Introduction. Part I: Prerequisite Information for Using the Program. The Rationale for the Program. Clinical Assessment of Defiant Children. Practical Considerations in Parent Training. An Overview of the Parent Training Program. Part II: Guidelines for Therapists in Conducting the Program. Step 1. Why Children Misbehave. Step 2. Pay Attention! Step 3. Increasing Compliance and Independent Play. Step 4. When Praise Is Not Enough: Poker Chips and Points. Step 5. Time Out and Other Disciplinary Methods. Step 6. Extending Time Out to Other Misbehavior. Step 7. Anticipating Problems: Managing Children in Public Places. Step 8. Improving School Behavior from Home: The Daily School Behavior Report Card. Step 9. Handling Future Behavior Problems. Step 10. Booster Session and Follow-Up Meetings. Part III: Assessment Materials. Form 1. General Instructions for Completing the Questionnaires. Form 2. Child and Family Information. Form 3. Developmental and Medical History. Form 4. Home Situations Questionnaire. Form 5. School Situations Questionnaire. Form 6. How to Prepare for Your Child's Evaluation. Part IV: Parent Handouts. Parent Handout for Step 1. Profiles of Child and Parent Characteristics. Parent Handout for Step 1. Family Problems Inventory. Parent Handout for Step 1. Diagram of Oppositional Defiant Intervention. Parent Handout for Step 2. Paying Attention to Your Child's Good Play Behavior. Parent Handout for Step 3. Paying Attention to Your Child's Compliance. Parent Handout for Step 3. Giving Effective Commands. Parent Handout for Step 3. Attending to Independent Play. Parent Handout for Step 4. The Home Poker Chip/Point System. Parent Handout for Step 5. Time Out! Parent Handout for Step 7. Anticipating Problems: Managing Children in Public Places. Parent Handout for Step 8. Using a Daily School Behavior Report Card. Parent Handout for Step 9. Managing Future Behavior Problems.


Yb3+/Er3+ codoped Gd2MoO6 upconversion nanocrystals were synthesized via the traditional citric-assisted sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and upconversion emission spectroscopy were employed to characterize the final products. Under the irradiation of 980 nm light, the synthesized nanocrystals emitted visible green and red upconversion emissions arising from the intra-4f transitions of Er3+ ions. The upconversion emission intensities were found to be dependent on the dopant concentration and the emission colour gradually changed from green to yellow, and finally to red on elevating the Yb3+ doping concentration. The involved upconversion luminescence mechanism was systematically studied and the steady-state rate expressions were applied to analyze the influence of energy back transfer on the multicolour upconversion emissions. Moreover, the temperature dependent emission intensity ratio of the (2H11/2, 4S3/2) thermally coupled levels of the Er3+ ion in the range of 303–703 K was recorded to study the optical thermometric properties of the resultant nanocrystals. The maximum sensor sensitivity of the Yb3+/Er3+ codoped Gd2MoO6 nanocrystals was determined to be as high as 0.0053 K−1 at 350 K. In addition, the temperature sensing performance of the synthesized compounds was found to be greatly dependent on the Yb3+ doping concentration. These results reveal that the Yb3+/Er3+ codoped Gd2MoO6 nanocrystals with high sensor sensitivity and wide operation range are suitable for non-contact optical thermometry.


Biomass, a renewable energy source, has been viewed as "carbon neutral"—that is, its use as energy is presumed not to release net carbon dioxide. However, this assumption of carbon neutrality has recently been challenged. In 2010 two letters were sent to the Congress by eminent scientists examining the merits—or demerits—of biomass for climate change mitigation. The first, from about 90 scientists (to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, from W.H. Schlesinger et al. May 17, 2010), questioned the treatment of all biomass energy as carbon neutral, arguing that it could undermine legislative emissions reduction goals. The second letter, submitted by more than 100 forest scientists (to Barbara Boxer et al. from Bruce Lippke et al. July 20, 2010), expressed concern over equating biogenic carbon emissions with fossil fuel emissions, as is contemplated in the Environmental Protection Agency's Tailoring Rule. It argued that an approach focused on smokestack emissions, independent of the feedstocks, would encourage further fossil fuel energy production, to the long-term detriment of the atmosphere. This paper attempts to clarify and, to the extent possible, resolve these differences.


This booklet is based on a meeting organised by the Office of Health Economics and chaired by Sir John Butterfield at the Ciba Foundation on 30th October 1985. The meeting was a follow-up to a similar more general OHE discussion held at Cumberland Lodge in June 1984, whose proceedings were published under the title 'A New NHS Act for 1996?' The present booklet contains the nine prepared papers on which the 1985 discussion was based, together with a shorter contribution from the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Security which he presented at the meeting. The final chapter is a summary of some of the main points raised in the discussion. There is a foreword by Sir John. These proceedings cannot pretend to offer a definitive account of the best way in which general practice should develop under the National Health Service in the years ahead. However, it does provide an optimistic view of the potential for general practice and some 'signposts' as to how general practitioners and their team can best help to promote the good health of the population. The booklet points out there are many different ways in which individual general practices are organised, and it expresses regret that more has not been done to evaluate the effect of those differences. There is no crisis in general practice but this does not mean that no improvements are possible. The steady advances in organisation and performance which have taken place over the past twenty years can be expected to continue largely as a result of internal pressures, and in response to realistic expectations from better informed patients. These advances will continue to take many different forms; the pathway forwards in general practice is a broad avenue rather than a narrow gangplank. Incidentally, the conclusions from the 1985 meeting form a sharp contrast to those from an earlier meeting organised by the Office of Health Economics in 1963. This was held at Magdalen College, Oxford and was entitled 'Incentives in General Practice'. The record of that meeting (which was unpublished) referred to the 'present criticism and dissatisfaction amongst general practitioners'. The opinion was expressed in 1963 that 'it would be wrong to expect an 'operation bootstrap' to raise the standards within the profession itself'. The response was, of course, the 'New Charter' for general practice a few years later, from which much of the subsequent improvement has flowed. There are still isolated pockets of poor practice, and various ways were discussed at the 1985 meeting to deal with this problem. But these isolated instances must not be allowed to detract from the overall positive and optimistic picture which emerges for the development of general practice in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.


Marine structures are subjected to slamming loads during their operating life. Increasing concerns are raised regarding the calculations of extreme loading caused by breaking waves. Slamming loads are associated with high-velocity impacts, large water pressures and short durations. They are challenging to describe and to design against. Traditional methods describing the phenomenon used by regulatory agencies might give inaccurate results. Further, the access to relevant direct numerical calculation approach is rapidly developing. This study summarizes the results from slamming impacts on different structures in order to assess the role of hydroelasticity using the coupling between a nonlinear FEM analysis and CFD calculations. The link between hydrodynamic flow and response of the structure is discussed, and comparison with rigid body pressure calculations are included. The effects of hydroelasticity, such as the reduction in pressure and deformation, are presented. The importance of hydroelasticity for impact of this magnitude is crucial and needs to be considered. Using a FEM model with similar characteristics and structural layout as an actual column of mobile offshore unit, the analysis of the response of the platform's column subjected to an extreme slamming load is also carried out Its response and structural integrity are discussed, along with the uncertainties linked to the description of the breaking wave phenomenon. The structure displays deformations within acceptable range for an extreme loading and the operability and load bearing function of the structure is moreover not directly endangered.


In a distributed real-time environment where it is imperative to make correct decisions it is important to have all facts available to make the most accurate decision in a certain situation. An example of such an environment is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system where several UAVs cooperate to carry out a certain task and the data recorded is analyzed after the completion of the mission. This project aims to define and implement a time series architecture for use together with a distributed real-time database for the ability to store temporal data. The result from this project is a time series (TS) architecture that uses DeeDS, a distributed real-time database, for storage. The TS architecture is used by an application modelled from a UAV scenario for storing temporal data. The temporal data is produced by a simulator. The TS architecture solves the problem of storing temporal data for applications using DeeDS. The TS architecture is also useful as a foundation for integrating time series in DeeDS since it is designed for space efficiency and real-time requirements.


Abstract A recent literature explores the nature and causes of the collapse in international trade during 2008 and 2009. The decline was particularly great for automobiles and industrial supplies; it occurred largely along the intensive margin; quantities fell by more than prices; and prices fell less for differentiated products. Do these stylised facts apply to trade collapses more generally? This paper uses detailed, commodity specific information on UK imports between 1929 and 1933, to see to what extent the trade collapses of the Great Depression and Great Recession resembled each other. It also compares the free trading trade collapse of 1929-31 with the protectionist collapse of 1931-3, to see to what extent protection, and gradual recovery from the Great Depression, mattered for UK trade patterns.


The aim of the article is to explore how the European union (Eu) and india have developed their activities in maritime affairs, trying to boost their cooperation . The challenge for both the Eu and india has been to acknowledge each other's role sin maritime affairs in the indian ocean region (ior) as a facilitator of good practices in maritime governance as well as an important ally in securing the strategic lanes of Communication . The main hypothesis of the article is that both the Eu and india are normative powers in maritime affairs and have not yet created synergy in their activities . The growing feeling of disappointment among many countries in asia and Europe with the Belt and road initiative might be used to introduce a joint Eu-india program covering the same strategic intercontinental maritime lanes similar to the recent india-Japan initiative of the asia-africa Growth Corridor . The convergence of strategic interests of the Eu and india can be materialized in the most democratic and beneficial way for both .


State renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) and renewable energy standards (RESs) are among the most effective devices for renewable energy development, but plaintiffs have begun to challenge the constitutionality of specific provisions of these statutes by claiming they discriminate against interstate commerce in violation of the dormant Commerce Clause. Recently, a coal interest group has brought a much broader challenge, arguing that Colorado's RES excessively burdens interstate commerce because it purportedly discriminates against out-of-state nonrenewable energy providers. Should this attack succeed, the constitutionality of state RPSs and RESs across the nation will fall into doubt. At the forefront of these concerns is the ambitious California RPS, which mandates that utilities obtain 33% of energy from renewable sources. Other dormant Commerce Clause challenges to California environmental regulations, including the Rocky Mountain Farmers v. Goldstene litigation concerning the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, may also influence how courts approach challenges to RPSs. This Article explores the implications that these cases and the Colorado litigation will have for the California RPS and other state RPSs, and analyzes the weaknesses of both the Colorado and California statutes. Finally, it offers a number of defenses that states can use to overcome these attacks.


The ASPIRE-to-Excellence Initiative was established in 2013 to provide a mechanism where Excellence in teaching in a medical school received international recognition. Excellence was recognised in one or more of the following areas – Student Assessment, Student Engagement with the curriculum, Social Accountability of the medical school, Faculty Development and Simulation. Dental and Veterinary schools were included in the programme in 2015. To date, 23 schools from 12 countries around the world have received an ASPIRE award in one or more of the areas.


We present a holistic machine-learning framework for rapid screening of bimetallic catalysts with the aid of the descriptor-based kinetic analysis. A catalyst database, which contains the adsorption energies of *CO and *OH on {111}-terminated model alloy surfaces and fingerprint features of active sites from density functional theory calculations with the semi-local generalized gradient approximation (GGA), is established and used in optimizing the structural and weight parameters of artificial neural networks. The fingerprint descriptors, rooted at the d-band chemisorption theory and its recent developments, include the sp-band and d-band characteristics of an adsorption site together with tabulated properties of host-metal atoms. Using methanol electro-oxidation as the model reaction, the machine-learning model trained with the existing dataset of ∼1000 idealized alloy surfaces can capture complex, non-linear adsorbate/metal interactions with the RMSE ∼ 0.2 eV and shows predictive power in exploring the immense chemical space of bimetallic catalysts. Feature importance analysis sheds light on the underlying factors that govern the adsorbate/metal interactions and provides the physical origin of bimetallics in breaking energy-scaling constraints of *CO and *OH, the two most commonly used reactivity descriptors in heterogeneous catalysis.


Efforts have been made to improve science teaching in secondary schools in Nigeria, yet, students continue to perform poorly in science subjects. Many innovative teaching strategies have been developed by educators and found to impact significantly on students' academic performance when utilised. Hence, this study was aimed at examining science teachers' utilisation of innovative teaching strategies in teaching senior school science subjects in Ilorin, Nigeria. A sample of two hundred and fifty six (256) science teachers were selected from secondary schools in Ilorin East, South and West Local Government Areas using stratified random sampling technique. Data was obtained using a researcher-designed questionnaire known as the Innovative Teaching Strategies Questionnaire (ITSQ) which has a reliability index of 0.91 Cronbach alpha. Results showed that out of the thirty six (36) selected innovative teaching strategies, most science teachers frequently used only two (2), while the rest were rarely used. The results also showed no significant difference in science teachers' level of utilisation of the innovative teaching strategies based on experience and qualifications. It was recommended among others that science teachers avail themselves of the opportunities provided by these innovative strategies in improving the performance of their students


Objective Mental health problems are more prevalent in people with than without intellectual disabilities, yet treatment options have received little attention. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological and psychological interventions in the treatment of mental health problems in children and adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities, given their difficulties in accessing standard mental health interventions, particularly talking therapies, and difficulties reporting drug side effects. Design A systematic review using electronic searches of PsycINFO, PsycTESTS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, ASSIA, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index and CENTRAL was conducted to identify eligible intervention studies. Study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal were performed by two independent reviewers. Participants Study samples included at least 70% children and/or adults with severe or profound intellectual disabilities or reported the outcomes of this subpopulation separate from participants with other levels of intellectual disabilities. Interventions Eligible intervention studies evaluated a psychological or pharmacological intervention using a control condition or pre-post design. Outcomes Symptom severity, frequency or other quantitative dimension (e.g., impact), as assessed with standardised measures of mental health problems. Results We retrieved 41 232 records, reviewed 573 full-text articles and identified five studies eligible for inclusion: three studies evaluating pharmacological interventions, and two studies evaluating psychological interventions. Study designs ranged from double-blind placebo controlled crossover trials to single-case experimental reversal designs. Quality appraisals of this very limited literature base revealed good experimental control, poor reporting standards and a lack of follow-up data. Conclusions Mental ill health requires vigorous treatment, yet the current evidence base is too limited to identify with precision effective treatments specifically for children or adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Clinicians therefore must work on the basis of general population evidence, while researchers work to generate more precise evidence for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. PROSPERO registration number CRD 42015024469.


The paper analyzes changes in the constitution, law and legal culture in Venezuela under the presidency of Hugo Chavez. In this period the main function of the constitution has been to express the political project of those in power. The 1999 constitution reflected a mixed project of democracy and socialism. Beginning in 2002 the government strengthened its socialist-authoritarian nature. This produced the need to change the constitution, as it was attempted in 2007. This attempted was defeated and the government introduced the changes trough legislation, profiting its tight control of the National Assembly. In 2009 the government won a referendum suppressing the limits for reelection of the President of the Republic, a part of the refused reform of 2007. The constitution and the legal system have become instruments for the actual implantation of a socialist regime in the country. All the branches of public power are controlled by Chavez and all contributed to his socialist project. The paper describes the way the legislation has been dominated by the executive branch and how the judges have become part of the political apparatus of the state.


In this paper, we examine the financial integration process amongst 17 EMU countries from January 2002 to June 2013 over a normal period as well as for the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and Eurozone Debt Crisis (EDC) periods. We classify the economies in three groups (A, B and C) based on their GDP to examine whether the economic size influences financial integration. Seven indicators are used for the purpose, namely, Beta Convergence, Sigma Convergence, Variance Ratio, Asymmetric DCC, Dynamic Cointegration, Market Synchronisation Measure and Common Components Approach. The results suggest that large sized EMU economies (termed as Group A) exhibit strong financial integration. Moderate financial integration is observed for middle-sized EMU economies with old membership (termed as Group B). Small sized economies (termed as Group C) economies seemed to be least integrated within the EMU stock market system. The findings further suggest presence of contagion effects as one moves from normal to crisis periods, which are specifically stronger for more integrated economies of Group A. We recommend institutional, regulatory and other policy reforms for Group B and especially Group C to achieve higher level of integration.


The analysis aims to describe processes of demographic and epidemiological change, as well as health status self-assessment in selected Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEECs), including both the new member states and the candidate countries. The analysis is presented in the context of the use of medical services and the structure of services used. Special attention is given to those demographic and epidemiological changes that have direct impact on the frequency of medical services used and, as such, determine increases in health care costs. The ageing process and health status improvement are the main hypothethical determinants of health care costs and are therefore presented in more detail. Additionally, changes in health behaviour – mainly in the use of medical services – are discussed in the context of institutional changes in the health care sector.Comparative analysis covers the countries representing groups characterised by similar tendencies and specific health and demographic characteristics. Estonia respresents the Baltic states, Bulgaria, the Balkan countries, and Slovakia represents countries of Central Europe. Poland is a specific country, with demographic and epidemiological characteristics similar to Slovakia, but it is much larger, with a high share of rural population. In Hungary, demographic processes related to the second demographic transition began much earlier and are still dynamic, and as such, constitute a reference for other CEECs.


The distribution of chlorophyll a, b and c, the inorganic phosphate and nitrite of the euphotic zone at 56 locations in the Lakshadweep Sea was studied during the southwest monsoon period of 1990. The average chlorophyll a concentration varied from 4.62 mg/m^ at the surface to 2.23 mg/m^at 50 m depth with a column mean of 161 mg/m^ in the euphotic zone. The chlorophyll b averaged to 2.28 mg/m^ at 10 m to 2.79 mg/m^ at 50 m depths and 115 mg/ m^ in the column. The chlorophyll c varied from 4.03 mg/m^ at the surface to 4.97 mg/m^ at the 20 m depth and showed an average value of 202 mg/m^for the column. The chlorophyll c was the dominant pigment in the water column throughout the period of study. The average ratios of chlorophyll c/a and b/ a fell in the range of 1.3 - 2.4 and 0.80 - 1.3 respectively and were positively correlated with depths in the euphotic zone. The inorganic phosphate values fluctuated from 0.65 fig at/1 at surface to 1.36 |ig at/1 at 50 m depth with a mean of 49 mg at/m^ in the water column. The nitrite concentration varied widely, very often below the level of detection.


This design case highlights a new initiative, the technology-rich active learning classrooms at Michigan State University. The classrooms are intended to promote student engagement, collaborative active learning, and faculty-student interaction in a technology-rich environment that allows for digital information sharing and co-creation of content. The article describes the process of planning and design, integration of room features, and creation of user experiences.


