Foetal development of germ cells is a unique biological process orchestrated by cellular specification, migration and niche development in concert with extensive epigenetic and transcriptional programs. Many of these processes take place early in foetal life and are hence very difficult to study in humans. However, the common precursor of testicular cancers- the carcinoma in situ (CIS) cell- is thought to be an arrested foetal germ cell. Therefore studies of CIS cells may leverage information on human foetal germ cell development and, in particular, when neoplastic transformation is initiated. In this review, we will focus on current knowledge of the epigenetics of CIS cells and relate it to the epigenetic changes occurring in early developing germ cells of mice during specification, migration and colonization. We will focus on DNA methylation and some of the best studied histone modifications like H3K9me2, H3K27me3 and H3K9ac. We also show that CIS cells contain high levels of H3K27ac, which is known to mark active enhancers. Proper epigenetic reprogramming seems to be a pre-requisite of normal foetal germ cell development and we propose that alterations in these programs may be a pathogenic event in the initiation of testicular germ cell cancer. Even though only sparse information is available on epigenetic cues in human foetal germ cells, these indicate that the developmental patterns differ from the findings in mice and emphasize the need for further studies of foetal germ cell development in humans.


We present a novel approach to perform anti-aliasing in a deferred-rendering context. Our approach is based on supersampling; the scene is rasterized into an enlarged geometry buffer, i.e., each pixel of the final image corresponds to a window of attributes within this buffer. For the final image, we sample this window adaptively based on different metrics accounting for geometry and appearance to derive the pixel shading. Further, we use anisotropic filtering to avoid texturing artifacts. Our approach concentrates the workload where needed and allows faster shading in various supersampling scenarios, especially when the shading cost per pixel is high.


In this paper, we propose a simple randomized protocol for identifying trusted nodes based on personalized trust in large scale distributed networks. The problem of identifying trusted nodes, based on personalized trust, in a large network setting stems from the huge computation and message overhead involved in exhaustively calculating and propagating the trust estimates by the remote nodes. However, in any practical scenario, nodes generally communicate with a small subset of nodes and thus exhaustively estimating the trust of all the nodes can lead to huge resource consumption. In contrast, our mechanism can be tuned to locate a desired subset of trusted nodes, based on the allowable overhead, with respect to a particular user. The mechanism is based on a simple exchange of random walk messages and nodes counting the number of times they are being hit by random walkers of nodes in their neighborhood. Simulation results to analyze the effectiveness of the algorithm show that using the proposed algorithm, nodes identify the top trusted nodes in the network with a very high probability by exploring only around 45% of the total nodes, and in turn generates nearly 90% less overhead as compared to an exhaustive trust estimation mechanism, named TrustWebRank. Finally, we provide a measure of the global trustworthiness of a node; simulation results indicate that the measures generated using our mechanism differ by only around 0.6% as compared to TrustWebRank.


Background: Expressing caries prevalence as mean DMFT value dose not correctly reflects the skewed distribution, leaving high caries groups undiscovered in the population, based on these features, a new index called Significant Caries Index (SiC) was proposed by WHO to draw attention to individuals with the highest caries scores in each population. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the caries prevalence and severity in school children living in rural and urban areas. Methods: The sample examined in this study consisted of 414 school children in rural and 414 school children in urban areas. All children were subjected to clinical examination to obtain information about dental caries prevalence and severity in permanent dentition DMFT/DMFS according to WHO 1997. Also, information was obtained about dental caries status in primary dentition dmft/dmfs according to Gruebbell. Significant caries index (SiC) was calculated for primary and permanent dentition. Data collection started from 20th January 2018 to 20th March 2018. Data were analyzed using a statistics package for SPSS version 24 for Windows and Excel 2007. Results: The prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth in urban and rural areas was 56.8%, 77.6%, respectively. The mean value of DMFT in urban and rural areas was (1.40 ± 0.42), (2.24 ± 1.53) respectively. Also, statistical analysis showed significant differences between the mean value of dmfs/DMFS in an urban and rural area as well as analysis of variance showed a significant difference between the value of significant caries index (SiC) in urban (4.0) and rural (3.5) areas. Conclusions: The caries prevalence, severity, and the significant caries index (SiC) of primary and permanent dentition was higher in school children living in rural areas than in school children living in urban areas.


We analyzed the relationship between net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (NEE) and irradiance (as photosynthetic photon flux density or PPFD), using published and unpublished data that have been collected during midgrowing season for carbon balance studies at seven peatlands in North America and Europe. NEE measurements included both eddy‐correlation tower and clear, static chamber methods, which gave very similar results. Data were analyzed by site, as aggregated data sets by peatland type (bog, poor fen, rich fen, and all fens) and as a single aggregated data set for all peatlands. In all cases, a fit with a rectangular hyperbola (NEE = α PPFD Pmax/(α PPFD + Pmax) + R) better described the NEE‐PPFD relationship than did a linear fit (NEE = β PPFD + R). Poor and rich fens generally had similar NEE‐PPFD relationships, while bogs had lower respiration rates (R = −2.0μmol m−2s−1 for bogs and −2.7 μmol m−2s−1 for fens) and lower NEE at moderate and high light levels (Pmax = 5.2 μmol m−2s−1 for bogs and 10.8 μmol m−2s−1 for fens). As a single class, northern peatlands had much smaller ecosystem respiration (R = −2.4 μmol m−2s−1) and NEE rates (α = 0.020 and Pmax = 9.2μmol m−2s−1) than the upland ecosystems (closed canopy forest, grassland, and cropland) summarized by Ruimy et al. [1995]. Despite this low productivity, northern peatland soil carbon pools are generally 5–50 times larger than upland ecosystems because of slow rates of decomposition caused by litter quality and anaerobic, cold soils.


What makes identification of familiar faces seemingly effortless? Recent studies using unfamiliar face stimuli suggest that selective processing of information conveyed by horizontally oriented spatial frequency components supports accurate performance in a variety of tasks involving matching of facial identity. Here, we studied upright and inverted face discrimination using stimuli with which observers were either unfamiliar or personally familiar (i.e., friends and colleagues). Our results reveal increased sensitivity to horizontal spatial frequency structure in personally familiar faces, further implicating the selective processing of this information in the face processing expertise exhibited by human observers throughout their daily lives.


We present an application of transductive semi-supervised learning to the problem of speaker identification. Formulating this problem as one of transduction is the most natural choice in some scenarios, such as when annotating archived speech data. Experiments with the CHAINS corpus show that, using the basic MFCC-encoding of recorded utterances, a well known simple semi-supervised algorithm, label spread, can solve this problem well. With only a small number of labelled utterances, the semi-supervised algorithm drastically outperforms a state of the art supervised support vector machine algorithm. Although we restrict ourselves to the transductive setting in this paper, the results encourage future work on semi-supervised learning for inductive speaker identification.


Heritage and Festivals in Europe critically investigates the purpose, reach and effects of heritage festivals. Providing a comprehensive and detailed analysis of comparatively selected aspects of intangible cultural heritage, the volume demonstrates how such heritage is mobilised within events that have specific agency, particularly in the production and consumption of intrinsic and instrumental benefits for tourists, local communities and performers.

Bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines, the volume presents case studies from across Europe that consider many different varieties of heritage festivals. Focusing primarily on the popular and institutional practices of heritage making, the book addresses the gap between discourses of heritage at an official level and cultural practice at the local and regional level. Contributors to the volume also study the different factors influencing the sustainable development of tradition as part of intangible cultural heritage at the micro- and meso-levels, and examine underlying structures that are common across different countries.

Heritage and Festivals in Europe takes a multidisciplinary approach and as such, should be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of heritage studies, tourism, performing arts, cultural studies and identity studies. Policymakers and practitioners throughout Europe should also find much to interest them within the pages of this volume.


