Extreme climatic events, including hot days, cold nights and heavy rainfall days, were analysed for 7 climatic sub-regions in Vietnam, based on historical observed data and climate projections of the International Center for Theoretical Physics regional climate model version 3 (RegCM3). Firstly, historical observed data sets covering 1961–2007 were analyzed to detect extreme events and their decade-by-decade trends. Extreme events and their changes are quite different over the 7 sub-regions, owing to their different local climate. Secondly, the extremes of each sub-region detected from the simulation of RegCM3 for the baseline period 1980–1999 were applied to the projection in the years 2001–2050, based on the IPCC SRES A1B and A2 scenarios, to reveal the changing trend of extremes in the future. The RegCM3 projections indicate that, in general, hot summer days will increase and cold winter nights will decrease as a consequence of global warming. The rainy season heavy rainfall events tend to decrease for all sub-regions except for 2, in northwest and south-central Vietnam. Strong opposite projected changes in precipitation extremes over the southern half of Vietnam seem to be linked to changes in southwesterly air flow from the Bay of Bengal and the number of strong tropical cyclones coming from the South China Sea and the NW Pacific.


In a previous paper [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. B3, 564 ( 1986)], the validity conditions for the optical Bloch equations were reviewed. It was shown that, even within the limits of an impact or Markovian approximation, the optical Bloch equations fail to account properly for fluctuation-induced changes in atomic transition frequencies. Such changes are properly incorporated in a quantum-mechanical transport equation (QMTE) in which the fluctuation-induced frequency shifts are totally characterized by kernels W(∊′ → ∊) that give the probability density per unit time for a fluctuation to change the frequency shift from ∊′ to ∊. The QMTE describes the interaction of atoms with both an external radiation field and the perturber bath producing the fluctuations. A general method for solving the QMTE as a perturbation series in the external field is presented. Specific calculations are carried out for strong-redistribution, difference [W(∊′ → ∊) is a function of (∊–∊′) only], and Brownian motion kernels. It is shown that, although the kernels possess fundamental differences, they can yield similar results in certain limits. As an example, a perturbation calculation is performed for the free-induction decay (FID) of atoms prepared by a cw laser field and then allowed to radiate when the field is suddenly removed. Radical departures from the predictions of the conventional Bloch equations are found in certain limits, including a first-order contribution to FID in vapors and a nonexponential FID decay for atoms in vapors or solids. The implications of these results to a consistent interpretation of a recent experiment [ Phys. Rev. Lett.50, 1269 ( 1983)] on FID in the impurity ion crystal Pr3+:LaF3 are explored.


RATIONAL
The current state of knowledge about the prevalence of constipation among persons living in institutional geriatric-care settings is limited.

AIM
The aim was to investigate the prevalence of constipation among institutional geriatric-care residents and identify resident characteristics related to constipation.

METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN
In a cross-sectional study of all the institutional geriatric-care settings in a county in northern Sweden, 2970 residents were assessed. The member of staff who knew each resident best used the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale and the resident's records of prescribed medication to monitor cognitive function, activities in daily life, behavioural and psychological symptoms, physical restraints, speech ability, nutrition and pharmacologic agents. The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board.

RESULT
The prevalence of constipation was 67%. The mean age was higher among those with constipation. A significantly higher proportion of the constipated had cognitive and/or physical impairments, physical restraints, impaired speech, problems with nutrition, and higher numbers of drugs for regular use. Of those with constipation, 68% were prescribed laxatives for regular use. Twenty-three per cent of the constipated residents were prescribed opioid analgesics (n = 465), and 29% (n = 134) of these were not prescribed any laxatives.

STUDY LIMITATION
Due to the cross-sectional design, the results should be interpreted with caution in terms of causal reasoning, generalisation and conclusions about risk factors. Another limitation is the use of proxy assessments of constipation.

CONCLUSION
The results show that constipation is common among residents in institutional geriatric-care settings in Sweden, which is in line with previous studies from other Western countries. Despite being constipated when having prescribed opioid analgesics, a large number did not have prescribed laxatives. The results indicate the urgency of finding strategies and implementing suitable interventions to improve bowel management in residents in institutional geriatric-care settings.


In 2003, the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic spread widely across Asia. Taiwan inevitably was seriously affected by the outbreak. The geographical background of Taiwan, With several remote islands, has led to an unequal development of healthcare between Taiwan and the offshore islands. In response to the SARS outbreak, which might have spread to the remote islands, there was an urgent need for the Department of Health (DOH) to develop a standardized operational procedure for the air medical transport of patients with suspect SARS from such remote islands to medical facilities in Taiwan. The DOH authorized the National Aeromedical Consultation Center (NACC) to be responsible for the criteria-based approval of such a process. The NACC designates which body, either the International SOS or the Air Fire Fighter, would be assigned for such an operation. Here, we report on the first SARS patient to be successfully transported to a SARS treatment hospital in Taiwan. The medical repatriation was completed using a combination of a Portable Isolation Unit (PIU) and the application of universal precaution protocols. The purpose of this report is to provide a description of the standard operation procedure relevant for the transportation of SARS patients in such circumstances.


We study the active dynamics of self-propelled asymmetrical colloidal particles (Janus particles) fueled by an AC electric field. Both the speed and direction of the self-propulsion, and the strength of the attractive interaction between particles can be controlled by tuning the frequency of the applied electric field and the ion concentration of the solution. The strong attractive force at high ion concentration gives rise to chain formation of the Janus particles, which can be explained by the quadrupolar charge distribution on the particles. Chain formation is observed irrespective of the direction of the self-propulsion of the particles. When both the position and the orientation of the heads of the chains are fixed, they exhibit beating behavior reminiscent of eukaryotic flagella. The beating frequency of the chains of Janus particles depends on the applied voltage and thus on the self-propulsive force. The scaling relation between the beating frequency and the self-propulsive force deviates from theoretical predictions made previously on active filaments. However, this discrepancy is resolved by assuming that the attractive interaction between the particles is mediated by the quadrupolar distribution of the induced charges, which gives indirect but convincing evidence on the mechanisms of the Janus particles. This signifies that the dependence between the propulsion mechanism and the interaction mechanism, which had been dismissed previously, can modify the dispersion relations of beating behaviors. In addition, hydrodynamic interaction within the chain, and its effect on propulsion speed, are discussed. These provide new insights into active filaments, such as optimal flagellar design for biological functions.


Mechatronics businesses has blossomed for some time, yet still exhibit potential for further growth and development. The objective here is to explore which challenges mechatronics businesses faces. The theory draws on operations strategy, mechatronics and business development. It includes performance indicators of mechatronics business development. Five firms in Switzerland, were investigated. They operate within manufacturing machines and automation. High value innovation are crucial for competitiveness. The important performance indicators found included precision, speed, productivity, flexibility reliability, speedy calibration and production costs. Two companies needed diversification and three independency of clients. We found close interconnectedness between mechatronic technical and business issues.


On August 20, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified of a case of Vibrio cholerae infection. The isolate was identified as serogroup O1, serotype Inaba at MDH. CDC determined that the isolate was nontoxigenic. The patient was a previously healthy woman, aged 43 years, with history of gastric bypass surgery. On August 16, she experienced profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and headache. On August 18, she sought care and submitted the stool specimen that yielded the V. cholerae isolate. She reported no recent travel. However, she had consumed ceviche made with raw shrimp and raw oysters at restaurant A on August 14, 49 hours before illness onset. Her husband had a similar illness with a similar incubation period after eating the same foods at restaurant A. On August 22, MDH sanitarians visited restaurant A and obtained tags and invoices for oyster and shrimp products; the oysters were a product of the United States, and the shrimp was a product of India. Sanitarians also gathered patron contact information and credit card receipts for August 12–14. Two additional patrons reported experiencing a gastrointestinal illness that met the case definition of three or more episodes of watery stool in a 24-hour period within 5 days of eating at restaurant A; one reported eating ceviche and oysters at restaurant A. Review of complaints to the MDH foodborne illness hotline revealed a previous complaint from two persons who reported experiencing watery diarrhea after eating raw shrimp ceviche (but no oysters) at restaurant A on August 2. These persons did not provide stool specimens, but their gastrointestinal illnesses met the case definition, resulting in a total of six cases, including one laboratory-confirmed case. No other V. cholerae O1 Inaba cases were reported in the United States during this outbreak. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture facilitated sampling of shrimp at the distributor from the same lots served at restaurant A on August 14, and most likely during August 2–13, and sent them to the Food and Drug Administration for culture. Shrimp samples yielded V. cholerae non-O1, non-O139, but V. cholerae O1 was not isolated. In response to the outbreak results, restaurant A placed consumer warnings on their menus about the risks of consuming raw or undercooked food items and identified raw menu items for consumers. Restaurant A also focused on other actions that might facilitate reduction of V. cholerae, including appropriate freezing of food items, and allowing raw food items to soak in lime juice before being served, rather than serving the items immediately after adding lime juice (1,2). V. cholera has over 150 serogroups and has been identified in a wide range of aquatic life, including seafood (3). Whereas multiple serogroups can cause vibriosis, only serogroups O1 and O139 that also contain the cholera toxin are classified as causes of cholera (4). Previous studies have documented the presence of nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 from environmental and shrimp samples in India and Southeast Asia (5–7). This outbreak of domestically acquired, nontoxigenic V. cholerae infections, likely from shrimp consumption, included the first V. cholerae O1 case identified in a nontraveler in Minnesota since active surveillance for Vibrio began in 1996. Since 1996, MDH has detected 26 V. cholerae infections, 21 (81%) of which were non-O1, nonO139, and five of which were O1. Among the four O1 type cases identified before the current outbreak, all patients had a recent travel history to Micronesia or India. This outbreak demonstrates the importance of investigating all seafood eaten by patients with vibriosis. In addition, investigators should include nontoxigenic V. cholerae as a possible etiology of domestic foodborne outbreaks, particularly when foods eaten include those from V. cholerae O1–endemic areas.


