Field‐deployable sensors designed to continuously measure the fluorescence of colored dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in situ are of growing interest. However, the ability to make FDOM measurements that are comparable across sites and over time requires a clear understanding of how instrument characteristics and environmental conditions affect the measurements. In particular, the effects of water temperature and light attenuation by both colored dissolved material and suspended particles may be significant in settings such as rivers and streams. Using natural standard reference materials, we characterized the performance of four commerciallyavailable FDOM sensors under controlled laboratory conditions over ranges of temperature, dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations, and turbidity that spanned typical environmental ranges. We also examined field data from several major rivers to assess how often attenuation artifacts or temperature effects might be important. We found that raw (uncorrected) FDOM values were strongly affected by the light attenuation that results from dissolved substances and suspended particles as well as by water temperature. Observed effects of light attenuation and temperature agreed well with theory. Our results show that correction of measured FDOM values to account for these effects is necessary and feasible over much of the range of temperature, DOM concentration, and turbidity commonly encountered in surface waters. In most cases, collecting high‐quality FDOM measurements that are comparable through time and between sites will require concurrent measurements of temperature and turbidity, and periodic discrete sample collection for laboratory measurement of DOM.


Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that is pervasive and affects people all around the world. In India, about one in five people is affected by depressive disorders. An autonomic nervous system affected by depressive disorder can affect the salivary composition since salivary secretion is controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervations. Alteration in the salivary composition can affect oral health and makes them vulnerable to oral infection. Aim: The aim is to study the sialochemical alteration in depressive individuals. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients were divided into two groups: Group I (normal individuals) and Group II (patients with depressive disorder). Depression level was assessed with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Whole unstimulated saliva was collected and subjected to sialochemical analysis (sodium, potassium, chloride, total protein, urea, salivary amylase, calcium, and pH). Result and Conclusion: The parameters were statistically analyzed using parametric ttest and showing statistically significant raised levels in salivary amylase, total protein, sodium, chloride, and calcium, and there was no statistical difference in salivary pH, urea, and potassium levels.


This article proposes that, in line with moral-cosmopolitan theorists, affluent nations have an obligation, founded in justice and not merely altruism or beneficence, to share the responsibility of the burden of public health implementation in low income contexts. The current Ebola epidemic highlights the fact that countries with under-developed health systems and limited resources cannot cope with a significant and sudden health threat. The link between burden of disease, adverse factors in the social environment and poverty is well established and confirmed by the 2008 World Health Organization's (WHO) Social Determinants of Health Commission report. Well-resourced nations generally consider that they have some humanitarian obligation do assist where possible, but this obligation is limited. The following questions are considered: Is reliance on the principle of beneficence to address the global disparities in the social determinants of health and life expectancy at birth good enough? Do well-resourced nations have some obligation from justice, which is stronger than from beneficence, and which cannot be as easily cast aside or diminished, to address these issues? In a globalised world, shaped by centuries of historical injustice and where first world economies are now so intertwined and reliant on third-world labour, beneficence is not a strong enough principle to base an obligation to achieve the WHO vision of 'health equity through action on the social determinants of health'.


The development of self-adaptive software requires the engineering of an adaptation engine that controls the underlying adaptable software by a feedback loop. State-of-the-art approaches prescribe the feedback loop in terms of numbers, how the activities (e.g., monitor, analyze, plan, and execute (MAPE)) and the knowledge are structured to a feedback loop, and the type of knowledge. Moreover, the feedback loop is usually hidden in the implementation or framework and therefore not visible in the architectural design. Additionally, an adaptation engine often employs runtime models that either represent the adaptable software or capture strategic knowledge such as reconfiguration strategies. State-of-the-art approaches do not systematically address the interplay of such runtime models, which would otherwise allow developers to freely design the entire feedback loop.

This thesis presents ExecUtable RuntimE MegAmodels (EUREMA), an integrated model-driven engineering (MDE) solution that rigorously uses models for engineering feedback loops. EUREMA provides a domain-specific modeling language to specify and an interpreter to execute feedback loops. The language allows developers to freely design a feedback loop concerning the activities and runtime models (knowledge) as well as the number of feedback loops. It further supports structuring the feedback loops in the adaptation engine that follows a layered architectural style. Thus, EUREMA makes the feedback loops explicit in the design and enables developers to reason about design decisions.

To address the interplay of runtime models, we propose the concept of a runtime megamodel, which is a runtime model that contains other runtime models as well as activities (e.g., MAPE) working on the contained models. This concept is the underlying principle of EUREMA. The resulting EUREMA (mega)models are kept alive at runtime and they are directly executed by the EUREMA interpreter to run the feedback loops. Interpretation provides the flexibility to dynamically adapt a feedback loop. In this context, EUREMA supports engineering self-adaptive software in which feedback loops run independently or in a coordinated fashion within the same layer as well as on top of each other in different layers of the adaptation engine. Moreover, we consider preliminary means to evolve self-adaptive software by providing a maintenance interface to the adaptation engine.

This thesis discusses in detail EUREMA by applying it to different scenarios such as single, multiple, and stacked feedback loops for self-repairing and self-optimizing the mRUBiS application. Moreover, it investigates the design and expressiveness of EUREMA, reports on experiments with a running system (mRUBiS) and with alternative solutions, and assesses EUREMA with respect to quality attributes such as performance and scalability.

The conducted evaluation provides evidence that EUREMA as an integrated and open MDE approach for engineering self-adaptive software seamlessly integrates the development and runtime environments using the same formalism to specify and execute feedback loops, supports the dynamic adaptation of feedback loops in layered architectures, and achieves an efficient execution of feedback loops by leveraging incrementality.


ABSTRACT In this article I draw on a study of sensory aspects of teenagers' use of digital media, how these sensory aspects are incorporated in emerging learning strategies, and the implications of this for the same teenagers' engagement in museums. My focus is on how an ethnographic approach that attends to the senses may enable a critical review of prevailing pedagogical ideas in museums. Recent developments in museum education have led to large investments in state-of-the-art technology to produce interactive, multisensory exhibits. However, the question of how teenagers respond to these campaigns remains rather under-researched. This article shows how habitual use of digital media in teenage everyday practice incorporates learning to appropriate other people's experiences and ideas through a configuration of vision, touch, motion, and imagination, thereby enhancing non-representational learning qualities such as affect and sensation. The implications of this sensory approach open up routes to differentiate pedagogical settings in museums that on a superficial level apply the same educational technologies, but since they are based in different sensorial belief systems, different conditions for learning unfold in their use. In developing this analysis I argue that through ethnographic attention to the senses we might advance theories of learning within museum education.


Debugging is crucial to successful software development, but even many experienced programmers find it challenging. Sophisticated debugging tools are available, yet it may be difficult to determine which features are useful in which situations. The Art of Debugging is your guide to making the debugging process more efficient and effective. The Art of Debugging illustrates the use three of the most popular debugging tools on Linux/Unix platforms: GDB, DDD, and Eclipse. The text-command based GDB (the GNU Project Debugger) is included with most distributions. DDD is a popular GUI front end for GDB, while Eclipse provides a complete integrated development environment. In addition to offering specific advice for debugging with each tool, authors Norm Matloff and Pete Salzman cover general strategies for improving the process of finding and fixing coding errors, including how to: Inspect variables and data structures Understand segmentation faults and core dumps Know why your program crashes or throws exceptions Use features like catchpoints, convenience variables, and artificial arrays Avoid common debugging pitfalls Real world examples of coding errors help to clarify the authors' guiding principles, and coverage of complex topics like thread, client-server, GUI, and parallel programming debugging will make you even more proficient. You'll also learn how to prevent errors in the first place with text editors, compilers, error reporting, and static code checkers. Whether you dread the thought of debugging your programs or simply want to improve your current debugging efforts, you'll find a valuable ally in The Art of Debugging.


Abstract : Accurate combat identification is critical to military interactions. Laser radar for vehicle identification is a rapidly developing field that could possibly assist in combat identification by providing information about operating characteristics of a particular vehicle based on measured vibrations. This research focuses on simulated laser radar data collected from mounted vibrometers on idling vehicles. An approach to identify vehicles using nonlinear autoregressive neural networks for classification is developed and employed. The resulting algorithm combines the trained neural networks across three dimensions of vibration readings. This method offers improved performance over literature in successfully identifying a vehicle through vibration measurements alone.


This paper provides information on the level and type of unpaid care work undertaken by Indigenous Australians. The care economy includes activities such as providing unpaid child care; unpaid assistance for someone with a disability, a long-term illness, or problems related to old age; undertaking domestic work; and volunteering. Information on the level and type of unpaid work undertaken by all Australians was first collected in the 2006 Census. The questions were included again in the 2011 Census. The benefits from the care sector to the Australian economy is significant. From a financial perspective, it represents savings in expenditure that otherwise would need to be allocated. For those receiving care, there are tremendous benefits to individuals and their families. While there are benefits from the carer's perspective, there are also likely to be substantial economic and non-economic costs that are often hidden. Previous research has shown that carers have lower financial security and a greater likelihood of having lower mental health. Furthermore, Indigenous carers currently providing informal care represent a potential care workforce that should be harnessed. Analysis of data from the 2011 Census suggests that a relatively high proportion of caring activities are being undertaken in regional and remote parts of the country. Indigenous Australians in outer regional and remote areas are more likely to be carers than those in other parts of the country. This may reflect the lack of availability of formal care or assistance in these areas, or perhaps a preference for more informal channels of care in those locations. Within the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population, the burden of undertaking caring activities tends to fall predominately on females.