While electricity from fossil fuels is among a major source of greenhouse gases and global warming, it is also a key resource in the industrial sector geared towards exports and economic growth. This study attempts to examine the export-GDP nexus and electricity-GDP nexus in addition to a supplementary hypothesis between exports and electricity in Mauritius for the period of 1970-2009. An augmented neo-classical aggregate production model is used. The ARDL bounds test and the Johansen cointegration test confirm the existence of a long-run relationship between these variables. The multivariate Granger-causality analysis indicates that electricity and exports Granger-cause economic growth in the long-run. Electricity remains a significant causal variable in the short-run and is also found to lead exports. The empirical findings suggest that conserving electricity as a climate policy may not be conducive for exports and economic growth. The use of renewable sources for electricity may be the right option. Keywords: Growth; Exports; Electricity; Granger causality; Climate policy JEL Classifications: Q37; Q43; Q48


In this thesis, the primary aim is to examine graphical modelling in the context of multivariate time series. This work develops on previous work, which provided two approaches, the GMTS and SIN methods, which gave results for the conditional independencies between the variables in datasets. These methods will be compared with a more recent range of methods for estimating the structure of the graphical model, called l1-regularization, which focused on inducing sparsity in the model. Examining a Gaussian graphical model context, the aim becomes to estimate the covariance/precision matrix, and then produce the partial correlations between variables. This matrix then provides the significant or insignificant edges (lines) between vertices/nodes (variables) in the Conditional Independence Graph (CIG). These methods are compared using a Monte Carlo simulation study, by simulating structural vector autoregressive models (SVAR), which are a mathematical form of representing the dependencies between variables. These simulation studies suggest that the original GMTS and SIN methods produced very useful results in the classification analysis, compared to some of the four l1-regularization methods used in these studies. Convergence rate analysis and more details on each of these l1-regularization methods are provided in a comprehensive discussion.


The nature of the ambient medium about the classical nova GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901) has been investigated using IRAS far-infrared and optical observations, coupled with detailed modelling of the optical light echoes. Measurements of the time-dependent expansion of the nova ejecta show that significant deceleration is occurring in the SW quadrant, otherwise the expansion appears fairly uniform at a velocity of around 1200 km s. Interaction with the surrounding medium is the likely cause of this deceleration.
Analysis of IRAS 12-100pm raw data reveals that GK Per is centrally positioned on a saddle point between the two emission peaks of an isothermal (T = 22 ± 1K) bipolar nebulosity. The cloud has a total dust mass of between 0.058 and 0.078 MQ, and is possibly distributed in the form of a toroid about the nova.
Results from an analysis of the optical extinction using Stromgren uvby and 11$ photometry of 106 stars in a 1 square degree region about the nova show that, at the nova distance (470 pc), Ay = 0.85 ± 0.20, with an upper limit of Av = 0.4
placed on the local extinction due to the IRAS and light echo nebulosities. Around 30 archival plates of GK Per were scanned by PDS and computer processed to enhance the appearance of optical light echoes visible in 1901 and 1902. Further analysis performed resulted in the first surface calibration of a GK Per light echo plate. On August 23, 1901, the brightest nebular regions were found to have a B-band surface brightness of 3.4 x 10 -21 W c7rC2 prn 1 arcseC2 (23.2 mag arcsec 2 ).
Results from simple light echo models show that the brighter nebular regions probably originate in a dust plane which has a closest approach to the nova of 1.4 pc and is inclined at 32(±3)°. to the line of sight to the nova. A more detailed model was formulated which used numerical integration to calculate the time-dependent nebular surface brightness. Comparison of model and calibration results suggests that a plane of light echo material would have a thickness of 0.15 pc and a grain number density of 2.1 x 10 nC3 .
This work has helped to further elucidate the cause of some of the rare features associated with CK Per, and also to achieve a better understanding of the nova environment. It paves the way for future work to further clarify the possible links between the nova and its ambient medium.


We present a new access method, called the path dictionary index (PDI) method, for supporting nested queries on object-oriented databases. PDI supports object traversal and associative search, respectively, with a path dictionary and a set of attribute indexes built on top of the path dictionary. We discuss issues on indexing and query processing in object-oriented databases; describe the operations of the new mechanism; develop cost models for its storage overhead and query and update costs; and compare the new mechanism to the path index method. The result shows that the path dictionary index method is significantly better than the path index method over a wide range of parameters in terms of retrieval and update costs and that the storage overhead grows slowly with the number of indexed attributes.


Uses the Running Operation as the Main Thread Difficulty in understanding an operating system (OS) lies not in the technical aspects, but in the complex relationships inside the operating systems. The Art of Linux Kernel Design: Illustrating the Operating System Design Principle and Implementation addresses this complexity. Written from the perspective of the designer of an operating system, this book tackles important issues and practical problems on how to understand an operating system completely and systematically. It removes the mystery, revealing operating system design guidelines, explaining the BIOS code directly related to the operating system, and simplifying the relationships and guiding ideology behind it all. Based on the Source Code of a Real Multi-Process Operating System Using the 0.11 edition source code as a representation of the Linux basic design, the book illustrates the real states of an operating system in actual operations. It provides a complete, systematic analysis of the operating system source code, as well as a direct and complete understanding of the real operating system run-time structure. The author includes run-time memory structure diagrams, and an accompanying essay to help readers grasp the dynamics behind Linux and similar software systems. Identifies through diagrams the location of the key operating system data structures that lie in the memory Indicates through diagrams the current operating status information which helps users understand the interrupt state, and left time slice of processes Examines the relationship between process and memory, memory and file, file and process, and the kernel Explores the essential association, preparation, and transition, which is the vital part of operating system Develop a System of Your Own This text offers an in-depth study on mastering the operating system, and provides an important prerequisite for designing a whole new operating system.


In this thought paper, Jane O'Hara and Ruthe Isden consider the role of patients and citizens in the identification of risk and the measurement and monitoring of safety within healthcare. The paper discusses opportunities for patients, their families and carers, as well as the wider public, to become part of an integrated system for ensuring the safety of care. The authors also consider the challenges and barriers to this involvement, the fundamental paradox of considering the 'patient perspective' on safety within the current clinical risk paradigm, and the need for a shift towards valuing the non-clinical voice. The Health Foundation is calling for a stepwise change in thinking about patient safety. This paper forms part of a programme of work we are undertaking to help answer the question


The present study focuses on the carbon structure analysis of hydrographene like materials produced during the pyrolysis of petroleum pitches under various experiment conditions and non-isothermal kinetics of pyrolysis of petroleum pitches. Non-isothermal kinetic studies of pyrolysis of the pitches based on the TGA measurements at different heating rates resulted that the average activation energy of the pyrolysis of pitch B (213.2 kJ/mol) was higher than that of the average activation energy of pitch A (185.7 kJ/mol) whereas the reaction orders of pitches A and B were 1.3 and 0.91, respectively. Experiments were carried out under an argon atmosphere at the temperature range of 500-1000±C for 30, 60 and 120 minutes in a tube furnace. FTIR, [1]H-NMR, and [13]C-NMR results showed that the aromatic structure of the hydrographenes were increasing with respect to increasing temperature as well as increasing time. Raman spectra results demonstrated the increase in orderness with increasing ID/IG ratio from 0.65 to 0.92 when the temperature of pitch A pyrolysis was increased from 500°C[degrees Celsius] to 900°C[degrees Celsius]. XRD patterns of the hydrographenes showed the crystallinity increased with increasing time and temperature. The calculated average numbers of graphene layers were 5 to 10 with respect to XRD patterns. The SEM images visualized the amorphous structure of hydrographenes that was highly rich in turbostratic structures. All the results of characterizations were consistent indicating the formation of highly amorphous hydrocarbon materials that contain turbostratic structures and higher heat treatments formations of aromatic structure with an increasing crystallinity and orderness. Highly amorphous hydrocarbon materials containing turbostratic structures were produced by two different types of pitches. Temperature seemed to be the dominating parameter of the pyrolysis reactions. As the pyrolysis temperature was increased aromatic structure formation was favored with an increasing crystallinity and orderness in the hydrographene materials.


While Forbidden Gates includes fresh insights for traditional, tried and true methods of overcoming darkness, it also unveils for the first time how breakthrough advances in science, technology, and philosophyincluding cybernetics, bio-engineering, nanotechnology, machine intelligence, synthetic biology, and transhumanismwill combine to create mind-boggling game-changes to everything you have ever known about spiritual warfare. How so? In recent years, astonishing technological developments have pushed the frontiers of humanity toward far-reaching morphological transformation that promises in the very near future to redefine what it means to be human. An international, intellectual and fast-growing cultural movement known as transhumanism intends the use of genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology (GRIN technologies) as tools that will radically redesign our minds, our memories, our physiology, our offspring, and even perhaps, as Joel Garreau in his bestselling book Radical Evolution claims, our very souls. The technological, cultural, and metaphysical shift now under way unapologetically forecasts a future dominated by this new species of unrecognizably superior humans, and applications under study now to make this dream reality are being funded by thousands of government and private research facilities around the world. As the reader will learn, this includes among other things rewriting human DNA and combining men with beasts, a fact that some university studies and transhumanists believe will not only alter our bodies and souls but could ultimately open a door to contact with unseen intelligence. As a result, new modes of perception between things visible and invisible are expected to challenge the Church in ways that are historically and theologically unprecedented. Without comprehending what is quickly approaching in related disciplines of research and development, vast numbers of believers could be paralyzed by the most fantasticand most far reachingsupernatural implications. The destiny of each individualas well as the future of their familywill depend on their knowledge of the new paradigm and their preparedness to face it head on.


