HUWY (Hub Websites for Youth Participation) was an eParticipation Preparatory Action project, which piloted a distributed (networked) discussion. The pilot ran in Estonia, Germany, Ireland and the UK. HUWY aimed to find good ways to support groups of young people to discuss what changes are needed to the Internet and its regulation and, further, to encourage policy-makers to interact with young people?s ideas. Young people in each country chose topics (e.g. Cyberbullying, Privacy) to focus the project, also specifying an "open thread" about their experiences, relevant to the Internet. The eParticipation innovation of the HUWY project is a new method to bring people into policy-making: distributed discussion. A family of "hub websites" support a networked discussion. Hubs contain information about the project, well-structured background materials about chosen topics, the results of young people?s discussions and feedback from policy-makers. There is one hub website for each of the pilot countries, with localised information and language. This is the central node for that country. Young people hold discussions on their own websites (organisational or social) or in offline settings. These discussions post their results on their country?s hub. The four country hubs are linked by an EU hub http://huwy.eu/: a global entry point for the project and the place to summarise results for EU policy-makers. The distributed discussion model was devised to be as flexible and inclusive as possible: to enable young people to get involved in issues that were important to them, while they controlled the format and place of this involvement. It was designed to include established groups, like youth fora or parliaments, who had their own online spaces, especially those already talking about HUWY topics. It was also designed to include more casual groups, meeting on social networking pages or even offline. An extensive evaluation process focused on impact, sustainability, scalability, user engagement and the effects of involvement for young people. Three reports contain the methodologies, data and results. Through this process the HUWY partners have identified the following outcomes of the pilot: 1. Young people who got involved had an enjoyable and rewarding experience that furthered their engagement with democracy and their awareness of best practice in using the Internet. HUWY got young people thinking and talking about Internet policy issues. Using group discussions as the basic node of participation increased engagement and learning. 2. Very few groups chose to hold discussions online. Participants valued structured and well supported discussions, more than the freedom to organise their own groups. Facilitators played a key role. Facilitators need to be rewarded for their hard work. 3. A distributed discussion can bring together a wide variety of online and offline participation opportunities. For this, the hub websites need to be of good quality and available throughout the process. Their use needs to be integrated with all events. 4. The hub website model can support the integration of social networking tools. However, HUWY partners found that young people did not favour SN sites as forums for discussion. 5. Young people feel that they should be able to influence policies which affect the Internet and that it is important for policy-makers to take time to listen to and understand their ideas. It was also important to them to choose the discussion topics most relevant their lives. 6. However, policy-makers found it difficult to use ideas that were not integrated into their specific policy-making and consultation schedules. We cannot identify direct paths for the results of young people?s discussions to influence regulation of Internet topics, though we can identify places in which their ideas are in line with current policy. 7. The hub website information structure used short scenarios (stories) to engage and lead to more detailed factual information. This worked well, but took a lot of work to establish and keep up to date. 8. The distributed discussion model is resource intensive: establishing and supporting online and offline elements in parallel. However, it can support extensive, good quality engagement, especially through further involvement of youth organisations and media as partners. This deliverable is the final results report of the HUWY project. As the final project deliverable, this report reflects on all project results and analyses the political and user engagement impacts of the project in relation to its objectives and actions. Its main objective is to summarise and analyse the outcomes of the project, as the primary resource for the Commission: * To measure political impact by the end of the project, according to the objectives, Key Evaluation Factors, output and outcomes; * To summarise the effects of user engagement, good practice and lessons learned; * To derive technical recommendations for future use or re-implementation of the Hubs website and distributed discussion models in eParticipation.


In this paper we illustrate a new method for measuring family relationship through the structural equation modeling (SEM), considering both family members' points of view and dyadic relationships. Starting from the model developed by Cole and colleagues (Cole & Jordan, 1989; Cole & Mcpherson, 1993), we proposed and tested a new measurement model in which the family dimension is operationalized as a second-order latent variable. We applied the measurement model to companionship — a fundamental feature of close relationships which had previously been investigated exclusively as an individual construct. The different dimensions of relational construct predict the adjustment of the family members differently. The first aim of the study is to test three different measurement models to identify the individual, dyadic, and family dimensions of companionship, and the second whether companionship as a multidimensional construct is related to depression in family members. The participants are 107 family triads who were asked to fill out a questionnaire containing Companionship subscale of Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985) and Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977). Results reveal that the best model for measuring family companionship is that investigated in our study which hypothesizes family dimension as a second-order factor, and that the family dimension of companionship is related to depression in family members.


Abstract Atmospheric water vapor was measured with six Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers for 1 month at sites in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. During the time of the experiment from 7 May to 2 June 1993, the area experienced severe weather. The experiment, called "GPS/STORM," used GPS signals to sense water vapor and tested the accuracy of the method for meteorological applications. Zenith wet delay and precipitable water (PW) were estimated, relative to Platteville, Colorado, every 30 min at five sites. At three of these five sites the authors compared GPS estimates of PW to water vapor radiometer (WVR) measurements. GPS and WVR estimates agree to 1–2 mm rms. For GPS/STORM site spacing of 500–900 km, high-accuracy GPS satellite orbits are required to estimate 1–2-mm-level PW. Broadcast orbits do not have sufficient accuracy. It is possible, however, to estimate orbit improvements simultaneously with PW. Therefore, it is feasible that future meteorological GPS networks provide near-real-time hig...


