This review discusses four CALL programs demonstrated during the ANeLA CALL workshop. The programs differ considerably in scope and technical capabilities, although three are aimed at business English and two feature multi-media capabilities.ENID is an idiom-training program offering a wide range of exercise modes to make vocabulary learning challenging and effective. The exercises focus on business English but the contents can be adapted to suit the teacher's own needs. It runs on virtually any pc.American Letterbox is geared towards facilitating the letter writing process by reinforcing the students' awareness of the situational background. Although it almost certainly covers a niche in the market, it suffers from a poor translation of the original Dutch course into English.Voicecart is a sound-enabled authoring system, which makes it possible for teachers to develop their own pronunciation and listening comprehension exercises. It is easy to use and more flexible than the traditional language lab, but teachers might prefer to wait for a version of the program using a type of soundcard which is more compatible with other multi-media applications.English Express is by far the most advanced of the products reviewed. It is a video-supported course covering business English in particular. A full course in English language learning skills offering authentic language use and fully functional, flexible training facilities, it is a great course for institutions and companies that can afford the hard- and software investments.


Because the world has long seen Sweden as a pioneer of democratic socialism, the success or failure of social experiments there has had momentous impact on the development of similar programs elsewhere. Now, in this penetrating inquiry undertaken by one of Sweden's leading political scientists, the problems and practices of Swedish trade unions are fully revealed.Leif Lewin is interested in finding answers to several central questions: How democratic are Sweden's unions? How are they governed? How have they avoided the institutional inequities that plague some American unions? What sacrifices have Swedish unions had to make in order to solve their problems?Lewin has gone directly to the people concerned, receiving from some 3,000 union members and leaders the information that forms the basis of his study. But his book is more than an empirical analysis of trade union democracy. It is also a strikingly successful example for all social scientists who have struggled to apply a hypothetical model of democracy to the ambiguous, often turbulent world around them. Above all, Lewin shows how the democratic ideal of individual intellectual and moral enrichment can be approached through participation in collective decision making. Thoughtful and balanced, his book addresses many of the problems that are just now being faced by social planners, economists, and union organizers everywhere."


This book proposes the theory and practice of endogenous development that helps to analyze economic dynamics and works within a context of continuous economic, technological, and institutional transformations. This approach will help shape both our understanding and response in times of economic crisis.The book also focuses on the evolutionary approach, analyzing development forces that condition the capital accumulation process. It contends that entrepreneurial development and the formation of firm networks, the diffusion of innovations and knowledge, the urban development of the territory, and the change and adaptation of the institutions are mechanisms that stimulate capital accumulation, and thereby, economic development.


IZA DP No. 14076 JANUARY 2021 Sweet Unbinding: Sugarcane Cultivation and the Demise of Foot-Binding* This study investigates the sudden disappearance of foot-binding, a costly custom practiced for centuries in China and Taiwan prior to its demise. We estimate the numbers of women who unbound their feet in response to the rapid growth of the sugarcane cultivation in Taiwan in the early 20th century, growth which boosted the demand for female labor relative to male labor. Cross-township variations based upon multiple history datasets indicate that cane cultivation had a strong and robust effect on unbinding. The IV estimations utilizing cane railroads – lines built exclusively for cane transportation – support a causal interpretation of the estimated effect. This finding implies that a change in gender-specific labor productivity can help eliminate costly norms against women, and it also provides additional support for the argument that foot-binding was incentivized by economic motives. We also present evidence lending credit for the conventional hypothesis of foot-binding as a form of marriage competition. JEL Classification: J16, N35, Z13


Ecological and biogeochemical processes in lakes are strongly dependent upon water temperature. Long-term surface warming of many lakes is unequivocal, but little is known about the comparative magnitude of temperature variation at diel timescales, due to a lack of appropriately resolved data. Here we quantify the pattern and magnitude of diel temperature variability of surface waters using high-frequency data from 100 lakes. We show that the near-surface diel temperature range can be substantial in summer relative to long-term change and, for lakes smaller than 3 km 2 , increases sharply and predictably with decreasing lake area. Most small lakes included in this study experience average summer diel ranges in their near-surface temperatures of between 4 and 7°C. Large diel temperature fluctuations in the majority of lakes undoubtedly influence their structure, function and role in biogeochemical cycles, but the full implications remain largely unexplored.


This study confirms the robustness of the finding in the literature on African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and creole English (especially in the Caribbean) that omission of copular and auxiliary be varies systematically according to predicate type. Verbal predicates are associated with the highest rates of copula absence and following NPs with the lowest rates; following adjectives or locatives show intermediate rates (see Rickford 1998:190). Although this pattern is highly consistent, convincing explanations for it remain elusive. A recurrent suggestion (McWhorter 2000; Winford 1998, 2004; Wolfram 2000) is that the AAVE and creole English pattern is inherited independently from general processes of imperfect second language learning (simplification, generalization) that operated as the African ancestors of today's speakers acquired English. In this paper, we pursue this possibility, but discover that the grammatical conditioning of copula absence in AAVE and creole varieties is distinct from the patterns found in second language learning data. We examine four sets of data on English acquired as a second language (Indian English, South African Indian English, Singaporean English, Spanish English) and show, using two statistical measures, that conditioning of copula absence in the second language data does not resemble the AAVE and creole pattern. (One possible exception is the high rates of omitted be with verbal predicates, for which we explore possible explanations.) We show further that typological diversity in copula systems also militates against a universal markedness-based pattern. The findings reduce the possibility that the overall AAVE/creole pattern derives from a general tendency in second language acquisition and increase the possibility that the pattern reflects a shared substrate influence from West African languages or other historical contact factors.


There is a recurrent debate in France on the conflict between the principle of secularism and the expression of religious convictions in public places. The liberal approach, which is open to all forms of public expression including the religious convictions of individuals, is opposed to a much more restrictive conception, which understands secularism as limiting religious convictions to the private sphere, with the corollary of the interdiction, or at least a strict restriction, of their public manifestation, whether they be individual or collective. In today's highly secularized French society, which feels itself undermined by religious factors deriving from international conflicts and internal tensions, the sometimes radical affirmation of identities tends to weaken the liberal interpretation which is at the basis of the law of 1905, in favor of a much more restrictive vision of the principle of secularism. That is revealed by the law of October 11, 2010, on the prohibition of the covering of the face in public places, which falls within the very old royal tradition, derived from Gallicanism, of the public regulation of religious practices. Although it carefully avoids any reference to religious practices or convictions, the law of October 11, 2010 must be understood as a law implementing a religious policy.Even though it is formulated in very broad terms, and never specifies its intent, the Law of October 11, 2010 prohibiting the covering of the face in public spaces raises the question of the social visibility of religions with an intensity not seen for a century. In the reflections that follow, this article proposes to analyze this law from the point of view of the legal regime pertaining to religious practices. This Article hypothesizes that, in spite of commonly held beliefs, (1) this law is in profound contradiction with the Law of 1905, and (2) stems from a longstanding tradition of public regulation of religious groups, with which the new regime of separation has never broken, to the point where it is often confused with secularism (la laicite).


Historical accounts, archaeoseismic and paleoseismological evidence allowed us to reappraise two earthquakes affecting northeastern Sicily and southern Calabria in the 1st (probably between 14 and 37) and 4th (likely between 361 and 363) centuries AD, to obtain a better reconstruction of their effects and to reconsider their sources.The 1st century event damaged the area from Oppido (Calabria) to Tindari (Sicily), roughly that of the February 6, 1783 Calabria earthquake. The similitude of these earthquakes is further stressed by the fact that they generated tsunamis, as recorded by historical data and by the tsunami deposits found at Capo Peloro, the oldest dated 0-125 AD, the youngest linked to the 1783 event. These earthquakes could be related to the same Calabria seismic source: the Scilla fault. Northeastern Sicily and southern Calabria were also damaged by one or more earthquakes in the 4th century AD and several towns were rebuilt/restored at that time. The hit area roughly coincides with that of the Messina 1908 earthquake suggesting similar seismic sources for the events. However, because close in time, historical descriptions of the 4th century Sicilian earthquake were mixed with those of the 365 Crete earthquake that generated a basin-wide tsunami most likely reaching also the Sicilian coasts. Reevaluating location, size, damage area and tsunamigenic potential of these two earthquakes of the 1st and 4th centuries AD is relevant for reassessing the seismogenic and tsunamigenic potential of the faults around the Messina Strait and the seismic hazard of the affected areas.