Research has shown that adolescents' use of sexually explicit Internet material (SEIM) is positively associated with an important characteristic of the developing sexual self, sexual uncertainty. However, the causal relation between SEIM use and sexual uncertainty is unclear. Moreover, we do not know which processes underlie this relation and whether gender moderates these processes. Based on a three-wave panel survey among 956 Dutch adolescents, structural equation modeling revealed that more frequent SEIM use increased adolescents' sexual uncertainty. This influence was mediated by adolescents' involvement in SEIM. The impact of SEIM use on involvement was stronger for female than for male adolescents. Future research on the effects of SEIM may benefit from greater attention to experiential states during SEIM use.


In the United States, more than half a million women experience postpartum depression every year; among teens and low-income mothers, the rate is one in four. For many depressed mothers, symptoms begin during pregnancy and may also include disabling anxiety. In addition, maternal mental illness adversely affects infant brain development and subsequent social and emotional health as a result of inadequate prenatal care, poor birth outcomes, and impaired parenting practices. The broad implications of these disorders have led several states to require perinatal depression screening and/or education. Also, a provision of the U.S. Affordable Care Act calls for further research on screening and treatment. These policies are a good start, but laws already on the books must be adequately funded and evaluated. In addition, there are immediate policy actions that can be taken to improve the well-being of mothers and families.


The United States continues to fall behind in broadband adoption, ranking 15th among 30 OECD nations according to the latest installment of the organization's semiannual survey of broadband subscribership. The number of U.S. broadband subscribers per 100 people grew to 19.6 in December 2006, up 0.4 percentage points from 19.2 in June 2006, a growth rate far below the 2.0 percentage point OECD average. Many of the leading European countries - including Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, and Norway - continue to pull away from the pack with faster adoption rates. When the OECD first collected this data in 2001, the United States ranked 4th among the 30 nations surveyed. After several years of steady decline in the rankings, we now rank 15th (see Figure 1). While adoption rate is an important measure, it is not sufficient to accurately assess a nation's relative position in broadband technology. A more complete measure would also consider speed and price. Increasingly, in the digital economy it is the speed and capacity of the network that matters. Therefore, ITIF has expanded upon the OECD rankings, developing a model that measures broadband penetration, price and speed in OECD countries. The findings show that America, which ranks 12th overall, faces a multifaceted broadband challenge. There are several steps that policymakers should take to ensure faster progress toward ubiquitous high-speed broadband, including: - Congress should exempt broadband services from federal, state and local taxation and from requirements to pay into the Universal Service Fund. - All states should enact video franchise laws. - Congress should enact tax incentives for the deployment of new high-speed broadband networks. - The FCC should move to a two-tiered definition of high-speed Internet by developing a more robust 3 megabit per second (mbps) asymmetrical "broadband" standard. - The FCC should collect county-level subscriber data for both speed tiers. - If Congress fails to mandate changes to FCC local broadband data collection, states should work through non-governmental entities to collect and report local data. - The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) should help facilitate the development of a bottom-up database of local broadband speeds and prices.


Acute nontraumatic pathological conditions of the kidneys include frequent hematuria, renal colic, and acute renal failure. Infections and renal vascular problems are frequently encountered in an emergency department. In this pictorial review, we aim to discuss patterns of acute renal pathologies and explain hints for differential diagnosis with computed tomographic findings.


Parenting is probably the most important public health issue facing our society. It is the single largest variable implicated in childhood illnesses and accidents; teenage pregnancy and substance misuse; truancy, school disruption, and underachievement; child abuse; unemployability; juvenile crime; and mental illness. These are serious in themselves but are even more important as precursors of problems in adulthood and the next generation.1 This is why British and other governments are giving parenting high priority (such as, in Britain, the cross departmental committee chaired by the Minister for Public Health and the prime minister's social exclusion unit).

The importance of parenting arises from its role as a buffer against adversity (such as poverty or delinquent influences) or mediator of damage (as in child abuse). Parenting usually involves biological parents but is …


Adequate surgical management of primary melanoma and regional lymph node metastasis, and rarely distant metastasis, is the only established curative treatment. Surgical management of primary melanomas consists of excisions with 1–2 cm margins and primary closure. The recommended method of biopsy is excisional biopsy with a 2 mm margin and a small amount of subcutaneous fat. In specific situations (very large lesions or certain anatomical areas), full-thickness incisional or punch biopsy may be acceptable. Sentinel lymph node biopsy provides accurate staging information for patients with clinically unaffected regional nodes and without distant metastases, although survival benefit has not been proved. In cases of positive sentinel node biopsy or clinically detected regional nodal metastases (palpable, positive cytology or histopathology), radical removal of lymph nodes of the involved basin is indicated. For resectable local/in-transit recurrences, excision with a clear margin is recommended. For numerous or unresectable in-transit metastases of the extremities, isolated limb perfusion or infusion with melphalan should be considered. Decisions about surgery of distant metastases should be based on individual circumstances. Radiotherapy is indicated as a treatment option in select patients with lentigo maligna melanoma and as an adjuvant in select patients with regional metastatic disease. Radiotherapy is also indicated for palliation, especially in bone and brain metastases.


Computerized pictures are not difficult to control and alter because of accessibility of influential picture transforming furthermore altering programming. These days, it is conceivable to include or expel vital gimmicks from a picture without leaving any evident hints of altering. As computerized cams and camcorders supplant their simple partners, the requirement for verifying computerized pictures, approving their substance, and distinguishing frauds will just increment. Location of vindictive control with computerized pictures (advanced frauds) is the theme of this paper. Specifically, we concentrate on recognition of an unique sort of advanced fraud – the duplicate move assault in which a piece of the picture is replicated and stuck someplace else in the picture with the purpose to cover a paramount picture characteristic. In this paper, we explore the issue of recognizing the duplicate move falsification and portray an effective and solid identification strategy. Our work will be based on Enhanced detection algorithm. The system might effectively distinguish the fashioned part actually when the duplicated zone is improved/modified to union it with the foundation and when the fashioned picture is spared in a lossy organization, for example, JPEG. The execution of the proposed strategy is showed on a few produced pictures.


A BSTRACT According to the Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek theorem, the net exports of a region are determined by relative abundance of the immobile factors of production. Empirical tests of this theory, usually at a high level of aggregation, have frequently not supported it. We find, instead, that data on interstate trade in wood products within the United States are in strong agreement with the theorem. Other things equal, net exports of wood products are strongly and positively related to the stock offorest resources. The simplest evidence is the correlation of net exports with forest growing stock, per dollar of state product. A more formal development of the theory leads to a linear model where net exports are negatively related to gross state product and positively related to forest resources. The model predicts better the net exports of lumber and wood products (SIC 24) than those of paper and allied products (SIC 26). For both industries, and for their sum, the marginal effect of additional hard-wood growing stock on net exports is larger than that of softwood. However, given the variation in hardwood and softwood growing stock among states, both types of resource were equally important in determining the variation in comparative advantage. The empirical HOV models changed little from 1976 to 1991, except for a decrease in the relative importance of softwood growing stock as a determinant of net exports.


Belief in life after death forms a key aspect of all major established religions, and even in individuals not overtly religious. These beliefs significantly influence their experiences and behaviours. Previous research has assessed afterlife beliefs in wider theoretical and empirical contexts including generic paranormal belief, religious beliefs, or belief in an afterlife as a coping mechanism against death anxiety. There are currently few measures directly examining individual differences in life after death beliefs. We designed the Survival Beliefs Questionnaire (SBQ) and assessed its psychometric properties in 297 adults. To assess its validity we also asked them to complete standard measures of paranormal and religious beliefs. The psychometric properties of our questionnaire were found to be excellent. There were significant positive correlations for scores on the SBQ with paranormal belief and religiosity, thus confirming its validity. In addition, the data revealed sex differences as females scored significantly higher than males on all three measures. A series of regressions (controlling for sex) were then conducted, initially with paranormal and religious questionnaires total scores, and then with their individual subscales. Total scores on both paranormal, and religious questionnaires made significant contributions to SBQ total score. When assessing the contribution of the subscales of the paranormal and religious scales, only the paranormal subscale of spiritualism made a significant contribution to SBQ scores. In sum, we have created a novel questionnaire to explore individual differences in life after death beliefs which can be used in future studies to assess socio-psychological characteristics and resulting behaviours associated with such beliefs.