Abstract The holotype of Neoeponides duwi (Nakkady 1950), originally described as a variety of Discorbis pseudoscopos Nakkady, is re-described and re-figured. This species appears to have no phylogenetic relationship with D. pseudoscopos. Neoeponides duwi is recorded in Paleocene shelf sediments in the Middle East and, assigned to Eponides pseudoelevatus, in West Africa. In Egypt, N. duwi typically occurs in inner to middle shelf deposits, but it has also been found dominant (up to 60% of the benthic assemblage) in transgressive deposits in deeper parts of the basin. Its distribution pattern, the association with highly variable and occasionally extremely high plankton/benthos ratios (>99.5% plankton) and with TOC-enriched laminated dark sediments, suggests an opportunistic response to limited and/or variable oxygenation at the seafloor.


Stranding records have long been used to monitor marine mammal mortalities and to help identify threats to populations. In coastal areas, marinemammals face numerous anthropogenic threats such as marine traffic and commercial fishing. The objective of this study was to investigate marinemammal stranding records from the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) and the northwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NWGSL), Quebec, Canada from 1994to 2008 for evidence of anthropogenic trauma caused by entanglement in fishing gear, ship collisions and gunshots. Of 1,590 marine mammalstranding records, 12% (n = 192) had evidence of anthropogenic trauma, most incidents being reported during summer when activities such asmarine traffic, most commercial fishing and recreational boating, occurred and a greater number of species were present in the area. These incidentswere classified into five categories (Incidental catch, Ship collision, Severe injury, Gunshot, Other). There were 1,245 mortalities and observationson carcasses suggested that anthropogenic trauma led to the death of 11% (141/1,245) of marine mammals: 14% (87/627) of cetaceans and 9%(54/618) of seals. Mortality of seals due to anthropogenic trauma was low, involving mainly Gunshot for grey (26% or 8/31) and harbour seals(26% or 8/31). Over the study period, marine mammal incidents with evidence of anthropogenic trauma increased significantly, driven by an increasein Incidental catch for two mysticete species, the common minke whale, 42% (39/92) and humpback whale, 13% (12/92) and Other for harbourporpoise 67% (16/24). Ship collision was the most common anthropogenic trauma for fin whales (22% or 8/36) and SLE beluga5 (22% or 8/36).Severe injury was reported for 22% (2/9) of small cetaceans and 78% (7/9) of seals. Evidence from some harbour porpoise stranding records(categorised as Other) suggests illegal hunting, incidental catch, predation or scavenging by grey seals in a marine protected area. The observedincrease in Incidental catch of common minke and humpback whales may be due to: (1) a shift in distribution of these two species into the SLE andNWGSL, possibly related to changes in the ecosystem; (2) changes in fishery practices; and (3) an increase in detection of marine mammal strandings.Anthropogenic trauma affecting marine mammals was documented including some species at risk, such as the harbour porpoise, the St. LawrenceEstuary beluga population, blue and North Atlantic right whales, in the St. Lawrence ecosystem including in a marine protected area. This studydemonstrates the usefulness of stranding records in helping to monitor human-caused mortality in marine mammal populations.


The announcement and discovery of network services represents one of the most important functionalities in today's networks. In order to find and use services provided by remote systems, service management and dedicated service discovery protocols are used. These mechanisms introduce, however, additional overhead, especially in resource-constrained environments such as sensor networks. In this paper, we propose an in-band service announcement mechanism through IPv6 address encoding. In this scheme, IPv6's large address space is used by a system to encode its service information into the host part of its IPv6 address. This information can then be extracted and efficiently used by other systems, allowing for service announcement without the need for additional protocols.


Using parent report, we analyze what smoking cessation messages from pediatric clinicians are most likely to motivate them to start treatment. BrightcoveDefaultPlayer10.1542/6154056257001PEDS-VA_2019-3901 Video Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insights from behavioral economics suggests that the effectiveness of health messages depends on how a message is framed. Parent preferences for smoking cessation messaging has not been studied in pediatrics, warranting further exploration to maximize benefit. We sought to assess parents' perceptions regarding the relative importance of distinct message framings to promote their smoking cessation. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional discrete choice experiment in which parent smokers rated the relative importance of 26 messages designed to encourage them to begin cessation treatment. Messages varied on who was featured (child, parent, or family), whether the message was gain or loss framed, and what outcome was included (general health, cancer, respiratory illnesses, child becoming a smoker, or financial impact). The participants were 180 parent smokers attending primary care visits with their children at 4 diverse pediatric sites. The main outcome was the importance of smoking cessation messages based on who was featured, gain or loss framing, and the outcome emphasized. RESULTS: Parent smokers highly prioritized cessation messages emphasizing the impact of quitting smoking on their child versus parent or family. Messages focusing on respiratory illness, cancer, or general health outcomes consistently ranked highest, whereas messages focused on the financial benefits of quitting ranked lowest. Gain versus loss framing did not meaningfully influence rankings. CONCLUSIONS: Parent smokers identified smoking cessation messages that emphasized the impact on their child, with outcomes focused on respiratory health, cancer, or general health, as most important. The clinical impact of these messages should be tested in future research.


The natural clinoptilolite zeolite has been modified by acid leaching with HNO3 in order to obtain economic material for supporting NiMoS hydrotreating catalysts. The most optimized zeolite material was obtained by leaching with HNO3 at 80°C during 24 h. The bimetallic NiMo catalysts prepared by wet impregnation of a zeolite support, followed by calcination and sulfidation, were characterized by several physico-chemical techniques and tested in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of 3-methyl-thiophene (3-MT) model feed at atmospheric H2 pressure and T = 280°C. For all catalysts, the 3-MT transformation mainly occurs via direct desulfurization reaction route being diminished the catalyst hydrogenation function. This was linked with the formation of highly stacked layers of MoS2 particles having a low amount of "brim sites," as demonstrated by HRTEM. The cause of the best performance of Ni-Mo(H)/Z-1 sulfide catalyst in the HDS of 3-MT can be the presence of K impurities on the support surface which forces the formation of highly stacked layers of MoS2 particles.


This letter presents a new method to generate compact stuck-at test sets that offer high defect coverage. The proposed method first selects the most effective patterns from a large N-detect repository, by using a new output deviation-based metric. Then it embeds complete coverage of stuck-at faults within these patterns, and uses the proposed metric to further improve their defect coverage. Results show that the proposed method outperforms a recently proposed competing approach in terms of unmodeled defect coverage. In many cases, higher defect coverage is obtained even than much larger N-detect test sets for several values of N. Finally, results provide the insight that, instead of using N-detect testing with as large N as possible, it is more efficient to combine the output deviations metric with multi-detect testing to get high-quality, compact test sets.


In the first edition of the Bancroft Prize-winning Entertaining Satan, John Putnam Demos presented an entirely new perspective on American witchcraft. By investigating the surviving historical documents of over a hundred actual witchcraft cases, he vividly recreated the world of New England during the witchcraft trials and brought to light fascinating information on the role of witchcraft in early American culture. Now Demos has revisited his original work and updated it to illustrate why these early Americans' strange views on witchcraft still matter to us today. He provides a new preface that puts forth a broader overview of witchcraft and looks at its place around the world-from ancient times right up to the present.


The core of this book is a set of five lectures delivered by Habermas at Princeton in 1971 under the title a Reflections on the Linguistic Foundation of Sociologya . These lectures offer a preliminary view of what would become The Theory of Communicative Action, and they form an excellent introduction to Habermasa s ideas about communication and society. They lay out the general parameters of Habermasa s project in an accessible way, and situate his work in relation to other theories of society, particularly those of Edmund Husserl, Wilfrid Sellars, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Two additional essays elaborating the themes of the lectures are also included in this volume. a Intentions, Conventions, and Linguistic Interactionsa is an essay in the philosophy of action that focuses on the validity of social norms and examines the conceptual connections between rules, conventions, norm--governed action, and intentionality. a Reflections on Communicative Pathologya addresses the question of deviant processes of socialization and contains an analysis of the formal conditions of systematically distorted communication. This book was designed as a companion to On the Pragmatics of Communication (1998), which took pieces from Habermasa s later work to create a systematic introduction to his theory of formal pragmatics.


Hazardous material releases, some with serious consequences, are a common occurrence in the U.S. Of late, the hazards posed by releases caused by terrorist attacks or natural disasters have been of particular concern. Although terrorism directed at hazardous material handling industries within the U.S. has not yet resulted in a significant incident, there is much recent experience with serious accidental releases resulting from natural disasters. Case studies are developed from a number of recent natural disasters and severe weather events that resulted in large releases of hazardous materials. These case studies are used to illustrate parallels between the risks posed by hazardous material releases resulting from terrorism and natural disasters; examples include the presence of a dominant mechanism for physical damage, difficult-to-control and unforeseen scenarios of releases, limited specific regulation of the risks, and a complex and difficult response environment. Hence, lessons learned from previous experience with releases during natural disasters can be used to increase the resilience of industrial facilities and to improve the planning for hazardous material response in the face of terror threats. Routes to improve hazardous material industry preparedness for terror attack and natural disasters include physical hardening of facilities and equipment, utilization of passive safety devices, greater consideration of facility layout and siting, application of inherently safer design principles, and additional legislation at local, state or federal levels.