Audio information plays a rather important role in the increasing digital content that is available today, resulting in a need for methodologies that automatically analyze such content: audio event recognition for home automations and surveillance systems, speech recognition, music information retrieval, multimodal analysis (e.g. audio-visual analysis of online videos for content-based recommendation), etc. This paper presents pyAudioAnalysis, an open-source Python library that provides a wide range of audio analysis procedures including: feature extraction, classification of audio signals, supervised and unsupervised segmentation and content visualization. pyAudioAnalysis is licensed under the Apache License and is available at GitHub (https://github.com/tyiannak/pyAudioAnalysis/). Here we present the theoretical background behind the wide range of the implemented methodologies, along with evaluation metrics for some of the methods. pyAudioAnalysis has been already used in several audio analysis research applications: smart-home functionalities through audio event detection, speech emotion recognition, depression classification based on audio-visual features, music segmentation, multimodal content-based movie recommendation and health applications (e.g. monitoring eating habits). The feedback provided from all these particular audio applications has led to practical enhancement of the library.


The main purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting female students' academic performance in second cycle of primary schools in Bahir Dar City Administration. Descriptive survey research design was employed. Four second cycle primary public schools were selected through simple random sampling technique. Students, teachers, principals, supervisors and Bahir Dar City Administration Education Officials were the respondents of the study. Questionnaire, interview, FGD and observation were employed to collect the relevant data. To analyze the quantitative data, simple descriptive statistical techniques like frequencies and percentages were employed. To support the quantitative data, the qualitative data were also analyzed thematically. The result of the study showed that female students had less achieved in academic performance as compared with male students. Various factors like parents' education level, school facilities, income level of parents, domestic workloads, school environment, attitude of the society towards female education were found to be the major factors determining the academic performance of female students. Since the factors affecting female students' academic performance are emanated from different perspectives, the study recommends that the involvement of various stakeholders is needed in order to enhance the academic performance of female students.


We have recently identified a CD11b+Gr1intF4/80+ (Gr1int) regulatory, non-migratory, cell type in the lung that is able to suppress a Th2 effector response via secretion of Interleukin-10 (IL-10), arginase 1 (Arg1) and nitric oxide (NO). These regulatory lung Gr1int cells also secrete Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), but low levels of Interleukin-12 (IL-12). Our studies show that although Gr1int cells are present in the lung of naive mice, their frequency increases in the interstitium following endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in a TLR4/MyD88-dependent fashion. The suppressive function of these Gr1int cells is significant in the context of allergic inflammation, and because this suppressive cell type accumulates in the lung in response to a bacterial cell wall component, they may be a mechanism underlying the hygiene hypothesis, which was postulated in 1989 to describe the observation that despite increased sanitation in westernized countries, the prevalence of allergies is steadily increasing. Because of the potent suppressive capacity of lung Gr1int, they are now recognized as lung myeloid derived suppressor cells (lung-MDSCs)1. We sought to gain a better understanding of their development to allow for improved therapeutic targets during allergic inflammation.

Secondly, the rapid appearance of these cells in response to a TLR ligand, combined with their non-migratory nature and their anatomical location in the lung interstitium, suggests a unique function during host defense against bacterial infections. Much is already known about the role of alveolar macrophages and neutrophils in host defense against Klebsiella pneumoniae, but little is known about host defense mechanisms in the lung tissue/interstitium. Therefore, we have also examined the role of MDSC-like cells in defense against K. pneumoniae.

Briefly, although an inflammatory response in the lung is required to fight the causative agent, persistent tissue-resident neutrophils can induce collateral tissue damage and precipitate acute lung injury during non-resolving pneumonia. Little is known about mechanisms orchestrated in the lung tissue that remove apoptotic neutrophils to restore tissue homeostasis. We show that these MDSC-like cells increase following exposure to K. pneumoniae, are able to efferocytose apoptotic neutrophils and are a major source of IL-10 in the lung late after infection. Furthermore, using IL-10-/- mice, we show that IL-10 is critical for the control of neutrophilia and restoration of homeostasis. Finally, because IFNγ-STAT1 signaling is known to inhibit IL-10, we examined the lungs of STAT1-/- mice. The lung neutrophil burden was attenuated in infected STAT1-/- mice with concomitant increase in the frequency of the MDSC-like cells and lung IL-10 levels. Thus, inhibiting STAT1 in combination with antibiotics may be a novel therapeutic strategy to address inefficient resolution of bacterial pneumonia. The inhibition of STAT1 may also be relevant in the context of allergic inflammation when a greater immunosuppressive force, or increased numbers of lung MDSCs, would be advantageous to temper lung inflammation.


BACKGROUND
There is rising concern that fundamental scientific principles critical to lifelong learning and scientific literacy are not sufficiently addressed during residency.

OBJECTIVE
We describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a systematic review and meta-analysis course designed to improve residents' research literacy.

INTERVENTION
We developed and implemented a novel, interactive, web-enhanced course for third-year psychiatry residents to provide the theoretical and methodological tools for conducting and reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The course is based on Bloom's learning model, and established criteria for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Eight sequential learning objectives were linked to 8 well-specified assignments, with the objectives designed to build on one another and lead to the creation of a scientific manuscript.