An α-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 184.108.40.206) was purified and characterized kinetically from erythrocytes of the sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedti, an endangered species. The sturgeon enzyme (AgCA) showed kinetic parameters for the CO2 hydration reaction comparable with those of the human erythrocytes enzyme hCA II, being a highly active enzyme, whereas its esterase activity with 4-nitrophenyl acetate as substrate was lower. Sulphonamide inhibitors (acetazolamide, sulphanilamide) strongly inhibited AgCA, whereas metal ions (Ag+, Zn2+, Cu2+ and Co2+) were weak, millimolar inhibitors. Several widely used pesticides (2,4-dichlorophenol, dithiocarbamates, parathion and carbaryl) were also assayed as inhibitors of this enzyme. The dithiocarbamates were low micromolar AgCA inhibitors (IC50 of 16–18 µM), whereas the other pesticides inhibited the enzyme with IC50s in the range of 102–398 µM. The wide use of dithiocarbamate pesticides may be one of the factors enhancing the vulnerability of this sturgeon species to pollutants.


`smash the stack` [C programming] n. On many C implementations it is possible to corrupt the execution stack by writing past the end of an array declared auto in a routine. Code that does this is said to smash the stack, and can cause return from the routine to jump to a random address. This can produce some of the most insidious data-dependent bugs known to mankind. Variants include trash the stack, scribble the stack, mangle the stack; the term mung the stack is not used, as this is never done intentionally. See spam; see also alias bug, fandango on core, memory leak, precedence lossage, overrun screw.


Social approaches to work-related informal learning, such as proactive feedback-seeking, help-seeking and information-seeking, are important determinants of development in the workplace. Unfortunately, previous research has failed to clearly conceptualize these forms of learning and does not provide a validated and generally applicable measurement instrument. We set out to develop and validate such a scale measuring social approaches to work-related informal learning. We collected data in four organizations in Austria and the Netherlands, with a total sample size of 895 employees. These data were used to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, which showed four distinct factors: feedback-seeking from the supervisor, feedback-seeking from colleagues, help-seeking and information-seeking. In conclusion, the scale we developed is valid in a range of contexts and thus is an appropriate tool for research as well as human resource development practice.


Patients with peritonitis or malignant obstructive jaundice (HPB+) have an increased morbidity and mortality due to sepsis. An altered cell-mediated immunity in the intestinal mucosa might promote gut barrier failure, increased endotoxin and cytokine release and bacterial translocation (BT) in these conditions. A clinically relevant rat model of polymicrobial peritonitis induced sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used. Septic animals demonstrated a superficial injury in the small intestinal mucosa, and a significant reduction in T lymphocytes in the villi, as well as increased number of macrophages in the villi and in the MLNs as compared to sham. CLP caused increased concentration of TNF-α and IL-6 in ascitic fluid. CLP + the immunomodulator Linomide decreased the TNF-α level, reduced mucosal damage and attenuated the changes in T lymphocytes and macrophages observed following CLP. CLP + selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor (SC-236) or nonselective COX inhibitor (indometacin) decreased the amount of macrophages in the mucosa and the MLNs compared to untreated CLP. CLP + indometacin decreased T lymphocytes in the villi and MLNs. SC-236 + CLP reduced mucosal injury and cytokine release as compared to indometacin. An increased rate of apoptosis in both the mucosa and MLNs was seen following CLP; COX inhibitors enhanced this phenomenon in the MLNs.BT occurred infrequently in patients with acute peritonitis and in HPB+ there was no evidence of BT. Peritonitis and HPB+ causes significant inflammatory cellular reactions as increased endotoxin and cytokine plasma levels and an altered immune cell distribution in MLNs, in HPB+ a high rate of apoptosis in MLNs was observed. An altered pattern of immunocompetent cells within the mucosa and in MLNs was found in experimental and clinical peritonitis as in HPB+. Lymphocyte depletion may be a result of increased apoptosis, which could reduce the ability of septic or jaundice patients to eradicate infection.


Renowned for his magisterial verse, Robert Hass is also a brilliant essayist. The New York Times hailed him as a writer who is so intelligent that to read his poetry or prose, or to hear him speak, gives one an almost visceral pleasure. Now, with What Light Can Do, Hass' first collection of essays in more than twenty-five years, the lauded author returns to and enlarges the territory of his critically acclaimed and much-loved collection Twentieth Century Pleasures, recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award. These acute and deeply engaging essays are as much a portrait of the elegant thought processes of an unconventional and virtuoso mind as they are inquiries into their subjects, which range from meditations on how we see and treat the earth to the relationship between literature and religion, from explorations of the works of writers as diverse as Korean poet Ko Un, Wallace Stevens, Cormac McCarthy, and Anton Chekhov to the ways in which photography - much like an essay-embodies a sustained act of attention. A perceptive and evocative mixture of memory, philosophical interrogation, and criticism, the essays in What Light Can Do, finely attuned to the pleasures and pains of being human, are always grounded in the beauty of the material world and its details, and in the larger political and social realities we inhabit.


Use of some medication, such as tranquilizers or hypnotics may carry important risks for patients including the emergence of abuse and/or dependence. The problem we tackle consists of identifying and discriminating the group most "at risk" of abuse and/or dependence for a given drug, in order to provide an estimation of its prevalence and to develop preventive measures targeted toward the corresponding drug prescription. A criterion, currently employed to characterize patients' consumption of a drug, is the ratio between their daily average consumption and the maximum recommended daily dose as specified in the drug monograph, called the F factor. In theory, any patient having an F factor greater than 1 should be classified as an over‐consumer for the corresponding drug, but in practice this threshold might not be very relevant for all drugs. The proposed approach, combining different statistical methods (extreme value theory with the Peaks Over Threshold Model, logistic regression, ROC curve), is an innovative way to study consumption behaviors of psychotropic drugs. Two drugs are studied: an antidepressant, tianeptine and a hypnotic, zolpidem. From one drug to another, different thresholds for the F factor and patient's characteristics associated with the risk of extreme consumption are found, revealing different consumption behaviors. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 6: 91–101, 2013


This paper explores the use of the network metaphor and the way in which it related to Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and Communities of Practice. The idea of networked learning stresses the interaction of learners, tutors and their resources through networks. The arguments put in this article are firstly that learning technology needs to take account of the wider debate about networks and secondly that research in this field needs to address the theoretical and practical issues raised by advances in the field of networks. A further argument made is that the idea of the network can act as a unifying concept allowing us to bring together apparently disparate elements in the field of e-learning.


ABSTRACT This paper examines the processes through which the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai attract and integrate knowledge workers into their labor markets. It focuses on how the UAE has acquired the human capital to create post-oil economies, deploying its oil windfalls into massive urban development strategies in order to create global hubs for talent. More significantly, it analyzes how the UAE's strategies and frameworks for attracting global knowledge flows ultimately determine the degree to which expatriate knowledge embeds locally. Presentation of results from a large-scale human capital survey of firms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as key-informant interviews with senior human resource administrators at these firms, demonstrate these processes.