Historically, insolvency systems have been designed with larger enterprises in mind. They assume an extensive insolvency estate of significant worth, and the presence of creditors and other stakeholders with sufficient value at stake that they participate in and oversee the process. These assumptions undergird mechanisms by which creditors and other stakeholders may ensure that the insolvency process faithfully serves their interests, for an independent professional to run the business undergoing an insolvency process, and for extensive judicial oversight.These assumptions and features are incongruent with the reality of micro, small, and medium enterprises ('MSMEs'). Mirroring the general population of businesses and reflecting the particular fragility associated with smaller asset bases and relative absence of risk diversification, the vast majority of businesses entering insolvency proceedings are MSMEs. On MSME insolvency, little or no value is available for distribution to anyone other than secured creditors in a significant proportion of insolvency estates, and secured creditors tend to have effective collection methods under non-insolvency law. Correspondingly, most secured and unsecured creditors, as well as other stakeholders, are rationally disinterested in the insolvency process. In many cases, it is not worthwhile for either the estate or most stakeholders to engage lawyers to represent them in court. Estates may possess inadequate value even to pay an independent insolvency professional. Such incongruence between the design of insolvency regimes and the nature of most of the businesses to which they apply leaves the insolvency process unbalanced, inadequately supervised, non-efficacious, and sometimes, simply unfeasible. Policy-makers and legislators have often responded through ad hoc changes to the 'standard' regime, such as by shearing some elements of the insolvency process when applied to smaller businesses, by shortening statutory timelines, and by dispensing with the necessary participation of certain stakeholders. The resulting processes have been marked by arbitrary boundaries, rigid preconditions for availability, and limited effectiveness. This paper systematically rethinks the treatment of distressed MSMEs. At its core is a new 'Modular Approach' to MSME insolvency. This approach is modular in two ways: (i) it allows national policy makers to choose from a range of available options including in terms of the involvement of appropriate institutions; (ii) subject to national authorities' design decisions, the Modular Approach provides an essential 'core' process in each case, and allows relevant stakeholders to invoke additional tools ('modules') if and when the benefits of wielding those tools in the particular case outweigh the costs.The Modular Approach shares with 'standard' insolvency regimes the core objectives of preserving and maximizing the value in the insolvency estate, ensuring distribution over an appropriate period of time of the highest feasible proportion of that value to those entitled to it, providing due accountability for any wrongdoing connected with the insolvency, and enabling discharge of over-indebted natural persons. The Modular Approach differs in the way it pursues these objectives. Its basic assumption is that the parties to a particular insolvency case are best placed to select the tools appropriate to that case. The role of the legal regime should be to provide these tools in a maximally flexible way, while creating the correct incentives for their deployment. Traditionally, legal systems provide particular 'packages' or combinations of these tools and label them 'workout', 'liquidation' and 'restructuring'. The Modular Approach unpacks those combinations. It assumes a core process, geared towards enabling the entrepreneur to propose a restructuring of the business' liabilities and to obtain discharge of any unrepayable obligations. The entrepreneur, who may operate through a legal entity or as a sole trader, may access any of the full range of insolvency law mechanisms to enable attainment of these objectives. At the same time, creditors and other stakeholders have the right to adequate notification of each step in the process, coupled with the power to override the entrepreneur's choices where a sufficient proportion of them consider it appropriate to do so. Judicial involvement is not required as a matter of course, though, again, it may be requested by the stipulated proportion of creditors. The process may obtain and retain momentum by virtue of the presumptions that stakeholders who have not positively objected to a step in the process have consented to that step, and that the non-exercise of procedural rights within the process precludes the relevant stakeholders from objecting to the part of the process to which the unexercised rights relate. Stakeholders are divided into appropriate classes; they must act by stipulated majority by value; and stipulated majorities by value of a class may bind dissenting minorities. The Modular Approach is designed to provide appropriate incentives for the entrepreneur and other stakeholders alike. Entrepreneurs have positive incentives to commence the insolvency process in a timely manner: they do not have to declare the business insolvent; they may, in principle, retain its management; and they have the right to propose how the insolvency should proceed. Entrepreneurs also face negative incentives that discourage non-timely commencement of insolvency proceedings, in that the Modular Approach imposes personal liability for any additional loss suffered by the business' creditors because of blameworthy delay in commencement. The Modular Approach acknowledges that in many MSME insolvencies, unsecured creditors are rationally disinterested, given their limited economic stake and the very limited likelihood of any recovery in the process. They need not actively participate in the process if, upon due notification, they do not consider it worth the time and expense of participating. As noted, their abstention is deemed approval, and the insolvency process may continue apace. Negative incentives for creditors arise because the non-exercise of procedural rights amounts to a waiver of such rights. Positive incentives arise in creditors' ability, acting with others who together hold a sufficiently large proportion of the claims against the enterprise, to override the entrepreneur's choice of tools and to select a destiny for the business different to the one favoured by the entrepreneur. The Modular Approach also responds to differences in the economic, social and legal circumstances of different countries. It does so by guiding national policymakers with respect to the factors relevant to determining the proper boundaries between 'standard' and MSME insolvency regimes, and by identifying three functions: management, administrative and judicial. The Approach explains the costs and benefits of assigning those functions to different entities.


This paper describes recent development on the design of the flight control system for a micromechanical flying insect (MFI), a 10-25 mm (wingtip-to-wingtip) device capable of sustained autonomous flight. High level attitude control is considered. Based on our previous work, in which the complex time-varying component of aerodynamic forces are treated as external disturbances, a nominal state-space linear time-invariant model in hover is developed through linear estimation. The identified model is validated through the virtual insect flight simulator (VIFS), and is used to design feedback controllers for the MFI. A LQG controller is designed and compared with a PD controller. The identification scheme provides a more systematic way of treating aerodynamic modeling errors, and the controllers designed based on the identified model shows better overall performance in simulation. Another advantage of this approach is that measurement of the instantaneous aerodynamic forces is not necessary, thus simplifies the experimental setup for the real MFI.


During progressive cardiac tamponade in conscious dogs, cardiac output falls continuously while arterial blood pressure is maintained until cardiovascular decompensation by increases in total peripheral resistance (TPR). Plasma renin activity (PRA) is known to increase at decompensation. We hypothesized that the increase in TPR during cardiac tamponade was mediated by alpha-adrenergic and renin-angiotensin mechanisms. Twelve adult dogs were instrumented to measure cardiac output (electromagnetic flow probe), aortic and right atrial blood pressures, and intrapericardial pressure (IPP). TPR was calculated as the conscious euvolemic animals underwent cardiac tamponade induced by intrapericardial saline infusion at 20 ml/min. Six dogs underwent cardiac tamponade in the control condition (no medications) and during independent alpha- and beta-adrenergic and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. PRA and angiotensin II (ANG II) were measured during control tamponade. We found that TPR increased continuously to levels of greater than 200% of base line as IPP rose during cardiac tamponade (P less than 0.01). This increase in TPR was unaffected by beta-adrenergic or ACE blockade but was blunted by alpha-adrenergic blockade. PRA and ANG II increased only at decompensated tamponade (P less than 0.05) when arterial blood pressure had fallen by 30%. These changes in PRA and ANG II during tamponade were not altered by beta-blockade in six separate animals. We conclude that cardiac tamponade stimulates renin release and ANG II generation by a non-beta-receptor-mediated mechanism. The increase in TPR during cardiac tamponade is primarily dependent on alpha-adrenergic mechanisms, with a limited late contribution from the renin-angiotensin system.


had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of the season. He was lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing-gown, a pipe-rack within his reach upon the right, and a pile of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied, near at hand. Beside the couch was a wooden chair, and on the angle of the back hung a very seedy and disreputable hard-felt hat, much the worse for wear, and cracked in several places. A lens and a forceps lying upon the seat of the chair suggested that the hat had been suspended in this manner for the purpose of examination.


Novel acousto-optic processors for control and signal processing in phased-array antennas are presented. These processors can operate in both the antenna transmit and receive modes. An experimental acousto-optic processor is demonstrated in the laboratory. This optical technique replaces all the phase-shifting devices required in electronically controlled phased-array antennas.


This thesis focused on why matrotrophy has evolved in viviparous (live-bearing) reptiles. Matrotrophic reproduction is direct supply of nutrients by the mother during gestation (e.g. placental support), and it is rare in viviparous reptiles. Although a large number of studies have investigated the evolution of viviparity in reptiles, we know comparatively little about the evolution of matrotrophic viviparity in reptiles. Matrotrophic reproduction implies complex and increasing maternal-embryonic communications such as nutrient and hormone transfer via the placenta during gestation. These placental nutrient and hormone transfers affect offspring phenotype and, therefore, fitness. Such non-genetic effects on offspring phenotype are so-called maternal effects. However, the importance of maternal effects is still the subject of an ongoing debate in terms of fitness. In addition, there is a very little information on maternal effects and their relation to physiological mechanisms in viviparous reptiles, especially matrotrophic viviparous reptiles.
Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii is one of the few known species of matrotrophic viviparous reptiles. The first section of this thesis focused on physiological mechanisms during gestation in P. entrecasteauxii to explore how the timing of placental nutrient and hormone transfer during embryogenesis affects embryonic development and consequently offspring fitness. The second section of this thesis focused on maternal effects and their adaptive significance in P. entrecasteauxii. In matrotrophic viviparous fish, for example, the evolution of matrotrophy may have been related to high maternal energy availability during gestation, which enhances offspring fitness through maternal effects. In reptiles, net energy gain is dependent on the interaction between body temperature, plasma corticosterone concentration and food availability. The effect of maternal net energy gain during gestation on offspring phenotype was examined in two experiments. In the first, the effect of variation in maternal thermal condition and maternal food availability during gestation was investigated. In the second, investigation of the effect of variation in maternal plasma corticosterone concentration and maternal food availability during gestation was conducted. For each experiment, offspring growth rate was examined using reciprocal transplant experiments (i.e. investigation of adaptive significance of maternal effects) because offspring growth rate is usually associated with fitness. In the final experiment, the effects of maternal food quality (i.e. food with β-carotene and food without β-carotene) during gestation on offspring phenotype were investigated by measuring offspring immune capacity in response to antigenic stimulation. I found that the degree of maternal nutrient support during gestation significantly influenced offspring phenotype, and high maternal net energy availability during gestation potentially enhanced offspring fitness. These findings suggest that predictably high maternal energy availability during gestation may have been an important determinant for the evolution of matrotrophic viviparity in P. entrecasteauxii. Furthermore, findings on the effects of maternal corticosterone and maternal β-carotene availability during gestation on offspring phenotype suggest several important considerations for offspring fitness as a consequence of the evolution of matrotrophic reproduction in P. entrecasteauxii. Thus, this thesis contributes significantly to our understanding of the evolution of matrotrophic viviparity in reptiles and also indicates a further direction for research into this topic.