RESULTS
From 2010-2014, 54 third-year psychiatry residents (19 unique groups) successfully completed the course as part of a graduation requirement. The majority rated the course as being good or very good, and participants reported a statistically significant increase in their confidence to conduct systematic reviews (χ(2) = 23.3, P < .05) and meta-analyses (Fisher exact test, P < .05). Estimated total dedicated resident and faculty time over a period of 36 weeks was 36 to 72 hours and 60 hours, respectively. Residents' academic productivity included 11 conference presentations and 4 peer-reviewed published manuscripts, with 2 residents who were awarded honors for their projects.

CONCLUSIONS
A formal training course in systematic reviews and meta-analyses offers a valuable learning experience, which enhances residents' research skills and academic productivity in a feasible and sustainable approach.


ABSTRACT Scholarly conversations regarding sexual violence and sexuality education typically emphasise cisgender and heterosexual experiences, leaving sexual and gender minority young people's voices unheard. This happens despite adolescence being a crucial period for the onset of sexual violence, with sexual and gender minority youth reporting elevated levels of victimisation. Moreover, the preponderance of research focusing on victimisation suggests notable gaps in our understanding of sexual violence perpetration. This study examined contextual factors shaping sexual violence victimisation and perpetration among sexual and gender minority youth, with school playing a key role. Based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 50 young people aged 14–26 years who self-reported sexual violence perpetration in the Growing Up with Media survey, the analysis demonstrates how schooling's 'hidden curriculum' leaves sexual and gender minority youth ill-equipped to navigate the world of sexuality. Formal sexuality education remains heteronormative and gender-segregated, resulting in incomplete understandings of sexual violence. At the informal level, gendered double standards and peer norms reinforce the second-class sexual citizenship of sexual and gender minority youth. Our findings suggest that schools may be complicit in sexual violence victimisation and perpetration by sending limited and mixed messages regarding gender and sexuality. Research and policy implications are discussed.


The Slieve League Peninsula of northwest Ireland lies on the western limb of a major orogenic strike-swing in which regional foliation trends have deviated from the northeast–southwest trends typical of much of Scotland, to west–east orientations. Across-strike coastal exposures on the western tip of the peninsula through Neoproterozoic Dalradian metasediments enable a detailed examination and analysis of the structural evolution of a Caledonian orogenic root zone which has been previously correlated with the Loch Awe Syncline of southwest Scotland. Minor structural development may be evaluated in terms of regional strain profiles and overprinting relationships. Over much of the area, a composite, steep northeast–southwest-trending S2–S3 foliation containing a gently southwest-plunging quartz mineral elongation lineation is the dominant fabric at outcrop, and is associated with MP2 almandine–amphibolite facies metamorphism. F2 folds are isoclinal with curvilinear hinges and similar geometry. They typically plunge steeply towards the southwest and display variable (dextral) or north-directed vergence, whilst minor F3 fold hinges plunge moderately towards the southwest and typically verge (sinistrally) towards the south. Major, composite D1–D3 tectonic slides are developed in the Argyll Group. Structural and stratigraphic relationships indicate that D1 induced large-scale reversals in younging across tectonic slides, resulting in reversals in subsequent F2 and F3 facing patterns. Tectonic sliding is associated with an intensification of strain demonstrated by increasingly intrafolial and curvilinear folding, together with extensional crenulations, sheared quartz pods and metre-scale asymmetric boudinage of metadolerites, all of which indicate dextral (D2) and sinistral (D3) shear. After unfolding subsequent folds (F4), this corresponds to top-to-the-north (D2) and top-to-the-south (D3) translations. D4 results in regionally northwest-verging structures, with minor crenulations and the S4 cleavage transecting fold hinges in an anticlockwise sense, suggesting a dextral component of deformation. The detailed kinematic data indicate that the overall geometry of this western, deep-level arm of the root zone is not a product of the classic mushrooming fountain of nappes model, but rather major interference between consistent northerly directed D2 thrusting and a later phase of southeast-directed (D3) retrocharriage ('back-folding') which intensifies towards the south.


Most challenges to state enforced conformity with gender norms are almost solely status-based equality claims. Given that a common term deployed by members of the trans community and in anti-discrimination laws is "gender identity and expression," situating such challenges in expression may, at first glance, appear to be little more than linguistic legerdemain. An understanding of gender as expressive, however, helps capture an often unarticulated, yet central aspect, of the harm enforced conformity inflicts on trans persons -- compelled expression of the state's gender message over their profound objection. Consider governmental insistence that a trans student or employee present herself, through dress and grooming, in accordance with her sex assigned at birth. The state is enforcing a selective message, which this author refers to as "the ideology of the binary." Unsurprisingly, it reflects the prevailing view: there are two (and only two) distinct sexes with congruent gender identities, fixed by nature and immutably different. The focus of this Article is on compelled expression over an individual's objection, which is of particular concern given the state's role as enforcer. Not only does the state have sole authority to legally categorize people by sex, but it also uses those categories as the basis for distributing rights and goods, such as marriage and its associated benefits, over which it maintains a monopoly of power. The state likewise controls access to the countless protections that flow from the wide-ranging use of government identification in our private interactions, such as the ability to get a job, use a credit card, or interact with the public and government authorities without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence. Case law, furthermore, reveals that state enforcement of gender norms over one's objection is inextricably intertwined with additional messages concerning the subordination of gender outgroups. This messaging has as its foci the dehumanization of trans people, the insistence on traditional gender roles for women, and the disapprobation of homosexuality. The Author focuses on expression because it offers the opportunity of more. In contrast to the most common jurisprudential vehicle -- equality -- expression may better reflect the complex and flourishing diversity of experiences that make up gender. In particular, while equality claims tend to rely almost solely on a medical model of gender identity, expression claims are also suited to non-medicalized claims by trans persons, especially those for whom dissent from traditional norms is integral to their gender identity.