The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence the purchase and consumption of alcohol among university students in Malawi. The study sought to recommend strategies that can promote the marketing of alcohol among university students aged 18 and above. Results show that of the 138 respondents, 109 (72% males and 28% females) agreed that they consume alcohol. The study indicates that quality of alcohol influences most students to consume alcohol. In addition, promotions that emphasise on price cuts and special offers have a positive impact on the marketing of alcohol among students. Notable also are subjective social norms which play a significant role in influencing students to consume alcohol with friends other than alone. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v2i1.11682 Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-2, issue-1: 52-67


AbstractThis study asks whether cohousing as a form of non-political association has spill-over effects on participation in politics. The civic-society literature has shown that organizational and persuasive activities engaged in by members of voluntary civic associations constitute on-the-job training in political participation skills and can lead to higher levels of participation. Using original survey data on members of nine of the twelve cohousing communities in Massachusetts, I test the hypothesis that the exercise of quasi-political skills among members of cohousing communities leads to higher levels of political participation. I find that involvement in cohousing is positively related to political participation and that involvement in cohousing and political participation are positively related to self-reported change in political participation since joining cohousing. These results, in view of data limitations, suggest limited support for the hypothesis to the extent that members claim that their political participation has changed since moving to cohousing.Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing that typically involves varying degrees of shared ownership and spaces, shared responsibility for expenses and work related to everyday living and longer-term community upkeep, and shared governance (Bygott 2006; Cohousing Association of the United States 2013; Fenster 1999; Kahn 2010; Poley 2007; Saegert and Benitez 2005). Most communities have a certain number of shared meals and are multi- generational, creating an extended-family like environment (Forrest and Rich 2005; Kahn 2010; Martin and Yeugn 2006; Mulder, Costanza, and Erickson 2006; Salhus 2006), and many assert larger goals and ideals such as environmental sustainability or egalitarianism. Numerous communities include affordable housing options, a cause which is now an active part of the policy agenda of the Cohousing Association of America. (Cohousing Association of America 2013; Gray, Marcus, and Carey 2005; Helm, Horvitz, and Ben-Egypt 1993; Kahn 2010; Kennedy 2002). Cohousing community members hold joint events and work on joint projects with neighboring organizations and individuals beyond the boundaries of a particular community (Poley 2007). Cohousing communities generally use consensus and other highly democratic forms of collective decision-making to debate and settle community issues (Cohousing Association of the United States 2013; Poley 2007). Members furthermore hold joint events and work on joint projects with neighboring organizations and individuals beyond the boundaries of a particular community (Poley 2007). Taken together, these basic features suggest that cohousing resembles a form of civic association that is worth studying for possible "spill-over" effects on political participation. Does the exercise of quasi-political skills within cohousing communities carry over to the realm of electoral and interest-group politics, resulting in a more politically active group of individuals?Cohousing as Civic SocietyIn asking these questions, I seek to build on the civic-society literature, which argues that involvement in non-political associations and organizations is a crucial training ground for participation in democratic politics (Almond and Verba 1963; Ayala 2000; Bachrach 1967; Barber 1984; Blumberg 1968; Dahl 1970, 1985; Mason 1982; Pateman 1970; Putnam et al. 1993; Putnam 1995a and 1995b; Verba, Scholzman, and Brady 1995). Carole Pateman stated the ideal as such:The existence of representative institutions at the national level is not sufficient for democracy; for maximum participation by all the people of that level, socialization, or 'social training,' for democracy must take place in other spheres in order that the necessary individual attitudes and psychological qualities can be developed. This development takes place through the process of participation itself. The major function of participation in the theory of democracy is therefore an educative one, educative in the very widest sense, including both the psychological aspect and the gaining of practice in democratic skills and procedures (1970, 42). …


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Abstract. Multiple-regression analyses have been performed on 32 years of total ozone column data that was spatially gridded with a 1 × 1.5° resolution. The total ozone data consist of the MSR (Multi Sensor Reanalysis; 1979–2008) and 2 years of assimilated SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) ozone data (2009–2010). The two-dimensionality in this data set allows us to perform the regressions locally and investigate spatial patterns of regression coefficients and their explanatory power. Seasonal dependencies of ozone on regressors are included in the analysis. A new physically oriented model is developed to parameterize stratospheric ozone. Ozone variations on nonseasonal timescales are parameterized by explanatory variables describing the solar cycle, stratospheric aerosols, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and stratospheric alternative halogens which are parameterized by the effective equivalent stratospheric chlorine (EESC). For several explanatory variables, seasonally adjusted versions of these explanatory variables are constructed to account for the difference in their effect on ozone throughout the year. To account for seasonal variation in ozone, explanatory variables describing the polar vortex, geopotential height, potential vorticity and average day length are included. Results of this regression model are compared to that of a similar analysis based on a more commonly applied statistically oriented model. The physically oriented model provides spatial patterns in the regression results for each explanatory variable. The EESC has a significant depleting effect on ozone at mid- and high latitudes, the solar cycle affects ozone positively mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, stratospheric aerosols affect ozone negatively at high northern latitudes, the effect of QBO is positive and negative in the tropics and mid- to high latitudes, respectively, and ENSO affects ozone negatively between 30° N and 30° S, particularly over the Pacific. The contribution of explanatory variables describing seasonal ozone variation is generally large at mid- to high latitudes. We observe ozone increases with potential vorticity and day length and ozone decreases with geopotential height and variable ozone effects due to the polar vortex in regions to the north and south of the polar vortices. Recovery of ozone is identified globally. However, recovery rates and uncertainties strongly depend on choices that can be made in defining the explanatory variables. The application of several trend models, each with their own pros and cons, yields a large range of recovery rate estimates. Overall these results suggest that care has to be taken in determining ozone recovery rates, in particular for the Antarctic ozone hole.


Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been intensively studied in the past decades as a promising method for large-scale solar energy storage. Among the various issues that limit the progress of this field, the lack of photoelectrode materials with suitable properties in all aspects of light absorption, charge separation and transport, and charge transfer is a key challenge, which has attracted tremendous research attention. A large variety of compositions, in different forms, have been tested. This review aims to summarize efforts in this area, with a focus on materials-related considerations. Issues discussed by this review include synthesis, optoelectronic properties, charge behaviors and catalysis. In the recognition that thin-film materials are representative model systems for the study of these issues, we elected to focus on this form, so as to provide a concise and coherent account on the different strategies that have been proposed and tested. Because practical implementation is of paramount importance to the eventual realization of using solar fuel for solar energy storage, we pay particular attention to strategies proposed to address the stability and catalytic issues, which are two key factors limiting the implementation of efficient photoelectrode materials. To keep the overall discussion focused, all discussions were presented within the context of water splitting reactions. How the thin-film systems may be applied for fundamental studies of the water splitting chemical mechanisms and how to use the model system to test device engineering design strategies are discussed.


TV viewership data available at the individual set-top box level has enabled new methods for estimating the demographics of shows' audiences, but it is impossible to tell with certainty which household members are watching TV in multi-person households. We address this problem through four main contributions. First, we develop a novel method for estimating the likelihood that each individual in a multi-person household is watching. Second, we derive a set of tasks at which models must succeed in order to demonstrate that they have solved the core problem, since there are no ground-truth labels. Third, we evaluate our new method as well as two current state-of-the-art heuristic methods. Fourth, we conduct some example analyses of viewership in the context of living with others. Our solution has implications for advertisers, researchers who seek better understanding TV viewership, and anyone using data generated by shared devices or accounts. A major TV provider is planning on deploying this method for use in their TV ad-targeting system. No personally identifiable information (PII) was gathered or used in conducting this study. To the extent any data was analyzed, it was anonymous and/or aggregated data, consistent with the carrier's privacy policy. Clark, Paiement, and Provost: Who's Watching TV Working paper CBA-16-02


To assess the parents' knowledge and awareness of their children's oral health in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 The study was a cross-sectional analytical study of Saudi parents. A self-administered questionnaire was collected from 324 parents in public parks and malls. In addition to the demographic questions, parents' knowledge about the number of primary teeth, tooth brushing, best time of dental visits, the meaning of plaque and calculus, the importance of fluoride, the relationship between primary and permanent teeth and the effect of oral health on general health were questioned. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni tests to assess differences in the mean number of correct answers among demographic categories. A p-value of 0.05 was set at a significant level.

 The percentages of correct answers ranged from 26% to 75% depending on the type of questions. Only 26-28% could identify the number of primary teeth and the duration of teeth brushing. About one-third of parents knew the time of the first dental visit and the definition of plaque and calculus. Between 63-75% of parents believed that primary teeth can affect permanent teeth and mouth problems can affect general health. On average, 59.2% of participants provide incorrect answers about their children's oral health. The numbers of correct answers were significantly increased by increasing education and income.

 Parents' knowledge and awareness of oral health among Saudi parents were poor. Special attention should be given to parents with low socioeconomic status who need to be educated about children oral health more.


High concentration slurry pipelines are now being increasingly preferred for the transportation of coal ash slurries in thermal power plants. The focus of the present paper is to establish the effect of radius ratio on the pressure drop across pipe bends at high concentrations (Cw≥ 60% by weight) where the distribution of solids is expected to be homogeneous and hence to optimize the bend geometry for such flows. Fly ash slurries at concentrations above 60% (by weight) have a strong non-Newtonian character with Bingham fluid type of behaviour. Numerical simulation at high concentrations (60% to 68% by weight) through a pipe bend has been carried out using the commercially available CFD software FLUENT. For the laminar regime, the measured values of yield stress and Bingham viscosity are used as input, whereas for turbulent flow several turbulence models have been tried to establish the optimum turbulence model. To achieve this objective, the predicted results are compared with the experimental data obtained by earlier investigators at IIT Delhi on coal ash slurries with concentrations in the range 50 to 65% by weight. It was seen that predictions made using K-ω (SST) turbulence model were in good agreement with experimental data. Hence, using the K-ω (SST) model for turbulent flow and the Bingham plastic model for laminar flow, pressure drops for eight different 90° bends with different radius ratios (R/r) in the range 1 to 6 and sharp cornered bend (R/r=0) have been computed for different concentrations in the range of 60 to 68% by weight. On the basis of the study, the optimum value of radius ratio is found to lie between 3 and 4.