As neutrino long baseline experiments enter a new domain of precision, important systematic errors due to poor knowledge of production cross sections for pions and kaons require more precise measurements. Among other goals, the NA61/SHINE (SHINE SPS Heavy Ion and Neutrino Experiment) experiment at the CERN SPS aims at precision (5% and below) measurements to improve the prediction of the neutrino flux for the T2K experiment at J-PARC. The spectrometer is equipped with a large set of TPCs, whose acceptance covers the relevant phase-space for the T2K beamline. Extensive dE/dx measurements in the TPC, complemented by an upgraded Time-of-Flight system, provide particle identification over the whole kinematic range. Data were taken in 2007 and again in 2009 after a major readout upgrade, using both a thin target and a full size replica of the T2K target. Preliminary spectra for positive and negative pions obtained with the 2007 thin target data will be presented. An overview of the foreseen program of measurements will be given.


The decline in the economy's ability to create good jobs is related to deterioration in the bargaining power of workers, especially those at the middle and the bottom of the pay scale. The restructuring of the U.S. labor market – including the decline in the inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage, the fall in unionization, privatization, deregulation, pro-corporate trade agreements, a dysfunctional immigration system, and macroeconomic policy that has with few exceptions kept unemployment well above the full employment level – has substantially reduced the bargaining power of U.S. workers, effectively pulling the bottom out of the labor market and increasing the share of bad jobs in the economy. In this paper, we define a bad job as one that pays less than $37,000 per year (in inflation-adjusted 2010 dollars); lacks employer-provided health insurance; and has no employer-sponsored retirement plan. By our calculations, about 24 percent of U.S. workers were in a bad job in 2010 (the most recently available data). The share of bad jobs in the economy is substantially higher than it was in 1979, when 18 percent of workers were in a bad job by the same definition. The problems we identify here are long-term and largely unrelated to the Great Recession. Most of the increase in bad jobs – to 22 percent in 2007 – occurred before the recession and subsequent weak recovery.


ABSTRACT While state-society relations in Turkey have historically been top-down and coups d'état periodically interrupted democratic politics, the recent authoritarian turn under Erdoğan is remarkable. Two dynamics are especially salient. First, Erdoğan and his AKP have been particularly effective in deepening the neoliberalisation of economy and society. Their policies have created a new form of neoliberal developmentalism, where solutions to all social ills have come to be seen as possible through rapid economic growth. Second, they have intensified the transformation of the countryside, where new forms of dispossession and deagrarianisation open the way to an unprecedented extractivist drive. Together, neoliberal developmentalism and extractivism have resulted in growing social dissent. The eruption of anger after the Soma coal mining disaster that killed 301 miners is one such case. The paper shows how Erdoğan and the AKP use populist tactics (ranging from an uptick in nationalist discourse to the provision of 'coal aid' in winter) to assuage their critics. Where these prove inadequate, an increasingly violent crackdown on social dissent is being deployed in the name of peace and order as the country remains in a state of emergency since the attempted coup of July 2016.


In this paper we detail the reformulation and rewrite of core functions in the spBayes R package. These efforts have focused on improving computational efficiency, flexibility, and usability for point-referenced data models. Attention is given to algorithm and computing developments that result in improved sampler convergence rate and efficiency by reducing parameter space; decreased sampler run-time by avoiding expensive matrix computations, and; increased scalability to large datasets by implementing a class of predictive process models that attempt to overcome computational hurdles by representing spatial processes in terms of lower-dimensional realizations. Beyond these general computational improvements for existing model functions, we detail new functions for modeling data indexed in both space and time. These new functions implement a class of dynamic spatio-temporal models for settings where space is viewed as continuous and time is taken as discrete.


We examine the sensitivity of the biogeography of nitrogen fixers to a warming climate and increased aeo- lian iron deposition in the context of a global earth system model. We employ concepts from the resource-ratio theory to provide a simplifying and transparent interpretation of the results. First we demonstrate that a set of clearly defined, eas- ily diagnosed provinces are consistent with the theory. Us- ing this framework we show that the regions most vulnera- ble to province shifts and changes in diazotroph biogeogra- phy are the equatorial and South Pacific, and central Atlantic. Warmer and dustier climates favor diazotrophs due to an in- crease in the ratio of supply rate of iron to fixed nitrogen. We suggest that the emergent provinces could be a standard diagnostic for global change models, allowing for rapid and transparent interpretation and comparison of model predic- tions and the underlying mechanisms. The analysis suggests that monitoring of real world province boundaries, indicated by transitions in surface nutrient concentrations, would pro- vide a clear and easily interpreted indicator of ongoing global change.


From the colonial era to 1914, America was a debtor nation in international accounts owing more to foreigners than foreigners owed to us. By 1914 it was the world's largest debtor nation. Mira Wilkins provides the first complete history of foreign investment in the United States during that period. The book shows why the United States was attractive to foreign investors and traces the changing role of foreign capital in the nation's development, covering both portfolio and direct investment. The immense new wave of foreign investment in the United States today, and our return to the status of a debtor nation once again the world's largest debtor nation makes this strong exposition far more than just historically interesting.Wilkins reviews foreign portfolio investments in government securities (federal, state, and local) and in corporate stocks and bonds, as well as foreign direct investments in land and real estate, manufacturing plants, and even such service-sector activities as accounting, insurance, banking, and mortgage lending. She finds that between 1776 and 1875, public-sector securities (principally federal and state securities) drew in the most long-term foreign investment, whereas from 1875 to 1914 the private sector was the main attraction. The construction of the American railroad system called on vast portfolio investments from abroad; there was also sizable direct investment in mining, cattle ranching, the oil industry, the chemical industry, flour production, and breweries, as well as the production of rayon, thread, and even submarines. In addition, there were foreign stakes in making automobile and electrical and nonelectrical machinery. America became the leading industrial country of the world at the very time when it was a debtor nation in world accounts."


Pillar-shaped rock masses are widely developed throughout the world with some standing firm for thousands of years. Unstable pillar-shaped rock masses display different failure modes and it is often difficult to determine in advance the specific failure mode of a complex rock mass. For example, the displacement deformation of the Jianchuandong rock mass (JRM) in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area has been about 20 mm over the last 2 years. With a volume of 360 000 m3, this unstable pillar-shaped rock mass stands on the bank of the Yangtze River's Wu Gorge, threatening the safety of the waterway and the residents of neighbouring areas. Developing Hungr's quantitative discriminant on the rock collapse and rock slump modes, several cases are used to verify its validity. The failure mode of the JRM is judged to be rock collapse. This judgement matches well with the actual field survey and monitoring data. For pillar-shaped unstable rock masses with a rock collapse failure mode, this paper develops a new slope stability calculation mode by deeming the intact pillar-shaped rock mass to be the load. The result of such a stability calculation shows that the JRM is basically stable at present, but the safety margin is extremely narrow. Prevention work should be carried out as soon as possible for better results at a lower investment before the JRM experiences large-scale deformation and failure.


With the unprecedented new capabilities introduced by modern broadband wireless networks, public safety (PS) agencies are increasingly depending on such networks for their mission-critical communications. One of the key enablers for this adoption is the device-to-device (D2D) communications, where mobile devices can connect directly between each other, without the need for a base station (BS) nor a switching core to handle and route the traffic. This feature is a vital communication backup in case of a network infrastructure failure or a natural disaster. In this paper, we analytically quantify the cellular network performance during massive infrastructure failure, where some terminals can play the role of low-power relay nodes forming multihop communication links to assist farther terminals outside the reach of the healthy network coverage. Namely, we analytically determine the D2D effect in alleviating the damage caused by the disaster. This paper is based on stochastic geometry analysis and presents a novel analytical methodology that is applicable to wide scenarios of network conditions and parameters. This methodology is verified through Monte Carlo simulations for practical network parameters based on the latest Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) recommendations.


Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) is a complex long branch and unsaturated phenolic compound with insecticidal potential. The main toxic component of CNSL is anacardic acid and its recovery amount is influenced by the extraction processes. Currently, mechanical extraction is the most effective and efficient technique for extracting CNSL from cashew nut shells. This study was conducted to observe the characteristics of CNSL as a botanical insecticide. This study aimed to determine toxicity and develop a nanoemulsion formulation for maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) control. Cashew nut shells were cut into 2-3 cm and heated at 80oC in a oven for 8 hours until moisture content reached 12.8%. In each process, 3 extractions were carried out using a mechanical centrifugal press (Honda GX 160 H1, Capacity: 0.6 L). Then the average CNSL extracted was calculated. An HPLC analysis was carried out to identify anacardic acid in CNSL extracts The results showed that CNSL extracted from cashew nut shell in this study ranged from 16.67 - 21.15%, with an average of 18.43%. The type of organic solvent used in CNSL formulation affected its toxicity against maize weevil. Compared to the methanol and ethanol solvents, acetone resulted in the highest toxicity of CNSL formulations with LC50 contact and feed respectively 32855 (2466 - 4036) ppm and 54750 (4287 - 6161) ppm. The CNSL nanoemulsions formulations has the potential to increase its toxicity against maize weevil. CNSL nanoformulation with heating treatment resulted in lower anacardic acid and lower toxicity against maize weevil by <60% compared with a similar formulation without heating.