Taheebo, the purple inner bark of the Bignoniaceae tree Tabebuia avellanedae Lorentz ex Griseb, which is found in tropical rain forests in northeastern Brazil, has been used as a traditional medicine for various diseases for more than 1,500 years. In the current study, various animal models were used to demonstrate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of its ethanolic extract, thereby investigating its potential as a therapeutic treatment for diseases with pain and inflammation. In the hot plate and writhing tests for the in vivo analgesic effect test of Taheebo, a 200 mg/kg dose of the extract induced a significant anti-nociceptive effect and increased the pain threshold by approximately 30% compared with the control. In vascular permeability and tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)‑, arachidonic acid- and carrageenan-induced paw edema tests for anti-inflammatory effects, treatment with 200 mg/kg Taheebo led to significant anti-inflammatory effects and inhibited inflammation by 30-50% compared with the control. At 100 mg/kg, the extract decreased the levels of pain and inflammation in all tested models, but the degree of inhibition was not statistically significant. The results suggest that the ethanolic extract of the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic or supportive drug against diseases with accompanying pain and inflammation, including osteoarthritis.


The identification of intruders in groups of people moving in wide open areas represents a challenging scenario where coordination between cameras can be certainly used but this solution is not enough. In this paper, we propose to go beyond pure vision-based approaches by integrating the use of distributed cameras with the RFID technology. To this end, we introduce a system that "maps" RFID tags to people detected by cameras by using sophisticated techniques to filter the singular modalities and an evidential fusion architecture, based on Transferable Belief Model, to combine the two sources of information and manage conflict between them. The conducted experimental evaluation shows very promising results, especially in treating groups of people.


Objective To estimate the prevalence of, and implement a diagnostic strategy for, imported helminth infection in the gastroenterology clinic. Design A retrospective study of eosinophil count and probable tropical exposure (phase I) followed by a prospective study of parasitological investigation (phase II). Setting Gastroenterology service of an inner London hospital. Patients Adult patients newly attending general gastroenterology and inflammatory bowel disease clinics. Interventions In phase I, evidence of undiagnosed helminth infection was sought by analysing patient records for associations between eosinophil count and ethnicity. In phase II, a UK guideline for investigation of eosinophilia in migrants was implemented and diagnostic yield determined. Main outcome measures In phase I, prevalence of eosinophilia was determined; in phase II, helminth prevalence and degree of eosinophilia before and after treatment were reported. Information on symptomatic response to treatment was recorded. Ethnicity was used as a proxy measure for tropical exposure. Results 426 new patients attended in a 12 month period. Eosinophilia was present in 27 (6.3%). 10/27 (37.0%) patients with eosinophilia were of African or Asian ethnicity whereas only 20% (85/426) of patients overall were from these ethnic groups (χ2=5.27, p=0.02). Following implementation of the protocol, 25/36 migrants with eosinophilia attended for parasitological investigations. Helminth infection was diagnosed in 10/25 (40%). Strongyloidiasis (six patients) and schistosomiasis (three patients) were the most common diagnoses. Median eosinophil count was 1.06×109/l in those with helminths and 0.58×109/l in those without (p=0.004). Eosinophil counts normalised in, and symptomatic improvement was reported by, most patients after treatment. Conclusions Eosinophilia is associated with African or Asian ethnicity in an inner city gastroenterology service. This association is probably explained by imported helminths, which are prevalent in this setting, may be a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms and is easily diagnosed and treated by standard protocols.


Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be produced through a variety of synthesis routes with differing mechanisms, inputs, yields, reaction conditions, and resulting size distributions. Recent work has focused on applying green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing principles to nanomaterial synthesis, with the goal of reducing life cycle energy use and environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used here to analyze and compare the environmental impacts of AgNPs produced through seven different synthesis routes (cradle-to-gate). LCA reveals both direct and indirect or upstream impacts associated with AgNPs. Synthesis routes were chosen to represent current trends in nanoparticle synthesis and include physical, chemical and bio-based methods of production. Results show that, across synthesis routes, impacts associated with the upstream production of bulk silver itself were dominant for nearly every category of environmental impact, contributing to over 90% of life cycle burdens in some cases. Flame spray methods were shown to have the highest impacts while chemical reduction methods were generally preferred when AgNPs were compared on a mass basis. The bio-based chemical reduction route was found to have important tradeoffs in ozone depletion potential and ecotoxicity. Rescaling results by the size-dependent antimicrobial efficacy that reflects the actual function of AgNPs in most products provided a performance-based comparison and changed the rank order of preference in every impact category. Comparative results were also presented in the context of a nanosilver-doped wound dressing, showing that the overall environmental burdens of the product were highly sensitive to the synthesis route by which the AgNPs are produced.


In recent years, people have been exposed to several types of substances with broad spectrum due to the rapidly evolving technology. One of these chemical substance groups are pesticides. Pesticides have been an essential part of agriculture to protect crops and livestock from pest infestations and yield reduction for many decades. Despite their usefulness, pesticides could pose potential risks to food safety, the environment, and all living things. Concern about the environmental impact of repeated pesticide use has prompted research into the environmental fate of these agents, which can emigrate from treated fields to air, other land, and water bodies. The importance of agricultural pesticides for developing countries is undeniable. However, the issue of human health and environmental risks has emerged as a key problem for these countries in accordance to a number of studies. In the last five decades, pesticide usages increased the quantity and improved the quality of food. However, with the increasing amounts of their usage, concern about their adverse effects on nontarget organisms, including human beings, has also grown. The purpose of this publication is to explain the nature of pesticides and their history, classification, risks, and effects on health and the environment.


This thesis presents a model of the complete Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) system
and the design and implementation of a digital controller for the servomotor control and the
gap voltage and current pulse power generator. A Matlab/Simulink simulation is used to
investigate the EDM system model behaviour and based on the simulation results, a
compensated EDM control system is designed. Simulation studies were also earned out to
predict the material removal rate of a steel workpiece in mm3/min . The control software
of the EDM control process and servo system control was performed mainly in software
with minimal hardware implementation. The control hardware consists of an eZdsp, userinterface
device and analogue signal processing and interfacing circuit. The eZdsp
communicates with the user-interface device by sending the information/instruction to the
LCD screen while the user-interface device uses push button switches to communicate with
the eZdsp. It is shown that one DSP microcontroller can be used to provide the control
functions for the EDM system.
The experimental studies of the Electro Discharge Machining process using a copper
electrode, a graphite electrode and steel workpiece materials are presented in tabular and
graphical forms. The analysis of the experimental results show that the material removal
rate is influenced by the process parameters such as the gap current Igap• gap voltage V arc.
pulse on-time Ion, and sparking frequency F, as well as the material properties of the
electrode and the workpiece. Comparison studies between simulation and experimental
results show reasonable agreement. Further improvement was made to the EDM process
model based on the comparison studies. As a result, the predicted material removal rate
using the improved EDM process model shows better agreement with experimental results.


Living beings, robotic and software artefacts can all be seen as agents acting and perceiving within an environment. When observed under that perspective, a new concept is accessible: information in the sense of Shannon. It has long been known that information and control are interrelated concepts. However it is only recently that this perspective has been better understood and used in order to study cognition. In this thesis, we build upon such an information-theoretic perspective and add some biologically motivated assumptions. They introduce various constraints on the capture, the processing, or the storage of information by an agent. Using such constraints it is possible to understand some limits on the control abilities of agents, and to derive algorithms that optimize these abilities. More specifically this thesis uses the recently introduced concept of empowerment, i.e. the ability to act upon the environment and perceive back the changes through the sensors. Maximizing this quantity leads to a wide range of cognitively interesting properties. This work studies some of these properties. One of them, the ability to capture information that is relevant for the perception-action loop of the agent, is deeply investigated and algorithms for exploiting this ability are presented. The second part of the thesis deals with the use of the information-theoretic framework when multiple agents are interacting with each other. Empowerment maximization in this context leads to two phenomena: the generation of complex structures, and the emergence of synchronised and potentially cooperative interactions. In this thesis, the first phenomenon is empirically investigated through various spatial scenarios in order to understand the kind of structures that are generated and under which conditions they appear. Connections are made between the second phenomenon and the concept of the multiple-access channel. Using recent developments of this information-theoretic model, it is possible to precisely study the kind of interactions that can occur, and the situations that lead to synchronised or cooperative behaviour. The general aim of this work is to give a comprehensive picture of the informationtheoretic framework for studying the perception-action loop, bringing both single and multi-agents aspects together. The concepts presented in this thesis allows one to study some fundamental aspects of cognition, to engineer self-motivated robotic systems, or to drive self-organization in multi-agents systems.