This thesis deals with femtosecond broadband spectroscopy in the visible regime, which is used to study strongly correlated electron systems. The materials that were studied are high-temperature cuprate superconductors of various dopings and the charge-density wave material tantalum disulfide. Central results comprise the coherent excitation and the detection of a charge fluctuation of the superconducting condensate in optimally doped lanthanum strontium cuprate, the quantification of the electron-phonon coupling in lanthanum cuprate, including the description of a method to directly extract matrix elements from the time-resolved experiments, the observation of spectroscopic evidence for paired electrons far above the superconducting transition temperature in neodymium barium cuprate, and a detailed study of coherent phonons associated with the charge ordering in tantalum disulfide.


Problem. The Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church has played its missional role in Berrien Springs, Michigan, since 1977. In the current situation, more than 70 percent of the church members are students and their families and most Koreans in the Berrien Springs area are Adventists. There are hardly any non-Adventist Koreans in the local community. It makes it tough to do adequate and effective evangelistic training for each member. As a result, very few members have had the experience of sharing the gospel or their personal spiritual testimony with those outside the church. Method. A biblical and theological analysis, literature review, contextual analysis of the Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church, and its in-field experiences related to short-term mission programs of the church were pursued to design a strategic model of short-term missions for the Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church. Results. A model of short-term mission for the Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist church will be set up for training participants strategically. All participants of short-term missions will be exposed to a missional environment and they will experience the joy of sharing the gospel. A home mission will be developed in order to provide experienced church members with the opportunity to do short-term mission for continuous missional experience. All church members will be trained to be active christians. Conclusion. Short-term mission is a good method to provide church members with missional experience. Through this experience, participants can become contagious Christians. Accordingly, the church should utilize this program, design a strategic development curriculum for the training of participants, and apply it to them successfully. In this project, I suggest a strategic model of short-term mission for the Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church. If the local church adopts it, considering its present situation and resources, it will be a helpful element for the growth and revival of the church.


Allan Schmid's innovative text, Conflict and Cooperation: Institutional and Behavioral Economics, investigates "the rules of the game," how institutions--both formal and informal--affect these rules, and how these rules are changed to serve competing interests. This text addresses both formal and informal institutions and the impact of alternative institutions, as well as institutional change and evolution. With its broad applications and numerous practice and discussion questions, this book will be appealing not only to students of economics, but also to those studying sociology, law, and political science. Addresses formal and informal institutions, the impact of alternative institutions, and institutional change and evolution. Presents a framework open to changing preferences, bounded rationality, and evolution. Explains how to form empirically testable hypotheses using experiments, case studies, and econometrics. Includes numerous practice and discussion questions.


Ultrasound sonication of protein and peptide solutions is routinely used in biochemical, biophysical, pharmaceutical and medical sciences to facilitate and accelerate dissolution of macromolecules in both aqueous and organic solvents. However, the impact of ultrasound waves on folding/unfolding of treated proteins, in particular, on aggregation kinetics of amyloidogenic peptides and proteins is not understood. In this work, effects of ultrasound sonication on the misfolding and aggregation behavior of the Alzheimer's Aβ(1–40)‐peptide is studied by pulsed‐field gradient (PFG) spin–echo diffusion NMR and UV circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Upon simple dissolution of Aβ(1–40) in perdeuterated trifluoroethanol, CF3‐CD2‐OD (TFE‐d3), the peptide is present in the solution as a stable monomer adopting α‐helical secondary structural motifs. The self‐diffusion coefficient of Aβ(1–40) monomers in TFE‐d3 was measured as 1.35 × 10−10 m2 s−1, reflecting its monomeric character. However, upon ultrasonic sonication for less than 5 min, considerable populations of Aβ molecules (ca 40%) form large aggregates as reflected in diffusion coefficients smaller than 4.0 × 10−13 m2 s−1. Sonication for longer times (up to 40 min in total) effectively reduces the fraction of these aggregates in 1H PFG NMR spectra to ca 25%. Additionally, absorption below 230 nm increased significantly upon sonication treatment, an observation, which also clearly confirms the ongoing aggregation process of Aβ(1–40) in TFE‐d3. Surprisingly, upon ultrasound sonication only small changes in the peptide secondary structure were detected by CD: the peptide molecules mainly adopt α‐helical motifs in both monomers and aggregates formed upon sonication. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This thorough revision of the classic first edition brings this authoritative book right up-to-date. Articles describe every species in detail, based on the very latest taxonomy, and a host of biological, ecological and sociological aspects relating to marine mammals. The latest information on the biology, ecology, anatomy, behavior and interactions with man is provided by a cast of expert authors - all presented in such detail and clarity to support both marine mammal specialists and the serious naturalist. Fully referenced throughout and with a fresh selection of the best color photographs available, the long-awaited 2e remains at the forefront as the go-to reference on marine mammals. * More than 20% NEW MATERIAL includes articles on Climate Change, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Sociobiology, Habitat Use, Feeding Morphology and more * Over 260 articles on the individual species with topics ranging from anatomy and behavior, to conservation, exploitation and the impact of global climate change on marine mammals * New color illustrations show every species and document topical articles FROM THE FIRST EDITION "This book is so good...a bargain, full of riches...packed with fascinating up to date information. I recommend it unreservedly it to individuals, students, and researchers, as well as libraries". - Richard M. Laws, MARINE MAMMALS SCIENCE "...establishes a solid and satisfying foundation for current study and future exploration" - Ronald J. Shusterman, SCIENCE


Data on fish standing stocks in 7 South African reservoirs were used to assess prospects of reducing in-lake amounts of total phosphorus (TP) through remedial biomanipulation – the removal of fish to deplete internal stocks of biomass-incorporated TP and especially to restrict enhancement of TP availability through internal 'bottom up' recycling by fish. Literature-derived conversion functions were used to estimate the quantity of TP stored in fish biomass, recycled by fish through excretion, and released from bottom sediments through carp and catfish bioturbation. This provided a quasi mass-balance assessment of these contributory influences of fish on TP budgets of reservoirs ranging from mesotrophy to hypertrophy in trophic status (annual mean TP levels of 0.04–0.51 mg/l). Absolute contributions of fish were inevitably related directly to reservoir-specific fish stock abundance, both total-fish and coarse-fish biomass levels which increased with trophic status, generating parallel absolute increases in TP sinks and internal TP loading fluxes. On overall average, total fish stock sequestered 2.2 kg TP/ha in biomass, recycled 13.8 kg TP/ha/yr through excretion, and mobilized 8.0 kg TP/ha/yr through sediment bioturbation. Average values relative to external loadings in 5 reservoirs amounted to 3.8% (biomass), 22.8% (excretion) and 11.8% (bioturbation), totalling 38.4%. Most pertinently, the relative importance of fish in reservoir TP budgets declined progressively with rising trophic status, with corresponding averages less than half (1.4, 8.7 and 5.4%, total = 15.4%) in 3 hypertrophic reservoirs (> 0.10 mg TP/l). While total fish eradication plausibly reduces average internal phosphorus by some 40% relative to external load, the corresponding average reduction in hypertrophic reservoirs in greatest need of nutrient reduction is far less (~ 15%). 'Bottom-up' bioremediation accordingly offers little help in the management of nutrient-enriched reservoirs, and is essentially futile where high external nutrient loading persists. Keywords : biomanipulation, biomass sinks, bioturbation, eutrophication management, excretion, fish, phosphorus, recycling, reservoir ecosystems


Carduus acanthoides is a traditional Tibetan herbal medicine for the treatment of hematemesis, hematuria, and menorrhagia. Despite its multiple biological activities, comprehensive chemical analysis of this herb has not been reported, so far. In this study, chemical constituents of C. acanthoides were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/DAD/qTOF-MS). The methanol extract of C. acanthoides was separated on an ACQUITY HSS T3 column (1.8 μm, 150 mm × 2.1 mm) and eluted with acetonitrile–water (containing 0.1% formic acid). Constituents were identified by UV and HRMS in the negative ion mode. A total of 69 compounds were identified from C. acanthoides, including 35 flavonoids, 17 quinic acids, 7 phenolic acid glycosides, 5 phenylethanoid glycosides, 3 coumarins, and 2 phenolic acids. Among them, 31 compounds were unambiguously characterized by comparing with reference standards. Furthermore, a UPLC/UV (340 nm) method was established to simultaneously determine 3 quinic acids and 6 flavonoids, including neochlorogenic acid (9), chlorogenic acid (16), cryptochlorogenic acid (18), kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-glucoside (32), luteolin 7-O-glucosyl-(1→2)-glucoside (34), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (38), luteolin 7-O-6′′′-O-acetyl-glucosyl-(1→2)-glucoside (44), kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside (55), and chrysoeriol 7-O-6′′′-O-acetyl-glucosyl-(1→2)-glucoside (56). All analytes showed good linearity (r2 ≥ 0.998) with an LOD of 0.077–0.120 μg mL−1. These nine compounds accounted for 2.1–3.5‰ of the herb.