Two methods were used concurrently to determine the soil water diffusivity from horizontal infiltration of water into a soil column. In the first (recent), water content measurements were taken at a fixed position as a function of time by using the gamma attenuation technique. In the second, water content distance distributions were determined as a function of distances from the water source at a fixed time by sectioning the same column. A comparison by the two methods of the diffusivity function for three soil materials showed that the first method is as reliable as the second. Agreement of the diffusivities obtained from the two methods is considered evidence of the validity of the unsaturated water flow equation.


The audience nestled on the stone steps of the California Plaza amphitheatre in downtown Los Angeles quiets as an actor, sporting a dark red security-guard blazer, crosses downstage and exclaims, "Listen up, people: I got one thing to say to you: I see the future and it's going down" (Iizuka, 3 Truths 1). As the young African American performer continues riffing on injustice in contemporary Southern California, 3 Truths by Naomi Iizuka begins. Iizuka's play is the culmination of Cornerstone Theater Company's Justice Cycle, which explores how the justice system and larger questions of justice impact communities in Los Angeles. The Justice Cycle examines not only the issues surrounding criminal punishment and retribution, but also immigration and documentation, reproductive rights, and the environment. Two of the plays in the cycle were written by Cornerstone ensemble members: Michael John Garces and Shishir Kurup. For the other plays, Cornerstone commissioned Julie Marie Myatt (later a member of the ensemble), KJ Sanchez, Julie Hebert, and Iizuka. The cycle spans four years, six plays, and over 150 community artists. Cornerstone's artists employ a unique community-based theatre methodology, gathering stories from myriad community members and weaving passionate, private, and public tales into the fabric of their original plays. As a dramaturg in the cycle, I experienced firsthand the unique and transformative power of Cornerstone's methodology. The sheer number and diversity of voices and stories represented by the numerous performers and interview subjects participating in the project is impressive. The individuals interviewed and cast in the shows come from every community in Los Angeles, and from a range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. They represent different sides of the issues confronted by the plays. The range of perspectives included in the writing process is one unique feature of the Cornerstone methodology. The fact that members of the community are included in every step-from story circles in the earliest part of the writing process, to multiple readings of drafts-in-process where community members are invited to give feedback, to performance where community members are actually cast as actors-is also unique. It is rare to see that degree of community participation at every step of the theatre-making process. It is equally rare to witness the ways in which a Cornerstone project can bring together in a room individuals who might otherwise never meet, many of whom stand diametrically opposed to one another on issues like immigration or reproductive rights. The Cornerstone methodology provides a way for people to tell their stories, to have those stories heard, and to hear the stories of others whose life experiences and opinions may be different from their own. It is truly transformative to watch, for example, the sister of a homicide victim share her story with a man convicted of homicide. Those conversations happen over and over again in the process of writing a Cornerstone play. The Justice Cycle's unique production process provides a vibrant model for creating dynamic works of theatre that fully reflect the complexities of twenty-first century U.S. society. Iizuka's play examines the question, "What is truth?" drawing upon elements in the previous five cycle plays and Aeschylus' Oresteia. In her three act drama, each act engages a question: What is my truth? What is your truth? What is the truth? This interrogation delves not only into characters' lives but also the ethos of greater Los Angeles and the state of the U.S. justice system. These questions can also serve as a frame with which to examine more closely the creation, collaboration, and production of Cornerstone's Justice Cycle. My Truth: Inception of Cornerstone's Justice Cycle Cornerstone Theater Company was founded in 1986 by Alison Carey and Bill Rauch and originally consisted of residencies in towns across the U. …


An often-cited basis for implementing a federalized foreign judgments recognition-and-enforcement regime is to create predictability for litigants by achieving uniformity. But the debate over federalization has largely misconceptualized uniformity, focusing on the nonuniformity of state statutory regimes, rather than outcome uniformity, that is, past litigant and court behavior. And there is little evidence that the federalized alternative would produce significantly more outcome uniformity than the current state-by-state approach. Therefore, while federalization may have other advantages, the uniformity justification currently lacks adequate theoretical and empirical support. Accordingly, the practical consequences of choosing one approach over the other may be less significant than much of the current discourse suggests.


Triple correlations and their Fourier transforms, called bispectra, have properties desirable for image-sequence analysis and reconstruction. Specifically, the triple correlation of a two-dimensional sequence is shift invariant, vanishes for symmetric probability-distribution-function processes including Gaussian random processes of unknown covariance, and can be used to recover the original sequence uniquely to within a linear phase shift. Discrete analysis is carried out for a deterministic signal in an additive random-noise field. This approach yields discrete algorithms for implementation and permits explicit treatment of the additive noise. Recursive and least-squares fast-Fourier-transform-based algorithms for reconstructing a two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform from the bispectrum are reviewed in detail. While phase retrieval using the least-squares algorithm requires phase unwrapping, the recursive method requires a more simple correction. The bispectrum is applied to the estimate of a randomly translating or rotating object from a sequence of noisy images. The technique does not require solution of the correspondence problem, which is the primary advantage. The method works in low signal-to-noise-ratio cases, when conventional solutions to estimating the object correspondence may fail. Experimental results presented include application of the method to a sequence of infrared images.


In this paper, silicon switches are implemented in the design of frequency switchable dual-band branch-line coupler. Frequency switching is achieved by increasing the power of the laser applied to the highly resistive silicon wafer and changing the properties of silicon under optical illumination. The advantages of this approach are high-speed switching, electromagnetic transparency (no interference) and thermal and electrical isolation between the coupler and the control circuit. A frequency shift of 35% and 10% has been achieved from all switches off to all switches on in lower (900 MHz) and upper (1800 MHz) frequency bands, respectively.


This longitudinal study assesses the attainment and development of children followed between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Over 700 children were recruited to the study during 1998 and 1999 from 80 pre-school centres. Both qualitative and quantitative methods (including multilevel modelling) are used to explore the effects of pre-school experience on children's cognitive attainment and social/behavioural development at entry to school and any continuing effects on such outcomes up to 7 years of age. In addition to the effects of preschool experience, the study investigates the contribution to children's development of individual and family characteristics such as gender, family size, parental education and employment. This overview describes the research design and discusses a variety of research issues (methodological and practical) in investigating the impact of pre-school provision on children's developmental progress. A parallel study is being carried out in


The nutritional condition of cultured Sagmariasus verreauxi juveniles over the molt and during starvation was investigated by studying their metabolism, bioenergetics of nutrient reserves, and hemolymph biochemistry. Juveniles were shown to downregulate standard metabolic rate by as much as 52% within 14 d during starvation. Hepatopancreas (HP) lipid was prioritized as a source of energy, but this reserve represented only between 1% and 13% of the total measured energy reserve and was used quickly during starvation, especially in the immediate postmolt period when as much as 60% was depleted within 3 d. Abdominal muscle (AM) protein represented between 74% and 90% of the total measured energy reserve in juvenile lobsters, and as much as 40% of available AM protein energy was used over 28 d of starvation after the molt. Carbohydrate reserves represented less than 2% of the measured total energy reserve in fed intermolt lobsters and provided negligible energy during starvation. Eighteen hemolymph parameters were measured to identify a nondestructive biomarker of condition that would reflect accurately the state of energy reserves of the lobster. Among these, the hemolymph Brix index was the most accurate and practical method to predict HP lipid and the total energy content of both the HP and the AM in juvenile S. verreauxi. The Brix index was strongly correlated with hemolymph proteins, triglyceride, cholesterol, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations, as well as lipase activity; all were useful in predicting condition. Electrolytes such as chloride, magnesium, and potassium and metabolites such as glucose and lactate were poor indicators of nutritional condition. Uric acid and the "albumin"-to-"globulin" ratio provided complementary information to the Brix index, which may assist in determining nutritional condition of wild juvenile lobsters of unknown intermolt development. This study will greatly assist future ecological studies examining the nutritional condition of juvenile lobsters in the wild, as well as the development of husbandry protocols and feeds for aquaculture.


An effective way to build ordered materials with micrometer- or submicrometer-sized features is to pack together monodisperse (equal-sized) colloidal particles. But most monodisperse particles in this size range are spheres, and thus one problem in building new micrometer-scale ordered materials is controlling how spheres pack. In this article, we discuss how this problem can be approached by constructing and studying packings in the few-sphere limit. Confinement of particles within containers such as micropatterned holes or spherical droplets can lead to some unexpected and diverse types of polyhedra that may become building blocks for more complex materials. The packing processes that form these polyhedra may also be a source of disorder in dense bulk suspensions.