In his endeavor to capture the ever-changing face of reality, Monet went beyond Impressionism. Claude Monet (1840-1926) was the most typical and the most individual Impressionist painter. In his long life he dedicated to a pictorial exploration of the sensations which reality, and in particular landscape, offers the human eye. But while Monet the painter was faithful and persevering in the pursuit of his motifs, his personal life followed a more restless course. Parisian by birth, he discovered plein-air painting as a youth in the provinces, where one of his homes, Argenteuil, has come to represent the artistic flowering and official establishment of Impressionism as a movement, with Monet as its creative leader. In his endeavor to capture the ever-changing face of reality, Monet went beyond Impressionism and thereby beyond the confines of self-contained panel painting: in Giverny he painted the "Poplars", "Grain Stacks" and "Rouen Cathedral" series in which he addressed one motif in constantly new variations. Here, too, Monet laid out the famous garden with its water-lily pond which he was to paint on huge canvases well into the 1920s. He thereby sought to render not reality as objectively experienced, but rather that which takes place "between the motif and the artist." In their open, merely tenuously representational structure and impressive scale, Monet's water lily paintings-created long before the currents of the contemporary avant-garde-point the way to the developments of the future. Every book in TASCHEN's "Basic Art" series features: a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist; approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions; and, a concise biography.


For such a popular and much-anthologized work, Katherine Mansfield's "Bliss" has generated sparse criticism. The aspect of the story that chiefly makes it so popular has also diminished its critical reputation: its element of contrast and surprise. With climactic simplicity, the narrative contrasts the erotic happiness of the protagonist throughout the story with its deflation (largely implied) at the end, when she discovers that her husband is unfaithful. So simple and emphatic, this contrast--it is not much of a plot-has led many, including T. S. Eliot, to assume that there is little to the story apart from the powerful effect of its final surprise, a disillusionment more felt than susceptible to interpretation (35). Virginia Woolf thinks the story a shallow example of "superficial smartness," based on a concept that is "poor, cheap, not the vision of an interesting mind" (1: 179). (1) I want to demonstrate that they are wrong, that this story is a rich and protean work of art. Its parts and aspects resonate significantly on all four principal levels of imagination, which are, in order of deepening emotional intensity: satire or allegory, realism, romance, and myth. The story also accomplishes a rare effect, by which its form becomes symbolic. The meaning of its central imagery--the pear tree, garden, and moon--continually changes in a way that rhymes with the displacements of biological evolution--evolution being, though heretofore unnoticed as such, the most important thematic strand in the story. As a remarkably seamless union of form-and-content, "Bliss" is a wonderful aesthetic achievement. At the beginning of the story, the 30-year-old protagonist, Bertha Young is returning home after ordering fruit for a dinner party that evening. For no specified reason, she is "overcome, suddenly, by a feeling of bliss--absolute bliss" (95). It is a powerful but unfocused erotic emotion, such as anyone might feel in spring. The feeling is immediately identified as natural, for it is "as though you'd suddenly swallowed a bright piece of that late afternoon sun and it burned in your bosom, sending out a little shower of sparks into every particle, into every finger and toe" (95). Her erotic feeling then acquires objects, which are, in sequence, symbolically narcissistic, female other, and male spousal. She directs her blissful attention to a "cold mirror" that "[gives] her back a woman, radiant, with smiling, trembling lips" (96). Then she looks at the beautiful pear tree in her garden, with which she identifies, partly because she has already planned to dress in colors that she only now realizes are those of the tree and garden. Then she is excited by newly arrived Pearl Fulton: "What was there in the touch of that cool arm that could fan--fan--start blazing--blazing--the fire of bliss that Bertha had not known what to do with?" (103). But Bertha is not so much attracted to Miss Fulton as aware that they share the same happiness. It was "as if they had said to each other: `You too?'" (103-04). The similarity between them is emphasized by each living in anticipation--"listening" (Bertha, 96; Miss Fulton, 103), which, in Miss Fulton, is suggested by her habitual posture of holding "her head a little on one side" (99, 103). Bertha's erotic feeling veers toward the homoerotic when she is with Miss Fulton but remains protean, essentially undefined in orientation and general in expression. It makes her feel "tender" (105) toward all her dinner guests. "Everything was good--was right. All that happened seemed to fill again her brimming cup of bliss" (105). But she then realizes that soon she and her husband, Harry, will be "alone together in the dark room--the warm bed" and "for the first time in her life Bertha Young desired her husband" (107). This is, for her, an important sexual awakening. Until this moment she has been "so cold," although she and her husband had been "good palls"; but now she wants him "ardently! ardently! …


A major challenge in the design of future
mobile communication systems is providing high data rate
wireless transmissions and ubiquitous coverage to users
located within buildings. One way to solve this problem
is to employ distributed antenna systems (DASs) located
indoors to provide coverage and high data rates. However,
co-channel interference caused by frequency reuse is a restraining
factor as the frequency reuse distances are generally
smaller in in-building DAS. In order to design efficient
and reliable indoor communication systems, knowledge of
the reuse distance is required. This paper investigates the
performance of an in-building DAS where remote antenna
units (RAUs) are deployed on each floor of the building
and connected to a central unit (CU) where received signals
are constructively processed. Frequency reuse is employed
among floors of the building and the impact of co-channel
interference on system performance is investigated by using
a propagation channel model derived from multi-floor, inbuilding
measurement results. The system exploits radio
propagation path loss characteristics in order to reduce
the impact of co-channel interference and hence increase
the spectral efficiency. System performance is evaluated
in terms of average spectral efficiency over a wide range
of potential mobile terminal (MT) locations, various reuse
distances and in-building propagation characteristics.


Many theories in history and philosophy of science (HPS) and science, technology and society (STS) seem to harbor evolutionary implication in Darwinian sense. Since Thomas Kuhn, who is regarded as the founder of both HPS and STS, connected his theory of scientific revolution to Darwinian theory of evolution, many theorists in HPS and STS referred to the concept of evolution in presenting their dynamics of science and technology. Is a theory Darwinian only because it uses the concept of evolution? This question raises many other questions: What is evolutionary? How should we identify a theory with Darwinism? Is Kuhn a Darwinian in the non-biological (HPS and STS) field? Is the theory of social constructivism of technology (SCOT) a Darwinian evolutionary theory in STS? This paper argues that Kuhn may be viewed as a Darwinian in terms of the theory of Punctuated Equilibria. According to a structural analysis of Darwin's theory of evolution, SCOT and actor network theory have little implication of Darwinian evolution. Lastly, this paper shows that Taiwanese STS studies are far distant from Darwinism, because of taking the assembling strategy that is non-evolutionary.


Clinical electromyography (EMG) interference pattern (IP) signals are believed to carry more diagnostic information than motor unit action potential (MUAP) alone. Significant features have been obtained from EMG IP signals by a wavelet transform method using the InterScale Wavelet Maximum (ISWM) parameter to locate and characterize the rising edges of MUAPs in the IP signal from their propagation at many frequency bands and a parameter representing the singularity of the signal. These wavelet features showed highly significant differences between healthy, myopathic and neuropathic subjects. In this paper, four feature extraction methods were used for further feature extraction from these wavelet features. They are Principle Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (DA), Kernel PCA and Kernel Discriminant Analysis (KDA). The new features gave highly significant differences between healthy, myopathic and neuropathic subjects.


The purpose of this research is to analyze the change in the labor market efficiency from before to after the great recession and its effect on economic output following the recession. Concerns have been raised about the adjustment of the labor market compared to the recovery of other economic indicators. Influenced by the methods of Blanchard and Diamond (1989) and Dixon et al. (2014), the Beveridge curve and matching function are used to estimate and observe changing labor market dynamics through the relationship between unemployment and job vacancies. This thesis finds that labor markets for both Maine and the United States are less efficient after the recovery period than they were prior to the recession. There is also evidence indicating that in 2015 and 2016 Maine has a more efficient labor market than the United States. Possible reasons for the lower labor market efficiencies are the lower labor force participation, automation, and the distribution of vacancies across industries. Future research will consist of measuring the influence of labor market efficiency as well as applying the Beveridge curve and matching function across all states.


A 78-year-old Japanese woman with diarrhoea and abdominal pain was admitted for PCR test (PCR)-proven Clostridium difficile colitis. The patient's symptoms persisted despite multiple courses of antibiotics including intravenous metronidazole, oral vancomycin and oral fidaxomicin. She underwent a stool transplant without improvement. Biopsies from a colonoscopy revealed concomitant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. The patient was immediately started on intravenous ganciclovir. Unfortunately, she developed sepsis secondary to colitis, and underwent definitive treatment with a total colectomy. Although CMV is a rare colonic pathogen in the immunocompetent patient, it should be considered in patients with severe or refractory C difficile colitis.