Myelolipomas are rare benign tumors comprised of mature adipose tissue and hematopoietic elements. Adrenal myelolipomas associated with traumatic adrenal injury are relatively rare and less common on the left due to the limited size and well-protected position of the gland. A 59-year-old female admitted to the emergency department with intermittent left flank pain radiating to the left abdomen after falling from the bed six hours earlier. Her vital signs were stable, and she had tenderness over the left flank area and left abdomen. Her initial hemoglobin level was 12.9 g/dL. Bedside focused assessment with sonography for trauma revealed unclear left kidney margins. Contrast abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a space-occupying mass, 11.6×10.4×8.8 cm in dimension, in the left suprarenal region with active bleeding in the lower pole. Angiography did not reveal any active contrast medium extravasation. The CT-guided biopsy, was well performed concomitantly with angiography. Pathological assessment of the biopsy specimen revealed the presence of mostly adipose tissue with few erythrocytes and leukocytes. She was diagnosed with adrenal myelolipoma and admitted to the urology ward for left adrenalectomy with tumor resection. Traumatic adrenal injury, an unusual presentation of adrenal myelolipoma incidentally found in less than 5% of all abdominal blunt injuries, should be considered in cases of bleeding with trauma to the flank for prompt treatment.


ABSTRACT In three typical phonological awareness tasks it was found that children with normal reading development sometimes give responses that are based on orthographic rather than phonological information. In dyslexic children, the number of occurrences of such orthographic intrusions was significantly lower. This effect cannot be explained by positing a lower degree of orthographic knowledge in dyslexic children since a group of younger children who had the same spelling level as the dyslexics also showed more orthographic intrusions. A plausible explanation for this difference between normal and dyslexic readers is that, in normal readers, phonological and orthographic representations of words are so closely connected that they are usually coactivated, even if such a coactivation is misleading. In dyslexics this connection is less strong, so that orthographic representations interfere less with phonemic segmentation. The relevance of this finding with respect to recent assumptions about the importance of phonology in establishing orthographic representations is discussed.


This paper evaluates efforts made by development banks to promote tariff reform using covenants in infrastructure loan agreements. These covenants are evaluated within the broader context of tariff regulation in the water supply and sanitation sector. The paper outlines prerequisites for effective tariff regulation and reviews the experience with tariff regulation in developing countries and the current thinking regarding regulatory reform. Efforts by development banks to promote tariff regulation using loan covenants are often misdirected in light of the complexity of tariff regulation and the regulatory reform process.


Basic German: A Grammar and Workbook comprises an accessible reference grammar and related exercises in a single volume. It introduces German people and culture through the medium of the language used today, covering the core material which students would expect to encounter in their first years of learning German. Each of the 28 units presents one or more related grammar topics, illustrated by examples which serve as models for the exercises that follow. These wide-ranging and varied exercises enable the student to master each grammar point thoroughly. Basic German is suitable for independent study and for class use. Features include: • Clear grammatical explanations with examples in both English and German • Authentic language samples from a range of media • Checklists at the end of each Unit to reinforce key points • Cross-referencing to other grammar chapters • Full exercise answer key • Glossary of grammatical terms Basic German is the ideal reference and practice book for beginners but also for students with some knowledge of the language.


This study was planned to evaluate the larvicidal effect of Citrus sinensis on the fourth instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. Different concentrations of aqueous extracts of peel and leaves of Citrus sinensis were prepared. The mortality rates of larvae were observed after each 24 h of exposure. All the graded concentrations (2%, 3%, 4%) of both peel and leaf extracts showed significant (p<0.05) larvicidal activity. But 4% concentration of peel extract proved to be most effective as it took least time (5 days) to give 100% mortality. No mortality was observed in control group. The results showed that Citrus sinensis as a potential bio control agent against Culex quinquefasciatus due to its larvicidal effect and could be used as an ecofriendly approach for the control of the mosquito.


This article reviews the strategic delegation literature and provides a theoretical framework that integrates this perspective into management research. The strategic delegation literature is built on the observation that, under strategic interdependence, delegation of decision making and accompanying actions can serve as commitments that influence competitive interactions with rivals and lead to beneficial outcomes. In this article, the authors first integrate diverse models and streams of research on strategic delegation in an organizing framework and highlight points of agreement and departure. This is the first comprehensive review of formal game-theoretical research purporting to show the strategic effects of delegation. The authors then integrate strategic delegation into strategic management and organization theory research in three main ways: They propose a common set of assumptions that would attune the strategic delegation perspective with other views and make it more relevant for management research, they outline ways in which the strategic delegation perspective can be linked to a set of theories of management, and finally they point out additional empirical research avenues that can exploit interindustry heterogeneity, intraindustry heterogeneity, and international differences in delegation instruments.


MARRIAGE IS A naturally occurring, pre-political institution that emerges spontaneously from society. Western society is drifting toward a redefinition of marriage as a bundle of legally defined benefits bestowed by the state. As a libertarian, I find this trend regrettable. The organic view of marriage is more consistent with the libertarian vision of a society of free and responsible individuals, governed by a constitutionally limited state. The drive toward a legalistic view of marriage is part of the relentless march toward politicizing every aspect of society. Although gay marriage is the current hot-button topic, it is a parenthetical issue. The more basic question is the meaning of love, marriage, sexuality, and family in a free society. I define marriage as a society's normative institution for both sexual activity and the rearing of children. The modern alternative idea is that society does not need such an institution: No particular arrangement should be legally or culturally privileged as the ideal context for sex or childbearing. The current drive for creating gay unions that are the legal equivalent of marriage is part of this ongoing process of dethroning marriage from its pride of place. Only a few self-styled conservative advocates of gay marriage, such as Andrew Sullivan and Jonathan Rauch, seem to understand and respect the social function of marriage. Marriage as an institution necessarily excludes some kinds of behavior and endorses other kinds of behavior. This is why the conservative case for gay marriage is so remarkable: It flies in the face of the cultural stampede toward social acceptance of any and all sexual and childbearing arrangements, the very stampede that has fueled so much of the movement for gay marriage. This article is not primarily about gay marriage. It isn't even about why some forms of straight marriage are superior to others. Rather, the purpose of this article is to explain why a society, especially a free society, needs the social institution of marriage in the first place. I want to argue that society can and must discriminate among various arrangements for childbearing and sexual activity. The contrary idea has a libertarian justification in the background: Marriage is a contract among mutually consenting adults. For instance, libertarian law professor Richard Epstein penned an article last year called "Live and Let Live" in the Wall Street Journal (July 13, 2004). In it, he treated marriage as a combination of a free association of consenting individuals and an institution licensed by the state. But the influence of the libertarian rationale goes far beyond the membership of the Libertarian Party or the donor list of the Cato Institute. The editors of the Nation, for instance, support gay marriage but do not usually defend the sanctity of contracts. This apparent paradox evaporates when we realize that the dissolution of marriage breaks the family into successively smaller units that are less able to sustain themselves without state assistance. Marriage deserves the same respect and attention from libertarians that they routinely give the market. Although I believe life-long monogamy can be defended against alternatives such as polygamy, it is beyond the scope of a single article to do so. My central argument is that a society will be able to govern itself with a smaller, less intrusive government if that society supports organic marriage rather than the legalistic understanding of marriage. A natural institution LIBERTARIANS HAVE EVERY reason to respect marriage as a social institution. Marriage is an organic institution that emerges spontaneously from society. People of the opposite sex are naturally attracted to one another, couple with each other, co-create children, and raise those children. The little society of the family replenishes and sustains itself. Humanity's natural sociability expresses itself most vibrantly within the family. …


Using electronic structure calculation we study the superconducting properties of the theoretically-devised superconductor MS1-LiB (LiB). We calculate the electron-phonon coupling ($\lambda=0.62$) and the phonon frequency logarithmic average ($ _{log}=54.6$ meV) and show that the LiB critical temperature is in the range of 10-15 K, despite the frozen-phonon deformation potential being of the same order of MgB$_2$. As a consequence, LiB captures some of the essential physics of MgB$_2$ but (i) the electron-phonon coupling due to $\sigma$ states is smaller and (ii) the precious contribution of the $\pi$ carriers to the critical temperature is lacking. We investigate the possible change in $T_c$ that can be induced by doping and pressure and find that these conditions cannot easily increase $T_c$ in LiB.


Analyzing the proliferation of item-level RFID, recent studies have identified the cost sharing of the technology as a gating issue. Various qualitative studies have predicted that conflict will arise, in particular in decentralized supply chains, from the fact that the benefits and the costs resulting from item-level RFID are not symmetrically distributed among supply chain partners. To contribute to a better understanding of this situation, we consider a supply chain with one manufacturer and one retailer. Within the context of this retail supply chain, we present analytic models of the benefits of item-level RFID to both supply chain partners. We examine both the case of a dominant manufacturer as well as the case of a dominant retailer, and we analyze the results of an introduction of item-level RFID to such a supply chain depending on these market power characteristics. Under each scenario, we show how the cost of item-level RFID should be allocated among supply chain partners such that supply chain profit is optimized.


