Abstract. Atmospheric trace metals can cause a variety of health-related and environmental problems. Only a few studies on atmospheric trace metal concentrations have been conducted in South Africa. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine trace metal concentrations in aerosols collected at a regional background site, i.e. Welgegund, South Africa. PM1, PM1–2. 5 and PM2. 5–10 samples were collected for 13 months, and 31 atmospheric trace metal species were detected. Atmospheric iron (Fe) had the highest concentrations in all three size fractions, while calcium (Ca) was the second-most-abundant species. Chromium (Cr) and sodium (Na) concentrations were the third- and fourth-most-abundant species, respectively. The concentrations of the trace metal species in all three size ranges were similar, with the exception of Fe, which had higher concentrations in the PM1 size fraction. With the exception of titanium (Ti), aluminium (Al) and manganese (Mg), 70 % or more of the trace metal species detected were in the smaller size fractions, which indicated the influence of industrial activities. However, the large influence of wind-blown dust was reflected by 30 % or more of trace metals being present in the PM2. 5–10 size fraction. Comparison of trace metals determined at Welgegund to those in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex indicated that at both locations similar species were observed, with Fe being the most abundant. However, concentrations of these trace metal species were significantly higher in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex. Fe concentrations at the Vaal Triangle were similar to levels thereof at Welgegund, while concentrations of species associated with pyrometallurgical smelting were lower. Annual average Ni was 4 times higher, and annual average As was marginally higher than their respective European standard values, which could be attributed to regional influence of pyrometallurgical industries in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex. All three size fractions indicated elevated trace metal concentrations coinciding with the end of the dry season, which could partially be attributed to decreased wet removal and increases in wind generation of particulates. Principal component factor analysis (PCFA) revealed four meaningful factors in the PM1 size fraction, i.e. crustal, pyrometallurgical-related and Au slimes dams. No meaningful factors were determined for the PM1–2. 5 and PM2. 5–10 size fractions, which was attributed to the large influence of wind-blown dust on atmospheric trace metals determined at Welgegund. Pollution roses confirmed the influence of wind-blown dust on trace metal concentrations measured at Welgegund, while the impact of industrial activities was also substantiated.


In the context of the EU Action Plan on Sustainable Finance, the European Commission plans to explore the introduction of a Green Supporting Factor (GSF) under capital requirement frameworks, that would incentivize banks to lend to 'green' activities. This takes capital requirement frameworks away from their risk-based origins and this move is widely contested, including by many financial supervisors. This paper suggests an alternative pathway that satisfies both the objective of aligning capital requirements as a way to shift capital towards sustainability, while preserving their core role of supporting risk management in the financial system and avoiding the drawbacks of a GSF. The paper introduces the concept of Sustainability Improvement Loans (SILs) which could merit lower capital charges as they are lower risk. We define SILs and how they could incentivize sustainability practices and reduce risk. The potential pathway to policy application and its estimated effects on banks' capital and profitability is then discussed, as well as the extent to which the policy is aligned with the financial stability prerogative of financial supervisors.


The spatially dependent de-excitation of a beam of metastable argon atoms, traveling through an optical standing wave, produced a periodic array of localized metastable atoms with position and momentum spreads approaching the limit stated by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Silicon and silicon dioxide substrates placed in the path of the atom beam were patterned by the metastable atoms. The de-excitation of metastable atoms upon collision with the surface promoted the deposition of a carbonaceous film from a vapor-phase hydrocarbon precursor. The resulting patterns were imaged both directly and after chemical etching. Thus, quantum-mechanical steady-state atom distributions can be used for sub-0.1-micrometer lithography.


In the past 15 years, the IBM Company has undergone a remarkable transformation from a struggling seller of hardware to a successful broad range solutions provider. Underlying this change is a story of foresighted strategy and disciplined execution—of connecting knowing to doing. In strategic terms, the IBM transformation illustrates the ideas behind dynamic capabilities, showing how the company has been able to sense changes in the marketplace and to seize these opportunities by reconfiguring existing assets and competencies. We review the literature on dynamic capabilities and, using IBM as a case example, show how their strategy process permits them both to explore new markets and technologies (e.g., life sciences, pervasive computing) as well as to exploit mature products and markets (e.g., mainframe computers, middleware).


Prototypes play an important role in the engineering design process. Engineering design textbooks often discourage the use of prototypes early in the design process, citing past research on prototypes in engineering design has focused describing and classifying the prototypes themselves. The gap in this research is the investigation of prototyping processes. While researchers have studied the characteristics of different prototypes and in some cases have tried to tie characteristics to the outcomes of the design process, the actual prototyping activities and the process of building and using the prototypes has not been studied in detail. The work presented in this thesis is an initial attempt to explore the the prototyping process in engineering design. Two research studies are presented that have been conducted to explore the roles prototypes fulfill in the early stages of the engineering design process and to study how designers interact with physical objects and prototyping materials. A case study was conducted to investigate the roles that prototypes fulfill in two different industrial settings. To complement this, a protocol study was developed to see how individual designers interact with physical media during a conceptual design activity. The results from these studies were analyzed and it was found that along with the commonly described prototype roles: learning, integration, communication, and demonstration, prototypes can also be classified in terms of divergent or convergent activities; helping designers to either explore a design space or narrow


Low-rank approximation plays an important role in many areas of science and engineering such as signal/image processing, machine learning, data mining, imaging, bioinformatics, pattern classification and computer vision because many real-world data exhibit low-rank property. This dissertation devises advanced algorithms for robust low-rank approximation of a single matrix as well as multiple matrices in the presence of outliers, where the conventional dimensionality reduction techniques such as the celebrated principal component analysis (PCA) are not applicable. The proposed methodology is based on minimizing the entry-wise $\ell_p$-norm of the residual including the challenging nonconvex and nonsmooth case of $p<1$. Theoretical analyses are also presented. Extensive practical applications are discussed. Experimental results demonstrate that the superiority of the proposed methods over the state-of-the-art techniques.

Two iterative algorithms are designed for low-rank approximation of a single matrix. The first is the iteratively reweighted singular value decomposition (IR-SVD), where the SVD of a reweighted matrix is performed at each iteration. The second converts the nonconvex $\ell_p$-matrix factorization into a series of easily solvable $\ell_p$-norm minimization with vectors being variables. Applications to image demixing,
foreground detection in video surveillance, array signal processing, and direction-of-arrival estimation for source localization in impulsive noise are investigated.

The low-rank approximation with missing values, i.e., robust matrix completion, is also addressed. Two algorithms are developed for it. The first iteratively solves a set of linear $\ell_p$-regression problems while the second applies the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) in the $\ell_p$-space. At each iteration of the ADMM, it requires performing a least squares (LS) matrix factorization and calculating the proximity operator of the $p$th power of the $\ell_p$-norm. The LS factorization is efficiently solved using linear LS regression while the proximity operator is obtained by root finding of a scalar nonlinear equation. The two proposed algorithms are scalable to the problem size. Applications to recommender systems, collaborative filtering, and image inpainting are provided.

The $\ell_p$-greedy pursuit ($\ell_p$-GP) algorithms are devised for joint robust low-rank approximation of multiple matrices (RLRAMM) with outliers. The $\ell_p$-GP with $0<p<2$ solves the RLRAMM by decomposing it into a series of rank-one approximations. At each iteration, it finds the best rank-one approximation by minimizing the $\ell_p$-norm of the residual and then, the rank-one basis matrices are subtracted from the residual. A successive minimization approach is designed for the $\ell_p$-rank-one fitting. Only weighted medians are required to compute for solving the most attractive case with $p=1$, yielding that the complexity is near-linear with the number and dimension of the matrices. Thus, the $\ell_1$-GP is near-scalable to large-scale problems. The convergence of the $\ell_p$-GP is theoretically proved. In particular, the sum of the $\ell_p$-norms of the residuals decays exponentially. We reveal that the worst-case bound of the convergence rate is related to the $\ell_p$-correlation of the residual and the current solution. The $\ell_p$-GP has a higher compression ratio than the existing methods. For the special case of $p=2$, the orthogonal greedy pursuit (OGP) is further developed to accelerate the convergence, where the cost of weight re-computation is reduced by a recursive update manner. Tighter and more accurate bounds of the convergence rates are theoretically derived for $p=2$. Applications to data compression, robust image reconstruction and computer vision are provided.


Each new development in the mass media has elicited highly charged criticism from alarmed observers. Comics, romance novels, music videos, and even movies, radio, and television have all been denounced as threats to children, teenagers, adults, and even the stability of civilization itself. Organized into community groups, citizens have repeatedly taken militant action against the media, ranging from book burnings to blacklisting and from harassment of individual publishers to attempts to regulate entire industries. Investigative committees and commissions are not uncommon. What is it about the media that generates such attacks? Evil Influences examines the historical, sociological, and psychological background of current controversies regarding the media. Starker finds that even though it is couched in logic or scientific theory, such hostility is almost always a byproduct of fear--fear of imagination and fantasy, fear of change, fear of human aggression and sensuality. Successive media developments have challenged traditional perceptions and habits by introducing powerful visual and emotional elements into mass communication. Because they frighten and threaten a part of the audience, new forms of mass media engender public outrage and become easy scapegoats, accused of everything from stimulation of violence to promotion of conformity. This book is addressed to those who inevitably participate in media debates--social scientists, educators, communications professionals, the clergy, and educated parents. Its intention is to prepare us for the arrival of new media forms and their associated threats.