The battle between government regulators and big business is a clash of titans. Well-funded federal agencies are staffed with intricate networks of bureaucrats working to fulfill their legislative mandates and keep American businesses in line with public policy, whether the issue is pollution, workplace safety, taxation or the like.(1) Big business is ready and able to combat their nemeses with big budgets for lobbying, legal work, and compliance with the immense quantity of complex regulations enumerated in the Code of Federal Regulations.(2) All too often small businesses are found floundering in the middle of this fray. Their business practices inevitably leave them exposed to federal regulations aimed at curbing the excessive practices of big business.(3) Their budgets, however, leave them without adequate resources either to comply with or to fight intrusive federal regulators. In 1996, Congress gave small businesses a weapon of their own in their fight against this regulatory morass.(4) The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996(5) (SBREFA) contained a judicial review provision giving individuals or entities the power to challenge federal agencies in court if the agencies do not adequately take into account the disparate impact their proposed regulations will have on small businesses.(6) It remains to be seen whether this new weapon will be effective in assisting small businesses to survive in the current regulatory predicament. This Note addresses the problems small businesses face in fighting or complying with federal regulations aimed primarily at the activities of big businesses, and Congress's legislative response to these problems. The primary focus is the initial response to the judicial review provision contained in SBREFA. A review of existing case law demonstrates that small entities have prevailed using SBREFA in cases in which there was a gross violation of federal rulemaking procedures by an agency, but failed when using SBREFA in cases in which the agency made some effort to comply with those requirements. The first section of this Note examines the importance of small businesses and their plight in complying with federal regulations.(7) This section analyzes data from a variety of sources to show that compliance with federal regulations is often a matter of fixed costs.(8) The interests of large businesses in federal policymaking are better represented thanks to their ability to hire lobbyists.(9) Additionally, large businesses have entire departments that deal with regulatory compliance.(10) Small businesses often face the same regulatory requirements of these larger businesses, but lack the resources with which to fight or comply.(11) Data indicates that the amount expended on compliance with federal regulations is much higher proportionately for small businesses.(12) The second section describes Congress's attempts at remedying this plight through the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980(13) (RFA) and SBREFA's amendments to the RFA.(14) The RFA attempted to alleviate some of the disproportionate strain placed on small businesses by requiring federal agencies, as part of their regulatory promulgation process, to take into account any disparate impacts that small entities might face.(15) An analysis of the legislation's effects shows that the RFA had little effect on the federal rulemaking process, in part, because it allowed agencies to certify with very little supporting data that their regulation would not have a disparate impact on small entities and, therefore, that a cost-benefit analysis was not required.(16) Further, small businesses had no remedy when the agencies' conclusions were wrong.(17) Congress, in an attempt to address this problem, passed SBREFA, which included, among other things, a judicial review provision allowing individuals or entities to challenge federal agency violations of the RFA in court.(18) The third section looks at some of the early court cases that have arisen as a result of the new power given to small businesses by SBREFA. …


Acute renal failure (ARF), characterized by sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to excrete wastes, concentrate urine, conserve electrolytes, and maintain fluid balance, is a frequent clinical problem, particularly in the intensive care unit, where it is associated with a mortality of between 50% and 80%. In this review, the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ARF are discussed, including the vascular, tubular, and inflammatory perturbations. The clinical evaluation of ARF and implications for potential future therapies to decrease the high mortality are described.


CD8+ T-cell response is thought to be important for the control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as for the liver cell injury caused by HCV infection. Studies on antigen-specific CD8+ T cells had long been hampered by lack of suitable techniques. Recently developed single-cell based assays, including peptide major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tetramer staining and intracellular cytokine staining, have greatly enhanced the opportunities for directly studying HCV-specific CD8+ T cells. Thanks to these novel assays the quantitative and qualitative nature of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells, including their number, phenotype, and effector functions, are starting to be revealed. However, much important information remains missing, including the signals for differentiation and migration of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells and the precise functions of antigen-specific effector cells in the virus-infected liver. The urgent need for effective immunotherapy and vaccines can not be met without a better understanding of the CD8+ T-cell response in HCV infection, which calls for a comprehensive strategy to study such cells directly using sensitive and quantitative assays.


Simply put, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a way to separate a document's structure from its presentation. The benefits of this can be quite profound: CSS allows a much richer document appearance than HTML; CSS saves time--you can create or change the appearance of an entire document in just one place; and its compact file size makes web pages load quickly. Eric Meyer, a member of the CSS&FP Working Group and an internationally known expert on HTML and CSS, tackles the subject with passion and delivers a comprehensive and thorough update to his groundbreaking book. All readers will benefit from both the depth and breadth of his experience and his clear and honest style. Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is a thorough review of all aspects of CSS2.1 and a comprehensive guide to CSS implementation. The book includes new content on positioning, lists and generated content, table layout, user interface, paged media, and more. It explores in detail each individual CSS property and how it interacts with other properties, and shows how to avoid common mistakes in interpretation. If you're ready to take the next step with your HTML coding and incorporate CSS or are already a CSS code warrior, you'll find Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is the book you've been craving.


The potential human and economic loss due to structural collapse of geo-synthetic reinforced soil walls during earthquakes us huge. This substantiates the need for reliable design of such structures. The focus of this study was numerical and analytical design geo-synthetic reinforced soil walls under dynamic loading. Two topics were addressed; the effect of reinforcement parameters and verification of pseudo-static methods. The study is based on a 1 m high reduced-scale shaking table model loaded using stepped-amplitude harmonic base acceleration amplitude. A numerical PLAXIS model was developed and verified using physical model data. Material properties of the components (e.g. backfill and reinforcements) were based on information from a similar model developed using FLAC. The numerical model was used in a parameter study of the effects of reinforcement length and strength on the failure surface, facing displacements and reinforcement loads. The accuracy of pseudo-static methods was studied by comparing physical model results with predictions using the Mononobe-Okabe, the horizontal slices and two-part wedge method. Furthermore, guidelines for the Mononobe-Okabe method in different seismic design codes (i.e. Eurocode, FHWA/AASTHO and PIANC) were compared. Based on this comparison a new pseudo-static coefficient was developed. The reinforcement length and strength were found to have a significant effect on model response. For example, an increase in reinforcement axial stiffness will give a shallower failure surface and reduced the lateral facing displacements. Neither the Mononobe-Okabe, nor the horizontal slice, or the two-part wedge method was able to predict both the failure surface and the earth forces for a wide range of acceleration amplitudes. It was found that different pseudo-static methods are suitable for different predictions (e.g. of the failure surface) at different acceleration amplitudes. For example, single wedge pseudo-static methods gave good predictions for the active earth force and failure surface shape for acceleration amplitudes up to 0.30g, but not for higher amplitudes. FHWA/AASHTO were found to give better predictions for the failure surface and earth forced (when using Mononobe-Okabe) than the Eurocode and PIANC guidelines. Even so, the failure surface predicted using FHWA/AASHTO was too shallow compared to the physical measurements for acceleration amplitudes up to 0.30g.


As the COVID-19 pandemic pushed firms to comply with social distancing guidelines, the relative demand for work that could be performed from home was expected to increase. However, while employment in "remotable" occupations was relatively resilient during the pandemic, online job postings -which measure demand for new hires- for these occupations dropped disproportionately. This apparent contradiction is not explained by prior job "churning" in "non-remote" jobs, nor by the recomposition of the labor market across economic sectors. The underperformance of postings in "remotable" jobs during the pandemic concentrates in essential occupations and occupations with high returns to experience.