A fundamental problem in limnology and oceanography is the inability to measure the taxonomic composition of plankton quickly over a broad range of scales. Traditional sampling with bottles and nets provides critical data at the species-level, but has limited spatio-temporal coverage and can destroy ubiquitous delicate forms. To augment traditional sampling, recent advances in bio- acoustics and non-imaging optics provide real-time high-resolution data on biomass abundance and size composition. New optical imaging approaches provide coarse taxonomic composition but require manual image identification, preventing real-time observation. Here, we describe a method of opti- cal sampling and analysis, using the Video Plankton Recorder, to automatically identify plankton to major taxa (and to species in some cases) and observe their distributions at sea in real time. We pre- sent a detailed assessment of classifier accuracy, including a comparison of machine- and hand- classification of images. The automated classification method was found to be sufficiently accurate for estimating abundance patterns of dominant taxa but not for less abundant taxa. The range in overall accuracy was 60 to 70% for 7 taxa and 79 to 82% for 2 taxa, with accuracies for individual taxa rang- ing between 45 and 91%. Classification error was small relative to natural variability in abundance of dominant taxa. For a given taxon, the error in the abundance estimate was low in regions of high relative abundance. A manual correction step can be used in areas of low relative abundance to obtain accurate abundance estimates. Example data from 2 cruises are presented to illustrate the util- ity of real-time taxa-specific data collection. These data represent the first real-time automatic iden- tification and mapping of plankton taxa at sea. This methodology represents an intermediate step towards the ultimate goal of real-time identification of plankton to the level of species and life stage. At present, optical imaging methods cannot replace net and bottle surveys, but can be used to obtain coarse taxonomic composition of plankton (including fragile forms) with an identification accuracy that is high enough to produce quantitative high-resolution maps of abundant taxa in real time.


The mechanisms of transition metal-catalyzed methylenecyclopropanes (MCPs)-involved reactions are rather complicated due to the diverse pathways for the activation of MCPs. Herein, computational studies were carried out to investigate the detailed mechanisms of Pd(0)-catalyzed intermolecular and intramolecular hydroamination of MCPs. The initial activation of the three-membered ring of MCPs readily occurs via the insertion of Pd(0) into the distal C-C bond, leading to a metallacyclobutane intermediate. The commonly proposed oxidative addition of amine/amide nucleophile (Nu-H) onto the Pd(0) center to afford a hydrido-Pd(ii) complex, however, is less favorable in comparison with the Pd(0)-mediated cleavage of the distal C-C bond of MCPs. Subsequently, for the Pd(0)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of 1,1-diphenyl MCP with 2-pyrrolidone, it is more favorable for the C1 of the metallacyclobutane intermediate to undergo protonation to yield a π-allylpalladium intermediate, from which the final allylamine product is afforded via reductive elimination. For the Pd(0)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of aniline-tethered MCP, the intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the amine moiety to C3/C4 of the corresponding metallacyclobutane intermediate is preferable to generate a cyclic intermediate. Subsequent proton transfer steps could occur to complete the hydroamination reaction. The different pKa values of the N-H bonds of amide/amine are mainly responsible for the mechanistic difference in the Pd(0)-catalyzed hydroamination of MCPs.

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The question of indigeneity in the study of Latina/o literature and culture points toward conflictive histories of colonization and invigorates a set of global directions for the future of Latina/o studies. The pairing of the two terms—Latina/o and Indigeneity—appears initially counterintuitive. Conventionally understood as an ancestral relation of Latina/o communities that has been vanished or lost over the duration of the European colonization of the Americas, Indigeneity opens a set of insuperable problematics that continue to pattern and shape multiple and incommensurate iterations of Latina/o politics and culture. While "Latina/o" in some instances denotes ancestral relation with Native tribes in the Americas, for many the term has also come to signify decidedly non-indigenous mestiza/o, settler, or migrant identities, imaginaries, and belongings. The literary, cultural, and intellectual production of Latina/o Indigeneity offers a unique window into the ways in which Native politics continue to compete with, accommodate, and challenge multiple regimes of colonial occupation and periods of modern state formation. Indigeneity illuminates places of Latina/o literary and cultural production through which to engage the historic ascendance of a number of fundaments of modern life across the globe, including capitalism, nation-state sovereignty, and the transnational social structures of race, sex, citizenship, and gender.


Excerpt] Although standard employment practices are still dominant in European labour markets, an increasing mixture of new employment forms is emerging; their implications for working conditions differ, with some being more beneficial than others. This study explores the employment model of 'strategic employee sharing', which can be applied if a group of employers have specific recurring, human resources (HR) needs that can be planned in advance and combined across companies. The participating companies establish an 'employer group' which becomes the formal employer of one or more shared workers and coordinates their assignments to the participating firms. In this way, the workers get access to permanent full-time employment with a single employer (although they work in several different companies) that would not be otherwise available. This study investigates how to develop the potential of this employment form by identifying the factors which favour or hinder its establishment and growth. It also discusses the positive and negative effects of the employment model on workers and companies. Finally, it provides pointers on how to foster the introduction and spread of strategic employee sharing in Europe.


The purpose of this research was to evaluate the in vitro permeation characteristics of various marketed eye drops of ciprofloxacin (0.3% w/v aqueous solution) and diclofenac (0.1% w/v aqueous solution) through isolated goat cornea. Effect of these drugs on isolated goat eye lenses was also evaluated. Permeation studies were conducted by putting 1 ml of formulation on the cornea fixed between the donor and receptor compartments of an all glass modified Franz diffusion cell and monitoring ciprofloxacin and diclofenac concentration in the receptor (containing normal saline or bicarbonate ringer solution under continuous stirring at 37±2°) spectrophotometrically at their respective absorption maxima, after 120 min. Paired isolated goat lenses (i.e. of same animal) were used to evaluate the effect of these drugs at selected concentrations against oxidative stress (1 mM hydrogen peroxide solution). After 24 h of incubation at 37°, the lens treated with test solution (hydrogen peroxide+drug in bicarbonate ringer solution) was estimated for soluble protein content and compared with control (only hydrogen peroxide). Among marketed eye drops of ciprofloxacin, Joxin (Jawa Pharmaceuticals) showed maximum in vitro transcorneal permeation (0.558%) while I-Gesic (Centaur Pharmaceuticals) showed maximum % in vitro permeation or in vitro ocular availability among diclofenac eye drops after 120 min of permeation. The soluble protein content estimation studies revealed that these drugs at selected concentrations (permeated after 120 min.) had no deleterious effect on eye lenses rather possessed protective effect, since all formulation showed more soluble protein content when compared with control.


The genus Fusarium is a group of fungi producing several types of toxins with toxicological effect in both humans and animals. Such fungi are commonly found in soils so it can contaminate various types of crops, preferably cereals, leading to significant economic losses. Relative humidity, storage temperature and v arious handling in cereales increase the possibility of contamination by Fusarium toxins. Cereals naturally have secondary metabolites that may help attenuate contamination by these toxins, but it is necessary to know strategies and mechanisms that generate inactivation mycotoxins. This chapter reviews relevant information about cereal mycotoxin contamination, as well as the pro - duction of cereal secondary metabolites as a strategy to reduce the possibility of myco toxin contamination.


Using data from a sample of 99 sex therapists in the United States who participated in an online survey, the use of sexually explicit material (SEM) in sex therapy is explored. Findings suggest that prevalence rates for the use of sexually explicit educational material and erotica in sex therapy were very high, 92.6% and 81.1% respectively; while the use of pornography was much lower at 29.5%. Younger therapists, and therapists with less experience, were more likely than older therapists and therapists with more experience to use SEM in sex therapy. Overall, sex therapists were generally comfortable with sexually explicit educational material and erotica but less comfortable with pornography. Younger therapists and/or female therapists were most comfortable with the use of pornography in sex therapy. The primary theoretical rationale reported by sex therapists for using SEM was education. Several therapists indicated that they would not recommend the use of SEM in sex therapy with clients who expressed opposition or discomfort, clients who exhibit compulsive sexual behaviors, and with clients who have a history of sexual trauma.


The ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra of glutathione in aqueous, alcohol, and alkaline solutions show four regions of selective absorption at 500, 325, 280 and 252mμ, associated with absorption of energy in the α–β carbon bond of the glutamic acid radical, the –SH group of the cysteyl radical, the peptide linkage, and the S–S bond of oxidized glutathione, respectively. The peptide band at 280mμ consists of two components whose location, definition, and intensity depend upon the solvent. This band is shifted toward the visible in alkaline and alcohol solutions, as is the ultraviolet continuum. The location of the latter indicates that the energy absorbed in the peptide dissociates glutathione into its constituent amino acids. Oxidation follows the absorption of energy of wave-length about 325mμ; the subsequent reduction of the oxidized molecules is affected by energy of wave-length 252mμ. These conclusions are supported by freezing-point measurements of the van't Hoff dissociation factors of glutathione, glutamic acid, cysteine HCl, and glycine solutions before and after irradiation.


Today's digital photographs are being heavily "filtered." By simple clicks on mobile apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram, users can easily apply digital filters to their pictures to create effects such as faux-vintage and light leaks. To understand the potential impacts of photo filters, we conducted an online experiment and investigated how the use of the black-and-white and film-style photo filters changed viewers' perceptions and descriptions of photographs. We found that photo filters substantially increased viewers' perceived temporal distances to photographs. Participants also tended to describe analogue-style photos more interpretively and tentatively than unfiltered ones, indicating an increase in construal levels. We suggest that the widely used photo filter is not just a tool to change aesthetics; it also adds a layer of history, meaning, and defamiliarization to photographs, allowing users to construct a mental distance in images that deviates from everyday experiences. We offer insights into the psychology of visual styles and implications for designing filter apps and photo-sharing platforms.