We analyze a dynamic model of agenda formation in which players compete in each period to put their ideal policies on the agenda. In each period, with some probability, a decision maker is called upon to take an action from the agenda. We show that in any Markov equilibrium of this game, players with extreme ideal policies will always compete to be in the agenda. On the other hand, there is a positive probability that in each round a more moderate policy will arise on the agenda. Therefore, agenda formation is a gradual process which evolves to include better policies for the decision maker but at a relatively slow pace.


The link between institutional and market failures, rural poverty and environmental degradation suggests a 'win-win' policy intervention: relax local 'constraints' and achieve poverty alleviation and environmental goals. We evaluate the ability of the Sloping Lands Conversion Programme (SLCP) in China, a reforestation payments programme, to relax constraints on off-farm labour markets and achieve these dual objectives. Our model of the agricultural household allows for heterogeneous exposure to constraints and impacts. The model predicts that the impact of the SLCP on off-farm labour supply will be larger for constrained households if constraints are relaxed. To test the predictions we combine a switching regression with difference in differences. Applied to panel data, this technique allows identification of the heterogeneous impact of the SLCP on constrained and unconstrained households. Our results identify some support for the 'win-win' hypothesis in the case of the SLCP, and how the targeting of the programme can be improved.


Arrays of highly portable, exploration style seismographs were deployed following the 16 October 2012 Mw 4.0 Waterboro, Maine, earthquake with the goal of improving hypocenter locations and source mechanisms of aftershocks, lowering the detection threshold for such aftershocks, and using the aftershocks as sources to image subsurface structure in the hypocentral volume. Based on the Aftershock Imaging with Dense Arrays (AIDA) experience following theMineral,Virginia, earthquake of August 2011, the Maine deployment consisted of three complementary arrays totaling 110 stations: one array was for event detection and location, another for structural imaging, and a third for measuring regional attenuation. Although the arrays operated from day 3 through day 10 following the mainshock, only one aftershock was detected by the 43 stations that had been deployed at the time of the event. This aftershock was located at a focal depth of 6:9 0:15 km, with a horizontal uncertainty of ∼0:15 km. Although the strike-slip focal mechanism for this aftershock differs from the thrust mechanism of the mainshock, both share an east–west maximum stress direction. Recordings of the aftershock from the high-density portion of the deployment show possible upperand lower-crustal reflections that we attempt to image using vertical seismic profiling methods. However, the lack of redundant sources and the limited areal extent of the imaging arrays hinders any useful interpretation of the nature of the crustal reflections. Based on comparison with the Virginia experiment, in which numerous aftershocks were recorded, and from examining the signal-to-noise ratio of the single aftershock recorded, we believe the AIDA Maine deployment should have detected any aftershocks greater than magnitude mb of approximately −2:5. That only one aftershock was detected supports the observation that earthquakes in some intraplate areas are notable for their lack of aftershock activity down to this level.


"This study investigates the socialization agents influencing apparel consumption for both Anglo and Hispanic American Generation Y females. Researching previous literature, there appeared to be a gap in the literature for consumer socialization influencing Generation Y. With Generation Y quickly becoming an important cohort group for marketers, it was important to determine which socialization agents influence this group more. Preliminary research was done through in-depth interviews, along with a review of the extant literature, to determine the top socialization agents influencing Generation Y. A quantitative survey was then conducted to test the influence of peers and parents on both Anglo and Hispanic American Generation Y females. It was found that there was no significant difference in the levels of socialization agents' influence between Anglo and Hispanic American Generation Y females relative to their apparel consumption. It was also found that there was no significant difference between the levels of influence on apparel consumption exerted by peers and parents."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.


The former Technikon Free State, now the CUT, was concerned about the academic achievements of students and decided to introduce a programme to enhance the outcomes of student learning. The then Technikon initially identified weak performers and advised / compelled them to attend special classes. This programme proved to be unsuccessful due to the potential stigma associated with attending special classes. The Technikon commenced with its first research initiatives to implement supplemental instruction (SI) in 1993. The founders of SI, Profs Diana Martin and Robert Blanc of the University of Kansas City in Missouri, USA, presented demonstrations at joint workshops and also invited attendees to attend SI workshops in the USA. Soon permission was granted to implement SI at this institution in 1993. A new dimension to the concept of SI, namely to record SI lectures for discussion afterwards was added.