Tougher immigration enforcement has been responsible for approximately 1.8 million deportations between 2009 and 2013 alone. Children enter the foster care system when their parents are apprehended, deported and unable to care for them. We find that the average increase in interior immigration enforcement over the 2001 through 2015 period contributed to raising the share of Hispanic children in foster care anywhere between 15 and 21 percent. The effects appear to be driven by the implementation of police-based local initiatives linked to deportations, as in the case of the Secure Communities program. Given the revival of police-based immigration enforcement by President Donald Trump, further analyses of its consequences on families are well warranted.


The Gundwana case was a challenge to the constitutionality of the High Court Rules and practice, which allowed a High Court registrar to grant default judgment, without judicial oversight, declaring immovable property executable. A sale in execution is the act of getting an officer of the court to take possession of the property of a losing party in a lawsuit (judgment debtor) on behalf of the winner (judgment creditor), sell it and use the proceeds to pay the judgment debt.


There is an understandable tension between medical researchers and social scientists when it comes to AIDS-related research
at clinic level. Clinics offering antiretroviral treatment exist primarily to assist patients - but many of them also provide 'data'
for medical researchers. This may involve a randomised controlled trial, or simply the collection of data on adherence. A social
scientist wishing to access patients to conduct interviews or focus groups thus (inevitably) appears to the HIV clinician as at
best a disruption to an already over-stretched operation, and at worst a potentially confounding factor in his or her own
research.
 Given that the medical practitioner / researchers effectively control the clinics, the temptation to deny social scientists access
to patients must be strong. As discussed below, this was the case with regard to two Cape Town clinics that prevented a clinical
psychologist (working in my research unit) from conducting social science research. Although understandable, such
unaccountable exercise of power denies patients the opportunity to participate in other research projects that may be of
benefit to them (or society) in ways that HIV clinicians do not necessarily appreciate. As such, it violates the principle of
informed consent. It is also problematic in that it restricts the AIDS research agenda to biomedical concerns. This is particularly
worrying with regard to AIDS, where it is widely accepted (by social scientists and HIV clinicians alike) that social and
psychological factors matter a great deal for HIV prevention and treatment interventions.


S This paper describes a set of objective measurements carried out to compare various types of 3D microphone arrays, comprising OCT-3D, PCMA-3D, 2L-Cube, Decca Cuboid, Eigenmike EM32 (i.e., spherical microphone system) and Hamasaki Square with 0m and 1m vertical spacings of the height layer. Objective parameters that were measured comprised interchannel and spectral differences caused by interchannel crosstalk (ICXT), fluctuations of interaural level and time differences (ILD and ITD), interchannel correlation coefficient (ICC), interaural cross-correlation coefficient (IACC), and direct-to-reverberant energy ratio (DRR). These were chosen as potential predictors for perceived differences among the arrays. The measurements of the properties of ICXT and the time-varying ILD and ITD suggest that the arrays would produce substantial perceived differences in tonal quality as well as locatedness. The analyses of ICCs and IACCs indicate that perceived differences among the arrays in spatial impression would be larger horizontally rather than vertically. It is also predicted that the addition of the height channel signals to the base channel ones in reproduction would produce little effect on both source-image spread and listener envelopment, regardless of the array type. Finally, differences between the ear-input signals in DRR were substantially smaller than those observed among microphone signals.


This work deals with European Community law and is intended for the use of those whose experience covers the range from tertiary college stage through to postgraduate and professional levels. It is set out in four parts: the first deals with the European Community and Community law; the second addresses the nature and effects of Community law; the third covers aspects of community economic and social law; and the fourth examines remedies and enforcement of Community law.


Studies have revealed that consonants and vowels serve different roles during linguistic processing. Masked transposed-letter priming effects (i.e., faster word-identification times for words preceded by a transposed-letter than substitution-letter prime) occur for consonants but not for vowels in lexical decision (Perea & Lupker, 2004). Potential differences in letter position coding for consonants and vowels during silent normal reading were investigated in Thai using the boundary paradigm (Rayner, 1975). Thai has a distinctive alphabetic script with vowels taking a relatively subsidiary role in relation to consonants. Parafoveal processing of nonadjacent transposed-letter effects involving consonants and vowels was examined. Results for gaze durations revealed a transposition effect involving consonants but not vowels—thus extending previous findings with the masked priming technique but in a more ecological setting. Similar differential effects for consonants and vowels for first and single fixations were not found. An explanation is that consonants and vowels are not differentiated at this initial low level stage of processing (Johnson, 2007; Perea & Acha, 2009); it is only later in processing (as measured by gaze durations) that consonant/vowel status comes into play. Results support the claim that there are some fundamental processing asymmetries between vowels and consonants in normal reading.


We propose a new Integral Probability Metric (IPM) between distributions: the Sobolev IPM. The Sobolev IPM compares the mean discrepancy of two distributions for functions (critic) restricted to a Sobolev ball defined with respect to a dominant measure mu. We show that the Sobolev IPM compares two distributions in high dimensions based on weighted conditional Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF) of each coordinate on a leave one out basis. The Dominant measure mu plays a crucial role as it defines the support on which conditional CDFs are compared. Sobolev IPM can be seen as an extension of the one dimensional Von-Mises Cramer statistics to high dimensional distributions. We show how Sobolev IPM can be used to train Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). We then exploit the intrinsic conditioning implied by Sobolev IPM in text generation. Finally we show that a variant of Sobolev GAN achieves competitive results in semi-supervised learning on CIFAR-10, thanks to the smoothness enforced on the critic by Sobolev GAN which relates to Laplacian regularization.


We propose the hybrid integration of an air hole photonic crystal (PhC) structure with a high (0.75%) single-mode silica waveguide to achieve an ultracompact high efficiency 90 bend for transverse-magnetic polarized light. Diffraction from the periodic boundary between the PhC and silica waveguide regions is shown to seriously degrade the optical efficiency of the bend. A microgenetic algorithm ( GA) combined with a two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method is used to modify the PhC and its boundary layer to suppress this diffraction which in turn maximizes bend efficiency. The final optimized structure has a 99.4% bend efficiency at a wavelength of 1.55 m and occupies an area of only 27 27 m.


Author Email: email@example.com Tel: +233263928024 Unilever prides itself as a pioneer and a leader in food, home, and personal care innovation. The company has a long history of offering breakthrough solutions in terms of a healthy, safety, and eco-friendliness of its products in the food, home, and personal care industry. The company also prides itself of having a first-class brand portfolio renowned in different regions. This study evaluates the influence of external factors on branding strategies in customizing Unilever brand in the food, home, and personal care category. The study administered questionnaires and conducted interviews to identify the external factors that affect brand strategies and capabilities that make Unilever stand tall among her peers globally. A qualitative method was employed in collecting the data from 100 customers and 10 management staff for the study. The study observed that Unilever customizes to suit the needs of different markets but research and development may be conducted on a global basis. Findings also reveal that Unilever complies with government regulations, better satisfies service host country consumers, climate, cultural differences in terms of colour, religious beliefs, language, tastes in order to capture a large enough share of a host country market. The study further shows that Unilever ́s products have some competitive advantages such as low cost, while, facing a number of challenges and multiple factors that play an important role in the firms' customization global strategy plan. The study found that gender influence brand usage at 10% significant level. Also the study discovered that there is significant difference between Education level and Brand usage at the 5% significant level indicating that educational level influence brand usage. One can conclude that as one attain high education, brand becomes significant in influencing his/her choice of products. For Unilever brands to be continually accepted then there is the need to continue to adapt to the needs of consumers.


Nuclear power engineering is developing steadily in industrial countries. This is caused by features of using nuclear fuel and high environmental safety of nuclear power stations. At the same time, the thermodynamic efficiency of nuclear power stations is lower than indices of thermal power stations operating on gas, coal or oil fuel. This efficiency does not usually exceed 30–35%. Hence more than 60% of the energy of nuclear fuel being used escapes into the environment through turbine condensers at nuclear power stations. Cogeneration turbines that reduce heat loss by 20–30% are used at thermal power stations for efficiency upgrading. However, cogeneration schemes have not found wide utility at nuclear power stations due to safety conditions. Thus, it is possible to use, in addition, a major part of nuclear fuel energy for desalination at nuclear power stations located on the coast. In this case, some main problems are solved: production of fresh water consumed by nuclear power station for technological purposes and sold to external consumers; upgrading of effectiveness of using nuclear fuel including the cost of steady operation of nuclear power stations at high loads; reduction of non-productive thermal pollutants from nuclear power stations into the environment. It is required to provide maximum upgrading of power station heat efficiency and high capacity of distillers when connecting desalination installations to the thermal scheme of nuclear power stations. The use of energy of the heat carrier's low-temperature flows being emitted by turbine condensers into the environment is of particular value. In this case, different thermodynamic analysis methods are used for the justification of optimal engineering solutions In the article under consideration some results of research of thermodynamics of cycles of nuclear power stations where thermal schemes includes different types of thermal desalination installations are given. From the analysis of thermodynamic processes carried out at nuclear power stations, recommendations related to improvement of desalination installations' thermal schemes providing power system efficiency upgrading have been obtained.