OBJECTIVE
This report describes the consensus outcome of an interdisciplinary workshop that was held at the National Institutes of Health in April 2001. The purpose of the workshop and this article are to define the terms "spasticity," "dystonia," and "rigidity" as they are used to describe clinical features of hypertonia in children. The definitions presented here are designed to allow differentiation of clinical features even when more than 1 is present simultaneously.

METHODS
A consensus agreement was obtained on the best current definitions and their application in clinical situations.

RESULTS
"Spasticity" is defined as hypertonia in which 1 or both of the following signs are present: 1) resistance to externally imposed movement increases with increasing speed of stretch and varies with the direction of joint movement, and/or 2) resistance to externally imposed movement rises rapidly above a threshold speed or joint angle. "Dystonia" is defined as a movement disorder in which involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements, abnormal postures, or both. "Rigidity" is defined as hypertonia in which all of the following are true: 1) the resistance to externally imposed joint movement is present at very low speeds of movement, does not depend on imposed speed, and does not exhibit a speed or angle threshold; 2) simultaneous co-contraction of agonists and antagonists may occur, and this is reflected in an immediate resistance to a reversal of the direction of movement about a joint; 3) the limb does not tend to return toward a particular fixed posture or extreme joint angle; and 4) voluntary activity in distant muscle groups does not lead to involuntary movements about the rigid joints, although rigidity may worsen.

CONCLUSION
We have provided a set of definitions for the purpose of identifying different components of childhood hypertonia. We encourage the development of clinical rating scales that are based on these definitions, and we encourage research to relate the degree of hypertonia to the degree of functional ability, change over time, and societal participation in children with motor disorders.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of isolated Streptococcus pneumoniae strains of healthy nasopharyngeal carriers younger than 2 years in seven regions of Peru.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between 2007 and 2009, nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected among 2123 healthy children aged 2-24 months in growth and development medical practices (CRED) and vaccination offices of hospitals and health centers in Lima, Piura, Cusco, Abancay, Arequipa, Huancayo, and Iquitos. The resistance to ten antibiotics through disk diffusion sensitivity testing of isolated pneumococcus strains was determined.

RESULTS
572 strains were isolated. High rates of resistance to co-trimoxazole (58%), penicillin (52.2% non-sensitive); tetracycline (29,1%); azithromycin (28,9%), and erythromycin (26,3%). Resistance to chloramphenicol was low (8.8%). Multiresistance was found at 29.5%. Resistance to azithromycin and penicillin was different in all seven regions (p<0,05), the highest percentage of non-sensitive strains being found in Arequipa (63,6%), whereas the lowest percentage was found in Cusco (23.4%).

CONCLUSIONS
High levels of resistance found to penicillin, co-trimoxasole and macrolides in isolated pneumococcus strains of healthy carriers in all studied regions, and their association to a previous use of antibiotics, represent a significant public health problem in our country. This emphasizes the need to implement nationwide strategies to reduce the irrational use of antibiotics, especially among children. It is necessary to complement data of resistance to penicillin with the determination of minimal inhibitory concentration to make proper therapeutic recommendations.


It is the position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine that physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition. These organizations recommend appropriate selection of foods and fluids, timing of intake, and supplement choices for optimal health and exercise performance. This updated position paper couples a rigorous, systematic, evidence-based analysis of nutrition and performance-specific literature with current scientific data related to energy needs, assessment of body composition, strategies for weight change, nutrient and fluid needs, special nutrient needs during training and competition, the use of supplements and ergogenic aids, nutrition recommendations for vegetarian athletes, and the roles and responsibilities of the sports dietitian. Energy and macronutrient needs, especially carbohydrate and protein, must be met during times of high physical activity to maintain body weight, replenish glycogen stores, and provide adequate protein to build and repair tissue. Fat intake should be sufficient to provide the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and to contribute energy for weight maintenance. Although exercise performance can be affected by body weight and composition, these physical measures should not be a criterion for sports performance and daily weigh-ins are discouraged. Adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Athletes should be well hydrated before exercise and drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses. Sports beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes may be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration, provide fuel for muscles, and decrease risk of dehydration and hyponatremia. Vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if adequate energy to maintain body weight is consumed from a variety of foods. However, athletes who restrict energy intake, use severe weight-loss practices, eliminate one or more food groups from their diet, or consume unbalanced diets with low micronutrient density may require supplements. Because regulations specific to nutritional ergogenic aids are poorly enforced, they should be used with caution and only after careful product evaluation for safety, efficacy, potency, and legality. A qualified sports dietitian and, in particular, the Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics in the United States, should provide individualized nutrition direction and advice after a comprehensive nutrition assessment.


— Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are event-based systems that develop the communal attempt of densely deployed sensor nodes and incessantly observe a certain physical phenomenon. The majority of the communication protocols are individually developed and optimized for different networking layers, i.e., transport, network, medium access control (MAC), and physical layers. While these protocols achieve very high performance in terms of the metrics related to each of these individual layers, they are not jointly designed and optimized to maximize the overall network performance while minimizing the energy expenditure. The design principle of XLP is based on the cross-layer concept of initiative determination, which enables receiver-based contention, initiative-based forwarding, local congestion control, and distributed duty cycle operation to realize efficient and reliable communication in WSNs. The initiative determination requires easy comparisons against thresholds, and thus, is very simple to implement, even on computationally constrained devices. XLP significantly improves the communication performance and outperforms the customary layered protocol architectures in terms of both network performance and completion complexity.


The purpose of this paper is to create the premises for a system of competencies in Romania coherent with the European regulations at master level in the area of economic analysis and valuation of businesses, real estates and financial assets, according to the requirements of professional associations. The master programs organized by universities should be based on a system of competencies adapted to the requirements of business environment and professional associations, considering the Romanian and European institutional frameworks and the demands of the European labour market. A key element is to adapt the curricula of master studies to generate knowledge and skills in correlation with the undergraduate and doctoral education level. Itis also essential to implement the competencies in teaching and assessment of students to create the support to growth the learning opportunities. The paper focuses especially on the competencies system for master programs from field of economic analysis and valuation of business, real estate and financial assets in connection with the requirements of professional associations which is essential for the correct implementation of university graduates in the market of professional valuators. Curricula should provide to graduates of master programs the professional skills mentioned in the occupational standards, in accordance with the methodologies developed by national and international standards.


College loans have always been a stable portion of a bank's portfolio. But now an incremental shift away from state and federal government funding toward private sector lending is making student loans more profitable than ever. The steep rise in college costs spearheaded the trend. But the shift gained steam with the coming of a new administration to the White House. While President Clinton pushed for more government spending for education, the Bush Administration is counting on the private sector to help students deal with the rising cost of college. The possibilities are enormous. Just as the banking industry used the efficiencies of technology and the secondary markets to extend credit to lower-income families, the industry now seems poised to do the same for students. The bundling of student loan debt by secondary market companies for sale to third-party investors has added liquidity to the marketplace and can make lending to students a virtually risk-free endeavor. Meanwhile, the current interest rate environment has brought private sector student loan rates closer to low federal direct rates. The constant need for student loans makes them an important long-term asset for banks, especially during times of economic stress, by providing a steady stream of income. The loans provide a robust hedge against future economic downturn because repayments are often delayed while students finish college, and students entering the working world properly credentialed by and largely make excellent repayment prospects. Currently, the sector is witnessing all-time low default rates. In fact, the market is so inviting that some banks are keeping more of their student loans on their balance sheets instead of sending them to secondary market institutions like Sallie Mae. Students up, funding down College lending has become a $57 billion business annually (compared with $40 billion in 2002) with about $50 billion in federally guaranteed loan programs and another $7 billion in other private sector loans. That's no match for the $2 trillion annual home-mortgage market. But it's nothing to scoff at either, and the experts say the student loan business is likely to trend upward (see chart). A growing need for student loans has been spurred by several factors, especially an escalating demand for skilled workers. In the current decade 40% of this demand will be for jobs that require college degrees and experts agree that in the not-too-distant future, four out of five jobs will require degrees or equivalent training. Moreover, much of today's workforce will need to be retrained, in many cases, just to retain current jobs. Other factors fostering a need for more private-sector lending include a growth in the number of people seeking to enter college, tuition increases, and fewer public dollars available for student loans. Tuition is rising as private-school endowments shrink, and as the states, beset with budget problems, cut back the money they usually earmark for public colleges and universities. "Certainly the demographics are favoring the product," says Doris Grose, president of Educaid, the student lending division of Wachovia. "The number of students is increasing dramatically, tuitions are going up and state funding is being cut--and so parents and students are looking for a way to pay the bills." A spike in college enrollments comes from both traditional college-aged students as well as older people who are under-employed or recently unemployed. While most states have actually increased their education budgets slightly, the extra money is going for primary and secondary education while college programs are being curtailed. "The amount of financial aid hasn't really kept pace with the cost of college," says Carl Krueger, a policy analyst with the Education Commission of the States (ECS), a non-partisan, Denver-based watchdog agency. …


This paper concerns two families of Markov decision problem that fall within the family of (bi-directional) restless bandits, an intractable class of decision processes introduced by Whittle. The spinning plates problem concerns the optimal management of a portfolio of reward-generating assets whose yields grow with investment but otherwise tend to decline. In the model of asset exploitation called the squad system, the yield from an asset tends to decline when it is used but will recover when the asset is at rest. In all cases, simply stated conditions are given that guarantee indexability of the problem, together with conditions necessary and sufficient for its strict indexability. The index heuristics for asset activation that emerge from the analysis are assessed numerically and found to perform very strongly.