textabstractCounter-cryptanalysis, the concept of using cryptanalytic techniques to detect cryptanalytic attacks, was introduced by Stevens at CRYPTO 2013 [22] with a hash collision detection algorithm. That is, an algorithm that detects whether a given single message is part of a colliding message pair constructed using a cryptanalytic collision attack on MD5 or SHA-1. The concept's utility was proven when it was used to expose the then-unknown cryptanalytic collision attack exploited by the Flame espionage supermalware. So far there is a significant cost: to detect collision attacks against SHA-1 (respectively MD5) costs the equivalent of hashing the message 15 (respectively 224) times. In this paper we present a significant performance improvement for collision detection based on the new concept of unavoidable conditions. Unavoidable conditions are conditions that are necessary for all feasible attacks in a certain attack class. As such they can be used to quickly dismiss particular attack classes that may have been used in the construction of the message. To determine an unavoidable condition one must rule out any feasible variant attack where this condition might not be necessary, otherwise adversaries aware of counter-cryptanalysis could easily bypass this improved collision detection with a carefully chosen variant attack. We provide a formal model for unavoidable conditions for collision attacks on MD5-like compression functions. Furthermore, based on a conjecture solidly supported by the current state of the art, we show how we can determine such unavoidable conditions for SHA-1. We have implemented the improved SHA-1 collision detection using such unavoidable conditions and which is about 16 times faster than without our unavoidable condition improvements. We have measured that overall our implemented SHA-1 with collision detection is only a factor 1.96 slower, on average, than SHA-1. Our work is very timely given the recently announced SHA-1 collision proving that SHA-1 is now practically broken


Page 1 of 6 ABSTRACT In this study, the denitrification capacity of a continuous influent feed sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was measured and evaluated trough tests at a pilot plant situated in Nacka, Sweden. The reactor's capacity for total nitrogen removal was determined for three cycle structures with allocated anoxic treatment time during the react phase of 0, 2 and 4 hours per day. In the study, the batch reactor showed a significant capacity for denitrification even with no anoxic phases added into the react phase. Without anoxic treatment phases, an average of 53 % of the influent nitrogen was denitrified. When adding 2 and 4 hours of anoxic treatment time per day, this number was increased to 65 % and 66 %, respectively. Denitrification was found to occur during the settling phase of the treatment cycle. This was possible thanks to the continuous influent feed, which ensured that sufficient carbon for denitrification was available in the settled sludge, as well as the use of proper DO control, which enabled anoxic conditions during the settling phase. Under these conditions, the denitrification capacity offers the potential to reduce the length of allocated anoxic periods in continuous feed SBRs while still meeting required total nitrogen permits. Standard design procedures indicate that the reduction in required anoxic periods can decrease the total life cycle cost of a continuous feed SBR system with up to 15 % and the required footprint per treatment capacity with 15 %.


A step-by-step guide to getting the most of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 Everything you need to create and deliver data-rich reports with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services as quickly as possible Packed with hands-on-examples to learn and improve your skills Connect and report from databases, spreadsheets, XML Data, and more No experience of SQL Server Reporting Services required In Detail Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 is the third generation Microsoft reporting software that is more tightly integrated with SQL Server 2008 than ever before. It provides a complete server-based platform that is designed to support a wide variety of reporting needs, including managed enterprise reporting, special purpose reporting, embedded reporting, and web-based reporting.Ideal for beginners who need to create reports as quickly as possible, this book will lead you through practical examples to teach you a full range of skills for reporting with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. A series of carefully picked exercises help you practice the most important aspects of report creation. By the end of the book, you will have the confidence to take on the most complex of reports, and be producing reports that will make you the envy of your organization.What you will learn from this book? Install SQL Server 2008 and configure the SQL Server Reporting ServicesLearn the various components and tools that enable end-to-end support for all reporting activitiesUse the report viewer control to get started with the essentials of retrieving and displaying dataCreate a Report Model using the Visual Studio 2008 TemplateLearn to modify reports on a report server and create linked files with report managerEmbed Microsoft Report Viewer Controls in web and Windows applicationsCreate interactive reports with charts and gauges using Report BuilderCreate several kinds of reports with Report Builder 2.0Create server reports and report models and deploy themGet the full details of available programming interfaces and their usageLearn to work with Crystal Reports 2008Import reports created using MS AccessLearn how to use the Programming API, convert Report file types, use command-line utilities and moreApproachWith clear instructions and plenty of screenshots, this book provides all the support and guidance you will need as you begin to generate reports with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services.Who this book is written for? This book is for anyone who is new to SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services and needs to create and deploy reports. The book is suitable for report developers, data analysts, and report server database administrators.You will need to know the basic concepts of SQL Server, but not necessarily be very familiar with SQL Server 2008.


Neoclassical economics assume that producers in an economy always operate efficiently, however in real terms, producers are not always fully efficient. This difference may be explained both in terms of efficiency, as well as unforeseen exogenous shocks outside the producer control. This paper aims to analyse the productive efficiency estimation through a stochastic frontier analysis approach. Particularly, this paper attempts to examine systematically the theoretical background of stochastic frontier function estimation, focusing on the analysis of the efficiency function, in order to provide a solid background for productive efficiency estimation.


The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of increase in the Olympic lift total, between one group of subjects using a rack work routine of exercises and another group of subjects using a weight lifting movement routine of exercises. From this comparison it could be decided which, if either, of the routines of exercising is significantly better for the improvement of the Olympic lifts total. Eighteen male high schoo1 students enrolled at Chanute Senior High School during the 1967-1968 school years were employed as subjects for this study. The subjects were those students enrolled in the weight lifting class at Chanute high school. The related group design was used to select two groups of subjects from the eighteen students employed in this study. Work out periods were conducted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 A.M. The Monday and Wednesday workouts were devoted to the specific exercise routines assigned to each group. The Friday work outs consisted of each subject lifting maximally, on the Olympic lifts, for a one repetition total. A six week experimental program was selected as this is the usual time a lifter allows in special preparation for a weight lifting contest. The statistical technique of analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and the t-test were used to analyze the data compiled in this study. The results showed a significant increase in the Olympic lift total for both the rack work group A and for the weight movement group B. From a consideration of these results it could be established that either of these exercise routines, that of weight movement and that of rack work exercises will significantly increase the lifters poundage in the Olympic lift total. The Null hypotheses must be accepted in this experiment because the t-test showed there was no significant difference between the means of increase of the two groups used in this study.


Aim: The present research work was carried out by formulate and evaluate the gastro-retentive floating tablets of propranolol. Materials and Methods: Propranolol HCl is an antihypertensive agent. It is mainly used in the treatment of acute myocardial infarctions. Consequently, the current exploration was to design a gastro-retentive drug delivery system of propranolol using swelling polymer through wet granulation method. All the formulations were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, friability, drug content, and in-vitro dissolution. In this gastro-retentive dosage form using hydroxypropylmethylcellulose-K4M (HPMC-K4M) was prepared to develop a sustain release tablets, which could retain in the stomach for longer periods of time delivering the drug to the site of action that is in the stomach. Statistical Analysis used: Fourier-transform infrared signifying compatibility of the drug and polymers in the tablet composition. Results: Pre- and Post-compression parameters of all the formulations were within the pharmacopoeial limits and in-vitro drug release of F2 formulation was found to be 99.14% in 12 h. Conclusion: Dissolution studies of the composition, it was concluded that the formulation F2 which is containing 50 mg of HPMC-K4M, 25 mg of sodium bicarbonate, 25 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone K30, 1.5 mg of magnesium stearate, and 1.5 mg of Talc is the best formulation. F2 possessed quick buoyancy lag time of 40 s and good total floating time of 12 h. As the consequence of this study, it may accomplish that the floating tablets using HPMC-K4M are a hydrophilic polymer increases the gross register tonnage of the dissolution fluid in the stomach to deliver the drug in a sustained manner.


This study investigates the known successes and and failures of New England seamen, second-hand poetry about women on land and men at sea, personal narratives of family members ashore, and the deeply intimate writings of men on sailing ships. Through official documentation and the productions of literary circles, it is possible to determine the relationship between the external and intrinsic motivations of men and their families to go to sea and stay at sea. Life in seafaring communities intensified human experiences. Familial separation and loss has universally emanated grief in seafaring traditions. The New England maritime narrative is a story of under-dog triumphs, psychological and emotional struggles, broken expectations, and loss. This study seeks to honor the sacrifices of seaport families and communities.


Purpose: To investigate the effect of topically applied honey on intact corneas, surgically induced corneal abrasions and endotoxin induced keratitis. Materials and Methods: The effect of honey on the cornea was investigated by application of honey on intact corneas, wounded corneas and endotoxin-induced keratitis in Lewis rats. The corneas were wounded by creating an epithelial defect using a surgical blade, and the keratitis was induced by topically applying Pseudomonas aeruginosa endotoxin to scarified corneas. After treatment rats were sacrificed and cornea harvested in each case. Corneas were processed for paraffin embedding for histological and immuno-fluorescence staining. Corneas were also harvested and processed for total ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation for reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis for various growth factors and inflammatory chemokines/cytokines). Results: Histological analysis revealed that no inflammation or morphological changes occurred after honey treatment in naive intact corneas. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were also not altered after honey treatment. Topical application of honey to injured corneas resulted in faster epithelial healing and decreased expression of VEGF, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in injured corneas. Our results also established that honey treatment reduced the inflammation in endotoxin-induced keratitis by reducing the levels of angiogenic factors (VEGF and TGF-β), inflammatory cytokines (IL-12) and chemokines (CC chemokine receptor 5(CCR-5)). Conclusion: Short term use of honey on intact corneas can be safe. Honey has anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties that can be explored in several corneal inflammatory and infectious conditions.