The use of open-source software (OSS)--readable software source code that can be copied, modified, and distributed freely--has expanded dramatically in recent years. The number of OSS projects hosted on SourceForge.net (the largest hosting Web site for OSS), for example, grew from just over 100,000 in 2006 to more than 250,000 at the beginning of 2011. But why are some projects successful--that is, able to produce usable software and sustain ongoing development over time--while others are abandoned? In this book, the product of the first large-scale empirical study to look at social, technical, and institutional aspects of OSS, Charles Schweik and Robert English examine factors that lead to success in OSS projects and work toward a better understanding of Internet-based collaboration. Drawing on literature from many disciplines and using a theoretical framework developed for the study of environmental commons, Schweik and English examine stages of OSS development, presenting multivariate statistical models of success and abandonment. Schweik and English argue that analyzing the conditions of OSS successes may also inform Internet collaborations in fields beyond software engineering, particularly those that aim to solve complex technical, social, and political problems.


Background Social networking (SN) has become ubiquitous in modern culture. The potential consequences of revealing personal information through SN websites are not fully understood. Objective To assess familiarity with, usage of, and attitudes towards, SN websites by admissions offices at US medical schools and residency programmes. Methods A 26-question survey was distributed in autumn 2009 to 130 US medical school admissions officers and 4926 residency programme directors accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Results A total of 600 surveys were completed, with 46 (8%) respondents who self-identified as reviewing only medical school applications, 511 (85%) who reported reviewing residency programme applications and 43 (7%) who reported reviewing both. 90/600 (15%) medical schools or programmes maintain profiles on SN websites and 381/600 (64%) respondents reported being somewhat or very familiar with searching individual profiles on SN websites. While a minority of medical schools and residency programmes routinely use SN websites in the selection process (53/600; 9%), more than half of respondents felt that unprofessional information on applicants' SN websites could compromise their admission into medical school or residency (315/600; 53%). Conclusions SN websites will affect selection of medical students and residents. Formal guidelines for professional behaviour on SN websites might help applicants avoid unforeseen bias in the selection process.


In a potentially hostile networked environment, a large diversity of security mechanisms with varying degree of sophistication are being deployed to protect valuable computer systems and digital assets. While many competing implementations of similar security mechanisms are available in the current software development landscape, the robustness and reliability of such implementations are often overlooked, resulting in exploitable flaws in system deployments. In this dissertation, we systematically evaluate implementations of security mechanisms that are deployed in the wild. First, we examine how content distribution applications on the Android platform control access to their multimedia contents. With respect to a well-defined hierarchy of adversarial capabilities and attack surfaces, we find that many content distribution applications, including that of some world-renowned publications and streaming services, are vulnerable to content extraction due to the use of unjustified assumptions in their security mechanism designs and implementations. Second, we investigate the validation logic of X.509 certificate chains as implemented in various open-source TLS libraries. X.509 certificates are widely used in TLS as a means to achieve authentication. A validation logic that is overly restrictive could lead to the loss of legitimate services, while an overly permissive implementation could open door to impersonation attacks. Instead of manual analysis and unguided fuzzing, we propose a principled approach that leverages symbolic execution to achieve better coverage and uncover logical flaws that are buried deep in the code. We find that many TLS libraries deviate from the specification. Finally, we study the verification of RSA signatures, as specified in the PKCS#1 v1.5 standard, which is widely used in many security-critical network protocols. We propose an approach to automatically generate meaningful concolic test cases for this particular problem, and design and implement a provenance tracking mechanism to assist root-cause analysis in general. Our investigation revealed that several crypto and IPSec implementations are susceptible to new variants of the Bleichenbacher low-exponent signature forgery.


The idea that market selection promotes survival and expansion of the "fittest" producers is a key principle underlying theories of competition. Yet, despite its intuitive appeal, the hypothesis that companies with superior productivity also exhibit higher growth lacks empirical support. One reason for this is that companies are not "islands" that produce goods and services in isolation but depend on their suppliers in value chains, implying that excessive growth can also originate in the superior productive performance of these value-chain partners. Neglecting these dependencies in empirical tests of the selection hypothesis leads to measurement errors and may impair the identification of competition for the market. In this paper, we use data from the World Input-Output Database to capture these global value-chain relationships in an empirical test for market selection, studying competition between country-sectors for a global market share in different economic activities. Compared to the conventional view that focuses on individual productivities, our value-chain perspective on the productivity-growth nexus provides stronger empirical support for market selection. This suggests that the scope of selection reaches beyond the level of individual producers and requires a systemic analysis of production networks. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the determinants of selection in competitive environments and also represent a novel application of global value-chain data.


Natural rates are an important concept within the new Keynesian models often used for monetary policy advice. However, many of these models rely on demeaned interest rate and inflation data. Thus, they implicitly impose the strict assumption that the natural rates of these series are constant. Using New Zealand data and a small open-economy new Keynesian model with time-varying parameters, we estimate the natural real rate of interest, inflation target, potential output, and neutral real exchange rate. We find that the model estimates of the natural real rate of interest and neutral exchange rate display noticeable time variation and considerable uncertainty, while the inflation target has been relatively stable over the sample period. We also compare the results of this model to a model with time-invariant natural rates. The comparison reveals the data prefers the fit of the timevarying model. It also shows that allowing the natural rates to vary over time has implications for the persistence parameters and impulse responses of the model. Classification-C51, E52, F41


Optimal design of hybrid power systems (HPSs) is necessary to meet both the profitability of renewable-energy resources operations and the electricity demand. The major objective of this study is to develop an effective method for optimizing size of HPSs. A new meta-heuristic nature-inspired algorithm, called firefly algorithm is used to achieve this objective. A general formulation of this algorithm is presented together with an analytical and mathematical modeling to solve the size optimization problem. The results are compared with those obtained by alternative techniques proposed in the literature in order to show that the proposed algorithm is capable of yielding better optimal solutions.


Online Social Networks (OSN) during last years acquired a
huge and increasing popularity as one of the most important emerging Web phenomena, deeply modifying the behavior of users and contributing to build a solid substrate of connections and relationships among people using the Web. In this preliminary work paper, our purpose is to analyze Facebook, considering a signi�cant sample of data re
ecting relationships among subscribed users. Our goal is to extract, from this platform, relevant information about the distribution of these relations and exploit tools and algorithms provided by the Social Network Analysis (SNA) to discover and, possibly, understand underlying similarities
between the developing of OSN and real-life social networks.


The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of capital structure and firm size on firm value, moderated by profitability. The sample of this research is mining sector companies listed on IDX. This research uses the non-participant observation method with path analysis technique. The method of data analysis used is multiple linear regression with data analysis tool using SPSS 22. Based on the analysis results, it was concluded that capital structure has a significant positive effect on firm value while firm size has a significant negative effect on firm value. Profitability has no significant effect on firm value, whilst company size has a significant positive effect on profitability. However, profitability is not able to mediate the influence of capital structure and firm size on firm value.


Recent years have witnessed the advancement of automated algorithmic trading systems as institutional solutions in the form of autobots, black box or expert advisors. However, little research has been done in this area with sufficient evidence to show the efficiency of these systems. This paper builds an automated trading system which implements an optimized genetic-algorithm neural-network (GANN) model with cybernetic concepts and evaluates the success using a modified value-at-risk (MVaR) framework. The cybernetic engine includes a circular causal feedback control feature and a developed golden-ratio estimator, which can be applied to any form of market data in the development of risk-pricing models. The paper applies the Euro and Yen forex rates as data inputs. It is shown that the technique is useful as a trading and volatility control system for institutions including central bank monetary policy as a risk-minimizing strategy. Furthermore, the results are achieved within a 30-second timeframe for an intra-week trading strategy, offering relatively low latency performance. The results show that risk exposures are reduced by four to five times with a maximum possible success rate of 96%, providing evidence for further research and development in this area.


Who produced the first stage adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1902 - nearly forty years before the movie classic? What entertainment juggernaut began in a converted Chinese laundry on Wells Street in 1959? Where did Louis (Studs) Terkel make his stage debut? When did the original production of "Grease" open at Kingston Mines Theater? Richard Christiansen, former chief critic for the Chicago Tribune, answers these and many more questions about the rich role of the theater in Chicago, from its earliest days in 1837 to its present state as a diverse community of artists with international stature. In A Theater of Our Own, he draws upon his exclusive interviews, insights, and memories gathered over a period of more than forty years of reviewing the arts. This history and memoir traces the evolution of the Chicago theater scene from small theaters to major institutions such as the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Goodman Theatre, and The Second City. Along the way, Richard Christiansen relates his behind-the-scenes conversations with some of Chicago's most acclaimed writers, directors, and actors - David Mamet, Frank Galati, Mary Zimmerman, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Harold Ramis, Gary Sinise, and Joe Mantegna - all a part of Chicago's theater renaissance from the 1970s onward. To this day, Chicago remains a city known for its imaginative, innovative, and influential theaters and artists. A Theater of Our Own, a valuable contribution to the history of theater, is a book written for anyone who enjoys the theater and its people.