This paper explores current and potential future use of fast charging stations for electric passenger vehicles. The aim of the paper is to analyse current charging patterns at fast charging stations and the role of fast charging among different charging options. These patterns are explored along the lines of the technical capabilities of the vehicles and it is found that with increasing battery capacity the need for fast charging decreases. However, for those vehicles with large charging capacities there are indications that fast charging is perceived as more convenient as these are used more often. Such results indicate a larger share for fast charging if charging capacities increase in the future. Results from a spatial analysis show that most fast charging is done at a considerable distance from home, suggesting mostly 'on the road' charging sessions. Some fast charging sessions are relatively close to home, especially for those without private home charging access. This shows some future potential for fast charging in cities with many on-street parking facilities.


Due to the extreme tissue and species restriction of the papillomaviruses (PVs), there is a great need for animal models that accurately mimic PV infection in humans for testing therapeutic strategies against human papillomaviruses (HPVs). In this study, we present data that demonstrate that in terms of gene expression during initial viral DNA amplification, Macaca fascicularis PV (MfPV) types 5 and 8 appear to be similar to mucosal oncogenic HPVs, while MfPV1 (isolated from skin) resembles most high-risk cutaneous beta HPVs (HPV5). Similarities were also observed in replication properties during the initial amplification phase of the MfPV genomes. We demonstrate that high-risk mucosal HPV-specific inhibitors target the transient replication of the MfPV8 genomes, which indicates that similar pathways are used by the high-risk HPVs and MfPVs during their genome replication. Taking all into account, we propose that Macaca fascicularis may serve as a highly relevant model for preclinical tests designed to evaluate therapeutic strategies against HPV-associated lesions.


OBJECTIVES
To review potential risks of eye medications to the mother and her foetus.

DATA SOURCES
PubMed search for all relevant articles (1966 to 2003).

STUDY SELECTION
All types of publication that documented potential risks of eye medications during pregnancy. The following key words were used: pregnancy, fetus, teratogenicity, eye, ocular, ophthalmic, glaucoma, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and corticosteroids.

DATA EXTRACTION
All relevant articles including original articles, review papers, case studies, and relevant book chapters were extracted and reviewed.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Whether ophthalmic medications can be used during pregnancy is a very important issue; yet, limited information on the subject exists in the literature. Topically applied eye medications that give rise to systemic side-effects are of particular concern to both patients and doctors. Various ophthalmic anti-infective preparations and ophthalmic corticosteroids have shown to cause teratogenicity in animal studies. Furthermore, anti-glaucoma drugs pose potential risks to the foetus if they are absorbed systemically. This article examines the association between the main groups of ophthalmic medication and their possible adverse effects on the mother and the foetus. Recommendations for the treatment of pregnant patients with eye diseases are also discussed.

CONCLUSION
The risk of giving ophthalmic drugs to pregnant women is low. Doctors should be cautious when prescribing drugs for pregnant women and consult experts in the field when in doubt.


Objectives – This study examines what factors are considered by college and university libraries in Indiana when making the decision to cancel subscriptions to print journals when an electronic equivalent is available. The study also looks at who the primary decision makers are in this regard. Libraries at public and private institutions of varying sizes were included in the study.

Methods – An online survey was sent to seventy-three libraries in the consortium, Academic Libraries of Indiana. Structured interviews with administrators at nine libraries were also conducted.

Results – Academic libraries in Indiana use subscription cost, redundancy of formats, student preference, budget reductions and usage as the primary factors in canceling print journal subscriptions in favor of their electronic counterparts. There is also a preference for the electronic format for new subscriptions even when a print version is also available.

Conclusions – The study indicates that subscription cost is the most important consideration in the journal cancelation process with other factors also having an effect on the preference of libraries for electronic versions of journals. The study also shows that libraries at public and private colleges and universities are at different stages of moving away from print to an online-only journal format. At the same time, there is consensus that a small collection of print titles will still be needed. The primary decision-makers are librarians, faculty, and library administrators.


The Golliwogg first entered childhood imaginations as a character in the Upton picture book, The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls, 1895. Florence Upton's own childhood toys, an old black doll and five wooden dolls became the inspiration for this first picture book. The success of this picture book led to the creation of other Golliwogg narratives for children from 1895 to 1909. This character became the first black protagonist in English picture books. Golliwogg narratives invited children to enter a world not their own; to identify with new characters and experiences that would awaken their imaginations. Thereby, Upton appeared to instinctively know that the child's imagination could be enriched through picture books the combination of word and image. The Golliwogg narratives were published in what has been referred to as the golden age of children's books, the period of the latter half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth century. Upton's contribution to children's literature has been significant, yet she has not been recognised in the same manner as her contemporaries Caldecott, Crane and Greenaway. There is little correct published information about the much loved childhood character, Golliwogg, and his original identity has been misrepresented by subsequent childhood authors. In fact, a tension exists in our contemporary world in relation to the identity of the Golliwogg. These misrepresentations of the Golliwogg have led to him being labelled as a racist and politically incorrect image, due to his original character being caricatured. This change reflects the different social conditions under which many people appropriated the Upton Golliwogg and used his name and image in ways that reflected racism. However, the Upton Golliwogg was a character who brought a new RECOGNISING THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE GOLLIWOGG 4 kind of spiritual presence to childhood literature. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to reclaim the Upton Golliwogg as a spiritual character. This research study is located within broader research that has examined how spiritual nurturing in children may be addressed through the use of picture books. Spirituality is defined in this research as an individual's relatedness or connectedness to oneself, others, and the world and beyond and this understanding has been applied to and understood as Golliwogg's spirituality. Implicit in this research study was the notion that Golliwogg's spirituality was communicated to children as a way of being in the world. Rhetorical narrative criticism and a visual analysis of picture books were used to investigate the spiritual qualities of the Golliwogg in the Upton stories. This methodology was also applied to Golliwogg stories by other childhood authors where the image and identity of the Golliwogg was often changed from the original character. The main findings from this research study identified two themes: freedom and a paradoxical way of being which were, both, further identified as spiritual traits thereby claiming the Golliwogg as a spiritual character. He invited children to embrace all of life's experiences by drawing them into various adventures and creating characters with whom children could identify, thereby providing the potential to nurture their spirituality. His key spiritual qualities of kind-heartedness and imagination were legitimate ways of knowing and being in the world. A further finding from this research study pointed to the potential of picture books being a valuable resource to nurture children's spirituality. RECOGNISING THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE GOLLIWOGG 5


Hyperglycemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women may be due to hyperglycemia caused by lower level of estrogen hormone. This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period of January to December 2011 to observe the correlation of estrogen with fasting serum insulin (FSI) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in postmenopausal women. A total of 90 women were selected from different areas of Dhaka city, among them, 60 postmenopausal women of age group 50 to 60 years were taken as study group and 30 apparently healthy premenopausal women of age group 20 to 30 years were included as comparison group. The study parameters fasting blood glucose level was estimated by enzymatic method in both groups. Serum insulin level was estimated by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and serum estrogen level by RIA method in order to assess the hormonal level of both groups. Data was analyzed by Unpaired Student's't' test and Pearson's correlation co-effcient (r) test as applicable. Mean serum fasting insulin level and mean blood glucose level was higher in postmenopausal women than premenopausal and result was statistically significant. In postmenopausal women serum estrogen level was lower than premenopausal and serum estrogen level showed negative correlation with serum fasting insulin level. Blood glucose level also showed negative correlation with serum estrogen level. All these correlation were statistically non-significant. It may be concluded that the serum fasting insulin and blood glucose levels are significantly higher in postmenopausal women that may be due to low level of estrogen. Bangladesh Med J. 2017 Jan; 46 (1): 32-37


Direct exoplanet imaging via coronagraphy requires maintenance of high contrast in a dark hole for lengthy integration periods. Wavefront errors that change slowly over that time accumulate and cause systematic errors in the star's point-spread function (PSF) that limit the achievable signal-to-noise ratio of the planet. In this paper we show that estimating the speckle drift can be achieved via intensity measurements in the dark hole together with dithering of the deformable mirrors to increase phase diversity. A scheme based on an Extended Kalman Filter and Electric Field Conjugation is proposed for maintaining the dark hole during the integration phase. For the post-processing phase, an a posteriori approach is proposed to estimate the realization of the PSF drift process and the intensity of the planet light incoherent with the speckles.