Prior information systems research highlights the vital role of information technology (IT) for innovation in firms. At the same time, innovation literature has shown that accessing and integrating knowledge from sources that reside outside the firm, such as customers, competitors, universities, or consultants, is critical to firms' innovative success. In this paper, we draw on the knowledge-based view of the firm to investigate how search in external knowledge sources and information technology for knowledge absorption jointly influence process innovation performance. Our model is tested on a nine-year panel (2003-2011) of Swiss firms from a wide range of manufacturing industries. Using instrumental variables, and disaggregating by type of IT, we find that data access systems and network connectivity hold very different potential for the effective absorption of external knowledge, and the subsequent realized economic gains from process innovation. Against the backdrop of today's digital transformation, our findings demonstrate how firms should coordinate strategies for sourcing external knowledge with specific IT investments in order to improve their innovation performance.


Societal issues involving policies and publics are generally understudied in research on ocean-based Negative Emission Technologies (NETs), yet will be crucial if novel techniques are ever to function at scale. Public attitudes are vital for emerging technologies: publics influence political mandates, help determine the degree of uptake by market actors, and are key to realizing broader ambitions for robust decision-making and responsible incentivization. Discourses surrounding ocean NETs will also have fundamental effects on how governance for the techniques emerges, shaping how they are defined as an object of governance, who is assigned the authority to govern, and what instruments are deemed appropriate. This Perspective brings together key insights on the societal dimensions of ocean NETs, drawing on existing work on public acceptability, policy assessment, governance, and discourse. Ocean iron fertilization is the only ocean NET on which there exists considerable social science research thus far, and we show that much evidence points against its social desirability. Taken in conjunction with considerable natural science uncertainties, this leads us to question whether further research is actually necessary in order to rule out ocean iron fertilization as an option. For other ocean NETs, there is a need for further research into social dimensions, yet research on analogous technologies shows that ocean interventions will likely evoke strong risk perceptions, and evidence suggests that the majority of ocean NETs may face a greater public acceptability challenge than terrestrial NETs. Ocean NETs also raise complex challenges around governance, which pose questions well-beyond the remit of the natural sciences and engineering. Using a conceptual exploration of the ways in which different types of discourse may shape emerging ocean NETs governance, we show that the very idea of ocean NETs is likely to set the stage for a whole new range of contested futures.


Medicinal plants and plant derived products have been part of the health care system since ancient human civilization. Traditional medicine uses plant extracts because of it's antioxidant activity. In contrast usage of synthetic antioxidants are being restricted due to several limitations. Thus, there is always demand for newer and alternative phytomedicines. The aim of the present study is to analyse phytochemical components and to explore the In vitro antioxidant potential of methanolic extract of Enicostemma hyssopifolium (MEEh). The plant extract was prepared by organic solvents. The MEEh was used for GC/MS analysis and for exploring the prospects of Enicostemma hyssopifolium. The radical scavenging bioassays such as DPPH and ABTS were carried out to study in vitro antioxidant potency. The lipid peroxidation assay was performed to analyse their inhibitory effects and ferric reducing power of the extract was also evaluated. GC/MS analysis revealed that the plant is a rich source of phytochemicals such as 3,5Dimethoxyacetophenone, Ergost-5-en-3-ol which are known to have antioxidant potency. In the antioxidant assay of MEEh the IC 50 was found to be 655.3>306.6 μg/ml. In lipid peroxidation assay, 33.45% of inhibition was found at 1000 μg/ml. The findings of the study revealed the potential of Enicostemma hyssopifolium as a source for natural antioxidants. It revealed that the plant could be a promising alternative agent in scavenging free radicals and may have ameliorative effect in complications associated with free radical damage.


Molecular imaging is a powerful tool to visualize cellular processes and activity levels of biomarkers at the cellular and molecular level, in which a molecular probe is a prerequisite for the molecular imaging technique. The present work reports a bimodal probe for the fluorescence and magnetic resonance detection of fluoride ions (F-) in aqueous media and in vivo. The bimodal probe, EDTA-Gd-HF, was prepared by self-assembly of the EDTA-Gd complex with 3-hydroxyflavone (HF). In the system, HF plays the role of spectroscopic reporter and Gd(iii) serves as a MRI signal output unit as well as the fluoride ion binding site. Upon addition of fluoride ions into an aqueous solution of EDTA-Gd-HF, the replacement of one coordinated water molecule and then liberation of HF led to remarkable spectroscopic recovery and distinct changes to the longitudinal relaxivity (r1), by which fluorescence/MRI bimodal fluoride ion sensing was achieved. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in mice indicates that EDTA-Gd-HF can be potentially used in biomedical diagnosis and therapy fields.


The development of learning in the society has always been a topic of concern
for most countries. In Iran, discussions for its improvement focus primarily on
the role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the existing
educational systems. Traditional education criteria are no longer sufficient and
suitable to cope with the changes that have been brought by ICT. Web-based
learning is one of the new changes in Iranian educational systems. Although
the role of web-based learning in supporting ICT integration is comprehended
as critical, to date there are lack of scientific studies about its effectiveness in
Iranian public universities. This study is to understand this information gap
through comprehensive sources of data on web-based computer courses in
Iran.
The specific objectives of this study were to identify the socio-demographic
and academic profiles of students, their perceived effectiveness of web-based learning, its relationship with a number of independent variables, and to
determine learning factors that may influence the effectiveness of web-based
learning. The study was primarily quantitative in nature and employed
descriptive correlational research designs to collect data on students who
were taking web-based computer courses at Iranian public universities during
the first semester of 2008/09 (N=1500). The web questionnaire was used to
obtain the required data and the number of valid responses was 482.
The results of this study indicated that the average age of the respondents
was about 26 years. Half of the students preferred to communicate via e-mail
and about 57% of them preferred to download their course contents from files
with the .swf extension (Flash Player files). Further, 80% of them indicated that
they participated in the web-based courses because they could learn at their
own pace and it could fit into their busy schedules. Some 49% of these
students had jobs. On average, they spent about four hours a week to study
using computers. However, the instructors suggested that for a three-credit
computer course, at least six hours must be spent on the computer a week. In
addition, 55% of the students perceived that the web-based computer courses
were moderately effective. Further analysis showed that the percentage of
second year students or above (Level 2) who perceived the web-based
computer courses to be effective was higher than the first or second year
students doing Level 1.


Sensory nerves are equipped with receptors and ion channels that allow them to detect and respond to diverse chemical, mechanical, and thermal stimuli. These sensory proteins include G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) and transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels. A subclass of peptidergic sensory nerves express GPCRs and TRP channels that detect noxious, irritant, and inflammatory stimuli. Activation of these nerves triggers protective mechanisms that lead to withdrawal from danger (pain), removal of irritants (itch, cough), and resolution of infection (neurogenic inflammation). The GPCR-TRP axis is central to these mechanisms. Signals that emanate from the GPCR superfamily converge on the small TRP family, leading to channel sensitization and activation, which amplify pain, itch, cough, and neurogenic inflammation. Herein we discuss how GPCRs and TRP channels function independently and synergistically to excite sensory nerves that mediate noxious and irritant responses and inflammation in the skin and the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. We discuss the signaling mechanisms that underlie the GPCR-TRP axis and evaluate how new information about the structure of GPCRs and TRP channels provides insights into their functional interactions. We propose that a deeper understanding of the GPCR-TRP axis may facilitate the development of more selective and effective therapies to treat dysregulated processes that underlie chronic pain, itch, cough, and inflammation.


This article explores empirically the duration of civil war. It relates the duration of civil war to two alternative models of conflict and culls testable hypotheses from the case study literature on civil war. Using a comprehensive dataset on large-scale violent civil conflicts covering the 1960-2000 period, a wide range of hypotheses are tested by means of hazard function regressions. The results show that the duration of conflict is systematically related both to structural conditions prevailing prior to conflict and to circumstances during conflict. The key structural characteristics that lengthen conflict are low per capita income, high inequality and a moderate degree of ethnic division. The key variable characteristics that shorten conflict are a decline in the prices of the primary commodities that the country exports and external military intervention on the side of the rebels. Furthermore, the results indicate that the chances of peace were much lower in the 1980s and 1990s than they had been previously. Three empirical explanations are suggested as different approaches to civil war: rebellion-as-investment, in which the critical incentive is the post-conflict payoff; rebellion-as-business, in which the critical incentive is the payoff during conflict; and rebellion-as-mistake, in which military optimism prevents the recognition of any mutually advantageous settlement. The article concludes that the empirical evidence is incompatible with the first of these approaches but consistent with the others.


textabstractThis thesis consists of three studies in the investments field, which examines the interaction between long and short positions and their impact on market participants, prices and portfolio allocations. In chapter 2, I examine the optimal portfolio composition for institutional investors when considering liabilities. Institutional investors, by taking into account their short positions, which in effect are their liabilities, make different asset allocation decisions (long positions). Important in the optimization in excess of liabilities is the role of the asset classes in hedging the market value of liabilities. In chapter 3, I turn to the impact of short positions of market participants on prices by showing that limits to shorting lead to biased prices. In particular, I find that the presence of short sale constraints can explain the existence of a premium to Net Asset Value for Real Estate Investment Trusts. Miller (1977) argues that as short-sale constraints keep more pessimistic investors out of the market, prices tend to reflect a more optimistic valuation than they otherwise would. The results of 4 suggest that overpricing caused by the presence of short sale constraints is not solely due to restriction on negative information but also partly a result of capitalized lending income. I show that revenue associated with security lending is capitalization in prices, as investors are willing to pay a premium associated with lending fees.