ABSTRACT: Civic ritual and pageantry have been mainstays of urban culture since the Middle Ages, but it has been suggested that they entered a period of decline from the 1870s onwards. This article suggests that instead, local authorities reformed and revised their use of civic ceremony, celebration and commemoration, in order to keep pace with contemporary culture and to maintain public interest. The towns of Darlington and Middlesbrough are considered to highlight the use of recreational and sensory-rich ritual in the urban setting. It is suggested that historians should therefore adopt a broader methodology and broaden their definition of what constituted civic ritual in the twentieth century.


Background The Canadian Observatory on the Justice System's Response to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an ?international network of academics, governments, and community-based organisation providing enhanced understanding of how justice responses to IPV operate. Since 2007 the Canadian Observatory conducted policy reviews; engaged governments in dialogue to share data collection strategies and facilitate research collaborations; and developed mechanisms to mobilise knowledge. In 2012, the Canadian Observatory initiated a reflection on police intervention in IPV situations that led to create a national dialogue on police practices and to provide evidence-based research on police response to IPV. In this perspective a national think tank was held in June 2014 with 35 ranking police from across Canada to discuss best practices implemented in different Canadian communities in regards to intimate partner violence. The event led to the creation of a working group of experts that is developing a national framework on police proaction and intervention to IPV. Description In June 2015, the group of experts comprised of researchers, communities and police agencies met to determine the different steps for the development of a national framework. The creation of a national framework will provide: A foundation for consistent language, standards and policy for Canadian Police Agencies, to guide police proaction and intervention on IPV; Resources for collaborative education, prevention, intervention, and supports for victims, abusers and communities; The creation of visual and narrative reference model on proactive IPV response to be used by all Canadian police. The group of experts is to complete their work by the end of March 2016. Results The development of a national framework encompasses a dialogue with police forces, communities and academics, including working sessions with the group of experts, consultations with community stakeholders, police forces and other professionals involved in the area of IPV intervention. In this presentation, we will discuss the process that led to the development of a national framework on Proactive Community-Policing Responses to IPV in Canada and how such process led to a supported dialogue among police agencies on the issue.


markdownabstractThe field of sport for development and peace (SDP) has flourished in
recent decades, with development programmes around the world using sport as
a mechanism to support social, economic and health-related development
efforts. However, the academic literature on SDP is limited in comparison to
more established development fields. This study is a critical examination of
SDP, extending beyond existing research by contributing in two fundamental
ways. First, it uses a gender lens that includes the perspective of both girls' and
boys' attitudes on gender role attitudes, a rarity in SDP research. Secondly, the
Human Capability approach of Amartya Sen is applied as a theoretical
framework, perhaps for the first time in SDP research.
Furthermore, studies in the field of SDP also often overlook the complex social
and economic environment in the postcolonial Eastern Caribbean. This study
examines sport for development for at-risk adolescents and unemployed youth
in Barbados and St. Lucia. Using quantitative and qualitative data through
surveys, focus group discussions, interviews and journals.
Key findings indicate that boys tended to embrace a machismo masculinity
regarding sport and domestic life. Their experience in sport, particularly
sporting with girls, may in fact reinforce restrictive gender role attitudes and
hetero-normative beliefs. On the other hand, girls seemed to experience a sense
of empowerment through sport, despite struggling with the narrow scope of
culturally ascribed and aesthetically defined ideals of the female body.
Furthermore, although all participants expressed a positive relationship between
sport participation and their own development of self-efficacy and social
affiliation, girls focused more on social aspects while boys were more
concerned with skill-building. Finally, the macro-level conversion factors of
economic instability, inadequacies in education and government ineffectiveness
undermine sustainable youth development efforts.
To conclude, these programmes largely function as an integrative development
approach, rather than a transformative gender and development method. This
study affirms that these SDP initiatives may be restricted by a neo-liberal
framework, which relies on traditional modes of gender and hetero-normativity,
as discussed in previous research (Forde and Frisby, 2015; McDonald, 2015;
Chawansky, 2014; Levermore and Beacom, 2009). Role Creating a stronger
presence of female role models as coaches and peer leaders may better engage
at-risk girls and support the challenging of restrictive gender role norms
amongst boys. Expanding the opportunities for type of sport played to include
more gender-neutral or feminized sporting forms may also help transform the
sport for development narrative.


OBJECTIVES
This study examined whether Hispanic women with breast cancer have tumor characteristics associated with delayed detection and whether these characteristics vary by birthplace.

METHODS
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data were used in examining breast cancer size and stage by racial/ethnic group and birthplace.

RESULTS
Hispanic women with breast cancer had a higher percentage of tumors larger than 1 cm (77.7%) than--non-Hispanic Whites (70.3%), as well as a higher percentage of tumors larger than 2 cm (45.9% vs 33.0%). Furthermore, in comparison with Hispanic women born in the United States, Hispanic American women born in Latin America had higher percentages of tumors larger than 1 cm (82.2% vs 75.2%) and larger than 2 cm (54.1% vs 41.7%).

CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that Hispanic women with breast cancer, especially first-generation Hispanic Americans, have a relative delay in the timeliness of their cancer diagnosis. First-generation Hispanic American women should be targeted in interventions designed to increase the use of breast cancer screening.


Structural rearrangements have long been recognized as an important source of genetic variation with implications in phenotypic diversity and disease, yet their evolutionary dynamics are difficult to characterize with short-read sequencing. Here, we report long-read sequencing for 12 strains representing major subpopulations of the partially domesticated yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its wild relative Saccharomyces paradoxus. Complete genome assemblies and annotations generate population-level reference genomes and allow for the first explicit definition of chromosome partitioning into cores, subtelomeres and chromosome-ends. High-resolution view of structural dynamics uncovers that, in chromosomal cores, S. paradoxus exhibits higher accumulation rate of balanced structural rearrangements (inversions, translocations and transpositions) whereas S. cerevisiae accumulates unbalanced rearrangements (large insertions, deletions and duplications) more rapidly. In subtelomeres, recurrent interchromosomal reshuffling was found in both species, with higher rate in S. cerevisiae. Such striking contrasts between wild and domesticated yeasts reveal the influence of human activities on structural genome evolution.


Objective: Studies have been inconsistent in establishing sex steroids as a risk factor for human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. This study was designed to determine whether cervical oestrogen receptors (as measured by oestrogen receptor transcripts) at the cervix would be associated with cervical HPV infections. Methods: In 175 women, ages 14–44, we tested for the presence of HPV DNA and oestrogen receptors transcripts at the cervix during routine pelvic examinations. All subjects completed a self administered questionnaire regarding sexual and menstrual histories. Results: 40% of the women (n=70) tested positive for HPV at the cervix. Of those women testing positive for HPV, 99% had detectable levels of Oestrogen receptors transcripts (n=69/70). HPV cervical infections were independently associated with presence of Oestrogen receptors transcripts (OR = 39.8, CI=4.4, 361.1) and greater numbers of sexual partners (OR=1.1, CI=1.01, 1.18). Conclusion: Women who expressed higher levels of oestrogen receptors transcripts were significantly more likely to have cervical HPV infection. These results demonstrate that Oestrogen receptors may play an important part in cervical HPV infections.


Mental illness in older adults is an important issue: It is estimated that 20% of older adults in the general U.S. population have a mental illness (Bartels, Blow, Van Citters, & Brockmann, 2006). Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders affect older adults, yet
there is little in the literature about these topics when compared with the volumes that are written about dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A cursory search of the term dementia in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature resulted in 18,469 articles; however, the combined search terms mental illness and older adults returned only 98 articles. The numbers improved when specific psychiatric diagnoses were searched. For example, depression and older adults yielded 1,788 articles, and anxiety and older adults resulted in 389 articles, still far fewer than those related to cognitive disorders.


Why might judges interpret a boilerplate contractual clause to reach a result clearly at odds with its plain language? Though courts don't acknowledge it, one reason might be economic crisis. Boilerplate provisions are pervasive, and enforcing some clauses as written might cause additional upheaval during a panic. Under such circumstances, particularly where other government interventions to shore up the market are exhausted, one can make a compelling argument that courts should interpret an agreement to help stabilize a situation threatening to spin out of control.

This Article argues that courts have in fact done this by engaging in "crisis construction." Crisis construction refers to the act of interpreting contractual language in light of concurrent economic turmoil. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, trustees holding residential mortgage backed securities sued securities sponsors en masse on contracts warranting the quality of the mortgages sold to the trusts. These contracts almost universally contained provisions requiring sponsors to repurchase individual noncompliant loans on an individual basis. Nevertheless, court after court permitted trustees to prove their cases by sampling rather than forcing them to proceed on a loan by loan basis.

While the reasoning of these decisions is frequently dubious, they gave trustees the leverage to salvage millions – even billions – of dollars in settlements from the sponsors who had sold the shoddy loans, reassuring investors that sponsors would be forced to stand behind their contracts. However, as the crisis ebbed, courts retrenched, and more recent decisions adhere to the plain language requiring loan-by-loan repurchase. I argue that the rise and fall of decisions permitting sampling reflect a largely unexpressed judgment that in times of severe economic crisis, courts may produce decisions to help stabilize the economy. I further examine why these provisions appear to have persisted in MBS contracts.