Purpose: The paper analyzes consumer attitudes and related behavior towards organic products and determines the factors affecting consumer attitudes towards organic products andLithuanian consumers' choices. Methodology: Previous scientific works are analyzed and generalized in order to provide scientific substantiation for the research. A questionnaire survey is provided in order to approve the theoretically established factors in the Lithuanian market of organic products. The questionnaire is comprised of 23 statements representing eight latent variables: six possible reasons for the choice of an organic product (health issues; environmental concerns; food safety and quality; economic reasons; social reasons; psychological reasons) and two possible outcomes (intentions to choose organic products; actual organic product purchases). The survey results are based on the answers of 269 respondents representing the population of the four biggest cities in Lithuania. Findings: The results indicate the structural differences between theory and its application for the Lithuanian market; therefore, the factors are reestablished. The research results show the high level of Lithuanian consumers' environmental consciousness; also, a willingness to share information relating to environmental issues with friends; and active engagement in sharing information about environmentally related issues. However, consumer awareness of the relationship between organic products, and health and quality issues is lower, indicating the necessity to be managed. Also, consumers do not express high agreement that organic products have to be more expensive; they do not intend to pay a higher price for them. Research results show that Lithuanian consumers do not choose organic products often and they also do not express conformable behavior (resulting from organic product purchases). Implications for theory and practice: The research results enable the ability to compose a clear framework of Lithuanian consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products. The established factors affecting consumer attitudes and behavior can be further explored and modeled according to different market situations. Originality and value: Based on the results, companies can elaborate on effective marketing strategies fostering consumer attitudes and behavior in a particular way.


This article analyzes two social movements in France: the 'Mouvement des Indigènes de la République' [Movement of the 'Indigenous' of the Republic], and the 'Réseau Éducation Sans Frontières' [Education without Borders Network]. It explores the kinds of borders and underlying struggles that these social movements bring to light, and how their actions redraw borders. In these borderlands, actors in the two French resistance movements oppose exclusions and attempt to delegitimize the collective understanding of 'la République' that underpins them. This analysis builds on previous research demonstrating that social movements can succeed instrumentally in mobilizing participants when they resonate with and draw on participants' 'lifeworld' (Edwards, 2008; Habermas, 1987). Moreover, I insist on the expressivist quality of these actions as performances of democratic freedom (Beltrán, 2009; Drexler, 2007). Finally, I consider some limitations and the broader lessons for border challenges.


Catalyst Arts: Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art X curated by Cherie Driver centres on the artist led initiative established in 1992. The exhibition examines the role mainly Belfast based artists, collaborative projects and performative actions and events have played in dissolving individualistic notions of the artist, pushing boundaries of contemporary art practice, and appropriating curation as an artistic practice and critical collaborative process. The tenth instalment of Golden Thread Gallery's Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art Series, a project that forms a significant archive of Northern Irish Art from 1945 to the present. Featured artists: Julie Louise Bacon, Amy Brooks, Ursula Burke, Lorraine Burrell, Duncan Campbell, Gerard Carson, Colm Clarke, Brian Connolly, Ben Craig, Miriam de Burca, Toby Dennett, Seamus Harahan, Kevin Henderson, Daniel Jewesbury, Lisa Malone, Ronan McCrea, Mary McIntyre, Susan MacWilliam, Deirdre McKenna, Dougal McKenzie, Stephen Miller, Eilis O'Baoil, Sinead O'Donnell, Mark Orange, Brian Patterson, Peter Richards, Duncan Ross, Helen Sharp, Dan Shipsides, Theo Sims, Keike Twisselmann & Karen Vaughan.


Objective: There are studies which determine the connection between deficiency or surplus of serum vitamin D, folic acid and B12, ashyma and wheezing attacks. This study aimed to determine whether or not there was any significant connection between serum vitamin D, folic acid and B12 levels and recurrent wheezing attacks. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seven children aged 0-3 years who presented with a history of at least 3 episodes of wheezing and no secondary causes, and 86 healthy children in similar age group were included in this study. A questionnaire was applied which examined the sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors of the chidren and their families. Serum 25 OH D3, folic acid and B12 levels of the patients and the control group were measured. Results: The two groups were similar in respect of age or gender. The mean serum 25 OH D3 level was 26.64 ± 11.01 ng/mL in the patient group and 33.98 ± 10 ng/mL in the control group (p< 0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was found to be 45 (42%) children in the patient group, and 15 (17.4%) children in the control group (p= 0.0002). No statistically significant difference was seen between the groups in B12 or folic acid levels (p= 0.78, p= 0.60, respectively). Conclusion: The vitamin D intake and the serum vitamin D level were lower in the children with recurrent wheezing compared to the control group which indicate that deficiency of vitamin D may have a role in the etiology of recurrent attacks of wheezing. This evidence proved that the vitamin D intake, and if needed, the serum level need to be controlled. No relationship was determned between the deficiency of B12 and folic acid and recurrent wheezing attacks. There is a need for further studies on the subject of B12 and folic acid.


In times when telecommunications are one of the cardinal points of our society, engineers people who study them are very important to be able to see and analyse the signals which make up them. That is why experts, in this broad field, need a tool capable of providing a vision of all the signals which they are sending or receiving. In this project, we tried to implement a graphical interface tool able to give visibility to all the signals received by any telecommunication device. Making the user itself able to interact with it, in such a way he has the absolute control of what he wants to do. In addition, this tool is designed to support all those users who use a framework based on Software Defined Radio. In this project, first, it will be explained what is exactly the Software Defined Radio technology, including its benefits and giving examples of application where it is used. Also, there is a collection of frameworks that are based on this technology, explaining in more detail ALOE Middleware. Next, we will try to explain in detail how the software is built, what is the data flow, the graphs in which it is composed and the functionality they have. And finally, the entire implementation will be incorporated into the Software Defined Radio technology, especially, within the ALOE middleware where real-time tests will be sent by sending audio signals and LTE signals.


Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a well-known public health threat; however, published data on the endemic burden of HCAIs in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of primary bloodstream infection (PBSI), surgical site infection (SSI), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and urinary tract infection (UTI) at Kimberley Hospital Complex (KHC), Northern Cape. Methods: A one-day pointprevalence survey was conducted between February 2016 and March 2016 on all patients admitted to 15 selected wards at KHC. The Standardised Centers for Disease Control and National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Systems criteria were used. Results: A total of 326 patients were surveyed and the overall HCAI prevalence rate was 7.67%. This included 4.60% SSIs, 1.53% UTIs, 0.92% PBSIs and 0.92% LRTIs. Patients with HCAI stayed a mean of 20.8 days compared with 9.1 days for the remaining patients. Almost 75% (n = 240) of the surveyed patients had one or more recognised risk factors. The most isolated microorganism among the 11 microorganisms isolated was Klebsiella pneumoniae (36.4%). Half (54.5%) of the isolated organisms were resistant to penicillin. At the time of the survey, 42.0% of all the patients were on antimicrobials of which amoxicillin/clavulanic acid was most commonly prescribed (29.9%). Conclusion: The overall HCAI prevalence rate found in KHC is encouraging, but the prevalence of SSI is of concern. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors and target this as an area where preventative interventions can be implemented.


Contemporary materialist theory is converging with the study of material culture, as evidenced by increasing attention given to the book as a material object produced, circulated, and consumed as a commodity. It is, however, problematic to conceive of the book as a material object, since writing itself cannot be straightforwardly conceived as a material thing, as Derrida has shown. Moreover, it is difficult to conceive the book as a commodity, since the notion of the commodity is also problematically rooted in the notion of the material, as can be established by reference to Marx and Benjamin. To consider the materiality of the book we need in place an architext of the use of the terms matter and materiality in theoretical thought. These terms are central but elusive, even when they are consciously thematized, as they are, for example, in the work of Judith Butler. This elusiveness arises only partly because the distinction between Cartesian and Aristotelian matter is forgotten, but mainly because these terms are used in an approximate fashion by Marx, who is the principal source of this vocabulary in contemporary theory. We should treat the term matter with the same skepticism we employ when dealing with other idealist concepts, not as their preconceptual other and redemption.


In this paper, we analyze a variety of labor market adjustment issues facing Russian households from 1992 to 1996 on the basis of a panel data set which allows us to group the sample respondents by demographic, occupational and job location features. We employ multivariate specifications for analyzing patterns of job security and job replacement concerns, involuntary layoffs and voluntary quits, forced unpaid leave and its duration, monthly hours of work and short-time work, nonemployment spell and unemployment incidence as they affected our respondents selected by demographic characteristics, occupation, and region. Among our principal finding is that men and women had increased fears of job loss and increased pessimism about their reemployment prospects during the years considered here but women had borne a greater burden of the majority of the "quantity" or employment adjustments.


This paper introduces a new prefix matching algorithm called "Coded Prefix Search" and its improved version called "Scalar Prefix Search" using a coding concept for prefixes which can be implemented on a variety of trees especially limited height balanced trees for both IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes. Using this concept, each prefix is treated as a number. The main advantage of the proposed algorithms compared to Trie-based solutions is that the number of node accesses does not depend on IP address length in both search and update procedures. Therefore, applying this concept to balanced trees, causes the search and update node access complexities to be O(log n) where nis the number of prefixes. Also, compared to the existing range-based solutions, it does not need to store both end points of a prefix or to store ranges. Finally, compared to similar tree based solutions; it exhibits good storage requirements while it supports faster incremental updates. These properties make the algorithm capable of potential hardware implementation.