Tumor suppressor Nkx3.1 acts as an intercellular transcription factor. Nkx3.1, a transcription factor critical for normal prostate development, acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cell proliferation. It was assumed to suppress expression of proliferative genes within a cell, but Zhou et al. found that Nkx3.1 had a non–cell autonomous function. Human prostate epithelial cells transiently transfected with Nkx3.1 exhibited efficient growth inhibition despite poor transfection efficiency. Transwell assays separating transfected and untransfected cells showed that proliferation was inhibited in untransfected cells. Recombinant Nkx3.1 protein added exogenously to prostate epithelial cells inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner. Either intracellular expression of Nkx3.1 or extracellular treatment of cells with recombinant protein lowered mRNA abundance of Nkx3.1 target genes and decreased luciferase reporter activity from their promoters. The authors developed a double-fluorescent labeling expression system using a construct encoding Nkx3.1 fused to a red fluorescent protein, then an internal ribosomal entry site, followed by a green fluorescent protein. Fluorescence microscopy of transfected cells showed yellow color in nuclei due to coexpression of both fluorescent proteins and green in the cytosol. Untransfected cells in the same culture dish had red nuclei, and the cytosol was not fluorescent, indicating the presence of Nkx3.1 but the absence of expression from the construct. The authors detected Nkx3.1 protein in cell-conditioned medium, normal mouse prostatic fluids, and mouse urine by Western blot with an antibody that recognizes Nkx3.1. Cells lines not derived from the prostate (nonprostatic), which do not have endogenous Nkx3.1, were transfected with either wild-type Nkx3.1 or Nkx3.1 harboring a point mutation associated with prostate cancer and cocultured with prostatic cells. Transwell assays showed inhibition of proliferation of prostatic cells when cultured with the cells expressing the wild type, but not with those expressing the mutant. Quantitative PCR specific for human mRNA showed suppression of Nkx3.1 target gene expression when the wild-type Nkx3.1 was expressed but not when the mutant was expressed. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays performed with cocultures of nonprostatic cells expressing tagged Nkx3.1 and prostatic cells showed that Nkx3.1was bound to target genes in prostatic cells only in the cell cocultured with those expressing wild-type Nkx3.1, not with those expressing the mutant. The prostate cancer–associated mutant Nkx3.1 was not detected in cell-conditioned medium from prostatic cells expressing this mutant, suggesting that this mutation prevents its secretion. Thus, Nkx3.1 appears to be a secreted transcription factor that acts non–cell autonomously to inhibit gene expression. A prostate cancer–associated mutation in Nkx3.1 may diminish its tumor-suppression activity by preventing its secretion and transfer to adjacent cells. J. Zhou, L. Qin, J. C.-Y. Tien, L. Gao, X. Chen, F. Wang, J.-T. Hsieh, J. Xu, Nkx3.1 functions as para-transcription factor to regulate gene expression and cell proliferation in non-cell autonomous manner. J. Biol. Chem. 287, 17248–17256 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Several studies have focused on the relationship between context variables and self-efficacy. Among the social variables, limited attention has been given to social capital and teacher-student relationship in the school community.

 This study aims to explore how social capital in the school community and teacher-student relationship may influence students' self-efficacy and school satisfaction. Furthermore, is it suggested that these relations change according to school grade or transition point,i.e. first and final year of high school, and in relation to the student's gender.

 A total of number of 2,623 high school students in their first and final years filled in questionnaires in Italy. We used Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test an ad hoc model that aimed to assess how the school context variables considered may influence students' self-efficacy beliefs and school satisfaction.

 Four different models were developed to categorise four different school grade sub-groups,i.e. first and final year students, and gender, i.e. boys and girls. The analyses of the results within the sub-samples reveal that social capital and teacher-student relationships influence students' self-efficacy and school satisfaction differently.

 The results remarked the importance of differentiating guidance counselling for students in relation to specific transition and gender. Further implications for relevant educational practice are discussed at the end of this article.


Recent years have witnessed increasingly stiff competition for talents among software firms. The economic impact of obtaining workers from or losing workers to competing firms, however, has rarely been quantified. Built on the literature of human resource flow and firm competition, this study examines the impact of human resource flows from and to different types of competitors on company performance. In particular, we divide competitors into direct and indirect competitors according to their market and resource similarity. Using a large dataset on labour mobility derived from LinkedIn.com, we quantify the impact of employees who came from or joined direct and indirect competitors respectively. We find that employees from competitors bring great benefits to the recipient firms. Specifically, a 1 percent increase of the number of employees from direct (indirect) competitors that join the focal company in the previous year increases the company's economic value added by 0.054 (0.074) percent in the current year. Our results also contribute to the existing literature on human resources and company strategy and provide practical implications to recruiters and policy makers in the software industry.


The purpose of this study was to estimate the worst-case case dose commitments and potential consequences of accidental releases at nuclear risk sites in the Russian Far East. The nuclear risk sites of concern are near Petropavlovsk (52055'N & 158030'E) and Vladivostok (42055'N & 132025'E). The region of interest includes the territories of the Russian Far East, China, Japan, North and South Korea, State of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Mongolia, Burma, Hong Kong, Laos, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The transboundary region (i.e., that outside of Russia) is of primary interest because the largest doses resulting from hypothetical releases from these sites would reside in Russia and would be examined using site specific information and detailed models that were unavailable for this study. However, the transboundary region can be examined, in general, using existing information and models. The The methodology from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) 1993 Report was used in this study to estimate effective dose commitments. It is recognized that this methodology is not the only acceptable manner to estimate such doses; the methodology was selected because it is independent, defensible, and, because it is based upon a multiplicative model, lends itself to a facile examination of parameter variation.

The research tool used to generate the deposition data used as the basis of this study was a long-range transport model - the Danish Emergency Response Model of the Atmosphere (DERMA) which was used to simulate the 5-d atmospheric transport, dispersion and deposition of Cs-137 for a one-day release at a rate of 10Bq s-1 for a total "unit hypothetical release" of 8.64x10 14 Bq. The meteorological data from the European Center for Medium- Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, Reading, UK) based on the ECMWF global model forecast and analysis were used as input data for the model simulation. Using the DERMA model, the total Cs-137 depositions (i.e., sums of pertinent dry and wet deposition values) were computed for over 90% of the days in calendar year 2000. The necessary meteorological data was missing for the remaining days.

In this report, Sr-90 and I-131 were radionuclides that might also have been of concern depending upon the conditions of the study. However, because of a lack of time and resources, the deposition values were not computed for these radionuclides for all calendar year 2000 days. There were Sr-90 and I-131 concentration and deposition data provided for selected days that were considered representative of the variation of the climactic condtions for the region for the year 2000. These data were used to generate simple, linear linear relationships between the unavailable Sr-90 and I-131 concentration and deposition data and the corresponding Cs-137 data. These relationships were found to be sufficiently accurate for the general examination undertaken in this report and were used to generate the necessary, unavailable data. From an examination of the appropriate source term information and deposition to dose transfer factors from both the UNSCEAR 1993 Report and the worst-case scenario, Cs-137 was determined to be the radionuclide of primary concern for this study. The Cs-137 deposition- to-dose transfer factor was dominated by the external exposure (to ground deposition) pathway.

For the Petropavlovsk nuclear risk site, the maximum Cs-137 total deposition (locates in Russia) translated into a worst-case maximum effective dose commitment of 108 mSv per person for the maximum exposed individual (i.e., teen). For the transboundary region (i.e., that area outside of Russia), the maximum effective dose commitment was 5.0 mSv per teen. This maximum value was located in the State of Alaska; the maximum effective dose commitment for the Aleutian Islands was 3.3 mSv per teen. The maximum effective dose commitments in the effected U.S. territories were generally three to four times higher than those in Japan, the transboundary country with the next highest maximum dose commitments resulting from accidental releases from the Petropavlovsk risk site.

For the Vladivostok nuclear risk site, the maximum Cs-137 137 total deposition (located again in Russia) translated into a worst-case maximum effective dose commitment of 102 mSv per teen. For the transboundary region, the maximum effective dose commitment for Cs-137 was 27 mSv per teen. These maximum values were located in China, which is proximate to the Vladivostok site. The maximum effective dose commitments for Japan and N. Korea are approximately the same (i.e., within a factor of two) as that for China. Note that the maximum effective dose commitments in the U.S. territories are generally more than a factor of 60 lower than those in China, the transboundary country with the highest maximum dose commitments resulting from accidental releases from the Vladivostok risk site.

The maximum worst-case dose commitments corresponding to the potential Petropavlovsk and Vladivostok releases for both the regional and transboundary conditions were also compared to various annual reference levels (i.e., 0.15, 1.0, 10, and 100 mSv per person) discussed in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 82 Report pertaining to practices and interventions and the annual background radiation dose (i.e., 2.4 mSv per person) provided in the UNSCEAR 1993 Report. These comparisons were conservative because the effective dose commitments computed in this report are being compared to annual reference values and background doses. The worst-case maximum dose commitments from the Petropavlovsk site for the transboundary region on over 99% of all year 2000 days studied are less than the average annual background radiation dose. For the Vladivostok releases, the worst-case maximum dose commitments are less than the average annual background radiation dose for more than 44% of all year 2000 days studied. Furthermore, the maximum dose commitments corresponding to the Vladivostok releases for more than 90% of the year 2000 days studied are less than the annual 10 mSv per person level in which interventions are rarely justified and are all less than the annual 100 mSv per person level in which interventions are almost always justifiable according to ICRP 82. Therefore, the impacts from the adjusted Vladivostok releases would be, in general, more significant than those from Petropavlovsk (even though the Petropavlovsk releases translate into the maximum, worst-case dose commitment). The more significant impacts of the potential Vladivostok releases were compounded by the fact that many more people were impacted than from the corresponding hypothetical Petropavlovsk releases. However, the dose commitments from the potential Vladivostok releases could be considered negligible when compared to the 10 mSv per person level in which interventions are rarely justified.