Recovery and protection of streams in urban areas depend on a comprehensive understanding of how human activities affect stream ecosystems. The hydrologic effects of urban development and the consequences for stream channel form and streambed stability were examined in 16 streams in the Puget Lowland, Washington, using three streamflow metrics that integrate storm‐scale effects of urban development over annual to decadal timescales: the fraction of time that streamflow exceeds the mean streamflow (TQmean), the coefficient of variation of annual maximum streamflow (CVAMF), and the fraction of time that streamflow exceeds the 0.5‐year flood (T0.5). Urban streams had low interannual variability in annual maximum streamflow and brief duration of frequent high flows, as indicated by significant correlations between road density and both CVAMF and T0.5. The broader distribution of streamflow indicated by TQmean may be affected by urban development, but differences in TQmean between streams are also likely a result of other physiographic factors. The increase in the magnitude of frequent high flows due to urban development but not their cumulative duration has important consequences for channel form and bed stability in gravel bed streams because geomorphic equilibrium depends on moderate duration streamflow (e.g., exceeded 10% of the time). Streams with low values of TQmean and T0.5 are narrower than expected from hydraulic geometry. Dimensionless boundary shear stress (t*) for the 0.5‐year flood was inversely related to T0.5 among the streams, indicating frequent and extensive bed disturbance in streams with low values of T0.5. Although stream channels expand and the size of bed material increases in response to urban streamflow patterns, these adjustments may be insufficient to reestablish the disturbance regime in urban streams because of the differential increase in the magnitude of frequent high flows causing disturbance relative to any changes in longer duration, moderate flows that establish a stable channel.


Abstract : The Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation provides ranging information that delivers inexpensive, high precision positioning for terrestrial users. Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) can use an onboard GPS receiver resulting in meter-level navigation solution accuracy. There are limitations to using GPS for positioning for satellites above LEO. The number of GPS satellites who's signal can be received decreases as the receivers altitude approaches that of the GPS constellation. Above the GPS constellation, the available GPS signals for ranging will originate from satellites on the opposite side of Earth. This research calculates the available GPS signals to the receiver and determines the expected position error, while considering the effects from a low signal to noise ratio, poor geometry, and signal shift caused by high relative velocity.


To identify the molecular basis underlying the functions of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), we characterized the gene expression profile of TAMs isolated from a murine fibrosarcoma in comparison with peritoneal macrophages (PECs) and myeloid suppressor cells (MSCs), using a cDNA microarray technology. Among the differentially expressed genes, 15 genes relevant to inflammation and immunity were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and protein production. Resting TAMs showed a characteristic gene expression pattern with higher expression of genes coding for the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10, phagocytosis-related receptors/molecules (Msr2 and C1q), and inflammatory chemokines (CCL2 and CCL5) as expected, as well as, unexpectedly, IFN-inducible chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL16). Immunohistology confirmed and extended the in vitro analysis by showing that TAMs express M2-associated molecules (eg, IL-10 and MGL1), as well as CCL2, CCL5, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL16, but no appreciable NOS2. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated activation of TAMs resulted in defective expression of several proinflammatory cytokines (eg, IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and chemokines (eg, CCL3), as opposed to a strong up-regulation of immunosuppressive cytokines (IL-10, TGFbeta) and IFN-inducible chemokines (CCL5, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL16). Thus, profiling of TAMs from a murine sarcoma revealed unexpected expression of IFN-inducible chemokines, associated with an M2 phenotype (IL-10high, IL-12low), and divergent regulation of the NF-kappaB versus the IRF-3/STAT1 pathway.


TnphoA construct was derived from the transposon Tn5,
which contained a kanamycin resistance gene flanked by two IS50 elements. This
construct contains a version of the alkaline phosphatase gene with its signal
sequence and promoter deleted, which will result in a blue colony phenotype on
X-phos (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate toluidine salt) containing media
when secreted into the periplasm. This secretion can occur only if the TnphoA
has been inserted into a gene with a signal sequence which directs that
gene-product to leave the cytosol. Additionally, the transposon must be inserted into
the correct orientation and the same reading frame as the gene has been inserted
into. TnphoA's transposition activity derives from that of this Tn5 transposon
by a conservative mechanism in a relatively rare but highly regulated process.
The phoA portion of the TnphoA construct came from Escherichia coli K12 where it coded for the periplasmic
protein alkaline phosphatase. This enzyme must be secreted from the cytoplasm
in order to demonstrate activity and its secretion is determined by the
presence of a signal sequence at its amino-terminal end. TnphoA mutagenesis is
the identification of new genes that code for transmembrane or secreted
proteins. TnphoA is an extremely useful construct, which along with other
derivatives of the transposon Tn5 is used extensively in transposon mutagenesis
based genetic analysis. TnphoA will ensure its continued significance and
prominence in the area of transposon mutagenesis. TnphoA has been used to
isolate new chromosomal genes, whose products are secreted, as in the case of
some virulence genes in Agrobacterium
tumefaciens and symbiotic genes in Rhizobium
meliloti.


Background Psychosocial eHealth interventions for people with cancer are promising in reducing distress; however, their results in terms of effects and adherence rates are quite mixed. Developing interventions with a solid evidence base while still ensuring adaptation to user wishes and needs is recommended to overcome this. As most models of eHealth development are based primarily on examining user experiences (so-called bottom-up requirements), it is not clear how theory and evidence (so-called top-down requirements) may best be integrated into the development process. Objective This study aims to investigate the integration of top-down and bottom-up requirements in the co-design of eHealth applications by building on the development of a mobile self-compassion intervention for people with newly diagnosed cancer. Methods Four co-design tasks were formulated at the start of the project and adjusted and evaluated throughout: explore bottom-up experiences, reassess top-down content, incorporate bottom-up and top-down input into concrete features and design, and synergize bottom-up and top-down input into the intervention context. These tasks were executed iteratively during a series of co-design sessions over the course of 2 years, in which 15 people with cancer and 7 nurses (recruited from 2 hospitals) participated. On the basis of the sessions, a list of requirements, a final intervention design, and an evaluation of the co-design process and tasks were yielded. Results The final list of requirements included intervention content (eg, major topics of compassionate mind training such as psychoeducation about 3 emotion systems and main issues that people with cancer encounter after diagnosis such as regulating information consumption), navigation, visual design, implementation strategies, and persuasive elements. The final intervention, Compas-Y, is a mobile self-compassion training comprising 6 training modules and several supportive functionalities such as a mood tracker and persuasive elements such as push notifications. The 4 co-design tasks helped overcome challenges in the development process such as dealing with conflicting top-down and bottom-up requirements and enabled the integration of all main requirements into the design. Conclusions This study addressed the necessary integration of top-down and bottom-up requirements into eHealth development by examining a preliminary model of 4 co-design tasks. Broader considerations regarding the design of a mobile intervention based on traditional intervention formats and merging the scientific disciplines of psychology and design research are discussed.


In this paper we evaluate the actuator rate requirements for control of rotating stall using a bleed valve and provide tools for predicting these requirements. Modification of both the stable and unstable parts of the compressor characteristic via addition of continuous air injection serves to reduce the requirement of a bleed valve used for the purpose of rotating stall stabilization. Analytical tools based on low order models (2-3 states) and simulation tools based on a reduced order model (37 states) are described. A bleed actuator rate limit study is presented to compare the actuator requirements predicted by theory, simulation, and experiment. The comparisons show that the predictions obtained from theory and simulations share the same trend as the experiments, with increasing accuracy as the complexity of the underlying model increases. Some insights on the design of a bleed-compressor pair are given.


Change is imperative in organizations. One fundamental tool in instigating innovation is change management. Employee engagement is seen as a primary ingredient in successfully triggering readiness to change. However, beyond change management, culture is important in influencing employee engagement and readiness to change. Research suggests that Filipino employees, who generally possess a collectivist cultural orientation, are more motivated when working in groups. Therefore, good working relations are important in eliciting engagement among them. This study hypothesizes that both change management and samahan (a Filipino concept on quality of relationships) is mediated by engagement, which brings about readinessfor change. Furthermore, change management correlates to samahan . A survey involving Filipino organizations was conducted. The hypotheses were tested using structured equation modeling. Results revealed significant relationship between samahan and change management. Also, employee engagement mediated the relationships of both change management and readiness for change, and samahan and readiness for change. Furthermore, samahan predicted employee engagement more than change management. The study highlights the importance of quality relationships in employee engagement leading to readiness for change. Lastly, this study adds to the growing knowledge base of Filipino researches on the importance ofunderstanding organization behavior using an indigenous concept.


DLR is the national aeronautics and space research centre of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its extensive research and development work in aeronautics, space, energy, transport and security is integrated into national and international coope rative ventures. In addition to its own research, as Germany's space agency, DLR has been given responsibility by the federal government for the planning and implementation of the German space programme. DLR is also the umbrella organisation for the nation's largest project management agency.


The rise of Asia as an important region for global business has been widely recognized as one of the most significant economic phenomena in the new millennium. This accessible and comprehensive Handbook brings together state-of-the-art reviews of Asian business in an expansive range of areas including: business organizations; strategic management; marketing; state–business relations; business and development; and business policy issues.


Introduction: External Frontoethmoidectomy is an open surgical procedure employed to remove disease from the frontal and ethmoidal sinuses. Pathologies in the para nasal sinuses can be managed endoscopically, however, the limited availability of skilled man power in endoscopic sinus surgeries, and the dearth of its instruments in this region, remains a challenge in most tertiary health care centres in Nigeria, thus promoting the use of external approach to manage sinus diseases.