Lymphocyte proliferation and antibody responses to five peptides corresponding to the N- and C-terminal non-repeat and central repeat regions of Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage antigen-1 (LSA-1) were examined in residents of a highland area of Kenya where malaria transmission is episodic and varies with rainfall. The frequency of lymphocyte proliferation responses (stimulation index > 2) by children (persons > or = 6 years old) and adults (persons > or = 18 years old) was similar and did not differ significantly across seasons. In contrast, the proportion of individuals with IgG antibodies to LSA-1 peptides was higher in the rainy than dry season, and the frequency of these responses was greater for adults than children (39.4% versus 18.7% during the period of high transmission; P = 0.009). Antibodies to LSA-1 were primarily of the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses, and these also varied with season (30.1% and 32.5% of individuals had IgG1 and IgG3 in the rainy season versus none and 10.9% in the dry season). There was no significant difference in the time to re-infection between groups of persons with or without IgG antibody or lymphocyte proliferation responses to LSA-1 peptides. These data indicate that age and transmission intensity independently affect IgG antibody responses to LSA-1 but do not influence lymphocyte proliferation in this highland area where malaria transmission is highly variable.


The authors exploit immigrant identifiers in the Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the longitudinal dimension of these data to compare the labor force and job dynamics of immigrants and native-born workers. They examine the role of job, as opposed to worker, heterogeneity in driving immigrant wage disparities and investigate how the paths into and out of jobs of varying quality compare between immigrant and native-born workers. They find that the disparity in immigrant job quality, which does not appear to diminish with years since arrival, reflects a combination of relatively low transitions into high-wage jobs and high transitions out of these jobs. The former result appears to be due equally to difficulties obtaining high-wage jobs directly out of unemployment and to using low-wage jobs as stepping-stones. The authors find little or no evidence, however, that immigrant job seekers face barriers to low-wage jobs.


We have experimentally observed continuous-wavelength tuning in a passively mode-locked fiber ring laser. Depending on the polarization setting, two separated tuning ranges are observed. We show that the wavelength tuning is a result of the existence of birefringence in the laser cavity. We have also shown that the same mechanism is responsible for the power asymmetry of sidebands appearing in the soliton spectrum. © 2000 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(00)01901-9] OCIS codes: 140.4050, 140.7090, 140.3510, 060.5530.


Abstract A 62 year-old caucasian male was admitted in our pulmonary hypertension expert center with initial diagnosis of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease for validation and specific treatment approach. Routine examinations revealed no apparent cause of pulmonary hypertension. Patient was referred for a thorax contrast enhanced multi-slice computed tomography which revealed extensive bilateral thrombi in pulmonary lower lobe arteries, pleading for chronic post embolic lesions. A right heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography confirmed the diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Following the local regulations, the patient underwent thrombophilia screening including molecular genetic testing, with positive findings for heterozygous for VCORK1 -1639G>A gene single nucleotide polymorphism, PAI-1 4G/5G and factor II G20210A gene. With heterozygous genetic profile of 3 mutations he has a genetic predisposition for developing a thrombophilic disease which could be involved in the etiology of CTEPH. Familial screening was extended to descendants; the unique son was tested with positive results for the same three genes. Supportive pulmonary hypertension drug therapy was initiated together with patient self-monitoring management of oral anticoagulation therapy. For optimal control of targeted anticoagulation due to a very high risk of thrombotic state the patient used a point-of-care device (CoaguChek®XS System, Roche Diagnostics) for coagulation self-monitoring.


After the eight minute and forty-six second video of George Floyd's murder went viral, cities across the country erupted in mass protests with people outraged by the death of another Black person at the hands of police. The streets were flooded for months with activists and community members of all races marching, screaming, and demonstrating against police brutality and for racial justice. Police – like warriors against enemy forces – confronted overwhelmingly peaceful protesters with militarized violence and force. Ultimately, racial justice protesters and members of the media brought lawsuits under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act in the district courts of Minneapolis, Dallas, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis, claiming extreme violence and unlawful and abusive use of less lethal weapons by police during protests. The first part of the article provides a recent history of this police brutality against racial justice activists in the George Floyd protests. The second part of this article discusses how courts currently evaluate, in § 1983 actions, the Fourth Amendment reasonableness of police force pursuant to Graham v. Connor by reviewing circuit court opinions in protest cases from the last three decades and district court injunctions from the George Floyd protest litigation. This part demonstrates that in their Fourth Amendment reasonableness calculus, courts discount plaintiffs' involvement in valuable politically expressive conduct. The third part of this article argues that the Fourth Amendment mandates that courts evaluate the reasonableness of protest policing in light of freedom of expression which means they must positively weigh plaintiffs' expressive protest activity. This reframing of reasonableness is supported by historical evidence of the framer's intent and the Supreme Court jurisprudence on searches of books, papers, and other expressive materials when such items arguably deserve First Amendment protection. The fourth part discusses the difference an expression-specific Fourth Amendment – the expressive Fourth Amendment – reasonableness test would have made in a protest case.