To evaluate the effect of supplemental irrigation and seed priming on yield and some quantity and quality characteristics of vetch ( Vicia dasycarpa ) rainfed maragheh cultivar, an experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Urmia, West Azarbaijan province, Iran, during 2011. The experiment was laid out using split-plot, based on Randomized Complete Block design in three replicates. The factors studied were: Supplemental irrigation at four levels: without supplemental irrigation (I 1 ), 1 time of supplemental irrigation (I 2 ), 2 times of supplemental irrigation (I 3 ) and 3 times of supplemental irrigation (I 3 ). The subplot included four levels of seed priming: Control (C), Water (W), Phosphate (P) and Nitroxin (N). Plant height, pod number in stems, 1000-grain weight, wet and dry forage yield in the second and third harvest and fiber percentage in the second and third harvest, protein yield in the second and third harvest, biological yield and harvest index were influenced by the supplemental irrigation. Wet and dry forage yield in the second harvest and wet forage yield in the third harvest were highest in I 4 with respectively 14.5, 16.72 and 3.56 (tons/hectare) yield and lowest with respectively 7.73, 7.47 and 2.06 (tons/hectare) yield. As a result, applying 2 times of supplemental irrigation and seed treatment with phosphate and nitroxin had positive effects on quality and quantity yield of vetch and they could improve the quantity and quality of Vetch forage.


The hydrogen energy provided by solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting must be greater than the energy used to produce and operate the technology, as a fundamental system requirement to enable energetic benefits to society. PEC H2 production will require significant advances from both basic scientific research and applied technology development, prior to manufacturing and field deployment. To identify opportunities and priorities, here we use prospective life cycle system modeling to investigate the net-energy significance of six characteristics describing the PEC life cycle: (1) embodied energy of active cell materials, (2) embodied energy of inactive module materials, (3) energy intensity of active cell fabrication, (4) energy intensity of PEC module assembly, (5) initial energy use for production of balance-of-system (BOS), and (6) ongoing energy use for operation and end-of-life of BOS. We develop and apply a system model describing material and energy flows during the full life cycle of louvered thin-film PEC cells and their associated modules and BOS components. We find that fabrication processes for the PEC cells, especially the thin-film deposition of active cell materials, are important drivers of net energy performance. Nevertheless, high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency and long cell life span are primary design requirements for PEC systems, even if such performance requires additional energy and material inputs for production and operation. We discuss these and other system dynamics, and highlight pathways to improve net energy performance.


We calculate the nucleon self-energies in isospin-asymmetric nuclear matter using QCD sum rules. Taking the difference of these for the neutron and proton enables us to express the potential part of the nuclear symmetry energy in terms of local operators. We find that the scalar (vector) self-energy part gives a negative (positive) contribution to the nuclear symmetry energy which is consistent with the results from relativistic mean-field theories. Moreover, we find that an important contribution to the negative contribution of the scalar self-energy comes from the twist-4 matrix elements, whose leading density dependence can be extracted from deep inelastic scattering experiments. This suggests that the twist-4 contribution partly mimics the exchange of the δ meson and that it constitutes an essential part in the origin of the nuclear symmetry energy from QCD. Our result also extends an early success of QCD sum-rule method in understanding the symmetric nuclear matter in terms of QCD variables to the asymmetric nuclear matter case.


Background: With the use of ultrasound biomicroscopy, we aim to look at differences in anterior segment parameters of eyes with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) in dark and light conditions.Methods: Ultrasound biomicroscopy was performed for 30 subjects with PACG and 30 subjects with POAG at initial presentation before any treatment. Measurements of angle opening distance (AOD-500 and AOD-750) and trabecular-iris space area (TISA-500 and TISA-750) 500 and 750 mm from the scleral spur in both dark and light conditions were made. Anterior chamber depth (ACD) and axial length (AL) were also measured.Results: The mean age of PACG patients was 67.6 ± 9.6 years and POAG patients 62.1 ± 13.9 years. The mean ACD (2.70 ± 0.53mm) in PACG patients was significantly different from that (3.32 ± 0.52mm) of POAG patients (p<0.0001). There were also significant differences (p=0.0004) in the mean AL of PACG (22.91 ± 0.86mm) and POAG (24.47 ± 1.67mm) patients. Significant differences between POAG and PACG eyes were found for TISA-500, TISA-750, AOD-500 and AOD-750 in both light and dark conditions (p<0.001 for all). The light-dark differences in PACG eyes were smaller than that of POAG eyes for all AOD and TISA values in the inferior, superior, nasal and temporal quadrants. However, with the exception of AOD-750 in the inferior quadrant (p=0.0524), there were no significant differences in light-dark changes between POAG and PACG eyes for all parameters in the 4 quadrants.Conclusions: Ultrasound biomicroscopy is a useful tool in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. We found significant differences in mean AL, ACD, TISA-500, TISA-750, AOD-500 and AOD-750 between PACG and POAG eyes. However, there were no significant differences between PACG and POAG eyes in terms of light-dark difference in anterior segment parameters, except for AOD-750 in the inferior quadrant. Further evaluation of the above findings could be done in future with a larger population.


This paper synthesizes the Balasian implicit enumeration approach to integer linear programming with the approach typified by Land and Doig and by Roy, Bertier, and Nghiem. The synthesis results from the use of an imbedded linear program to compute surrogate constraints that are as "strong" as possible in a sense slightly different from that originally used by Glover. A simple implicit enumeration algorithm fitted with optional imbedded linear programming machinery was implemented and tested extensively on an IBM 7044. Use of the imbedded linear program greatly reduced solution times in virtually every case, and seemed to render the tested algorithm superior to the five other implicit enumeration algorithms for which comparable published experience was available. The crucial issue of the sensitivity of solution time to the number of integer variables was given special attention. Sequences were run of set-covering, optimal-routing, and knapsack problems with multiple constraints of varying sizes up to 90 variables. The results suggest that use of the imbedded linear program in the prescribed way may mitigate solution-time dependence on the number of variables from an exponential to a low-order polynomial increase. The dependence appeared to be approximately linear for the first two problem classes, with 90-variable problems typically being solved in about 15 seconds; and approximately cubic for the third class, with 80-variable problems typically solved in less than 2 minutes. In the 35-variable range for all three classes, use of the imbedded linear program reduced solution times by a factor of about 100.


The Mesozoic and Cenozoic deformations of the North Qiangtang terrane reflect a portion of the collisional tectonics of the Tethys Ocean, involving Late Triassic, Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic intraplate structures of shallow to superficial tectonic levels. The structural mapping of the Permian–Triassic structural layer indicates that the Mesozoic structural style is dominated by Early Cretaceous horizontal contractional deformations characterized by NW–SE-trending thrust faults and flexural-slip folds. These folds and thrusts were superimposed on Late Triassic buckle folds. Structural analysis of deformations of the Neogene and Quaternary sedimentary layers indicates that there was an obvious transition in the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the North Qiangtang terrane, which can be divided into two deformation stages. In episode I (50–40 to 18 Ma), the crust experienced large-scale north–south horizontal shortening and vertical thickening shown by buckle folds and thrust faults. In episode II (18 Ma–present day), east–west passive extension formed conjugate strike-slip fault systems and pull-apart basins. During episode II, the Qiangtang basin was extruded eastwards, and a number of superficial north–south-trending buckle folds were formed. Supplementary material: Supplementary material is available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18787.


OBJECTIVE: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a known risk factor for postoperative infection following abdominal hysterectomy. Vaginal bacterial flora scored as intermediate has been shown to have the same risk of postoperative infection as BV. METHODS: Women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy for benign diseases were open-randomized according to Zelen to either treatment with metronidazole rectally for at least 4 days or no treatment. At the preoperative gynecological examination a vaginal smear was collected and Gram stained. Women with BV or intermediate flora were merged to one group called abnormal vaginal flora. RESULTS: In total 213 women were randomized to treatment or no treatment. After exclusion of 71 women, 142 women were eligible for analysis. Among the 59 women diagnosed with abnormal vaginal flora there were no vaginal cuff infections in the treated arm, compared with 27% in the 'no treatment' arm (p < 0.01). Treatment also reduced the vaginal cuff infection rate from 9.5 to 2% among the 83 women with lactobacilli flora. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Treatment had no effect on the rate of wound infections. Intention-to-treat analysis showed a significant reduction in vaginal cuff infections among women randomized to treatment. CONCLUSION: Pre- and postoperative treatment for at least 4 days with metronidazole rectally reduces significantly vaginal cuff infection among women with abnormal vaginal flora.


Abstract. The "Destination Earth" initiative of the European Union encompasses the creation of Digital Twin Earths (DTEs), high-precision digital models of the Earth integrating various aspects of the Earth's system to monitor and simulate natural phenomena and related human activities, being able to explore the past, understand the present, and build predictive models of the future. To achieve this goal, huge amounts of good-quality data are necessary, but also, means to combine and add further utility to them.To tackle this problem, we created a novel web application that implements the mediator-wrapper architecture as a data integration strategy and uses only open-source software to put together more than 60 geospatial layers from 3 different data sources. This application is a proof of concept of how data integration can be used to implement Digital Twins and is focused solely on the Italian coasts. It integrates data from Copernicus and WorldPop to provide tools for analysing and describing the interaction of marine, land, and demographic variables on coastal areas. It offers both visualization and analysis capabilities, which is a unique feature amongst similar applications, thanks to the implementation of virtual data integration and geospatial data standards.


