This percentage has been only around 15-20 before 2003 and therefore something to prevent this catastrophic development had to be done (Olesen 2007). In this paper it is told how we managed this big problem in 2008, and it is also told how we are building up a new way of substantial academic teaching with future perspective for first year students. Mathematics At The Department Of Economics Mathematics is taught at several institutes at The University of Copenhagen. …


This is a very good book which will certainly become one of the essential works of reference for the jazz enthusiast. It covers the ragtime to swing period by way of 250 LPs, each of which is afforded full discographical information on dates, titles, and personnels...The quality of the writing is extemely high, as indeed one has a right to expect from authors of this calibre...Harrison, Fox, and Thacker have produced some beautifully composed essays on artistes such as Billie Holliday, Roy Eldridge, Duke Ellington, etc...It is a book which needs to be dipped into frequently, a volume to keep close to one's record collection...It will increase immeasurably anyone's knowledge of, and appreciation for, jazz. The Gramophone