We analyze the structural and thermodynamic properties of D-dimensional (D >= 4), asymptotically flat or anti-de Sitter, electrically charged black hole solutions, resulting from the minimal coupling of general nonlinear electrodynamics to general relativity. This analysis deals with static spherically symmetric (elementary) configurations with spherical horizons. Our methods are based on the study of the behavior (in vacuum and on the boundary of their domain of definition) of the Lagrangian density functions characterizing the nonlinear electrodynamic models in flat spacetime. These functions are constrained by some admissibility conditions endorsing the physical consistency of the corresponding theories, which are classified in several families, some of them supporting elementary solutions in flat space that are nontopological solitons. This classification induces a similar one for the elementary black hole solutions of the associated gravitating nonlinear electrodynamics, whose geometrical structures are thoroughly explored. A consistent thermodynamic analysis can be developed for the subclass of families whose associated black hole solutions behave asymptotically as the Schwarzschild metric (in the absence of a cosmological term). In these cases we obtain the behavior of the main thermodynamic functions, as well as important finite relations among them. In particular, we find the general equation determining the set of extreme black holes for every model, and a general Smarr formula, valid for the set of elementary black hole solutions of such models. We also consider the one-parameter group of scale transformations, which are symmetries of the field equations of any nonlinear electrodynamics in flat spacetime. These symmetries are respected by the minimal coupling to gravitation and induce representations of the group in the spaces of solutions of the different models, characterized by their thermodynamic functions. Exploiting this fact we find the expression of the equation of state of the set of black hole solutions associated with any model. These results are generalized to asymptotically anti-de Sitter solutions.


During the last half of the twentieth century, psychologists and anthropologists have studied proxemics, or spacing behavior, among people in many contexts. As we enter the twenty-first century, immersive virtual environment technology promises new experimental venues in which researchers can study proxemics. Immersive virtual environments provide realistic and compelling experimental settings without sacrificing experimental control. The experiment reported here tested Argyle and Dean's (1965) equilibrium theory's specification of an inverse relationship between mutual gaze, a nonverbal cue signaling intimacy, and interpersonal distance. Participants were immersed in a three-dimensional virtual room in which a virtual human representation (that is, an embodied agent) stood. Under the guise of a memory task, participants walked towards and around the agent. Distance between the participant and agent was tracked automatically via our immersive virtual environment system. All participants maintained more space around agents than they did around similarly sized and shaped but nonhuman-like objects. Female participants maintained more interpersonal distance between themselves and agents who engaged them in eye contact (that is, mutual gaze behavior) than between themselves and agents who did not engage them in eye contact, whereas male participants did not. Implications are discussed for the study of proxemics via immersive virtual environment technology, as well as the design of virtual environments and virtual humans.


Neuropsychiatric disorders have a strong genetic predisposition, but their genetic basis remains elusive. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have mapped more than 2,000 susceptibility loci that were shown to increase the risk of common brain disorders. However, the majority of these susceptibility loci reside in non-coding regions and their functional consequences are unknown. The present study addresses the question whether regulatory sequence variants, affecting DNA methylation and gene expression, may be causal susceptibility alleles. I used an integrative functional genomics approach to investigate epigenetic regulation phenomena in human hippocampal brain of 115 European patients with pharmacoresistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. High-density SNP genotypes were correlated with genome-wide quantitative CpG methylation and mRNA expression levels using the Human Methylation450 array (HM450) and the Human HT-12 v3 array. Subsequently, a genome-wide map of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) was used to dissect regulatory SNPs (rSNPs) that confer susceptibility to common brain disorders at 488 known GWAS hits (P < 5.0 x 10-8). This is the first meQTL study of brain tissue applying the high-density HM450 array in specimens of fresh frozen human brain tissue obtained by epilepsy surgery at large scale. Linear regression analysis of this study implementing a correction for cell-type heterogeneity, identified 19,954 (8.5% of 362k CpGs) cis-acting meQTLs at a false-discovery rate (FDR) of 5%, which is a six-fold increase compared to previous meQTL studies that all investigated postmortem brain tissue. Specifically, cis-meQTLs were strongly enriched upstream of the gene promoter region (TSS201-1500; P = 7.7 x 10-61), highlighting the functional impact of this 5´-regulatory region that harbors binding sites of enhancers and insulators. Some of the most significant cis-meQTLs affected high-ranking candidate genes (ADARB2, HDAC4, NAPRT1, MAD1L1, PTPRN2 and RIMBP2) for neurodevelopmental disorders. To explore tissue specifity, the same approach was repeated in an additional meQTL analysis of whole blood cells originating from 496 German population controls without neuropsychiatric disorders. Results show that 65% of the meQTLs in brain tissues were also present in whole blood cells (Spearman's Rank coefficient = 0.42). The present database of cis-meQTLs in brain and blood cells provides a key to select accessible epigenetic biomarkers for brain disorders in whole blood cells. The performed eQTL study identified 734 out of 31k mRNA probes at which expression levels were significantly influenced by cis-acting SNPs (FDR < 5%). Apart from meQTL and eQTL analyses, additionally a CpG methylation to gene expression correlation analysis was performed. This represents the first systematic delineation of methylation-driven genes in fresh frozen brain tissue. Both inverse correlations (73%) and positive correlations (27%) were observed, whereby the strongest inverse correlations were detected at NAPRT1, the gene encoding Nicotinate Phosphoribosyltransferase. Furthermore, the NAPRT1-associated meQTLs and eQTL were both genetically regulated by SNP rs9657360. The minor C allele of that very SNP was significantly associated with high methylation levels in the NAPRT1 promoter region and simultaneously associated with low gene expression of NAPRT1. Both, the tumor-specific hypermethylation of a promoter CpG island as well as loss of NAPRT1 expression have been previously proposed as predictive biomarkers for the therapy of carcinomas using NAMPT inhibitors. The additionally genetic risk constellation which has been identified by my approach – combining meQTLs and eQTLs to unravel the translational impact of epigenetic regulation of gene expression – is of high clinical relevance. It enables a diagnostically driven clinical strategy in tumorigenesis including the selection of patients which likely benefit from the administration of NAMPT inhibitors. To dissect imprinted meQTLs (imeQTLs) exhibiting differential methylation in a Parent-of-Origin (PofO) dependent manner, the CpG methylation states of blood cells in groups of 269 individuals stratified by parentally inverse heterozygous genotypes of nearby SNPs were compared. The imeQTL analysis revealed 177 CpGs at 31 genomic loci of which 22 were previously unknown. The strongest PofO effects were observed at loci harboring neurodevelopmental genes and on chromosome 3p21.1, which is a GWAS candidate region for mood disorders. Genes at genomic loci that show imprinting effects are promising candidate genes because of their potentially monoallelic gene expression which may unmask recessive susceptibility alleles. Enrichment analyses of genes associated with cis-meQTLs revealed an overrepresentation of genes implicated in GWAS hits of brain disorders (P = 5.8 x 10-4). Potential rSNPs at the GWAS candidate loci 1q31.2 (RGS1 gene locus) and 3p21.1 (PRBM1 gene locus) were identified. The allelic alteration of transcription factor binding sites by potential rSNPs is likely to result in changes of gene transcription or splicing processes which could contribute to pathogenic pathways underlying neuropsychiatric disorders. As exemplified in this thesis, the created database of autosomal meQTLs, imeQTLs and eQTLs in brain tissue provides a valuable resource to dissect rSNPs at GWAS hits and to decipher their functional effects.


This paper describes an approach to sonifying and displaying remotely sensed data. A representative sample dataset was audified using synthetic sounds, and sonified using orchestral instruments. The resulting 14 data streams were streamed in real-time and rendered using 3 display methods. Audio spatialization using HRTF processing is compared with stereo and monophonic display. Listening tests show a marked preference for the sonified data processed using HRTFs.


In the following article, J. David Smith looks at the eugenics movement of the early 20th century, a movement that used "scientific" research and evidence to assert that undesirable traits were largely hereditary and to create social policy that would eliminate those traits as a way to protect society. Specifically, Smith reads the movement through the personal tragedy of Carrie Buck, the first person to be eugenically sterilized under the authority of a 1924 Virginia law. In this article, he gives us an example of the dangers of social policies that are guided by biological determinism and links the seduction of human genome research for our generation to that of eugenics research for an earlier one.


In the Orthodox Church, marriage is the mysterion of the Kingdom. However, the appearance of various family forms and the high rates of divorce cases among Christians today indicate that marital relationships have lost their Christian identity and purpose as "households of God" and "little churches". Facing various legal, economic, social, cultural and spiritual pressures, the sacred role of Christian married men and women is to live up to their Christian calling. Knowing the family's Christian identity and its characteristics as a little church and a household of Divine grace ought to guide the couples and clarify their marital outlook and purpose. Thus, this study examines first the Patristic vision of marriage and family as a "little church", and then identifies seven essential characteristics of the Christian home, in order to guide the couple in bearing witness to the life in Christ in this postmodern age.