Understanding the relationship between photosynthesis, net primary productivity and growth in forest ecosystems is key to understanding how these ecosystems will respond to global anthropogenic change, yet the linkages among these components are rarely explored in detail. We provide the first comprehensive description of the productivity, respiration and carbon allocation of contrasting lowland Amazonian forests spanning gradients in seasonal water deficit and soil fertility. Using the largest data set assembled to date, ten sites in three countries all studied with a standardized methodology, we find that (i) gross primary productivity (GPP) has a simple relationship with seasonal water deficit, but that (ii) site‐to‐site variations in GPP have little power in explaining site‐to‐site spatial variations in net primary productivity (NPP) or growth because of concomitant changes in carbon use efficiency (CUE), and conversely, the woody growth rate of a tropical forest is a very poor proxy for its productivity. Moreover, (iii) spatial patterns of biomass are much more driven by patterns of residence times (i.e. tree mortality rates) than by spatial variation in productivity or tree growth. Current theory and models of tropical forest carbon cycling under projected scenarios of global atmospheric change can benefit from advancing beyond a focus on GPP. By improving our understanding of poorly understood processes such as CUE, NPP allocation and biomass turnover times, we can provide more complete and mechanistic approaches to linking climate and tropical forest carbon cycling.


Neural networks are often used in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems for detecting clinically significant objects. They have also been applied in the AI community to cue image analysts (IAs) for assisted target recognition and wide-area searching. Given the similarity between the applications in the two communities, there are a number of common issues that must be considered when training these neural networks. Two such issues are: (1) exploiting information at multiple scales (e.g. context and detail structure), and (2) dealing with uncertainty (e.g. errors in truth data). We address these two issues, transferring architectures and training algorithms originally developed for assisting IAs in search applications, to improve CAD for mammography. These include hierarchical pyramid neural net (HPNN) architectures that automatically learn and integrate multi-resolution features for improving microcalcification and mass detection in CAD systems. These networks are trained using an uncertain object position (UOP) error function for the supervised learning of image searching/detection tasks when the position of the objects to be found is uncertain or ill-defined. The results show that the HPNN architecture trained using the UOP error function reduces the false-positive rate of a mammographic CAD system by 30%-50% without any significant loss in sensitivity. We conclude that the transfer of assisted target recognition technology from the AI community to the medical community can significantly impact the clinical utility of CAD systems.


Structural and spatial organization are fundamental properties of biological systems that allow cells to regulate a wide range of biochemical processes. This organization is often transient and governed by external cues that initiate dynamic self-assembly processes. The construction of synthetic cell-like materials with similar properties requires the hierarchical and reversible organization of selected functional components on molecular scaffolds to dynamically regulate signaling pathways. The realization of such transient molecular programs in synthetic cells, however, remains underexplored due to the associated complexity of such hierarchical platforms. In this contribution, we effectuate dynamic spatial organization of effector protein subunits in a synthetic biomimetic compartment, a giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV), by associating in a reversible manner two fragments of a split luciferase to the membrane. This induces their structural dimerization, which consequently leads to the activation of enzymatic signaling. Importantly, such organization and activation are dynamic processes, and can be autonomously regulated – thus opening up avenues toward continuous spatiotemporal control over supramolecular organization and signaling in an artificial cell.


In this paper, we propose a planar panorama stitching method to blend consecutive images captured by a multirotor equipped with a fish-eye camera. In addition, we suggest an exposure correction method to reduce the brightness difference between contiguous images, and a drift error correction method to compensate the estimated position of multirotor. In experiments, the multi-rotor flies at 35 meters above the ground, and the fish-eye camera attached in gimbals system takes pictures. Then we validate the performance of the algorithm with processing video frames. In order to supervise and observe a specific region, it is more efficient to blend multiple captured images, because it is possible to construct a planar map with higher resolution at low cost. In detail, first, geographic relation between consecutive images is estimated by using Euclidean homography. At the same time, the proposed algorithm estimates the position of multi-rotor on the planar map, so that it is possible to blend images with minimizing the variance of drift error. Then, the proposed algorithm uses histogram matching to compensate the different brightness of images. For this, we divide an image into three layers: background, foreground, and overexposure. Finally, we use multi-band blending to create a seamless panorama.


Increasingly, the involvement of people in events extends far beyond the physical realm and encompasses the digital experience - sharing through social media and mediated by mobile technology. In a bid to understand how to improve the digital and mobile experience and subsequently the user experience in an event context, this paper presents the Digital Event Experience Diagnostic and Development Framework (DEEDD). The DEEDD conceptual framework is first developed from a synthesis of the literature encompassing communications, mobile technology and event experience theories. Using a generative research approach, through the emerging technique of digital Netnography, the framework is tested in a real event context incorporating qualitative insights gained through participatory design enquiry. In view of the empirical evidence presented, further development of the conceptual model was undertaken and is incorporated in the final DEEDD model presented in this paper. In this model we posit that participatory design enquiry, through pro-active event participant engagement, creates new value and increases event satisfaction - ultimately leading to a better event experience for all users.


YgbQ is a cell division protein in Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae. In E. coli the ygbQ gene was discovered as a result of a computer search of the E. coli genome designed to find potential interacting partners for cell division protein FtsL. In V. cholerae, ygbQ was identified as an essential gene by using a transposon that fuses genes to an arabinose promoter. The role of YgbQ in cell division is supported by the following. Cells depleted of YgbQ in both organisms form long filaments, but DNA segregation is not affected. YgbQ localizes to the constriction site in wild-type E. coli cells. Localization of E. coli YgbQ to the constriction site depends on cell division proteins FtsQ and FtsL but not FtsW and FtsI, placing YgbQ in the sequential dependency order of proteins localizing to the division site. Localization of green fluorescent protein-FtsL also depends on YgbQ, indicating that FtsL and YgbQ colocalize to the division site in E. coli. Our results show colocalization of proteins to the bacterial midcell in E. coli and raise the possibility that these proteins interact in a coiled-coil structure.


The public trust doctrine is often accused of undermining property rights, when in fact the doctrine is actually a property concept, and a venerable one. Instead of threatening property rights, the doctrine functions to harmonize public and private rights in important resources, mostly those close to the land-water edge. This article demonstrates how this reconciliation takes place by examining case law recognizing the lineal and conceptual divisions by which the doctrine separates public and private rights. It also considers other ways in which the public trust doctrine balances public and private rights, such as ratifying small privatizations of public resources, transforming fee simple absolutes into defeasible fees, and recognizing pubic easements on private land titles. The article concludes that the public trust doctrine, if properly understood, can perform the important function helping to modernize property law.


Purity is an important topic in psychology. It has a long history in moral discourse, has helped catalyze paradigm shifts in moral psychology, and is thought to underlie political differences. But what exactly is "purity?" To answer this question, we review the history of purity and then systematically examine 158 psychology papers that define and operationalization (im)purity. In contrast to the many concepts defined by what they are, purity is often understood by what it isn't—obvious dyadic harm. Because of this "contra"-harm understanding, definitions and operationalizations of purity are quite varied. Acts used to operationalize impurity include taking drugs, eating your sister's scab, vandalizing a church, wearing unmatched clothes, buying music with sexually explicit lyrics, and having a messy house. This heterogeneity makes purity a "chimera"—an entity composed of various distinct elements. Our review reveals that the "contra-chimera" of purity has 9 different scientific understandings, and that most papers define purity differently from how they operationalize it. Although people clearly moralize diverse concerns—including those related to religion, sex, and food—such heterogeneity in conceptual definitions is problematic for theory development. Shifting definitions of purity provide "theoretical degrees of freedom" that make falsification extremely difficult. Doubts about the coherence and consistency of purity raise questions about key purity-related claims of modern moral psychology, including the nature of political differences and the cognitive foundations of moral judgment.


In this study a simple analytical tool based on room-temperature phosphorimetry (RTP) is developed and used for evaluating the effectiveness of protective clothing materials against permeation of organic substances containing compounds such as the polycyclic aromatic compounds. A special permeation cell is designed, which allows direct RTP measurements of the permeated products after exposure, without requiring any sample extraction procedure. Results for a variety of petroleum product-protective material combinations illustrate the usefulness of the technique.