Inverted flat roofs were adopted as a common construction solution throughout the Modern Movement. They require greater protection of the waterproofing layer and sufficient thermal insulation. Depending on the climate conditions, a thicker or thinner thermal layer is installed and energy saving in keeping with the climatic conditions, regulations or national or regional energy policies is obtained. However, the common construction systems tend to be focused on minimising the construction costs of each project, using thermal insulation layers of extruded polystyrene, a modified bitumen waterproofing layer and a finishing layer of 5 cm of gravel. In the case of trafficable roofs, this layer is substituted with ceramic or hydraulic concrete paving. These solutions have given rise to an enormous reduction in the thermal mass of the roof layers located above the isolation layer and consequently, a lack of thermal inertia with which to cushion the effect of the thermal wave of the outdoor environment produced in the indoor climate of the building. Roofs flooded with water in climatologies which allow their application generate significant thermal inertia depending on the depth of the water. They reduce the amplitude of the thermal wave produced in the inside temperature of the buildings by the external thermal variations, generating a considerable increase in comfort and a reduction in energy consumption. This paper outlines the research carried out in the Alicante University Museum. The whole building and its flooded roof have been monitored over a full year cycle and data has been obtained regarding the dry interior temperatures of each layer of the walls, outdoor temperatures and solar radiation, relative humidities, etc. Through the use of simulation tools, comparative results of this roof with respect www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3533 (on-line) WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences, Vol 106, © 2016 WIT Press This paper is part of the Proceedings of the 14 International Conference on th Simulation and Experiments in Heat Transfer and its Applications (HT 2016) www.witconferences.com doi:10.2495/HT160161 to inverted flat roofs have been obtained, such as the decrement factor and the heat wave.


Since the 1984 passage of the Waxman-Hatch Act, generic prescription drugs have become central to disease treatment and generic drug entry and price competition has been vigorous in the U.S. Nonetheless, recent policy concern has focused on potential supply inadequacy and price increases among selected generic drugs. Details regarding the supply of generic drugs throughout the product life cycle are surprisingly unstudied. Here, we examine manufacturer entry, exit, the extent of competition and the relationship between supply structure and inflation adjusted prices among generic drugs. Our empirical approach is descriptive and reduced form, following recent innovations on the older structure-conduct-performance tradition. We employ quarterly national data on quantities, wholesale dollar sales and manufacturers from QuintilesIMS National Sales Perspective data, 2004Q4–2016Q3. Defining a market as the molecule-dosage-form, we observe that median sizes of drug markets are predominantly small, with annual inflation adjusted sales revenues of less than $10 million but increasing over time. The median number of manufacturers in each market is about two, the mean about four. We find evidence to suggest decreasing numbers of suppliers over our study period, particularly following implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012, attributable both to more exit and less entry. Approximately 40 percent of markets are supplied by one manufacturer; the share of markets supplied by one or two manufacturers is observed to increase over time and is more likely among non-oral drugs and those belonging to selected therapeutic classes. We find evidence to suggest prices of generic drugs are statistically significantly increasing over time, particularly following the implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and the 2012 Generic Drug User Fee Amendments. Price increases are positively correlated with reduced manufacturer counts and alternative measures of increased supplier concentration, holding all else constant. Our results suggest the market for generic drugs is largely comprised of small revenue products the supply of which has tended towards duopoly or monopoly in recent years. Therefore, it is surprising generic drug prices have not been observed to be higher and potentially risen more over our study period. This issue merits further study; we suggest several testable hypotheses based in economic theory.


This study breaks new ground in Irish research by providing direct evidence of discrimination using a field experiment that investigates discrimination in recruitment on the basis of ethnic and national origin. Two individuals, identical on all relevant characteristics other than the potential basis of discrimination, apply for the same jobs. Responses are carefully recorded, and discrimination or the lack thereof is then measured as the extent to which one applicant is invited to interview relative to the other applicant. In this experiment we test discrimination against 3 minority groups: Africans, Asians and Europeans (Germans), using distinctive names to signal ethnic or national origin, as is typical in experiments of this nature. It was found that candidates with Irish names were over twice as likely to be invited to interview for advertised jobs as candidates with identifiably non-Irish names, even though both submitted equivalent CVs. We did not find significant differences in the degree of discrimination faced by candidates with Asian, African or German names. Strong discrimination was found against minority candidates across the occupations tested (lower administration, lower accountancy and retail sales).


This article observes that American society's passion for intercollegiate sports competition is an extremely powerful, naturally evolved cultural force. The marketplace responds to cultural forces, and the commercialization of college sports directly reflects the marketplace realities of our society. For example, colleges and universities rationally use their intercollegiate athletic programs, particularly NCAA Division 1 FBS football and basketball, as a means to achieve a wide range of legitimate objectives of higher education. Thus, the authors advocate that university athletic department revenues should continue to be exempt from federal taxation, specifically the unrelated business income tax (UBIT), despite the increasingly commercialized nature of intercollegiate sports. However, the commercialization of intercollegiate athletics creates the potential for conflict with a university's academic mission and the risk that student-athletes may be exploited. The authors propose that Congress provide the NCAA and its member universities with a limited exemption from the federal antitrust laws conditioned upon targeted reforms that will 1) ensure that intercollegiate athletics are primarily an educational endeavor; 2) better enable student-athletes in revenue-generating sports to obtain the benefit of their bargain; and 3) protect and maintain student-athletes' intercollegiate athletics participation opportunities in nonrevenue generating sports.