In the Kucukdeveci judgment, the European Court of Justice declared that national judges must set aside national norms that are at variance with the general principle of non discrimination on grounds of age, by virtue of its direct applicability (even in disputes between private parties). This principle is also codified in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and in the EC Directive 2000/78, therefore it is worth analyzing these three sources in turn (general principles, Charter, directives) to understand which of them can have horizontal direct effects, and upon which conditions. In addition to that, the author focuses on the validity of an "incidental direct effects" doctrine, and on the repercussions that this decision might have on the social cohesion of the European Union.


Small traces of H2S in natural gas can cause significant degradation in the performance of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating under direct internal reforming conditions. This study investigates the sulphur resistance of Au-doped Ni/GDC (gadolinia-doped ceria) powders to assess their potential use as anode materials during catalytic methane steam reforming in presence of H2S. It was found that both the presence of Au and annealing at high temperatures have promoting effects on the stability of the catalytic performances. This was attributed to limited sulphur diffusion from the GDC surface to the catalytically active Ni sites. Moreover, H2S chemisorption experiments indicated that Au can limit the formation of strongly bonded sulphur compounds due the formation of Au–Ni alloys, thus demonstrating that Au-modified Ni/GDC is a promising anode material for SOFCs using natural gas as a fuel.


This paper compares current responsibilities of systems librarians supporting the traditional ILS with anticipated responsibilities associated with supporting the next- generation ILS. An examination of how the roles of systems librarians will change due to the migration to the next-generation ILS is included. The method used for this study was content analysis of online job banks with archives of five years of job postings. The analysis results demonstrate a shift is happening in the primary roles and responsibilities of systems librarians supporting the next-generation ILS. The job responsibilities are becoming more human/organizations related than those positions supporting the traditional ILS where responsibilities are concentrated on information technology. Overall, this suggests that systems librarians are expected to manage much less in terms of tasks directly related to information technology. Consequently, systems librarians should re-engineer themselves accordingly so that they will be able to support more critical issues in the library.   Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE


Absolute palaeointensity data are crucial to investigating the behaviour of the geomagnetic field. Long-term global palaeomagnetic databases are compiled with the aim of documenting the evolution of the geomagnetic field. However the temporal and spatial distribution remains limited, partly due to a lack of 'suitable' material in critical time windows, or poor magnetic behaviour of these rocks during experiments. Therefore it would be useful to have other potential sources of palaeointensity data in the surface rock record. Granitic intrusions occur frequently throughout the geological record, are often well exposed and well dated. However, granitic rocks have not previously been fully exploited in palaeointensity studies, due to their perceived lower primary magnetic content and problems associated with the stability of their magnetic signatures. Plutons show an internal grain-size variation and contain mafic enclaves, xenoliths and sheets derived from the primary melt. Therefore a range of magnetic behaviour, and hence a range of potential suitability for palaeointensity work can be expected within a single pluton. To our knowledge, there are no recorded rock magnetic or palaeomagnetic investigations addressing the question of whether granites are generically unsuitable, for palaeointensity work.
To test this hypothesis, three I-type granitic plutons were characterised in terms of their magnetic suitability for palaeointensity analysis - including the Ross of Mull Pluton and Loch Doon Complex, SW Scotland and selected intrusions from the Coastal Batholith, Peru. Characterisation was achieved though extensive rock magnetic, palaeomagnetic and SEM analysis which enabled the magnetic properties of the samples to be determined. 180 samples were investigated using the Coe-modified Thellier technique to determine whether reliable palaeointensity data can be obtained. Magnetic characterisation and SEM analysis reveal that the magnetic mineralogy of the granitic intrusions is dominated by multidomain (MD) Ti-poor titanomagnetite. Exsolution textures observed in the Fe-Ti oxide grains are responsible for creating grains with SD-MD grain sizes. Stable univectoral remanences are usually accompanied by narrow unblocking temperatures where most NRM is lost between 560- 580°C. This makes obtaining acceptable PI data difficult, but by no means impossible.
PI experiments were of variable success. Experiments including pTRM and pTRM tail checks and standard acceptance criteria were used to assess the quality of the results. The Ross of Mull rocks yielded no PI determinations. However, the Loch Doon Complex and intrusions from the Coastal Batholith were more triumphant with success rates of 28% and 57% respectively. The Loch Doon pluton (408Ma) is calculated to have a pluton average 8.2[mu]T with standard deviation 4[mu]T. The main reasons for failure of PI experiments are weak NRM, alteration and unstable MD behaviour. Experimental success correlates with the perceived geological complexity at each field area, where it is observed that simpler intrusions with less complicated cooling histories yield rocks with a: more stable magnetic signature and allow PI data to be derived. Results indicate that the more mafic rocks sampled in each pluton produced the best quality PI data.
PI estimates were made on samples from Peruvian intrusives. The Anta ring dyke and Chasquitambo pluton give a site average of 15[mu]T with standard deviation 13.5[mu]T. Large deviation is caused by a single estimate, which at 46.7±18.4[mu]T is significantly different from the values found from other sites. Remaining sites have PI within error, however it should be noted that according to the K-Ar dates (Wilson, 1975) emplacement of the two separate intrusions occurred millions of years apart, 70.7±1.6Ma and 61±0.7Ma respectively. Samples from the Sayan pluton (61.2±0.4Ma) yield an average PI 25.4[mu]T ±7.7[mu]T. Arai plots are dominated by curvature, pTRM checks and rock magnetic experiments indicate that curvature is not caused by alteration and can be attributed to MD phenomena. PI estimates are made using the end-point method and from linear segments were possible, consistency between the two methods was demonstrated.
This research reveals the potential of I-type plutons to provide reliable palaeointensity data.However, the PI data presented here must be considered as preliminary as no cooling rate or anistropy corrections have been applied.


We consider the problem of scheduling an unknown sequence of tasks for a single server as the tasks arrive with the goal off maximizing the total weighted value of the tasks served before their deadline is reached. This problem is faced for example by schedulers in packet communication networks when packets have deadlines and rewards associated with them. We make the simplifying assumptions that every task takes the same fixed amount of time to serve, that every task arrives with the same initial latency to its deadline. We also assume that future task arrivals are stochastically described by a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The resulting decision problem can be formally modelled as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP).

We first present and analyze a new optimal off-line scheduling algorithm called Prescient Minloss scheduling for the problem just described, but with "prescient" foreknowledge of the future task arrivals. We then discuss heuristically adapting this off-line algorithm into an on-line algorithm by sampling possible future task sequences from the HMM. We discuss and empirically compare scheduling methods for this on-line problem, including previously proposed sampling-based POMDP solution methods. Our heuristic approach can be used to adapt any off-line scheduler into an on-line scheduler.


AIM
To assess the long-term success of maxillary fixed retainers, investigate their effect on gingival health, and analyse the survival rate after a mean period of 7 years (minimum 5 years) in retention.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Forty one subjects were included in the study A clinical examination of the upper canine to canine region including gingival index (GI), plaque index, probing depth, and bleeding on probing (BOP) was performed. Intraoral photographs and dental impressions were taken and irregularity index was determined and compared to the values of the immediate post-therapeutic values; failures of retainers were also recorded and analysed.

RESULTS
The mean observed retention time was 7 years and 5 months. Irregularity index: Changes occurring during retention were statistically different between the lateral incisors bonded to retainers and the canines not bonded to retainers. Only six patients showed changes in irregularity index of the lateral incisors in spite of a retainer in place. Periodontal health: The median value of the GI for all teeth bonded to upper retainers was 1.10 and the median value of the plaque index (PI) was 1.14. PI was not a significant predictor of GI. The overall BOP of the bonded teeth to the retainer for each participant was 22.3 per cent. Failure rate: Twenty-eight out of 41 patients experienced no failure of the upper bonded retainer (68.3 per cent). Detachments were the most frequent incidents.

CONCLUSION
Although plaque accumulation might be increased in patients with already poor oral hygiene, maxillary bonded retainers caused no significant negative effects on the periodontal health.


Flynns Rock in the Moonbi Ranges has many gnammas (rock pools) that have formed by rock solution and which fill in heavy summer rains and remain inundated for much of the year. The two largest pools support 41 taxa of invertebrates, with the smaller pools less speciose. A rehabilitated gnamma was colonized rapidly by local species. The flora and fauna are comprised almost entirely of widespread eurytopic species dominated by insects, with most typical gnamma genera absent, though Isoetes, Glossostigma, Eulimnadia and Bennelongia are represented. Diversity is much influenced by habitat size and to a far lesser extent by isolation.


Technology training in the classroom is critical in preparing students for upper level classes as well as professional careers, especially in fields such as technology. One of the key enablers to this process is computer self-efficacy (CSE), which has an extensive stream of empirical research. Despite this, one of the missing pieces is how CSE actually changes during training, and how such change is related to antecedents and performance outcomes. Measuring change requires repeated data gathering and the use of latent growth modeling, a relatively new statistical technique. This study examines CSE (specifically general CSE or GCSE) growth over time during training, and how this growth is influenced by anxiety and gender and influences performance, using a semester-long lab course covering three applications. The use of GCSE growth more accurately models how students actually learn in a technology classroom. It provides novel clarity in the interaction of gender, anxiety, GCSE, specific CSEs, and performance during training. The study finds that the relationship between anxiety and self-efficacy decreases over time during training, becoming non-significant; it clarifies the significant role gender plays in influencing GCSE at the start of and during training. It finds GCSE influences application performance only through specific CSEs.