The maximum collective dose commitments corresponding to the worst-case dose commitments were also computed. The results indicate that even though the maximum effective dose commitments from the Petropavlovsk and Vladivostok releases were similar, the larger populations impacted by the Vladivostok releases generally resulted in significantly larger collective dose commitments and thus potential mortalities than those for the Petropavlovsk releases. For example, the maximum number of additional mortalities on a regional basis resulting from the worst-case Petropavlovsk scenario would be 355 with as many as 329 in Japan, 83 in China, 18 in the State of Alaska, and 10 in S. Korea. However, for the Vladivostok releases, there could be as many as 9771 additional mortalities on a regional basis, and the additional mortalities for Japan, China, N. Korea, S. Korea, Russia, and Taiwan would be 9501, 8575, 2485, 2436, 1614, and 318, respectively. The U.S. territories and Hong Kong might have an additional two mortalities each. However, even though these mortality numbers may appear large, it should be noted that none of the transboundary values exceed 9 mortalities per 100 000 persons, which is found in N. Korea resulting from the worst-case Vladivostok scenario.

Because the aggregation of doses over large areas is contrary to the recommendation of the ICRP, a series of threshold values were imposed on the worst-case results to determine whether the conclusions would change dramatically. The impact on the maximum worst-case collective dose commitments for the Petropavlovsk releases would be significan. For example, if a threshold of 1 mSv per person is imposed on the collective dose computation, then the collective dose commitment for all transboundary areas except for the U.S. territories falls to zero (and this includes Japan, which had the largest collective dose commitment). However, the impact of imposing such thresholds on the collective dose commitments from the Vladivostok releases was much less profound than that for the corresponding Petropavlovsk dose commitments; in fact, the imposition of thresholds up to 1 mSv per person had little impact on the collective dose commitments for most countries in the region of interest. Even though the impact on the collective doses related to the Vladivostok releases was small, it remains true that the worst-case impacts of the effective dose commitments for the releases from both the Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk sites were negligible when compared to metrics such as the average annual background dose and other causes of death in the affected countries.


This book describes the fundamentals and details of MPEG-2 Systems technologyWritten by an expert in the field, this book examines the MPEG-2 system specification as developed in the early 1990s, as well as its evolution into the fourth edition of the MPEG-2 systems standard, published in 2013. While MPEG-2 systems will continue to evolve further, this book describes the MPEG-2 system functionality as of October 2013. Furthermore, relevant background information is provided. The discussion of MPEG-2 system functionality requires knowledge of various fundamental issues, such as timing, and supported content formats. Therefore also some basic information on video and audio coding is provided, including their evolution. Also other content formats supported in MPEG-2 systems are described, as far as needed to understand MPEG-2 systems.Ordered logically working from the basics and background through to the details and fundamentals of MPEG-2 transport streams and program streamsExplores important issues within the standardization process itselfPuts the developments on MPEG-2 systems into historic perspectiveIncludes support of 3D Video and transport of AVC, SVC and MVCConcludes with additional issues such as real-time interface, delivery over IP networks and usage by application standardization bodiesPredicts a continuing promising future for MPEG-2 transport streams


Due to its high energy absorption and flexibility in joining different materials, adhesive bonding is applied increasingly in automobile and aircraft structures that may be subjected to high loading rates and large dynamic loads encountered in a crash or impact. Simulation of the dynamic response of bonded structures needs reliable numerical models accounting for the strain rate effects. Unlike that of steel, there is still no standardized testing procedure for adhesive materials designed for crash or impact loading conditions. Hence, how to obtain and transfer the dynamic test results to numerical models is an important issue for simulation. Besides using empirical formulae for material models, alternatively strain rate effects are frequently taken into account by direct implementation of experimentally determined data as material input curves, e.g. in finite element codes like LS-DYNA etc. Each of those curves consists of a plot of stress vs. strain within constant strain rate, but due to the acceleration of the specimen and its yielding within the gauge length, mostly the strain rate is not constant. Different kinds of strain rate e.g. nominal, averaged, actual strain rate etc. are discussed in this paper. The actual strain rate increases during the entire high-speed loading process of the test specimen. Frequently the plots of strain rate vs. time exhibit strong oscillations. Often even the designated loading velocities are not reached by far. Thus using experimentally determined stress-strain curves for the designated loading velocity without any consideration of the real strain rate evolution during the experiment may lead to insufficient accuracy. In this paper, a conversion method is suggested for interpreting such stress-strain curves despite the increasing strain rate during high-speed loading experiments and to obtain the corresponding stress for explicit algorithms used in transient analyses.


Ticks and tick-borne diseases seriously affect animal and human health worldwide with the highest economic losses occurring in livestock production in the developing world. The control of ticks and the diseases they transmit depends mainly on chemical tick control using acaricides. The development of acaricide resistance, concerns about environmental pollution and pesticide residues in food products result in the need for alternative tick control methods such as anti-tick vaccines. Commercial vaccines based on the recombinant antigen Bm86 have been developed for the control of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infestations on cattle. Although they can make an important contribution to an integrated tick control strategy, more efficacious and ideally stand-alone vaccines are required to control multiple tick species in wide geographical areas. There is thus a need for improved vaccine formulations and for the discovery of new tick-protective antigens. This identification of tick-protective antigens is a pivotal step in vaccine development. To study gene function and to identify genes which are important to the tick's function and survival, RNA interference (RNAi) can be a valuable tool. In this thesis, a strategy for gene silencing by RNAi in the one-host tick R. microplus is outlined and a novel RNAi application for the transovarial silencing of genes in ticks is introduced. Subolesin, a protein which was identified as a tick-protective antigen is further characterized and evidence of the role of subolesin in gene expression in ticks is provided. Cross protection of Bm86 vaccines against tick species other than R. microplus has been reported, but Bm86 vaccines do not protect against Rhipicephalus appendiculatus infestations. One possible explanation is the variation in Bm86 expression levels between R. microplus and R. appendiculatus. To measure the Bm86 gene expression in a reliable and accurate manner, normalization of gene expression data against reference genes is essential and the expression stability of commonly used reference genes was evaluated in both species. The most stable reference genes were subsequently used for normalization of the Bm86 expression profile in all life stages of these ticks to examine the role of antigen abundance in Bm86 vaccine susceptibility. Partial protection of the Bm86 vaccine against other Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) and Hyalomma tick species suggests that the efficacy of a Bm86-based vaccine may be enhanced when based on the orthologous recombinant Bm86 antigen. We therefore identified the Bm86 homologues from species representing the main argasid and ixodid tick genera. A novel protein from metastriate ticks with multiple Epidermal Growth Factor-like domains which is structurally related to Bm86 was discovered and named ATAQ. The vaccine potential of ATAQ proteins against tick infestations is to be evaluated. The expression and purification of Bm86 (R. microplus), Ba86 (R. annulatus) and Bd86 (R. decoloratus) as secreted products from Pichia pastoris is also described. The secretion of recombinant Bm86 ortholog proteins in P. pastoris allowed for a simple purification process rendering a final product with high recovery and purity which is likely to result in a more reproducible conformation closely resembling the native protein and increase the efficacy of these vaccines.


Credit rating agencies (CRAs) serve many roles in maintaining properly functioning debt markets. Their contribution to both Enron-era financial scandals and the 2008-2010 financial crisis, however, has led to many calls for credit rating reform. This Essay proposes an incentive compensation scheme in which CRAs are paid with the debt they rate. If a CRA overrates debt, then the CRA suffers a financial penalty because the debt the CRA receives as compensation is less valuable than the cash compensation that the debt is replacing. We believe that this reform, though imperfect, would be more likely to generate accurate ratings than other credit rating reform proposals. We also discuss extensions of our basic debt compensation proposal that mitigate some of debt compensation's weaknesses, though at the cost of greater complexity.


Insuring the safety of our water for consumption and recreation is a crucial but extremely difficult and resource intensive activity of environmental protection agencies. One of the ways our water is at risk is through the increased frequency, and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). When CyanoHABs occur, they can produce a toxic byproduct, most notably microcystin in freshwater, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Previous research has indicated these blooms are driven by increased eutrophication of water bodies, the excess loading of nutrients. In Iowa, the main driver of CyanoHABs in most watersheds is agricultural runoff, which carries increased nutrient loads from fertilizer, sediment, and animal waste. CyanoHABs can be further enhanced by a range of climatic conditions that potentially serve as drivers (e.g. air temperature and precipitation). Although there has been research into the spatio-temporal drivers, further research is needed to better explain how and when blooms occur in relation to different land use and climatic factors, or ultimately how we can predict CyanoHABs. This research uses PRISM climate data, land use/cover data from the USDA, and water quality data from the Iowa State Department of Natural Resources as dependent and independent variables in statistical regressions to determine land use/climate associations with CyanoHABs and to determine if a predictive statistical model can be developed to predict future CyanoHABs. This research spans from 2006-2016 and lakes included in the Iowa State Beach Monitoring Program. Logistic and multiple linear regressions were performed for all variables to identify the main drivers of harmful algal blooms and increased concentrations of microcystin. A logistic regression produced an RP2P = 0.44, with the main predictors being turbidity, soil moisture 2 weeks prior, and cooler/wetter spring and winter seasons. Multiple linear regression showed that higher temperatures 3 weeks prior could increase the concentrations of microcystin, as well as higher temperatures the day of sampling, increased turbidity, and the total length of streams within the watershed of the sampled lake. LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE DRIVERS OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS IN IOWA A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Aaron Tyler Padilla University of Northern Iowa May 2018