Method: This was a retrospective study of 10 patients who had Frontoethmoidectomy over a 6 year period, from January 2012 to December 2017.Their medical records were retrieved from operating theatre, and Ear, Nose and Throat ward. Information retrieved included their age, gender, presenting complain, indication for surgery and length of hospital stay. Results were presented in tables and figures.

Results: Among the 10 patients, there were 7 males and 3 females, 6 (60%) were aged 10-19 years. The indications for surgery was Fronto-ethmoidal mucocele in 3 patients and frontal mucocele in 2 patients, frontal sinusitis with intracerebral abscess in 1 patient, pan sinusitis with sinu-cutaneous fistula in 1 patient, potts puffy tumor in 1 patient, fronto-ethmoidal abscess, and fronto-ethmoidal osteoma in 1 patient each. Nasal obstruction was the commonest complain 7(70%), followed by frontal headache 4(40%).The average hospital stay among the patients was 6 days.

Conclusion: External fronto-ethmoidectomy has remained the mainstay of treatment for frontal and ethmoidal sinus pathologies in this region, despite the advent of endoscopic sinus surgery. Early presentation for specialist otorhinolaryngological management can reduce morbidity and mortality.


1 Abstract— Holistic management of schizophrenia involves mainstream pharmacological intervention, complimentary medicine intervention, therapeutic intervention and other psychosocial factors such as accommodation, education, job training, employment, relationship, friendship, exercise, overall well-being, smoking, substance abuse, suicide prevention, stigmatisation, recreation, entertainment, violent behaviour, arrangement of public trusteeship and guardianship, day-day-living skill, integration with community, and management of overweight due to medications and other health complications related to medications amongst others. Our review shows that there is no integrated survey by combining all these factors. An international web-based survey was conducted to evaluate the significance of all these factors and present them in a unified manner. It is believed this investigation will contribute positively towards holistic management of schizophrenia. There will be two surveys. In the pharmacological intervention survey, five popular drugs for schizophrenia will be chosen and their efficacy as well as harmful side effects will be evaluated on a scale of 0 -10. This survey will be done by psychiatrists. In the second survey, each element of therapeutic intervention and psychosocial factors will be evaluated according to their significance on a scale of 0 - 10. This survey will be done by care givers, psychologists, case managers and case workers. For the first survey, professional bodies of psychiatrists in English speaking countries will be contacted to request them to ask their members to participate in the survey. For the second survey, professional bodies of clinical psychologist and care givers in English speaking countries will be contacted to request them to ask their members to participate in the survey. Additionally, for both the surveys, relevant professionals will be contacted through personal contact networks. For both the surveys, mean, mode, median, standard deviation and net promoter score will be calculated for each factor and then presented in a statistically significant manner. Subsequently each factor will be ranked according to their statistical significance. Additionally, country specific variation will be highlighted to identify the variation pattern. The results of these surveys will identify the relative significance of each type of pharmacological intervention, each type of therapeutic intervention and each type of psychosocial factor. The determination of this relative importance will definitely contribute to the improvement in quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia.


Abstract. This study examines the seasonality of tropical lower-stratospheric temperature trends using the Microwave Sounding Unit lower-stratospheric channel (T4) for 1980–2008. We present evidence that this seasonality is largely a response to changes in the Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC) driven by extratropical wave forcing. We show how the tropical T4 trend can be used as an indicator of changes in the BDC, and find that the BDC is strengthening for 1980–2008 in June–November related to the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and in December–February to the Northern Hemisphere (NH). In marked contrast, we find that the BDC is weakening in March–May, apparently because of a weakening of its northern cell. The novel observational evidence on the seasonal dependence of the BDC trends presented in this study has important implications for the understanding of climate change in the stratosphere as well as testing climate model simulations.


The law of the sea is no more than a part of international law. Though there is a special international tribunal in this area for the law of the sea, the maritime dispute settlement still defer to the framework of dispute settlement of international law. This note will take an opportunity to review the international dispute settlement system from the law of the sea perspective.The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 Convention, hereinafter) contains detailed provisions regarding the resolution of law of the sea disputes. One of the great successes of the 1982 Convention is the inclusion of a comprehensive procedure for dispute settlement. The dispute settlement provisions of the 1982 Convention are found in the text of the Convention itself, rather than in an optional protocol. Part XV of the 1982 Convention establishes the dispute settlement system with respect to the interpretation and application of its provisions. When a dispute arises, the parties are to expeditiously to an exchange of views regarding its settlement by negotiation or other peaceful means. The parties may resort, if they wish, to conciliation procedures under article 284, in which case a conciliation commission will be established, whose report will be non-binding. Where no settlement is reached, recourse may be had to other procedures. Upon signing, ratifying or acceding to the convention, or at any time thereafter, a state may choose one of the following means of dispute settlement: the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; the International Court of Justice (ICJ); an arbitral tribunal constituted in accordance with Annex VII of the 1982 Convention; or a special arbitral tribunal constituted in accordance with Annex VIII of the 1982 Convention for one or more of the categories disputes specified therein. By providing a variety of options, the 1982 Convention encourages the peaceful settlement of disputes under law. We should celebrate the increased number of forums for third-party dispute settlement found in the 1982 Convention and other international agreements, because it means that international third-party settlement procedures, especially adjudication and arbitration, are becoming more acceptable. This development will promote the evolution of public international law and its broader acceptance by the public as a true system of law. The new forums created by the 1982 Convention may benefit both general international law and the law of the sea, and also promote the peaceful settlement of international dispute.


The Committee on the Federal Rules of Practice and Procedure seeks to abrogate Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 84 and its attendant Official Forms. Poof - after seventy-six years of service, the Committee will make Rule 84 and its forms disappear. This Essay argues, however, that like a magic trick, the abrogation sleight of hand is only a distraction from the truly problematic change the Committee is proposing. Abrogation of Rule 84 and the Official Forms violates the Rules Enabling Act process. The Forms are inextricably linked to the Rules; they cannot be eliminated or amended without making a change to the Rules to which they correspond. Yet, the proposal to abrogate Rule 84 and the Forms has received little attention, with commenters instead focused on proposed discovery amendments. This Essay argues that inattention to the proposed abrogation of Rule 84 and the Forms is a mistake, and that the Forms should not just disappear.


The transient Hartmann magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of two immiscible fluids flowing through a horizontal channel containing two porous media with oscillating lateral wall mass flux is studied. A two-dimensional spatial model is developed for the two fluids, one of which is electrically-conducting and the other electrically-insulating (as is the wall in the second region). Both fluid regimes are driven by a common pressure gradient. A Darcy-Forchheimer drag force model is used to simulate the porous medium effects on the flow in both fluid regions. Special boundary conditions are imposed at the interface. The governing second order nonlinear partial differential equations are non-dimensionalized for each region using a set of transformations. The resulting transport equations are shown to be controlled by the Hartmann hydromagnetic parameter (Ha), viscosity ratio parameter (α), two Darcy numbers (Da1, Da2), two Forchheimer numbers (Fs1, Fs2), two Reynolds numbers (Re1, Re2), frequency parameter (eA) associated with the transpiration (lateral wall flux) velocity and a periodic frequency parameter (ω*t*). Numerical FTCS finite difference solutions are obtained for a wide range of the governing parameters. Benchmarking is performed with a Galerkin finite element method code (MAGNETO-FEM) and the results are found to be in excellent agreement. Applications of the model include magnetic cleanup operations in coastal/ocean seabed oil spills and electromagnetic purification of petroleum reservoir fluids.


The first task set by the European Treaties in 1957 was to eliminate tariffs and quotas on trade between Member States. However, it was understood that this would achieve little unless companies were prevented from fixing prices and allocating markets. It was also understood that State subsidies and State monopolies had to be regulated. Thus, it was essential to create a European competition policy that applied to all these elements.European competition law has developed along a series of channels which it is traditional and convenient to consider separately. They are listed below, not in the order in which they developed from the initial Treaty provisions, but starting with the two areas of law which appear now to be most satisfactorily developed. This paper suggests that the economic principles are still not clear in three other areas and that policy is unsatisfactory and ineffective: Rules on restrictive agreements and practices involving two or more enterprises; Control of large mergers and joint ventures; Rules on State aid to industry; Rules on "abuse" of monopoly power and dominant market positions, by individual enterprises; Limits on national measures establishing monopolies and restricting competition; Private enforcement.Alongside these six areas of substantive law, and important for all of them, are the areas of European Commission procedure and of judicial review of the actions of the Commission and, more recently, of the actions of national competition authorities. These are also commented on briefly below.This paper does not attempt to summarise the entire field of European competition law. Instead, it comments on some of the principal developments in each of these areas and describes in more detail the principal problems as they stand today. It will be seen that these areas have developed unevenly and without clear objectives. This is understandable because there were no European Federalist Papers on competition policy. One step was taken at a time, and many steps were needed. It will also be seen that these areas have never been thought of, even by the Commission, as a single body of economic and legal principles. This paper describes what a unified European competition policy would look like and the most important tasks needed to create it.