Infection-associated haemophagocytic syndrome (IAHS) is an uncommon disorder usually occurring in immunocompromised patients. IAHS is a systemic reactive proliferation of phagocytic histiocytes induced by an infection usually of viral origin.1 We report a fatal case of IAHS arising in a patient with recurrent acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The diagnosis of IAHS was made after autopsy and histological evaluation of tissue.

A 60-year-old man with a history of acute myelogenous leukaemia (M4 myelomonocytic leukaemia) status post complete remission after chemotherapy 5 years ago was admitted for progressive fatigue and pancytopenia. He was in good health until 1 year ago when he started to develop macrocytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia. A bone marrow biopsy at that time showed changes consistent with myelodysplastic syndrome (refractory anaemia). Over the next few months, he developed a progressive pancytopenia but did not come in for evaluation. He was admitted to his local hospital 1 month before being transferred to our institution for progressive fatigue and pancytopenia (white cells 5300/μl, haemoglobin b 4.1 g/dl and platelets 22 0000/μl). The patient had intermittent swelling of different parts of the body, including the leg and jaws. The hospital course was dominated by unexplained daily nocturnal fevers with temperatures rising up to 102°F. The patient was transferred to our institution to further investigate the unexplained fever and to manage …


The Saudi labour market has recently witnessed intense competition between locally- graduated Industrial Engineers and those graduating from international universities. This has compelled local IE departments to find ways to improve the quality of their educational programmes and to ensure their alignment with the labour market's needs. To this end, insightful information can be obtained by contacting alumni and soliciting their perceptions of their education. However, empirical investigations based on this approach are rarely reported in the literature. To fill this gap, this study reports the results of a survey that was conducted to examine the gap between what is practised and what is taught in the Industrial Engineering (IE) programme at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). Apart from discussing the main characteristics of the alumni's employers, the study revealed that 'Engineering Economy' involves the most applied techniques in practice, whereas 'Engineering Management' incorporates the most applicable approaches. The limited use of IE techniques was mainly attributed to poor cooperation between practitioners and academics, and the simplistic nature of the problems addressed in the university curriculum compared with complex real-life ones. To deal with some of the identified problems, this paper argues for advisory board members to engage with industry when designing the curriculum, and for the adoption of problem-based learning.


Emotional dysregulation (ED) is the inability to understand and modulate one's own emotional responses and has been proposed as the central feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Yet research suggests that people with BPD may actually be more accurate in detecting emotions in others than controls. This study examined whether ED is related to attentional biases towards facial cues of others when viewing emotional social scenarios. We predicted that participants scoring the highest for ED would be most accurate at identifying emotion. Furthermore, people who were most accurate were predicted to spend the greatest time fixating faces. We presented 5-second clips from unfamiliar soap operas which were positive, negative or neutral in emotional content, whilst eye movements were recorded. After each clip, participants (N=29) rated their emotional content on a scale from 1-7 (very negative – very positive), finally completing the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004). As predicted, those with high ED scores were most accurate at emotion recognition. However, neither ED nor accuracy was related to time fixating faces. This suggests that ED may sensitize individuals to others' emotions but that this may be dependent on subtle attentional biases rather than greater dwell time to faces.


Several expert contributors focus on global issues, including the role of transnational finance, interlocking directorates, ownership and tax havens. Others examine how these issues at the global level interact with the regional or nation state level in the US, the UK, China, Australia and Mexico. The books scrutinizes globalization from a fresh, holistic perspective, examining the relationship between the national and transnational to uncover the most significant structures and agents of power. Possible policy futures are also considered.


After considering some limitations of psychoanalytic criticism, this essay argues for family-systems psychotherapy as a developing paradigm for psychological literary criticism. The essay then analyzes differences between Freud's "family romance" and family-system therapy's "family dance." ********** For almost a hundred years, psychologically oriented literary criticism has been largely dominated by varieties of Freudian, neo-Freudian, or, more recently, Lacanian paradigms. At the same time, mainstream psychology itself has gone through several major shifts in thinking, ranging from behaviourism of the 1920s to B.F. Skinner of the 1950s, phenomenology in the 1960s, existential analysis in the 1970s and the cognitive-cum-cybernetic revolutions in the 1980s and 1990s. More recently still, contemporary psychology now looks to the biological sciences and the work of neo-Darwinians, life-span developmentalists, and to brain and biochemical researchers. Of course, as Eleanor Rosch has taught us, these categories oftentimes tend to overlap and blend, at least initially. Although several European scholars began as long ago as the 1970s to employ empirical research methods to examine literary works, only recently have such developments been seen in mainstream literary theory. Typical is Norman Holland's pioneering work in literary cognition, the cognitive stylistics of Jonathan Culpeper and his analysis of characterization in drama (see my review, "Talking," in Style 37.1), and the biopoetics research of Joseph Carroll and Robert Storey; all have begun to modify profoundly the thinking of mainstream criticism. Psychoanalytically oriented literary critics need, therefore, to reconsider their near total allegiance to a psychological science of fifty or a hundred years ago and to explore the ramifications of the newer psychologies of this new century. In this essay, I argue that recent developments employing the clinical psychology known as family-systems therapy (most critics use the abbreviation FST) can be quite useful for literary criticism. Indeed, several critics have been applying family-systems theory as an exciting new tool for understanding literary characters and, as such, are not only developing alternative answers to issues concerned with mimetic characters but are also asking rather different questions (see: Piercy and Sprenkle; Rychlak). Family-systems therapy is a type of clinical social psychology and so turns most of the questions hitherto asked by psychoanalytic critics toward social rather than intra-psychic directions. Those of us using family systems in the act of criticism are always asked, Is it not really little different from psychoanalytic theory and critical practice? Is not the "family dance" the same basic idea as Freud's "family romance"? Is not family-systems therapy just a variation of what psychoanalytic critics have been doing most of the twentieth century? Our answer is emphatically no to all. To answer such questions requires first a discussion of the problems that writers from a family systems paradigm see in Freudian criticism. I should make clear at the outset that I am referring specifically to literary critics employing the Collected Works of Freud as psychological/critical anatomies. Most practising psychoanalytically oriented therapists think of themselves as eclectic, grounded in neo-psychoanalysis, but borrowing from whatever clinical tradition appears useful. So, what is wrong with applying Freudian insights to great works of literature? To begin, I argue that, since Freud's psychological science is over a hundred years old, literary critics should recognize that, like all human endeavours, the psychological sciences have evolved beyond the thinking that created such mentalistic entities as the unconscious. The unconscious, as a unitary entity of mind was one of the cornerstones of Freud's understanding of human motivation, a concept borrowed from Eduard von Hartman's Philosophy of the Unconscious. …


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We study the possibility of developing broadband low-pass filters, with transparency windows in pre-set spectral ranges. Such filters are based on the unique optical properties of metal-dielectric composites near the percolation threshold. The near-infrared transparency windows are introduced in the spectra through optically controlled modification of the local film structure.


Isavuconazole (ISZ) is a newly available broad-spectrum triazole agent recently approved for the treatment of both invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and reliable method for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of ISZ in human plasma samples. The method involves using a kit from ChromSystems intended for TDM of itraconazole (ITZ), posaconazole (PSZ), and voriconazole (VRZ) in serum/plasma for sample preparation and highperformance liquid chromatography, using fluorescence detection with emission and excitation wavelengths set to 261 and 366 nm, respectively. The assay was linear over the ISZ concentration range of 0.2 to 20.0 mg/liter, using a 0.1-ml sample volume. The interand intraday coefficients of variation were all below 3.7%, whereas the accuracies ranged from 95.0 to 106.2% and the mean extraction recovery was 91.9%. In addition, the method worked well using four different Vacutainer types, with six different healthy volunteers and under a number of relevant storage conditions. Finally, the ISZ detection could be seamlessly implemented in the TDM kit for VRZ, PSZ, and ITZ, enabling simultaneous detection of all four triazoles. This method proved to be simple, accurate, precise, and well suited for routine analysis work. It has been implemented in our laboratory for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of ISZ, VRZ, PSZ, and ITZ for TDM and pharmacokinetic research. IMPORTANCE Isavuconazole is a new broad-spectrum triazole agent recently approved for the treatment of both invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the potential need for TDM of isavuconazole, and no therapeutic window has been defined. However, at the ECIL-6 meeting in 2015, it was advised that TDM is indicated in a number of different settings. In this study, we describe a rapid and validated isocratic HPLC method for fluorescence-based detection and quantification of isavuconazole in human plasma/serum samples. The method is simple and efficient with good accuracy and precision and importantly only requires a small volume of patient plasma/serum. Furthermore, this method is highly sensitive and selective and can be detected simultaneously with the three other triazoles, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, without the need for expensive mass spectrometry equipment.