The purpose of this study was to (a) examine influences on choral music adjudicators' rating decisions of choral performance quality and (b) to see if differences existed among those influences by participants' years of adjudication experience and academic training (degree focus). Part One of the study included eight randomly selected participants (N = 8), comprised of choral adjudication experts, to aid in the construction of the data collection instrument. Part Two of the study included a convenience sample (N = 71) comprised of choral music performance adjudicators within the southeastern United States. For the primary purpose, the Choral Adjudicator Preference Scale (CAPS), a researcher-constructed data-gathering instrument, was developed to determine influences on choral adjudicators' rating decisions of choral performance. A Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha measure of internal consistency was calculated to establish reliability of the CAPS data collection instrument. A coefficient of .934 was found for the CAPS, which indicated a high level of internal consistency. Validity for the data-gathering instrument was established through three sources, (a) an open-ended questionnaire sent to the eight choral adjudicators, (b) a thorough review of the related literature and (c) verification by choral activities chairpersons among the southeastern states. For research question one (What factors influence adjudicators' decisions when adjudicating choirs?) a principal component analysis revealed 23 items that coalesced among four factors of influence: (a) the ensemble's performance, (b) visual aspects, (c) extra-musical aspects, and (d) the conductor's contributions. These four factors accounted for 61.49 percent of the total variance in participants' responses. For the secondary purpose, a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was calculated to determine if differences existed among factors of influence by participants' years of adjudication experience and academic training (degree focus). For research question two (Do differences exist among adjudicators' influences on rating decisions by years of adjudication experience?) a significant main effect was found for the factors, F (3, 189) = 216.581, p = .000, ?2 = .775; however, there was no main effect for years of adjudication experience, nor an interaction effect among the factors and years of adjudication experience. For research question three (Do differences exist among adjudicators' influences on rating decisions by academic training?) a significant main effect was found for the factors, F (3, 201) = 195.326, p = .000, ?2 = .745; however, there was no main effect for academic training, nor an interaction effect among the factors and academic training A discussion of the influences on choral adjudicators' rating decisions was presented. Recommendations for future research were suggested regarding music performance adjudication, influences on rating decisions, and characteristics of evaluators.


Laryngopharyngeal sensory discrimination testing (LPSDT) has become a popular means of detecting sensory deficits in patients with voice and/or swallowing complaints. During this procedure, transnasal fiberoptic laryngoscopy (TFL) using a specialized fiberoptic scope is performed in order to deliver discrete pulses of air to the laryngopharyngeal mucosa. Historically, topical anesthesia has been applied to the nasal mucosa to lessen discomfort during TFL. Because of the concern that topical nasal anesthesia could also anesthetize the laryngopharynx, it is usually not used during sensory testing. To prospectively compare LPSDT scores after the nasal administration of cocaine hydrochloride, oxymetazoline hydrochloride, and saline solution, we prospectively evaluated 15 subjects undergoing LPSDT. Each had the procedure performed on 3 separate occasions. Before examination, each patient was administered either 4% cocaine, 0.05% oxymetazoline, or saline solution by atomizer (2 sprays of 1-second duration to each naris). By the conclusion of the study, each patient had undergone sensory testing with each of the test agents. During each examination, the minimal air pulse eliciting the laryngeal adductor reflex was recorded for both sides of the laryngopharynx. Both patient and examiner were blinded to the test agent used. The mean sensory score for saline solution was 3.9 mm Hg. The sensory scores for oxymetazoline and cocaine were 3.4 and 3.5 mm Hg, respectively. When compared to saline solution and oxymetazoline independently, sensory testing of the laryngopharynx during which the nose was anesthetized with cocaine resulted in similar thresholds for eliciting the laryngeal adductor reflex (p = .40 and p = .85). We conclude that topical anesthesia can be applied to the nasal cavity during LPSDT without altering laryngeal sensation.


Appropriate restoration of the native femoral anteversion is important for achieving stability of the joint in hemiarthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty. Anteversion of the femoral component is obtained differently in a right versus a left hip; clockwise torque is required on the right while counterclockwise torque is required on the left. Counterclockwise torque on a threaded inserter of the femoral component on a left sided hemiarthroplasty causes loosening of the inserter into the femoral component and translates to a possible loss of anteversion during insertion. The author suggests an acute awareness of this phenomenon when preparing the femur in a left-sided hemiarthroplasty so that appropriate attention and care can be maintained during this step.


Introduction Narcolepsy often begins in childhood (30% of cases) but only around 4% are diagnosed before age 15. It is usually a slowly progressive disease, with mild symptoms. We report a case of an acute and florid narcolepsy in a 6-year-old diagnosed following an auto-immune encephalitis. Case report A boy aged 6 presented with a 6-week history of excessive sleepiness and mild encephalopathy. An EEG showed a slow background c/w encephalopathy. Encephalitis Lethargica or another autoimmune encephalopathy was considered and he was treated with Methyl prednisolone, IVIG, high dose steroids with little improvement. CSF inflammatory markers, MRI brain and autoimmune screen were normal. He had positive ASOT and anti basal ganglia antibodies. He subsequently developed the tetrad of excessive sleepiness, cataplexy (many times a day), hallucinatory phenomena, and sleep paralysis and the psychosocial problems associated with narcolepsy. He is positive for HLA DQB1*0602. CSF analysis revealed low Hypocretin. His MSLT showed a median sleep of 55 s but no sleep onset REM. Daytime sleepiness has improved with methylphenidate but cataplexy remains difficult to treat. Conclusion Encephalopathy has not been reported in narcolepsy. We would like to hypothesise that an auto-immune aetiology may be the underlying mechanism of this rapidly progressive explosive and florid narcolepsy.


We develop a heterogeneous-agents network-based model to analyze alternative policies during a pandemic outbreak, accounting for health and economic trade-offs within the same empirical framework. We leverage a variety of data sources, including data on individuals' mobility and encounters across metropolitan areas, health records, and measures of the possibility to be productively working from home. This combination of data sources allows us to build a framework in which the severity of a disease outbreak varies across locations and industries, and across individuals who differ by age, occupation, and preexisting health conditions. We use this framework to analyze the impact of different social distancing policies in the context of the COVID-19 outbreaks across US metropolitan areas. Our results highlight how outcomes vary across areas in relation to the underlying heterogeneity in population density, social network structures, population health, and employment characteristics. We find that policies by which individuals who can work from home continue to do so, or in which schools and firms alternate schedules across different groups of students and employees, can be effective in limiting the health and healthcare costs of the pandemic outbreak while also reducing employment losses.


Pheromones are neuronal signals that stimulate conspecific individuals to react to environmental stressors or stimuli. Research on the ascaroside (ascr) pheromones in Caenorhabditis elegans and other nematodes has made great progress since ascr#1 was first isolated and biochemically defined in 2005. In this review, we highlight the current research on the structural diversity, biosynthesis, and pleiotropic neuronal functions of ascr pheromones and their implications in animal physiology. Experimental evidence suggests that ascr biosynthesis starts with conjugation of ascarylose to very long-chain fatty acids that are then processed via peroxisomal β-oxidation to yield diverse ascr pheromones. We also discuss the concentration and stage-dependent pleiotropic neuronal functions of ascr pheromones. These functions include dauer induction, lifespan extension, repulsion, aggregation, mating, foraging and detoxification, among others. These roles are carried out in coordination with three G protein-coupled receptors that function as putative pheromone receptors: SRBC-64/66, SRG-36/37, and DAF-37/38. Pheromone sensing is transmitted in sensory neurons via DAF-16-regulated glutamatergic neurotransmitters. Neuronal peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation has important cell-autonomous functions in the regulation of neuroendocrine signaling, including neuroprotection. In the future, translation of our knowledge of nematode ascr pheromones to higher animals might be beneficial, as ascr#1 has some anti-inflammatory effects in mice. To this end, we propose the establishment of pheromics (pheromone omics) as a new subset of integrated disciplinary research area within chemical ecology for system-wide investigation of animal pheromones.


The development of new and innovative atomic structures displaying multifunctional properties goes together with progress in advanced processes which enable atomic level control. One leading deposition technique is Atomic layer deposition (ALD), which has emerged as a powerful tool for bond-specific functionalization and the growth of stoichiometric films over wafer scale and high area uniformity. ALD offers a wide range of functionalization routes by means of four processes such as vapor phase metalation (VPM), multiple pulsed vapor-phase infiltration (MPI), ALD and molecular layer deposition (MLD). As an example of VPM on soft molecules, Zn metalation on Enterobactin (H6EB) and FeEnterobactin (FeH3EB) were studied experimentally and theoretically. Thus, we showed that the VPM process could become a route to functionalize soft organic molecules with potential applications in the pharmaceutical field. Extending Zn metalation-VPM growth to hybrid nanostructures, in this case ML-(NH4)V7O16. nanostructured square and Mw-H2Ti3O7 nanotubes. Zn metalation-VPM process provides a way to functionalize soft nanostructured materials in order to change their crystal structure and thereby their magnetic and optical properties, without affect their morphology. The use of DEZn/H2O in MPI, promotes the nucleation of ZnO nanoparticles around the nanotube (cactus-like) affecting the morphology and surface properties. It was found that the electronic energy gap decreases with increasing Zn content, making the (ZnO)Ti3O7 nanoparticle/nanotube nanocomposites potentially useful as photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and sensors. The ALD growth of uniform MxOy thin films where M stands for V, Mn, Sn or Zn was undertaken. The preliminary results show successful deposition of ?-MnO2, ?-V2O5, SnxOy and ZnO stoichiometric films, uniform over large areas. This points towards the possible growth of these oxides which can be considered as energy materials. Finally, the growth of alucone thin films (AlO-T and AlO-A, T: terephthalate and A: adipate) by ALD and MLD was explored. Stoichiometric thin films with large area uniformity were obtained in both cases. The use of bifunctional monomers (aromatic and aliphatic carboxylate) in the growth of AlO-T and AlO-A thin films leads to a lamellar phase and to an amorphous one, respectively. The structure of AlO-T is obtained by optimizing four models and correlating experimental data with DFT calculations. The analysis of the electronic band gap using frontier orbital (HOMO-LUMO), alongside the uniform LiPF6 distribution through the AlO-T, point to future studies of AlO-T for anode and electrolyte nanomembranes with potential applications in carboxylates-based energy storage concepts. Thus, in this thesis we have shown the versatility of ALD processes to realize novel thin films and pursue various functionalization strategies.