In this striking 'Hearts of Oak' trilogy Sam Willis uses David Garrick's stirring verse as a tag in his examination of the way in which myths and legends shape our modern understanding of naval history, revisiting the fine balance between fact, fiction and pure myth that has always clung to the subject, and thereby ensure that the great days of sail remain central to notions of British identity in the 21st century. Willis has a PhD in naval history, 'hands-on' experience as a professional square-rig seaman and the priceless ability to tell a compelling story. His subjects, a ship, an Admiral and a battle, offer ideal canvasses on which to explore his theme across 200 years, through stories that have drifted out of modern consciousness. The names remain recognizable, but the reality behind their legend has been lost. 'After more than a century of professional naval history. . . it is time to look afresh at those stories of heroism from the perspective of modern historians' and understand how they 'became legends'(Temeraire p.ix). Willis explains his subject with insight and understanding, and he makes his learning accessible to all. Technical terms are accessible in the glossary, backed by a generous quota of well-chosen illustrations, wholly enmeshed in the narrative and cross-referenced as a key element in the story. Some of these images helped create the legends, and remain essential to modern understanding. Phillipe Jacques de Loutherbourg's hyper-real technicolour masterpiece 'The Glorious First of June' reduced a long, complex, largely incoherent battlefield, which stunned men observed through a shroud of gunsmoke, into an evocation of the ideological merits of the contending parties, and the record of what the battle meant to the winners. It makes no sense at all to the French, who claim another kind of victory. Although less striking the pen and ink sketches of Willem van de Velde the elder, which show us the many ships on which John Benbow served, are equally compelling as records of a sea power state, newly come to maturity, but still deeply dependant on borrowed skills to build a truly naval identity. The van de Velde's, father and son, gave the English a style in which to represent their ambitions, an art that reached a conclusion with Turner's 'Fighting Temeraire', the ultimate English picture. Few recall how pivotal the 17th-century Dutch masters had been to the development of his vision, or the impact of de Loutherbourg's work. King George IV commissioned Turner's stupendous 'Trafalgar' to hang as a pair with the 'Glorious First': both pictures are less than complete when viewed alone. The Temeraire story begins in France; the first Téméraire was a French prize, taken by Admiral Boscawen at the battle off Lagos in 1759. This big, fast, 74-gun third rate served her new masters well, as a flagship in major amphibious operations at Belle Isle and Havana—campaigns that transformed command of the sea into a war-winning position. The famous 'Fighting Temeraire', a larger three-decker with 98 guns, was designed and built for close-quarters battle. Ordered just after the outbreak of war with France in 1793, and named to remind the regicide Republicans in Paris that Britannia ruled the waves, her career would be split by the brief Peace of Amiens of 1802. In the Revolutionary War the new ship joined the blockade of Brest, a mission that combined some of the most dangerous waters in the world with appalling weather. When the war ended, the Admiralty decided to send her to the West Indies. The crew, anxious to be paid off and get ashore, mutinied; 11 men were condemned and hung. In 1803 Temeraire went back to war and earned her fame following the Victory into battle, saving the crippled flagship from boarders. Although he retells the oft-told tale of Trafalgar, Willis uses the later chapters to examine the rest of the ship's career—which included service in the Baltic, a defence of Cadiz and as a prison hulk—after the possibility of another fleet action had passed. After that the old warrior served as the guard ship at the Nore. Finally sold for breaking up in the 1830s her final voyage to Rotherhithe allowed another generation to capture her likeness. Only then did she become the 'Fighting' Temeraire, immortalized by Turner in 1838. The picture is bs_bs_banner


IMPORTANCE
There is increasing evidence that Parkinson disease (PD) is heterogeneous in its clinical presentation and prognosis. Defining subtypes of PD is needed to better understand underlying mechanisms, predict disease course, and eventually design more efficient personalized management strategies.

OBJECTIVES
To identify clinical subtypes of PD, compare the prognosis and progression rate between PD phenotypes, and compare the ability to predict prognosis in our subtypes and those from previously published clustering solutions.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Prospective cohort study. The cohorts were from 2 movement disorders clinics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (patients were enrolled during the period from 2005 to 2013). A total of 113 patients with idiopathic PD were enrolled. A comprehensive spectrum of motor and nonmotor features (motor severity, motor complications, motor subtypes, quantitative motor tests, autonomic and psychiatric manifestations, olfaction, color vision, sleep parameters, and neurocognitive testing) were assessed at baseline. After a mean follow-up time of 4.5 years, 76 patients were reassessed. In addition to reanalysis of baseline variables, a global composite outcome was created by merging standardized scores for motor symptoms, motor signs, cognitive function, and other nonmotor manifestations.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Changes in the quintiles of the global composite outcome and its components were compared between different subtypes.

RESULTS
The best cluster solution found was based on orthostatic hypotension, mild cognitive impairment, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), depression, anxiety, and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part II and Part III scores at baseline. Three subtypes were defined as mainly motor/slow progression, diffuse/malignant, and intermediate. Despite similar age and disease duration, patients with the diffuse/malignant phenotype were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment, orthostatic hypotension, and RBD at baseline, and at prospective follow-up, they showed a more rapid progression in cognition (odds ratio [OR], 8.7 [95% CI, 4.0-18.7]; P < .001), other nonmotor symptoms (OR, 10.0 [95% CI, 4.3-23.2]; P < .001), motor signs (OR, 4.1 [95% CI, 1.8-9.1]; P = .001), motor symptoms (OR, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.3-6.2]; P < .01), and the global composite outcome (OR, 8.0 [95% CI, 3.7-17.7]; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
It is recommended to screen patients with PD for mild cognitive impairment, orthostatic hypotension, and RBD even at baseline visits. These nonmotor features identify a diffuse/malignant subgroup of patients with PD for whom the most rapid progression rate could be expected.


To evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupropion SR for smoking cessation, the authors reviewed published studies and developed a decision analytic model from the UK National Health Services perspective. Irrespective of the methods or assumptions involved, the results of published studies consistently indicated that NRT for smoking cessation is cost-effective. No published studies have evaluated the relative cost-effectiveness of bupropion SR for smoking cessation. The results of the decision analyses indicated that, as compared with advice or counseling alone, the incremental cost per life-years saved is about $1,441~$3,455 for NRT, $920~$2,150 for bupropion SR, and $1,282~$2,836 for NRT plus bupropion SR. The cost-effectiveness of adding NRT and bupropion SR to advice or counseling for smoking cessation is better than many other accepted health care interventions.


Maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) is widely used in sequence to sequence tasks for model training. It uniformly treats the generation/prediction of each target token as multiclass classification, and yields non-smooth prediction probabilities: in a target sequence, some tokens are predicted with small probabilities while other tokens are with large probabilities. According to our empirical study, we find that the non-smoothness of the probabilities results in low quality of generated sequences. In this paper, we propose a sentence-wise regularization method which aims to output smooth prediction probabilities for all the tokens in the target sequence. Our proposed method can automatically adjust the weights and gradients of each token in one sentence to ensure the predictions in a sequence uniformly well. Experiments on three neural machine translation tasks and one text summarization task show that our method outperforms conventional MLE loss on all these tasks and achieves promising BLEU scores on WMT14 English-German and WMT17 Chinese-English translation task.


From the early days of television (TV) when viewers sat around one TV usually in their living room, it has always been considered a shared experience. Fast forward to the present day and this same shared experience is still key but viewers no longer have to be in the same room, and we are seeing the dawn of mass participation TV. Whilst many people predicted the demise of live TV viewing with the adoption of Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) it has not materialised. Shows that are watched live are often ones that have a greater social buzz. These shows regularly have viewers discussing what they are watching and what's happening in real- time. This paper focuses on the influence smartphones have on TV viewing, how people are interacting with TV, and considering approaches for extracting sentiment from this discussion to determine if people are enjoying what they are watching.


Introduction At present there is a pandemic of low serum vitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration, partly due to a lack of sun exposure (the primary route for synthesis) and modern lifestyle choices. The bioactive form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D3) exerts its biological activity by binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR). These receptors play a central role in the biological actions of vitamin D and are expressed in nearly every tissue and cell type in the body (M. Holick, 2007). Vitamin D deficiency is widespread within many general and athletic populations and associated with a number of detrimental health conditions, including a long-term impact on cardiovascular health (M. Holick, 2007; Larson-Meyer & Willis, 2010; Pittas, Lau, Hu, & Dawson-Hughes, 2007), and the aetiology of osteomalacia and osteoporosis (M. F. Holick, 2009). Given the prevalence and potential negative morbidity associated with deficiency (Larson-Meyer & Willis, 2010), regular vitamin D testing has been recommended as part of routine athlete screening. Current literature shows inconsistent associations between vitamin D status and bone mineral density and cardiac health; (Bischoff-Ferrari, Kiel, et al., 2009; Marwaha et al., 2011) particularly in racial minorities and athletic populations. Whilst it is considered that athletes should have 'sufficient' vitamin D concentrations, the exact value to 'optimise' health is equivocal. Finally, there appears to be a 'paradoxical relationship' between ethnicity and vitamin D concentration, that has largely been ignored, i.e. blacks generally present with the lowest vitamin D concentrations but the greatest bone mineral density (BMD) and reduced risk of fracture (Cauley et al., 2005). Vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) may account for observed racial differences in manifestations of vitamin D (Powe et al., 2013). To date, research on vitamin D status in athletes has overlooked DBP. Whilst there are data that support the associations between vitamin D and markers of bone and cardiac health in the general population, definitive relationships in the athletic population are yet to be established. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between vitamin D and measures of bone mass and cardiac structure and function within a large, ethnically diverse cohort of healthy athletes, with a focus to the role of DBP in determining racial differences in bioavailable levels. Studies 1. Oral vs. Intramuscular Vitamin D Supplementation for Treating Insufficient Athletes 2. No Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Markers of Bone Mass in Athletes 3. No Association between Vitamin D Status and Markers of Bone Mass in Non-Weight Bearing Athletes 4. Why don't serum Vitamin D concentrations associate with BMD by DXA? A case of being 'bound' to the wrong assay? Implications for Vitamin D screening 5. Severely Vitamin D-Deficient Athletes Present Smaller Hearts than Sufficient Athletes Methodical overview Male athletes registered with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) presented for pre-competition medical assessment at Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, Qatar. All athletes completed a vitamin D questionnaire that included questions specifically related to country of origin, sporting discipline, skin type, self-reported exposure to daily sunlight, use of sunscreen, dietary supplements and/or medication, and an assessment of skin colour. All individuals undertook bone densitometry and body composition analysis by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Osteocore III, Perols, France, version 5.22b). Venous blood samples were collected from athletes following an overnight fast and was analysed for PTH, calcium, albumin and serum 25[OH]D. Athletes were split into four 25[OH]D categories; severely deficient ( 30 ng/mL). Serum vitamin D binding protein (DBP) concentrations (μg/mL) were determined using a commercially available kit (R&D Systems, UK). Free, bioavailable, and DBP-bound 25[OH]D were calculated using equations from supplementary material of (Powe et al., 2013). Lastly, all individuals assessed for family history of cardiovascular disease and personal symptoms, with a physical examination, 12-lead electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. Results The key findings from the thesis are 1) serum 25[OH]D concentrations are not associated with markers of bone mass 2) bioavailable vitamin D is a better preceptor of BMD that serum 25[OH]D concentration and 3) severely 25[OH]D deficient athletes present with smaller cardiac structure that sufficient athletes. Conclusion In a healthy, ethnically diverse athletic population, there is no relationship between serum 25[OH]D concentration and makers of bone mass, regardless of sporting type and that bioavailable vitamin D is a better predictor of bone mineral density. Suggesting that our chosen method of assessment may not be appropriate to identify true deficiencies. Systematic screening to determine 25[OH]D concentrations is expensive, and demonstrates a poor relationship to bone mass in an ethnically diverse athletic population. It can be argued that vitamin D testing should be reserved for the symptomatic athlete (i.e. musculoskeletal injury, REDs). In turn, prophylactic vitamin D supplementation (2000IU/d D3) to 'correct' insufficient athletes with normal bone health can be questioned, since supplementation recommendations are based on a measure that is not associated with bone health. Severely 25[OH]D deficient athletes present with smaller ( 30 ng/ml) athletes. The precise mechanism(s) causing this cardiac hypertrophy (or in our case, lack of hypertrophy) in the 25[OH]D-deficient state remains unclear. Clinically low vitamin D concentrations are detrimental to aspects of health that influence athletic performance. Therefore, the widespread prevalence of low serum 25[OH]D concentrations should not be ignored. However, vitamin D metabolism is a rapidly evolving field, with the prospect of a more complete picture of this complex endocrine system becoming ever so closer. The challenge for future research is to determine ethnically specific concentration ranges and evidenced based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of 'true' vitamin D deficiency and its impact on athlete health and performance.