: Several types of objection have been raised against the arguments I presented in my target article, "Are animals persons?" Among the objections are the following: (1) the claim that animals are persons is of little significance, (2) my use of the Lockean conception of the person is questionable, (3) whether a creature qualifies as a person is a matter of social construction rather than objective fact, (4) reflective consciousness is more important than I realize, (5) my reliance on implicit self-awareness in the account of personhood is ill-advised, (6) my account entails that too many creatures qualify as persons, and (7) types of objection that resist categorization (but I shall argue are sundry misunderstandings). I respond to these objections


Cannabis sativa is an extraordinarily versatile species. Hemp and its cousin marijuana, both C. sativa, have been used for millennia as a source of fibre, oil and for medicinal, spiritual and recreational purposes. Because the consumption of Cannabis can have psychoactive effects, the plant has been widely banned throughout the last century. In the past decade, evidence of its medicinal properties did lead to the relaxation of legislation in many countries around the world. Consequently, the genetics and development of Cannabis as well as Cannabis-derived products are the subject of renewed attention.Here, we review the biology of C. sativa, including recent insights from taxonomy, morphology and genomics, with an emphasis on the genetics of cannabinoid synthesis. Because the female Cannabis flower is of special interest as the site of cannabinoid synthesis, we explore flower development, flowering time well as the species' unique sex determination system in detail. Furthermore, we outline the tremendous medicinal, engineering, and environmental opportunities that Cannabis bears. Together, the picture emerges that our understanding of Cannabis biology currently progresses at an unusual speed. A future challenge will be to preserve the multi-purpose nature of Cannabis, and to harness its medicinal properties and sustainability advantages simultaneously.


Tainan City, as the convention city in Taiwan, has accumulated many traditional cultural resources indebted to the traditional religion. These cultural artefacts and landscape have made Tainan City the core of cultural tourism in Taiwan. The cultural landscape also has played an important role in the configuration of Tainan's modern streetscape and community life.

This paper aims to explore the role of traditional religious space in both placemaking and creating a pedestrian-friendly environment in Tainan City. We analyse the changes introduced into the street system since the Ching Dynasty and the relationship of the streetscape to the everyday lives of Tainan citizens.

We find that cultural landscape formed by traditional religion gives the streets centrality, which is a key design principle for developing a sense of community and constructing a pedestrian-friendly environment. We provide some suggestions for a pedestrian-friendly environment that consider the roles and functions of the cultural landscape.


Most species of flowering plants depend on animals, such as bees, to move their pollen and enable sexual reproduction, and most animal pollinators, in turn, depend on flowers as sources of food or other materials. Although the interaction is mutualistic, benefitting both plants and animals, it is not cooperation, because the best 'interests' of the two partners differ. Animal pollination is critical for crop and natural ecosystems and plays central roles in plant ecology and evolution. In particular, selection imposed by animal pollinators is thought to have driven the evolution of much of the floral diversity we see today. Most plant–pollinator relationships are not specialised, one-to-one mutualisms – a fact that should make pollination networks somewhat resilient to species extinctions. Nevertheless, recent pollinator declines have given rise to concerns about loss of pollination services to crops and wild plant populations.

Key Concepts:

Most flowering plant species depend on animals to transfer pollen from anthers (the male organs of flowers) to stigmas (the female organs) in order to produce seeds.

Pollinating animals visit flowers to obtain resources: usually nectar or pollen, but sometimes oils, fragrances, resins or oviposition sites.

The divergent 'interests' of plants and pollinators in the interaction explain such phenomena as unrewarding flowers and nectar-robbing insects.

Recent pollinator declines are causing concern about the maintenance of pollination services to crops and wild plants.

Pollination webs illustrating the linkages among plants and pollinators within a community show that reciprocally specialised interactions are rare.

Numerous studies show that pollinators can exert selection on plant traits, but selection by plants on pollinator traits has been harder to demonstrate.

Pollinators play an important role in the process of reproductive isolation and speciation in flowering plants.

Keywords:

angiosperms;
evolution;
mutualism;
pollination web;
natural selection;
specialisation


Investigations have confirmed that most bridge deck expansion joints leak and contribute more than any other factor to deck and substructure corrosion from de-icing salts. For this reason joint-free integral bridges, with the abutments structurally connected to a continuous deck, are more durable and cheaper to maintain. However, thermal strains in an integral deck cause cyclic loading on the soil behind the abutments, which may result in the development of passive soil pressures. One method of avoiding the development of high lateral pressures is to use a low stiffness but compressible elastic backfill as a stress absorbing layer behind the abutment. This report identifies various compressible materials, for example polymeric and geocomposite materials, which may be suitable for use as innovative structural backfill behind integral bridge abutments. (A)


Perceptual mapping is a method often employed in design and marketing as a means for visualizing consumer perceptions of product alternatives on the market. Perceptual maps can be computed from two types of data, from attribute ratings or from similarity judgments. In this paper, two computer-based methods are proposed for obtaining attribute rating data, based on multiple attribute scales, for a large number of visual stimuli: The hierarchical sorting method was developed from a strategy commonly employed in paper-and-pencil surveys, whereas the divide-and-conquer method was developed from a strategy often utilized in (computer) sorting of algorithms. In tests that used 100 armchairs as stimuli, it was found that both methods received high scores for simplicity and overall satisfaction in subjective evaluations by the participants. The evaluations, however, also showed that each method had its own advantages. While the divide-andconquer method produced equivalent results in a significantly less amount of time than the hierarchical sorting method, the hierarchical sorting method was considered to have a higher likelihood of expressing actual opinions than the divide-and-conquer method, due to the fact that a participant using the sorting method could focus on the details of the stimuli after they had been grouped by similarity at the initial stage.