The increased threats of terrorism, disease outbreak and natural disasters clearly support the need to incorporate health emergency education into the school curricula to enhance emergency awareness and the development of Emergency Response Management Plans. The purpose of this study was to explore the health emergency response readiness of the undergraduate students upon completion of a "Health Emergency Education" course in Hong Kong. Thirty-three undergraduate students (aged from 19 to 23) enrolled in the course were selected for investigation. A 21-item semi-structured class exercise was administered to the students before and after the course. A significant improvement in the knowledge of emergency signage was observed. There was a strong positive correlation between the participants' knowledge of performing the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and their confidence in giving first aid to friends (r = 0.81, p = 0.00). The participants were more confident in administering first aid to family members and friends than strangers and the findings in this study were consistent with previous studies. The elective course significantly increased the students' health emergency knowledge and confidence to provide assistance in an emergency situation. It is important to accompany advisories with educational messages to help the public understand emergency risks and enhance response readiness.


: One of the main problems in under water communications is the low data rate available due to the use of low frequencies. Moreover, there are many problems inherent to the medium such as reflections, refraction, energy dispersion, etc., that greatly degrade communication between devices. In some cases, wireless sensors must be placed quite close to each other in order to take more accurate measurements from the water while having high communication bandwidth. In these cases, while most researchers focus their efforts on increasing the data rate for low frequencies, we propose the use of the 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band in these special cases. In this paper, we show our wireless sensor node deployment and its performance obtained from a real scenario and measures taken for different frequencies, modulations and data transfer rates. The performed tests show the maximum distance between sensors, the number of lost packets and the average round trip time. Based on our measurements, we provide some experimental models of underwater communication in fresh water using EM waves in the 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band. Finally, we compare our communication system proposal with the existing systems. Although our proposal provides short communication distances, it provides high data transfer rates. It can be used for precision monitoring.


During Drosophila embryogenesis, single C1 cells in the dorsal ectoderm secrete Spitz, which activates epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) on neighboring cells, causing them to delaminate and migrate to form six-cell clusters of secretory cells called oenocytes. Oenocyte precursor cells do not divide; thus, Brodu et al. were surprised to find that immunohistochemical analysis of phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase Rolled (a marker of EGFR activation in oenocyte precursors) revealed only three oenocyte precursors surrounding C1. Using four-dimensional confocal microscopy to track cells at different developmental stages, the authors found that the oenocytes within a cluster arose from two three-cell waves of precursor cell delamination. Precursor cells formed two concentric three-cell rings surrounding C1, with the inner ring delaminating 45 minutes before the outer ring. High-threshold EGFR signaling targets (including phosphorylated Rolled and the mRNA for Argos, a secreted protein that binds Spitz and inhibits low-level EGFR signaling) were apparent only in the inner ring, becoming detectable in the outer ring when the inner ring delaminated; low-threshold targets were apparent in both rings. In fly strains that over-secreted Spitz throughout the oenocyte precursor zone, additional three-cell delamination cycles took place, with the number of cells in mature oenocyte clusters peaking in multiples of three. In contrast, constitutive activation of the EGFR, or of its effector Ras1, inhibited pulses of delamination, so that the characteristic three-cell peaks in oenocyte number were not apparent. Fly strains lacking argos similarly lacked pulsatile delamination. Thus, the authors conclude that a combination of cell movement and inhibitory intercellular signaling underlie the pulsatile response. V. Brodu, P. R. Elstob, A. P. Gould, EGF receptor signaling regulates pulses of cell delamination from the Drosophila ectoderm. Developmental Cell 7, 885-895 (2004). [Online Journal]


The aim of this paper is to analyse the role played by the different components of human capital in the wage determination of recent immigrants within the Spanish labour market. Using microdata from the Encuesta Nacional de Inmigrantes 2007, the paper examines returns to human capital of immigrants, distinguishing between human capital accumulated in their home countries and in Spain. It also examines the impact on wages of the legal status. The evidence shows that returns to host country sources of human capital are higher than returns to foreign human capital, reflecting the limited international transferability of the latter. The only exception occurs in the case of immigrants from developed countries and immigrants who have studied in Spain. Whatever their home country, they obtain relatively high wage returns to education, including the part not acquired in the host country. Having legal status in Spain is associated with a substantial wage premium of around 15%. Lastly, the overall evidence confirms the presence of a strong heterogeneity in wage returns to different kinds of human capital and in the wage premium associated to the legal status as a function of the immigrants' area of origin.


Mechanical instability and large deformation are pervasive occurrences on stressed soft material surface patterns, which are normally detrimental to device performance. In this dissertation we show that these phenomena can be harnessed on structured polymeric thin films for surface patterning, strong dry adhesion and guided wettability. On dyed SU-8 photoresist films with graded depth-wise crosslinking density, we study the swelling-induced wrinkling. We demonstrate that isotropic surface wrinkles can be aligned with low aspect ratio 1-D channel-type pre-patterns. By varying the pitch and height ratios, defined as the pre-pattern pitch and height of the channels to the wrinkle wavelength and amplitude, respectively, we construct a morphological diagram of the confined wrinkles. For pitch ratios much larger than 1, the wrinkle morphology is predominantly isotropic. As pitch ratio decreases to ~ 1, the wrinkles arrange to out-of-phase 1-D bumps along the mountain regions of the channels. For pitch ratio much smaller than 1, the wrinkles evolve from inphase perpendicular (to the channels) wrinkles, coexisting perpendicular wrinkles and localized patterns back to isotropic wrinkles in the order of decreasing height ratios. In a separate material system, we utilize the buckling of high aspect ratio shape memory polymer (SMP) pillars to develop a strong interlocking dry adhesive. We engage the two identical pillar arrays together above the glass transition temperature of SMP (80 °C), where the SMP modulus drops by 3 orders of magnitude, leading to mutual buckling and deformation of the pillars when interlocked. Our finite element analysis and comparison of the calculated adhesion versus experimental data suggest that the adhesion force originates primarily from the pillar interweaving and secondarily from pillar indentation. The resultant pillar-to-pillar adhesion forces in normal (~ 54 N/cm2) and shear (~ 72 N/cm2) direction are found much larger than the pillar-to-flat (~ 12 N/cm2 in normal and ~ 15 N/cm2 in shear) and flat-to-flat contacts (~ 7 N/cm2 in normal and ~ 16 N/cm2 in shear). We further tune the adhesion anisotropy, designated by the ratio of shear to normal adhesion, by changing the pillar spacing. In spite of the strong adhesion, we show that the engaged adhesive can be easily separate on demand by heating to 80 °C. Using similar SMP pillars, we design a reconfigurable surface to control surface wettability. Specifically, we report that the water droplets convert from low adhesion Cassie state on the original (or recovered) straight pillars to fully pinned Wenzel state on deformed pillars. Potentially, surface with both straight and deformed pillars can be utilized as a reprogrammable water collecting surface. Employing the deformed pillars, we present an advanced patterning method based on the deformed SMP pillars to transfer nanoparticle assemblies from donor substrates onto selected locations of pillars. Finally, we show a new approach to precisely control the tilting angle of the SMP pillars by coating the deformed pillars with a layer of metal, which hinders the full recovery of SMP pillars. On the composite surface, we observe strong anisotropic liquid spreading behavior, where the liquid propagates predominantly in the opposite direction of the pillar tilting. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/841 Graduate Group Materials Science & Engineering First Advisor Shu Yang


Almost half of young children in the United States live in poverty or near poverty. The American Academy of Pediatrics is committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating child poverty in the United States. Poverty and related social determinants of health can lead to adverse health outcomes in childhood and across the life course, negatively affecting physical health, socioemotional development, and educational achievement. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates for programs and policies that have been shown to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for children and families living in poverty. With an awareness and understanding of the effects of poverty on children, pediatricians and other pediatric health practitioners in a family-centered medical home can assess the financial stability of families, link families to resources, and coordinate care with community partners. Further research, advocacy, and continuing education will improve the ability of pediatricians to address the social determinants of health when caring for children who live in poverty. Accompanying this policy statement is a technical report that describes current knowledge on child poverty and the mechanisms by which poverty influences the health and well-being of children.


This manual provides 25 recommendations that are directed to better preparing strata titled communities for climate change. A grant received from the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Foundation supplemented by a grant received from CHU (a specialist strata title insurance company) has enabled the conduct of research that has culminated in the preparation of a report and also this manual. The research, conducted in 2012, involved preparation of a literature review, a cross state review of pertinent strata title legislation, a series of meetings with an industry reference group, conduct of interviews with a cross-section of strata title industry experts and the administration of an on-line questionnaire survey. For the interested reader, a detailed account of these research phases is provided in a larger companion report that is directed more to policy makers. This larger report is entitled "Climate Change Policy Making for Strata Titled Communities: Development and Analysis of Recommendations". Further practical guidance on preparing for climate change can also be found at the Green Cross Australia websitewww.hardenup.org. This website includes online tools designed to help households prepare for weather emergencies, while taking into account property location and unique physical features. The purpose of this manual is to provide a succinct outline of the recommendations arising from the study and to provide a rationale for each of the recommendations advanced. The recommended actions have been grouped according to the strata title stakeholder group most clearly responsible for each recommendation's implementation. It should be noted, however, that implementation of some recommendations relates to more than one stakeholder group. Following the presentation of each recommendation, a rationale for the recommendation is provided.