These include a "commitment to the mutual respect, the civil rights and the religious liberties of everyone in the community" and eight particular rights are spelled out: the "complete incorporation into Northern Ireland law of the European Convention on Human Rights, with direct access to the courts, and remedies for breach of the Convention, including powers for the courts to overrule Assembly legislation on the grounds of inconsistency"; a new Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; a new statutory Equality Commission; a normalization of security arrangements and practice, including the reduction in the numbers and role of British Armed Forces deployed in Northern Ireland; an agreement to acknowledge and to address the sufferings of the victims of violence; and the establishment of an independent commission to make recommendations for future policing arrangements (currently sitting); and a parallel wide-ranging review of the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, divisions of this sort are often symptomatic of the absence of a unifying social solidarity, or of a commonality of aims and aspirations between the communities, and the absence of procedures or techniques such as mediation for combining respect for difference with a sense of mutual belonging. It is, rather, a realization of the many dimensions of reconciliation and an acknowledgment that personal and social reconciliation is necessary to create new communities of trust. Programs that help to create trust and seek to transform weak relationships into trusting ones through a practical and realistic understanding of opposing perceptions are a necessary precondition to social reconstruction in Northern Ireland society. Participants attended two seminars at the University of Ulster at Coleraine and spent two weeks in the United States at Fordham University School of Law, attending lectures and skills training workshops and making site visits to mediation centers in New York City. Ultimately, however, we felt that the importance attached to transparency in the procedure and the idea that individuals would have to be motivated to apply would outweigh these possible difficulties. In June 1996, participants came to New York for a two week period that included study and visits to local mediation centers where various models of mediation and conflict resolution had been adopted. In Northern Ireland, on the other hand, the very idea of neutrality implies at best a compromise of integrity and, at worst, ineffectual behavior. The Culture of Politeness: there is in Northern Ireland a dominant culture of politeness that inhibits efforts to address difficult issues. CONFLICT IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT Seamus Dunn* Jacqueline Nolan-Haley* *


Summary

Lakes Michigan and Huron, which are undergoing oligotrophication after reduction of phosphorus loading, invasion by dreissenid mussels and variation in climate, provide an opportunity to conduct large-scale evaluation of the relative importance of these changes for lake productivity. We used remote sensing, field data and an information-theoretic approach to identify factors that showed statistical relationships with observed changes in chlorophyll a (chla) and primary production (PP).

Spring phosphorus (TP), annual mean chla and PP have all declined significantly in both lakes since the late 1990s. Additionally, monthly mean values of chla have decreased in many but not all months, indicating altered seasonal patterns. The most striking change has been the decrease in chla concentration during the spring bloom.

Mean chlorophyll a concentration was 17% higher in Lake Michigan than in Lake Huron, and total production for 2008 in Lake Michigan (9.5 tg year−1) was 10% greater than in Lake Huron (7.8 tg year−1), even though Lake Michigan is slightly smaller (by 3%) than Lake Huron. Differences between the lakes in the early 1970s evidently persisted to 2008.

Invasive mussels influenced temporal trends in spring chla and annual primary production. However, TP had a greater effect on chla and primary production than did the mussels, and TP varied independently from them. Two climatic variables (precipitation and air temperature in the basins) influenced annual chla and annual PP, while the extent of ice cover influenced TP but not chla or primary production. Our results demonstrate that observed temporal patterns in chla and PP are the result of complex interactions of P, climate and invasive mussels.


Detailed quantification of sediment transport in mountain stream catchments is rare. Where measurements have been made these are generally related to a few high-magnitude events or have been averaged over longer periods of time. Here we describe a high-resolution record of coarse sediment supply, storage, and flux from a mountain torrent (Iron Crag) in the English Lake District. This is a small, steep catchment (area 2.4 ha, mean slope of 0.273 m m-1) with a morphology consisting of multiple hillslope sediment sources, a main bedrock step-pool channel with gorge sections, and a basal fan. The sediment budget period runs between April 2002 and April 2003, and focuses on the catchment gully head. The site was visited approximately every two weeks, to collect data on sediment dynamics (hillslope traps, channel cross sections, and channel weir trap) and hydrometerological conditions (rainfall, temperature, evaporation, runoff, and channel discharge). The sediment budget model shows supply-limited and transport-limited sediment flux scenarios. It demonstrates coarse yield from the channel (6.1t), is dominated by episodic pulses separated by periods of relative inactivity. A thunderstorm in July 2002 accounts for 55% (3.4t) of measured output. Corresponding upstream observations and measurements of channel change highlight significant scour of the channel down to bedrock. Hillslope sediment supply is less sensitive, with the July 2002 event accounting for 8.6% of annual hillslope transfer (4.95t) to the channel zone. Conditions of transport limited sediment delivery occur in response to local hydro-meteorological events. Significant factors include the intensity-duration of rainfall, seasonal variations in runoff response, and whether channel discharge is complicated by freezing and snowmelt conditions. Channel sediment supply and exhaustion are especially important to understanding catchment sediment yield. Furthermore, as annual hillslope supply, and channel yield are of similar quantity, it appears there is a near balanced evacuation of sediment from the gully head.


It is well known that inclusions affect the properties of the steel and other alloys. The importance of understanding the behavior of the inclusions during production can never be overstated. This study has examined the main types of big size (>10 μm) inclusions that exist in Ni‐based Alloy at the end of ladle treatment and after casting during industrial production of Ni based Alloys 825. Sources, mechanisms of formation and behavior of different type large size inclusions in Alloy 825 are discussed based on 2 and 3D investigations of inclusion characteristics (such as, morphology, composition, size, and number) and thermodynamic considerations. The large size inclusions found can be divided in spherical (Type I and II) inclusions and in clusters (Type III–V). Type I‐A inclusions (Al2O3–CaO–MgO) originate from the slag. Type I‐B inclusions and Type II inclusions consist of CaO–Al2O3–MgO and Al2O3–TiO2–CaO, respectively. Both types originate from the FeTi70R alloy. Type III clusters (Al2O3–MgO–CaO) are formed during an Al deoxidation of the Ni‐based alloy. Type IV clusters (Al2O3–TiO2–CaO) formed from small inclusions, which are precipitated in local zones which contain high Ti and Al levels. These clusters are transformed to Type III clusters over time in the ladle. Finally, Type V clusters are typical TiN clusters.


A neutron activation study of the distribution of Ir, Pd, and An in the Jimberlana Intrusion has shown that Pd and Au partition strongly into the sulfides. The Pd content of sulfides is governed, to a large degree, by the R factor, a measure of the amount of silicate liquid in equilibrium with the sulfide melt. The Pd content of the sulfide horizons from the center of the Jimberlana Intrusion is high but appreciably less than that of the Merensky Reef and the Pt horizon of the Stillwater Complex. The comparatively low Pd content of the Jimberlana sulfides is believed to be due to the sulfides having reached equilibrium with a smaller volume of silicate liquid than the Pt-rich sulfides of the Bushveld and Stillwater Complexes.At the margin of Jimberlana the sulfide content of the rocks may be as high as 10 percent. These sulfides have precipitated rapidly, resulting in a very low R factor and consequently they have anomalously low precious metal contents.Variations in the Ir content of rocks are independent of the presence of sulfides in the Jimberlana Intrusion. This may have resulted from the f (sub O 2 ) of the magma being less than that of the Ir 2 S 3 /Ir buffer allowing Pd, but not Ir, to enter the sulfide melt.