Many methods of ancestry estimation in forensic anthropology consider only a single type of data, e.g., metric or morphoscopic. These data are typically limited in scope, being derived from only a few skeletal regions—that is, cranium, dentition, or postcranial skeleton—and are not independent variables. Methods of ancestry estimation should incorporate this potential covariation into their estimates.Cranial morphoscopic and dental morphological traits were observed on a sample of 683 individuals of European American, African American, and Hispanic ancestry. These data were used to train and test models generated with random forest modeling and naive Bayesian analysis. Three models were generated with each method: one using only cranial data, one using only dental data, and one using a combination of those data sets. These models were compared to evaluate differences in performance from the combination of the cranial and dental data.Model performance was evaluated using the positive predictive value, sensitivity, and the Matthews correlation coefficient, or where appropriate the RK statistic, and differences were examined both overall and by specific ancestry group. The general trend is for models based on the combination of cranial and dental data to exhibit higher performance, across metrics, than single-variable models. There is some variation in the performance of specific data sets on particular ancestry groups. For example, dental-based models have high sensitivity scores when classifying European American individuals. However, even when applied to specific groups, combined data models are better classifiers.


The GOES satellites will fly a Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES) on GOES-R in the 2012 timeframe. The approximately 1500 spectral channels (technically ultraspectral), leading to improved vertical resolution, and approximately five times faster coverage rate planned for the sounder in this suite will greatly exceed the capabilities of the current GOES series instrument with its 18 spectral channels. In the GOES-R timeframe, frequent measurements afforded by geostationary orbits will be critical for numerical weather prediction models. Since the current GOES soundings are assimilated into numerical weather prediction models to improve the validity of model outputs, particularly in areas with little radiosonde coverage, this hyperspectral capability in the thermal infrared will significantly improve sounding performance for weather prediction in the western hemisphere, while providing and enhancing other products. Finer spatial resolution is planned for mesoscale observation of water vapor variations. The improvements over the previous GOES sounders and a primary difference from other planned instruments stem from two-dimensional focal plane array availability. These carry an additional set of challenges in terms of instrument specifications, which will be discussed. As a suite, HES is planned with new capabilities for coastal ocean coverage with the goal of including open ocean coverage. These new planned imaging applications, which will be either multispectral or hyperspectral, will also be discussed.


This book examines Western military technological innovation through the lens of developments in small arms during the twentieth century. These weapons have existed for centuries, appear to have matured only incrementally and might seem unlikely technologies for investigating the trajectory of military–technical change. Their relative simplicity, however, makes it easy to use them to map patterns of innovation within the military–industrial complex. Advanced technologies may have captured the military imagination, offering the possibility of clean and decisive outcomes, but it is the low technologies of the infantryman that can help us develop an appreciation for the dynamics of military–technical change.

Tracing the path of innovation from battlefield to back office, and from industry to alliance partner, Ford develops insights into the way that small arms are socially constructed. He thereby exposes the mechanics of power across the military–industrial complex. This in turn reveals that shifting power relations between soldiers and scientists, bureaucrats and engineers, have allowed the private sector to exploit infantry status anxiety and shape soldier weapon preferences. Ford's analysis allows us to draw wider conclusions about how military innovation works and what social factors frame Western military purchasing policy, from small arms to more sophisticated and expensive weapons.


In the last two decades, the economy has undergone fundamental transformation with the twin structural changes of a great increase in the size of global markets and the internet-driven development of a platform for global exchange and work processes. These changes have transformed the economic demand for law: the demand for legal inputs that will support the creation of value in economic relationships. Not merely the quantity but the type of legal inputs required by the new economy is significantly different from those required by the old economy. The economic demand for law in the new economy requires support for the much higher rates at which economic relationships now cross both firm and jurisdictional boundaries, the more rapid depreciation of legal solutions, the increased differentiation of legal problems, the reduced tolerance for legal transaction costs created by high velocity and global competition, and a greater need for integration of business and legal expertise in order to engage in the relatively constant innovative problem-solving that the new economy requires. In this paper I argue that our legal infrastructure - the socially available set of legal materials that economic actors can use to help govern relationships - has not kept up with this transformation in the economic demand for law. Empirical evidence for this claim includes the increasing levels of dissatisfaction in even the most elite corporate legal markets, the unprecedented impact of the Great Recession of 2009 on large law firms, and surveys and interviews conducted with corporate counsel. The primary basis for the claim of a mismatch, however, is theoretical: the attributes of our existing legal infrastructure - a heavy reliance on densely-worded and complex statutes, regulations and contracts; human-capital-intensive craft production methods; undiversified legal business models; almost exclusive reliance on mandatory legal rules imposed by public actors - are poorly suited to the nature of economic activity in the new economy. The reason our legal infrastructure has not adapted, I argue, is attributable to an even deeper level of legal infrastructure: the severe limitations on who may produce legal rules and other legal inputs (such as advice, document templates, norms and practices) imposed by our continued reliance on publicly produced rules and the excessively closed nature of our lawyer- and judge-controlled legal markets.


In light of the US current account deficit, pressure is high on Asian countries to revalue their currencies. The calls from some US policymakers for tariffs on imports from China have sparked fears of a world-wide surge in protectionism. This study evaluates the risk of protectionism, considering two dimensions: first, the economic effects; second, the incentives for policymakers to adopt tariffs. The study distinguishes between 'benevolent' policymakers-who care about long-term GDP-and 'myopic' policymakers, for whom short-term considerations are important. An analysis of the economic effects using the Bank of Canada's Global Economy Model shows that the gains from import tariffs are small: import tariffs raise the price of imports and shift consumption toward domesticallyproduced goods; but they also lead to a real appreciation. This improves the terms of trade, but falling export volumes lead to a reduction in GDP in the long run. The conclusion therefore is that a 'benevolent' policymaker would not adopt tariffs, because of negative long-term consequences, but 'myopic' policymakers might be tempted to exploit short-term political gains. Given the potentially high costs of protectionist trade policies, protectionism is therefore rightly viewed as an important risk.


Dr Michael Watts, Head of the BGS Inorganic Geochemistry Group, has been made an Honorary Associate Professor within the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham.
Michael has been awarded this honour in recognition of his collaboration with the university in the areas of ecosystem and human health (in particular in relation to methods for assessing risk and routes of exposure to metals), specialist ICP-MS applications in elemental speciation and micronutrient deficiencies linked to food security and human health in developing countries.


In the global Internet economy, e-business as a driving force to redefine business models and operational processes is posing new challenges for traditional organizational structures and information system (IS) architectures. These are showing promises of a renewed period of innovative thinking in e-business strategies with new enterprise paradigms and different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In this chapter, the authors consider and investigate how dynamic e-business strategies, as the next evolutionary generation of e-business, can be realized through newly diverse enterprise structures supported by ERP, ERPII and so-called "ERPIII" solutions relying on the virtual value chain concept. Exploratory inductive multi-case studies in manufacturing and printing industries have been conducted. Additionally, it proposes a conceptual framework to discuss the adoption and governance of ERP systems within the context of three enterprise forms for enabling dynamic and collaborative e-business strategies, and particularly demonstrate how an enterprise can dynamically migrate from its current position to the patterns it desires to occupy in the future – a migration that must and will include dynamic e-business as a core competency, but that also relies heavily on ERP-based backbone and other robust technological platform and applications.


The effect of a concentrated turbid layer on the polarization of skylight is discussed in this paper. Two idealized models of the turbid atmosphere are employed. In one an aerosol layer is situated below a molecular layer and, in the other, above it. The size distribution of the aerosols of refractive index 1.33 is assumed to follow a power law. Inside the aerosol layer, only primary scattering of light is taken into account and polarization effects are neglected. The importance of the interaction between the aerosol and molecular layers is recognized. The resulting computations show broad agreement with available observations. The importance of the location of the turbid layer in characterizing the emergent radiation is revealed. In particular, the computations have shown that the Babinet and Brewster neutral (zero polarization) points can shift towards the sun from their normal positions in a molecular atmosphere when there is low-level turbidity. Such a shift is indicated by observations.


This chapter will analyze the links between a typical sociological concept, which is Social Capital, and a business management notion, that is Corporate Social Responsibility. Cooperation, trust, information flows and norms of reciprocity are considered key factors in the promotion of a sustainable development, and both the concept of SC and CSR, even from different perspectives, refer to these elements. In particular, the idea of SC underpins the necessity to analyze the role of social network in influencing economic actions and cooperation. On the other hand, CSR represents the cognizance that economic organizations are part of complex social networks which they cannot disregard, in order to achieve a sustainable success - both in terms of quality and durability. In order to theoretically and empirically canvass the links between these two concepts - SC and CSR - we will describe two different case studies: the first one, regarding the case of SC nourished in small and medium enterprises clustered systems; and the second case study explores the path taken by a co-operative firm to recover its original presence of SC through the use of CSR. The research will show a mutual link between the presence of Social Capital and the use of Corporate Social Responsibility tool and practice among firms.