Differences in marine terrace elevations across the Pacific coast of North America have long been assumed to be a result of differences in the rates of tectonic motion. However, other processes, particularly glacio-isostatic adjustment, lead to regional variations in sea levels. In this study, we compiled the elevations of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e (ca. 119–129 ka), 5c (ca. 106 ka), and 5a (ca. 84 ka) terraces across the Pacific coast of central North America and compared these regional variations in elevation with model predictions of glacio-isostatic adjustment after correcting for tectonics. These predictions are generally consistent with the observed trends in the elevations of the terraces and show that this process created up to 20 m of coeval variation in local sea levels along the Pacific coast of central North America (between 20°N and 45°N) during MIS 5c and MIS 5a, but less, ~4 m, during MIS 5e. Accounting for glacio-isostatic adjustment reduces the variability in uplift rates calculated at individual locations using different-aged terraces as datums. Ignoring glacio-isostatic adjustment leads to overestimated uplift rates by an average of 40%, but up to 72%, across the Pacific coast of central North America. An understanding of regional variations in glacio-isostatic adjustment–corrected sea levels also contributes to the correct identification of marine terraces with mistaken ages.


Are today's youngest retirees following in the footsteps of their older peers with respect to gradual retirement? Recent evidence from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) suggests that most older Americans with full-time career jobs later in life transitioned to another job prior to complete labor force withdrawal. This paper explores the retirement patterns of a younger cohort of individuals from the HRS known as the "War Babies." These survey respondents were born between 1942 and 1947 and were 57 to 62 years of age at the time of their fourth bi-annual HRS interview in 2004. We compare the War Babies to an older cohort of HRS respondents and find that, for the most part, the War Babies have followed the gradual-retirement trends of their slightly older predecessors. Traditional one-time, permanent retirements appear to be fading, a sign that the impact of changes in the retirement income landscape since the 1980s continues to unfold.


Drawing upon a series of interviews with politicians, sports administrators, coaches, journalists and academics and with analysis based on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), this thesis examines elite sports development policy in Taiwan within a political context. It investigates the issues of whether or not sports development and policy-making reflect institutional features, and how sports policy has changed over time in Taiwan. It further explores the development systems of baseball, taekwondo and tennis, with a particular focus on similarities and differences between them at the elite level.

Empirical data gathered from semi-structured interviews and documentary materials is analysed using an institutional approach together the ACF. The main findings suggest that, in essence, sports development and policy-making in Taiwan comply with institutional features and, during different periods from 1949 to the present day, have consistently been influenced by the political needs of the time. The analysis of the development systems of the three selected sports identified some major similarities. The government promotes them using a top-down approach and each sport relies heavily on the public funding. There sports have no national level facilities. Talent identification and development mainly occur in schools and are conducted through the competition systems. There is government financial support for elite athletes to participate in international events or for the governing bodies to host international events. The development systems for coaches share the same mechanisms. Finally, national athletes in each sport can enjoy sports science support from the government during squad training and international events. However, the case studies also reveal considerable differences. The governing bodies of taekwondo and tennis play a more dominant in elite development than that of baseball. Parents play a more significant role in the identification and development of tennis players than for the other sports. Only taekwondo national competitors train relatively frequently at the national training centre. The facilities for elite baseball players are more adequate than for the other sports. Elite baseball players enjoy the most international competition opportunities and taekwondo competitors the least. The existence of a professional baseball league and a highly professionalised international competition system for tennis serve to highlight the difference between the three sports in terms of the emergence of full-time athletes. In sum, this demonstrates quite clearly that there exists in Taiwan a single spine of sports development in general, but with variations.


The process of audio mastering often, if not always, includes various audio signal processing techniques such as frequency equalisation and dynamic range compression. With respect to the genre and style of the audio content, the parameters of these techniques are controlled by a mastering engineer, in order to process the original audio material. This operation relies on musical and perceptually pleasing facets of the perceived acoustic characteristics, transmitted from the audio material under the mastering process. Modelling such dynamic operations, which involve adaptation regarding the audio content, becomes vital in automated applications since it significantly affects the overall performance. In this work we present a system capable of modelling such behaviour focusing on the automatic dynamic range compression. It predicts frequency coefficients which allow the dynamic range compression, via a trained deep neural network, and applies them to unmastered audio signal served as input. Both dynamic range compression and the prediction of the corresponding frequency coefficients take place inside the time-frequency domain, using magnitude spectra acquired from a critical band filter bank, similar to human's peripheral auditory system. Results from conducted listening tests, incorporating professional music producers and audio mastering engineers, demonstrate on average an equivalent performance compared to professionally mastered audio content. Improvements were also observed, when compared to relevant and commercial software.


Time-resolved photoelectron holography from atoms using midinfrared laser pulses is investigated by solving the corresponding time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation (TDSE) and a classical model, respectively. The numerical simulation of the photoelectron angular distribution of Xe irradiated with a low-frequency free-electron laser source agrees well with the experimental results. Different types of subcycle interferometric structures are predicted by the classical model. Furthermore with the TDSE model it is demonstrated that the holographic pattern is sensitive to the shape of the atomic orbitals. This is a step toward imaging by means of photoelectron holography.


We report experimental results from three Colombian villages concerning the impact of a voting mechanism on interpersonal trust and trustworthiness. The vote is purely consultative in that participants are asked to declare in a secret ballot the most "appropriate" plan of action for individuals involved in a "Trust Game". The plan of action that is most voted is then publicly announced. The mechanism is unbinding, as only the aggregate result of the voting is disclosed and it has no bearing on individual decisions. In spite of the strategic irrelevance of the announcement, we observe an increase in both trust and trustworthiness after the announcement is carried out, in comparison to the baseline condition where no voting takes place.


Global climate change may impact the cycling of C, N, and S in forest ecosystems because increased soil temperatures could alter rates of microbially mediated processes. We studied the effects of temperature on microbial respiration and net N and S mineralization in surface soils from four northern hardwood forests in the Great Lakes region. Soil samples were incubated in the laboratory at five temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) for 32 wk. Headspace gas was analyzed for CO2-C at 2-wk intervals, and soils were extracted to determine inorganic N and S. Cumulative respired C and mineralized N and S increased with temperature at all sites and were strongly related (r2 = 0.67 to 0.90, significant at P = 0.001) to an interaction between temperature and soil organic C. Production of respired C and mineralized N was closely fit by first-order kinetic models (r2 > 0.94, P = 0.001), whereas mineralized S was best described by zero-order kinetics. Contrary to common assumptions, rate constants estimated from the first-order models were not consistently related to temperature, but apparent pool sizes of C and N were highly temperature dependent. Temperature effects on microbial respiration could not be accurately predicted using temperature-adjusted rate constants combined with a constant pool size of labile C. Results suggest that rates of microbial respiration and the mineralization of N and S may be related to a temperature-dependent constraint on microbial access to substrate pools. Simulation models should rely on a thorough understanding of the biological basis underlying microbially mediated C, N, and S transformations in soil.


The major drawback of the early ripening Vitis vinifera cv. Early Sweet is its cluster compactness and significant variability in berry size. Here, we tested the ability of abscisic acid (ABA) to reduce the number of berries per cluster and improve berry size uniformity. Data collected from a commercial vineyard over three successive growing seasons suggest that ABA application significantly reduces berry number per cluster in a concentration-dependent manner, improves uniformity of berry size within clusters, and has no significant effect on rachis length. The results also suggest that the thinning effect of ABA depends on the bloom status of the inflorescence, with limited or no effect when applied at preanthesis and with a significant effect when applied at full bloom and soon after anthers are detached. Accordingly, the effects of a semicommercial application of ABA on berry number and size was significantly affected by asynchronous blooming. Completion of bloom may serve as a clear phenological marker for optimal timing of ABA application for uniform and effective thinning.