OBJECTIVE
The prefrontal-parietal circuits have been reported to play an important role in working memory. The purpose of this study was to use direct neuroimaging to address whether interregional correlation in the prefrontal-parietal circuits is impaired in schizophrenia.

METHOD
[(15)O]H(2)O positron emission tomography was used to compare regional blood flow changes in 12 schizophrenic and 12 healthy comparison subjects during the n-back sequential-picture working memory task. Interregional correlation was assessed by correlating the regional activation of the lateral prefrontal area with that of other activated areas in each subject group.

RESULTS
Dorsolateral prefrontal activation was observed around the right superior frontal sulcus in the healthy subjects, and ventrolateral prefrontal activation below the right inferior frontal sulcus was observed in the schizophrenic patients. Activation in the right lateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with activation in the bilateral inferior parietal region in the healthy subjects but was not correlated with any regional activation in the patients.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest prefrontal-parietal functional disconnection, particularly prefrontal dissociation and abnormal prefrontal-parietal interaction, during working memory processing in schizophrenia.


BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the single-center experience in initial femoral versus central cannulation of the extracorporeal circulation for acute aortic dissection type A (AADA).

METHODS
Between January 2003 and December 2015, 235 patients underwent repair of AADA. All patients were evaluated for the type of arterial cannulation (femoral vs. central) for initial bypass. Demographic data and outcome parameters were accessed.

RESULTS
One hundred and twenty seven (54.0%) were initially cannulated in the central aortic vessels (ascending aorta or subclavian/axillary artery) and 108 (46.0%) in the femoral artery. Patients were comparable between age (62.4±14.4 vs. 62.9±14.4 years, P=0.805), gender (male, 62.2 vs. 69.4%, P=0.152) and previous sternotomy (15.7 vs. 16.7%, P=0.861) between both cannulation groups; while EuroSCORE I (11.5±4.0 vs. 12.7±4.2, P=0.031) and ASA Score (3.5±0.81 vs. 3.8±0.57, P=0.011) were significantly higher in the femoral artery cannulation group. Bypass (249±102 vs. 240±81 min, P=0.474), X-clamp (166±85 vs. 157±67 min, P=0.418) and circulatory arrest time (51.6±28.7 vs. 48.3±21.7 min, P=0.365) were similar between the groups as were lowest temperature (18.1±2.0 vs. 18.1±2.2, P=0.775). Postoperative neurologic deficit and 30-day mortality were comparable between both cannulation groups (11.7 vs. 7.2%, P=0.449 and 20.2 vs. 16.9%, P=0.699, central vs. peripheral cannulation). Multivariate analysis revealed only EuroScore I above 13 as single preoperative predictor for mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
AADA can be operated with both femoral and central cannulation with similar results. Risk for early mortality was driven by the preoperative clinical and hemodynamic status before operation rather than the cannulation technique.


Modern art has a tendency to confuse viewers appearing significant only to those privy to its ethereal meaning. For as long as the general public has felt oppressed by its abstractions there have been professionals dedicated to altering these practices. Museum directors curators and various art historians have fought to make art museums welcoming to the general public. One example is Lucy Cherry Crisp (1899-1977) a North Carolina native a notable figure in the art world who went to great lengths to make art accessible to everyone. Her most important accomplishments were helping to transform the North Carolina State Art Gallery into the North Carolina Museum of Art and sending an organized exhibit of North Carolina Painters to a gallery in New York City. Crisp's involvement in these projects was a result of how she understood art should function: as a means of education for the public beyond aesthetic function. In identifying what Crisp wanted to accomplish with her work along with how she set out to achieve such accomplishments it becomes possible to critically analyze the impact of her methods. Professionals today working within similar settings have the opportunity to view Crisp's methods in relation to their own learning from her successes and failures.


For those of us who are fascinated by United States history, student cries of "boring" and "meaningless" are unsettling and, perhaps, somewhat puzzling. Within the study of history, many of us see a kind of symmetry between past and present, a story of social relationships built over time.(1) We believe an understanding of history informs our own thoughts and actions, as well as the collective social and political landscape. Helping our students see and feel these temporal connections is our dearest wish as we plan our class time. In our search, we try out new resources and innovative methods in order to involve our students as historians in the interpretation of past events. We may "ham up" our presentations or offer activities supposed to be "fun". Yet, even if our students seem to be enjoying our classes, many of us are still left with questions about what they are actually learning. In other words, we still ask, "How can I help my students find connections between past events, people, and social contexts in a way that helps them to carry their understandings into their own lives?"(2) Or, more succinctly, "How can I help my students reflect upon the potential lessons of history?" To explore these questions, I undertook study of the work of two teachers regarded as exemplary by students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. At the time of the study, Ruth taught eighth grade in a middle school in a diverse working class/middle class school district outside a large city. She had been teaching for six years since completing her bachelor's and master's degrees in history education. Mary had four years of experience teaching tenth grade students in a high school whose student body consisted of mostly white, suburban middle class students. She received her bachelor's degree in history education from a small liberal arts college. For a year and one-half, I interviewed each teacher about her philosophy, goals, and practices. I observed in their classrooms, talked to their students, spoke with their colleagues, and examined their curricula, materials, and resources. While Ruth and Mary differed in some of their goals and practices, they shared an unswerving commitment to the importance of developing meaningful connections between the history they taught and the lives of their students. This commitment wore a variety of faces. Both chose resources of interest to students, involved students in curricular decisions, and provided activities that allowed students to explore historical meaning from many perspectives. The central goal of each was to teach students to empathize with diverse people from the past in order to increase their understanding and promote personal reflection. They used this approach as a way to increase understanding and promote personal reflection. In Mary's words: I think a big part of any social studies curriculum is teaching people to respect all kinds of people. I think social history talks about what happens to the common person, what happens to all kinds of people in society. I try to ask students to put themselves in a lot of people's positions ... the position of a farmer in the Dust Bowl, a Sioux at Wounded Knee, one of the pioneers. We look at things from a lot of different perspectives and try to carry that into today. Empathy is defined as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another, in either the past or present".(3) Its use in the history classroom is not new. In some ways, United States history instruction has always done this by encouraging students to emulate heroes.(4) In Ruth's and Mary's classes, however, teaching history went beyond the simple narration of an accepted set of heroic stories. As one of Mary's students described it, "Many times I've been struck by the feeling that this would have actually been me, not just me looking at those people over there, it. …


Nature Astronomy, launched in January 2017, is a new research journal published by Springer Nature. Sitting alongside our sister journal Nature, we aim to publish high impact research in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science. In this talk I will cover the motivation and scope of the journal, the types of manuscripts we publish, and what we look for in papers. We offer a range of services to our authors, which I will also discuss. In the last part of this talk, I will cover common pitfalls of writing and submitting papers and I will share hints and tips on how to maximize the impact of your paper, from writing an engaging but informative title and a properly contextualized but concise abstract, to structuring your paper in a way that your results are communicated succinctly.


The roles of business relationships in selected European agri-food chains are analysed. Using survey data from 1,442 farmers, food processors and retailers in two commodity sectors (meat and cereals) and across six different EU countries, we test the empirical relevance of several theory-based determinants influencing the choice of relationship type and the sustainability of inter-enterprise relationships. This is undertaken for the overall dataset and separately for different chain stages (farmer-processor versus the processor-retailer relationships), commodities and individual countries. Overall, we find that sector and enterprise-specific determinants seem to influence the choice of a certain relationship type while chain-internal, dyadic factors affect the sustainability of relationships. A logistic regression analysis reveals that the preference for a relationship type, while being highly chain-specific, depends on the long-term orientation and the strive for independence of an enterprise and the product-quality requirements within a corresponding market. As for the sustainability of the analysed relationships, structural equation modelling results suggest that its most important determinant is effective communication, with its two components, adequate communication frequency and high information quality, being equally important. The existence of personal bonds and an equal power distribution between buyers and suppliers are the second most important determinants, followed by the negative impact of key staff leaving. The analysis also reveals that the relative importance of these determinants differs significantly across the two considered chain stages and between the countries investigated. Agribusiness managers, seeking to improve their supplier or buyer relationships, need to consider the crucial role of effective communication and the positive contribution that the existence of personal bonds can make to the development and maintenance of sustainable interactions.