In this study, how prospective chemistry teachers (PCTs) perceive precipitation and conceptualize precipitation reactions at the symbolic level was explored. Further, it was of interest to identify PCTs' visualization of the sub-microscopic level of precipitation reactions. The sample was drawn from the Chemistry Education Department at the Education Faculty of a Turkish Public University. A total of 46 PCTs (10 in the 4th semester, 15 in the 6th semester, and 21 in the 8th semester) participated in the study. The data were collected using an instrument with three open-ended questions developed by the authors and with interviews. It was revealed that the PCTs thought about precipitation in qualitatively different ways depending on their practices of phenomena. The PCTs' perceptions of precipitation were grouped into three issues coded as (1) reacting two salt solutions, (2) undissolved solid and (3) residue. It was found that half of the PCTs (24 of the 46 PCTs) did not use state symbols when writing the precipitation equations and more than half of them included the molecular dissolution features in their drawings. It was suggested that instruction should be to address incorporating a relation between the sub-microscopic, symbolic and macroscopic levels by using the animations.


In this, not-so-new, world of e-commerce, lawyers and engineers must work together to properly design online systems, to ensure these systems are effective, legally and practically. Poor technical design can undermine the acceptance of the system, no matter how well thought out the underlying legal regime. An interesting example is the set of registries pursuant to the Cape Town Convention. These specialist collateral registries are global with significant legal and commercial effect. However, that effect could be nullified with poor design. The registry operating under the Cape Town Convention's Aircraft Protocol since 2006 has recorded over 1 million registrations. In designing its sister registry which will operate under the proposed protocol on mining, agricultural and construction equipment, engineers and lawyers must resist the temptation to simply copy and paste. Respecting the success of the Aircraft Protocol registry is fine, but blindly aping its approach would lead to failure for its sister registry.


Fat discrimination is rampant in education, health care, and employment. Anti-obesity activists claim that it is not only acceptable, but actually desirable to stigmatize fat bodies because this stigmatization shames fat people into better health. In response, the fat acceptance movement turned to science to show that fat bodies can be healthy. As part of this movement, legislative advocacy and litigation strategies have utilized the argument that fat discrimination should not be permitted because fat people can be healthy. I argue that this move undermines the true justice that the fat acceptance community seeks. In the quest towards the fat acceptance movement's ultimate goal of acceptance for all fat bodies, the movement must demand dignity and respect for all bodies, including fat bodies that are unhealthy. In this Note, I will discuss the theoretical problems inherent in the two most frequent arguments employed by fat able-bodied plaintiffs: that they are healthy in comparison with unhealthy or disabled people, and, alternatively, that they are disabled. In addition to being theoretically problematic, as a practical matter, fat discrimination challenges using claims based on the good health and able body of the fat person have been mostly unsuccessful. On the other hand, some contemporaneous fat plaintiffs have won cases in which they claimed that fatness is a disability. I argue that fat plaintiffs who use disability claims must work in solidarity with the disability rights movement, which demands respect, self-determination, and access for disabled people. If they do not, fat plaintiffs risk creating precedent that will make it harder for disabled people to prove their own discrimination claims and perpetuating stereotypes about disabled people. In all cases, as an anti-oppression movement within a broader social justice framework, the fat acceptance movement must work in solidarity with the disability justice movement rather than undermining the legal protections disabled people have won.


This research aims to specify critical urban sustainability issues by mining unstructured text data derived from the C40 city datasets of the Carbon Disclosure Project. The current study identifies underlying topical issues exhibited by text corpora, enables creation of smarter data visualizations, and forms useful profiles. Four underlying topical areas are examined: economic opportunities, climate risks, incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions reduction activities. For each area, we built text data visualization profiles. Developing these text data visualization profiles enables greater attention to be paid to the list of topical issues shown in the profiles. Given the number of discovered topic issues, we generate an urban sustainability activity index and use it to identify which cities were detailing their actions toward becoming more sustainable cities. The city officials and municipal planners of either C40 or non-C40 cities worldwide can benchmark this study and put the process of text data visualization at the center of their process of generating citywide sustainable development.


The model checking problem for open systems has been widely studied in the literature, for both finite–state (module checking) and infinite–state (pushdown module checking) systems, with respect to CTL and CTL *. In this paper, we further investigate this problem with respect to the µ-calculus enriched with nominals and graded modalities (hybrid graded µ-calculus), in both the finite–state and infinite-state settings. Using an automata-theoretic approach, we show that hybrid graded µ-calculus module checking is solvable in exponential time, while hybrid graded µ-calculus pushdown module checking is solvable in double-exponential time. These results are also tight since they match the known lower bounds for CTL. We also investigate the module checking problem with respect to the hybrid graded µ-calculus enriched with inverse programs (Fully enriched µ-calculus): by showing a reduction from the tiling problem, we show its undecidability. We conclude with a short overview of the model checking problem for the Fully enriched µ-calculus and the fragments obtained by dropping at least one of the additional constructs.


OBJECTIVES
To assess the Pre-bronchodilator criteria and the Post-bronchodilator criteria of FEV1/FVC ratio in diagnosing Airflow obstruction.

METHODS
An observational study was conducted from 1988 to 2006 at the Aga Khan University Hospital Patients referred to the pulmonary function test laboratory for spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility at the hospital during the above said period were enrolled. Forced spirometry was performed according to ATS guidelines. All patients who had pre-bronchodilator criteria of airflow obstruction were analyzed and compared with the post bronchodilator criteria.

RESULTS
A total of 4222 individuals underwent spirometry out of which 4072 individuals were studied. Using the pre bronchodilator criteria, 1375 (34%) patients had airflow obstruction. Applying the post bronchodilator criteria on the same patients, 1098 (27%) had evidence of airway obstruction. Out of these 1375 patients who had airflow obstruction by using pre-bronchodilator criteria, 277 (20%) patients had no airflow obstruction by using the post bronchodilator criteria. Out of these 277 patients, 52% had significant airways reversibility as evidenced by >12% increase in their FEV1 pre and post bronchodilator.

CONCLUSION
Pre bronchodilator criteria for detection of airflow obstruction overestimate the diagnosis of airflow obstruction and by using post bronchodilator criteria for airway obstruction on spirometry, decreases this over diagnosis of the condition


OBJECTIVES
We sought to estimate the effect of Connecticut's implementation of a handgun permit-to-purchase law in October 1995 on subsequent homicides.

METHODS
Using the synthetic control method, we compared Connecticut's homicide rates after the law's implementation to rates we would have expected had the law not been implemented. To estimate the counterfactual, we used longitudinal data from a weighted combination of comparison states identified based on the ability of their prelaw homicide trends and covariates to predict prelaw homicide trends in Connecticut.

RESULTS
We estimated that the law was associated with a 40% reduction in Connecticut's firearm homicide rates during the first 10 years that the law was in place. By contrast, there was no evidence for a reduction in nonfirearm homicides.

CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with prior research, this study demonstrated that Connecticut's handgun permit-to-purchase law was associated with a subsequent reduction in homicide rates. As would be expected if the law drove the reduction, the policy's effects were only evident for homicides committed with firearms.


We investigate the effective interaction between two randomly charged but otherwise net-neutral, planar dielectric slabs immersed in an asymmetric Coulomb fluid containing a mixture of mobile monovalent and multivalent ions. The presence of charge disorder on the apposed bounding surfaces of the slabs leads to substantial qualitative changes in the way they interact, as compared with the standard picture provided by the van der Waals and image-induced, ion-depletion interactions. While, the latter predict purely attractive interactions between strictly neutral slabs, we show that the combined effects from surface charge disorder, image depletion, Debye (or salt) screening, and also, in particular, their coupling with multivalent ions, give rise to a more diverse behavior for the effective interaction between net-neutral slabs at nano-scale separations. Disorder effects show large variation depending on the properly quantified strength of disorder, leading either to non-monotonic effective interaction with both repulsive and attractive branches when the surface charges are weakly disordered (small disorder variance) or to a dominating attractive interaction that is larger both in its range and magnitude than what is predicted from the van der Waals and image-induced, ion-depletion interactions, when the surfaces are strongly disordered (large disorder variance).


Evidence for an 8.2 ka event–related advance for an Alpine glacier was missing for a long time. In the light of dendrochronological analyses for tree remains found in front of the Mont Mine Glacier, Swiss Alps, we present evidence for such an advance related to the 8.2 ka event. Calendar dates established for dozens of tree remains place this glacier advance ∼8175 yr before A.D. 2000. Therefore, this 8.2 ka advance response of the Mont Mine Glacier terminated a nearly millennial-long retreat period with a glacier always shorter than today.