Multimedia Web services constitute a considerable load on Internet bandwidth and on Web servers. With the increasing demand of multimedia Web services, the need to maintain a respectable QoS is a major concern for multimedia Web services' providers. Binary data compression, lossy and lossless, increases performance gain and maintains QoS, at large and small-scale implementations. At the expense of increased CPU processing time, data compression provides a reliable solution to sustain QoS parameters such as response time, download time and server delay where bandwidth is limited. This paper presents a detailed analysis, which is based upon realistic and representative data, in order to quantify the performance gain for multimedia Web services due to the application of binary image compression. To provide data for our analysis method, we have built an image-retrieval Web service that provides a set of images in both compressed and non-compressed form. The work in this paper promotes the utilisation of multimedia compression techniques and proposes the integration of multimedia compression techniques in current Web standards such as HTTP. The analysis method and results can be extended and adapted to various service and network models, such as wireless LAN, Ad-Hoc, mobile networks, IP-telephony and distributed systems.


A simple model capable of providing possible folding pathways of two stranded, coiled coil peptides is described and simulated using an off‐lattice dynamic Monte Carlo algorithm. Short sequences of very regular repetitive blocks of amino acids are studied. The regularity of the sequence is enhanced by a simplified interaction scale between pairs of residues. Following the transition from two isolated chains in a random conformation to the folded dimeric structure, the main features capable of obtaining a parallel, in‐register, unique conformation, are examined. These include the geometrical representation of the model, the cooperative development of secondary and tertiary structures, and the role of tertiary interactions stabilizing the coiled coil geometry. The influence of introducing disulfide bridges in certain locations of the sequence is also discussed.


Stimulation of the skin evokes topographically organized activation in somatosensory cortex. This representation is context dependent, however, since a different cortical topography is observed in area 3b when stimulated with complex tactile stimuli that evoke the von Békésy funneling illusion. Here we report on the population responses, as observed with intrinsic optical imaging, of area 1 and area 3b in the anesthetized squirrel monkey to pressure indentation of distal finger pads. Individual finger pad stimulation revealed that area 1 exhibited a smaller magnification factor than 3b, as evidenced by a smaller area of activation elicited by distal finger pad stimulation. Effects of paired finger pad stimulation produced largely similar effects in area 1 and area 3b. Paired finger pad stimulation produced reductions in the area of digit activation in area 1, suggesting the presence of lateral inhibition and funneling of information in area 1. Suppressive effects were stronger for paired stimulations at adjacent than at nonadjacent sites. Single-unit recordings revealed a mixture of either a summation or a suppression of the response to paired finger stimulation, compared with single finger pad stimulation of the primary digit. However, the average population response showed that paired finger pad stimulation resulted in response suppression. Based on this study and previous studies, we suggest the presence of at least three distinct ranges of lateral inhibition in areas 3b and 1.


The construction of three-dimensional, intertidal reefs resembling those widely present during colonial times in the Chesapeake Bay, but now absent due to years of overharvesting, may provide a more ecologically advantageous environment for oyster settlement and subsequent survival than present subtidal, two-dimensional habitats. We examined settlement processes on a constructed, 210 × 30 m intertidal reef composed of oyster shell. The reef was destructively and non-destructively sampled weekly throughout the summer and fall at tidal heights ranging from 30 cm above to 90 cm below mean low water (MLW) and at two substrate levels (reef surface and 10 cm below the reef surface). Settlement at the surface of the reef community and within the reef interstices down to depths of 10 cm was statistically similar, and settlement was generally greatest subtidally; however, there were localized areas within the reef community where conditions were beneficial for intertidal settlement and where differences in intertidal/subtidal settlement rates were not detectable. These results suggest that microscale variations in tidal elevation and substrate depth strongly affect settlement processes and should not be ignored when constructing reefs.


Characterization of the dynamics of massive star systems and the astrophysical properties of the interacting components are a prerequisite for understanding their formation and evolution. Optical interferometry at milliarcsecond resolution is a key observing technique for resolving high-mass multiple compact systems. Here, we report on Very Large Telescope Interferometer/GRAVITY, Magellan/Folded-port InfraRed Echellette, and MPG2.2 m/FEROS observations of the late-O/early-B type system HD 93206 A, which is a member of the massive cluster Collinder 228 in the Carina nebula complex. With a total mass of about , it is one of the most compact massive quadruple systems known. In addition to measuring the separation and position angle of the outer binary Aa–Ac, we observe Brγ and He i variability in phase with the orbital motion of the two inner binaries. From the differential phase ( ) analysis, we conclude that the Brγ emission arises from the interaction regions within the components of the individual binaries, which is consistent with previous models for the X-ray emission of the system based on wind–wind interaction. With an average 3σ deviation of , we establish an upper limit of p ∼ 0.157 mas (0.35 au) for the size of the Brγ line-emitting region. Future interferometric observations with GRAVITY using the 8 m Unit Telescopes will allow us to constrain the line-emitting regions down to angular sizes of 20 μas (0.05 au at the distance of the Carina nebula).


The present work investigates the micromechanics approaches to model the thermomechanical behaviours of shape memory alloy composites. The research is primarily focussed on modelling the pseudoelastic and shape memory behaviours of smart composites, which are inherent in multifunctional materials like shape memory alloys and polymers. In the
study, non- adaptive and adaptive matrix materials are used to address the adaptive fibre non-adaptive matrix, and adaptive fibre adaptive matrix concepts, respectively. Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloy wire is used as
an adaptive shape memory fibre. Similarly, epoxy matrix that does not exhibit shape memory behaviours is considered as non-adaptive, while matrix possessing such behaviours has been employed as an adaptive matrix. The importance of the present research is to develop the modelling procedures for shape memory composites useful in high performance applications. The first and the foremost requirements are to propose the constitutive relations, which should be simpler in computation and at the same time address the fundamental mechanics of constituent materials.
Therefore, simple analytical approaches are streamlined and the exist


An eyewitness account of the first major international war-crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg trials, Twilight of Impunity is a gripping guide to the prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The historic trial of the "Butcher of the Balkans" began in 2002 and ended abruptly with Milosevic's death in 2006. Judith Armatta, a lawyer who spent three years in the former Yugoslavia during Milosevic's reign, had a front-row seat at the trial. In Twilight of Impunity she brings the dramatic proceedings to life, explains complex legal issues, and assesses the trial's implications for victims of the conflicts in the Balkans during the 1990s and international justice more broadly. Armatta acknowledges the trial's flaws, particularly Milosevic's grandstanding and attacks on the institutional legitimacy of the International Criminal Tribunal. Yet she argues that the trial provided an indispensable legal and historical narrative of events in the former Yugoslavia and a valuable forum where victims could tell their stories and seek justice. It addressed crucial legal issues, such as the responsibility of commanders for crimes committed by subordinates, and helped to create a framework for conceptualizing and organizing other large-scale international criminal tribunals. The prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague was an important step toward ending impunity for leaders who perpetrate egregious crimes against humanity.


Prediction failures of machine learning models often arise from deficiencies in training data, such as incorrect labels, outliers, and selection biases. However, such data points that are responsible for a given failure mode are generally not known a priori, let alone a mechanism for repairing the failure. This work draws on the Bayesian view of continual learning, and develops a generic framework for both, identifying training examples that have given rise to the target failure, and fixing the model through erasing information about them. This framework naturally allows leveraging recent advances in continual learning to this new problem of model repairment, while subsuming the existing works on influence functions and data deletion as specific instances. Experimentally, the proposed approach outperforms the baselines for both identification of detrimental training data and fixing model failures in a generalisable manner.


Development and environmental sustainability, infrastructure and economic growth are closely interconnected. The world will need to more than double investment in infrastructure from current levels to meet its growth and development objectives over the next 15 years. This means raising infrastructure investment to more than $6 trillion a year. Energy, transport and cities dominate infrastructure needs. As much as three quarters of the incremental investment requirements will be in emerging and developing economies. Developing this new infrastructure capacity in sustainable ways can be a game changer in the fight against climate change.The agenda involves important transformations in the way infrastructure is developed and financed. It spans boosting investment in public and private sectors, and increasingly through public-private partnerships; reforming incentives to channel new investment toward efficient and sustainable infrastructure; strengthening institutions to ensure the feasibility and quality of investments; and promoting innovation in infrastructure technology to better address climate risks and sustainability, and in public and private financing modalities. Strong public policy leadership must be combined with new ways to catalyze private investment and financing, especially from institutional investors. More than half of the incremental financing will need to be mobilized from the private sector.While much of this agenda is the responsibility of national governments, national-level actions must be supported with stronger international cooperation through collective actions, peer learning and technical and financial support. The G20 and the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have an important role to play in this effort, both through successful individual and coordinated actions within these groups and more broadly through strengthening the policy, financial and institutional framework for global cooperation.