Address for correspondence: Arun Gupta, MBBS, MD, Secretary, Indian Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (ISVIR), Chairperson, Department of Interventional Radiology, Room No. 20A, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi 110060, India (e-mail: email@example.com). The Indian Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (ISVIR) had a very fruitful year during 2017–2018. Our society has grown with more than 600 members. The society organized many academic meetings and conferences during the year, which immensely allowed the members to collaborate and learn from each other. The 20th annual conference of the ISVIR that was held at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institution, Lucknow, India, during February 2018 was a grand success. We congratulate and thank the organizing committee and the executive members for this achievement. It was very exciting to see many young enthusiastic interventional radiologists participate in the conference. The "complications meeting" was an opportunity to be aware of complications, learn from our mistakes, and bring in processes to minimize the complications in our practice. The presentations during the "complications meeting" were categorized to represent a larger spectrum of diseases treated by interventional radiologists. Our efforts to introduce DNB (Diplomate of National Board) and DM (Doctor of Medicine) courses in interventional radiology (IR) have intensified. The society is supportive of fellowship training programs in IR for young enthusiastic candidates. A new executive committee of ISVIR has been selected during the annual conference. We are grateful to the invaluable contributions from the outgoing treasurer Dr. Rajesh Mundhada and secretary Dr. Suyash Kulkarni. We congratulate and express heartfelt appreciation to all the authors, reviewers, and editors of the Journal of Clinical and Interventional Radiology (JCIR) on behalf of the executive body of the ISVIR. We specially thank Prof. Shyamkumar Keshava and Prof. Sanjeeva Kalva for their invaluable efforts and hard work in successfully bringing this journal to fruition. It was with the cooperation, enthusiasm, and spirit of the authors and reviewers that we could make JCIR a grand success. We appreciate the excellent support of Thieme Publishers in these efforts. The success of the journal is one of the testaments of the efforts of the society to bring international outreach of the great work occurring in India. Working together and learning from each other are our strengths. Improving awareness and reaching out to other medical and surgical societies would be the direction for the coming year. Dedicated programs through our educational promotion wing (ISVIR-REF) will be planned to reach the postgraduate and undergraduate students in medical colleges. The society will support any academic activity that an individual interventional radiologist intends to undertake. The ISVIR is also actively interacting with international societies, including the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and the Asia Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (APSCVIR). Let us all work together and play an important role in our patient care. 2


In many applications, it is very expensive or time consuming to obtain a lot of labeled examples. One practically important problem is: can the labeled data from other related sources help predict the target task, even if they have 1) different feature spaces (e.g., image versus text data), 2) different data distributions, and 3) different output spaces? This paper proposes a solution and discusses the conditions where this is highly likely to produce better results. It first unifies the feature spaces of the target and source data sets by spectral embedding, even when they are with completely different feature spaces. The principle is to devise an optimization objective that preserves the original structure of the data, while at the same time, maximizes the similarity between the two. A linear projection model, as well as a nonlinear approach are derived on the basis of this principle with closed forms. Second, a judicious sample selection strategy is applied to select only those related source examples. At last, a Bayesian-based approach is applied to model the relationship between different output spaces. The three steps can bridge related heterogeneous sources in order to learn the target task. Among the 20 experiment data sets, for example, the images with wavelet-transformed-based features are used to predict another set of images whose features are constructed from color-histogram space; documents are used to help image classification, etc. By using these extracted examples from heterogeneous sources, the models can reduce the error rate by as much as 50 percent, compared with the methods using only the examples from the target task.


INTRODUCTION
Disasters with substantial impacts to the health care and public health systems can have multiple reverberating effects, including the need to alter the medical standard of care as well as centrally control scarce medical resources. A current crisis care plan can help to establish an ethical and operational framework for stakeholders before such a disaster takes place. However, there are few examples of such a plan that cover large areas and health jurisdictions. This article describes the process of developing such a "Crisis Care Plan."

METHODS
Plan developers from the Riverside County Department of Public Health and Riverside County Emergency Management Department first developed an ethical framework for decision making, followed by the development of a full operational crisis care plan with conditions for activation, life cycle and deactivation. The plan was then reviewed by major county stakeholders, including local emergency medical services, the county medical association and the hospital association, and additional comments incorporated. Before the final plan is implemented it will be submitted for public review and provider training materials will be developed.

RESULTS
The development of a prerequisite ethical framework helped to reduce the risk that the operational plan would cause or exacerbate care disparities by informing a blinded, objective process for evaluating resource requests centrally prior to distribution. The ethical framework served to establish the grounding principle of all lives having an equal claim on value. Stakeholders recognized the need for such a Crisis Care Plan and agreed with the underlying ethical principles. Stakeholders also contributed useful recommendations to enable the plan to operate in as successful a manner as possible under the difficult conditions within which it would exist.

DISCUSSION
The development of a clear ethical framework and the early identification and involvement of stakeholders can enable even very large health jurisdictions to construct crisis care plans that enable the best care under difficult circumstances, while protecting individual rights and incorporating the concerns of the public and the health care community.


Studies viewing the improvement of the rearing methodology of Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in laboratory were carried out. Larval development was compared in three rearing methods, two of which with natural diet using corn seedlings kept on vermiculite or on germination paper sheets and a third system using artificial diet. The following biological parameters were evaluated: duration and viability of the larva-adult period; weight of newly emerged adults (male and female); duration of pre-oviposition and oviposition periods; male and female longevity and fecundity. The development of the insect under different larval densities (100, 200, 400 and 600 larvae), using the same amount of natural diet, (corn seedlings) was also evaluated. When the insects were reared on corn kept in wet vermiculite the viability of the larva-adult period was higher than when corn was kept on wet paper sheet; the opposite was observed with the length of the developmental period. Females reared in artificial diet had lesser pre-oviposition and oviposition periods and laid less eggs than those reared in natural diet. The increase in the larval density extended the duration of the immature phases, decreased the viability of the larva-adult period and reduced the weight of adults. The rearing technique of D. speciosa using natural diet in vermiculite provided a large amount of insects, with a significant reduction in labor and laboratory space.


Summary
1. Scientists tasked with collecting taxon richness and assemblage variation data for conservation purposes have identified biomonitoring studies as potential sources of information. This approach assumes that biodiversity patterns revealed by biomonitoring reflect those of the wider community, an assumption not thoroughly tested in riverine ecosystems.

2. We compared patterns of taxon richness and assemblage variation in an important biomonitoring group (Trichoptera) with a group with high conservation significance (Odonata) at 34 sites across three fifth-order catchments. We also explored the effect of abundance on observed patterns by rarefying the larval Trichoptera data set.

3. Our results indicate that Trichoptera do not fully reflect site-scale taxon richness or assemblage variation in Odonata. The magnitude of odonate assemblage variation was much greater than that of Trichoptera for one of the catchments. Odonata and Trichoptera richness was moderately correlated in two catchments, while assemblage variation was strongly correlated in another pair of catchments. However, comparisons based on rarefied data eliminated differences in the magnitude of assemblage variation and strengthened correlations in richness and assemblage variation, suggesting the lack of congruence in these measures might be due to differences in abundance among groups. Further, incomplete taxonomy may mask additional assemblage variation, particularly in Trichoptera.

4. Conservation planning in riverine ecosystems based on proxies derived from biomonitoring data should proceed cautiously until we understand how well the resulting information reflects biodiversity patterns in under-sampled taxa and habitats. Future studies of biodiversity congruence should consider both richness and assemblage variation as each provides valuable information for conservation-related decisions. The taxonomic resolution and relative abundance of comparison groups can potentially impact the strength, direction and statistical significance of patterns. Researchers should employ species-level taxonomy and account for differences in abundance among groups through rarefaction where at all possible and DNA-based taxonomy methods can support this.


The Fourier transform is well suited to the study of stationary functions. Yet, it is superseded by the Wavelet transform for the powerful characterizations of function features such as singularities. On the other hand, the LIP (Logarithmic Image Processing) model is a mathematical framework developed by Jourlin and Pinoli, dedicated to the representation and processing of gray tones images called hereafter logarithmic images. This mathematically well defined model, comprising a Fourier Transform "of its own", provides an effective tool for the representation of images obtained by transmitted light, such as microscope images. This paper presents a Wavelet transform within the LIP framework, with preservation of the classical Wavelet Transform properties. We show that the fast computation algorithm due to Mallat can be easily used. An application is given for the detection of crests.


Electronic discussion lists are widely used as a professional and scientific communication tool since late 1980s. Analysis of messages sent to discussion lists provides useful information on professional as well as scientific communication patterns. In this paper, we present the findings of a bibliometric analysis of some 20,000 messages sent to KUTUP-L, an electronic discussion list for Turkish librarians, between 1994 and 2008. We test if the distributions of messages and their authors conform to Pareto, Price and Lotka laws. We then analyze the contents of 977 messages based on a stratified sample. Findings indicate that the number of messages sent to KUTUP-L has increased over the years along with the number of authors. Two thirds (1,232) of about 1,900 list members posted at least one message to the list while the rest preferred to be so called "lurkers". Some 35 authors posted almost half (49%) the messages while 20% of the authors posted 83% of all messages. The distribution of messages to authors conform to Price ("the square root of all authors would post half the messages") and Pareto laws (so called "80/20 rule"), respectively. Of the 1,232 authors, one third (as opposed to 60% predicted by Lotka's Law) sent only one message to the list. Results of content analysis show that 40% of messages sent to the list were off-topic. Issues about or related with information management services (32%), library and information science (23%) and professional and scientific communication (19%) were discussed more often in the list. The intent analysis of the postings shows that three quarters of the messages were initiatory while the rest were reflexive. That's to say that the majority of messages posted on KUTUP-L to initiate a discussion did not seem to generate enough interest for others to reflect upon them by sending follow up messages, suggesting that professional and scientific communication taking place on KUTUP-L on certain subjects can be characterized as more of a one-way communication than a participatory one.