The interdisciplinary field of migration studies is riven with binaries, one of the most fundamental of which is its split into internal and international migration, characterised by different literatures, concepts, methods and policy agendas. Most migration scholars nowadays are researching international migration, even though, quantitatively, internal migration is more important. Yet the distinction between internal and international moves becomes increasingly blurred, not only because of geopolitical events and the changing nature and configuration of borders, but also because migrants' journeys are becoming increasingly multiple, complex and fragmented. Nevertheless, there remain both many similarities and many differences between these two 'migration traditions'. The paper is in three main sections. First we present a schematic model which sets out 10 migration pathways which combine internal and international migration, and return migration, in various sequenced relationships. Second, we survey the limited literature which attempts to compare and integrate internal and international migration within the same theoretical framework both general models and some case-study literature from Mexico. We consider three approaches where theoretical transfer seems to hold potential systems analysis, studies of migrant integration, and the migration-development nexus. The final part of the paper looks in more detail at the case of Albania where since 1990 there has been contemporaneous mass emigration and internal migration. We deploy both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the links between the two forms of migration in the Albanian context, demonstrating how closely they are entwined both in the macro-dynamics of regional population change and in individual and family biographies of mobility. In conclusion, we argue that there is considerable potential for integrating the study of internal and international migration, both at the theoretical and the empirical level. Too often one is studied without reference to the other, yielding a partial analysis. However, we baulk at attempting any 'grand theory' of migration which incorporates all types of migration, in all places and at all times.


Objective: To determine demographic and clinical predictors of discharge destinations following acute care hospitalization for stroke in the community of northern Manhattan. Methods: A group of 893 patients (mean age, 70 ± 12 years; 56% women; 51% Hispanic, 30% African-American, 19% white) who survived acute care hospitalization for a first ischemic stroke were followed prospectively. Stroke severity was assessed by the NIH Stroke Scale and categorized as mild (≤5), moderate (6 to 13), and severe (≥14). Polytomous logistic regression was used to determine predictors for rehabilitation and nursing home placement versus returning home. Results: Among the survivors of acute stroke care hospitalization, 611 (68%) patients were discharged to their homes, 168 (19%) to rehabilitation, and 114 (13%) to nursing homes. Patients with moderate and severe neurologic deficits had more than a threefold increased risk of being sent to a nursing home and more than an eightfold increased risk of being sent to rehabilitation. Age over 65 and cognitive impairment were associated with placement to a nursing home (age over 65: OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.6; cognitive impairment: OR, 2.9; 95%, CI 1.4 to 5.7), and rehabilitation (age over 65: OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.9; cognitive impairment: OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 5.7). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that one-third of patients with acute stroke from the community of northern Manhattan required placement in a temporary or a long-term disability care institution following acute care hospitalization. Severity of stroke is an important factor that influences discharge planning following acute care hospitalization and its reduction can improve health care resource usage.


Rapid technological advancements and attendant changes in information-seeking, reading and learning behaviours have reshaped the environment in which today's library operates. The rise of Google has thrown the raison d'etre of the library profession into question as the primary functions of the librarian appear to be performed just as well – if not better – by Internet search algorithms. However, technology is merely a tool of the reference librarian's trade, and as such, Google is not (and will never be) enough.

"UP! Your Reference Quotient" is the National Library of Singapore's (NLS) reference services' professional development framework to equip reference librarians with diverse skills and expose them to different ways of working with content and the community. The strategy takes a four-pronged approach to boost what the NLS terms the Reference, Knowledge, Collection and Social Engagement Quotients of staff. In essence, Reference Quotient covers the fundamentals of daily reference and user services; Knowledge Quotient refers to research aptitude and subject expertise; Collection Quotient meaning familiarity with the NLS' collections; and Social Engagement Quotient advocates bringing the content, reference services and value of librarians to the global community.

The challenge of librarianship in the current Google age is to sustain and be a part of that conversation between people and content. Neither "human search engine" nor "partner in knowledge creation" adequately describes what a 21st Century reference librarian should be. In fact, the 21st Century reference librarian needs to embody both – and more. The NLS reference services' professional development strategy aims to bridge the two by encouraging reference librarians to venture into collaborative curation and knowledge creation while remaining grounded in the tenets of librarianship and reference services work. Google has not displaced the reference librarian; rather, it has reinvigorated the profession in this brave new world of information abundance and ubiquitous access.


Generating factual, long-form text such as Wikipedia articles raises three key challenges: how to gather relevant evidence, how to structure information into well-formed text, and how to ensure that the generated text is factually correct. We address these by developing a model for English text that uses a retrieval mechanism to identify relevant supporting information on the web and a cache-based pre-trained encoder-decoder to generate long-form biographies section by section, including citation information. To assess the impact of available web evidence on the output text, we compare the performance of our approach when generating biographies about women (for which less information is available on the web) vs. biographies generally. To this end, we curate a dataset of 1,500 biographies about women. We analyze our generated text to understand how differences in available web evidence data affect generation. We evaluate the factuality, fluency, and quality of the generated texts using automatic metrics and human evaluation. We hope that these techniques can be used as a starting point for human writers, to aid in reducing the complexity inherent in the creation of long-form, factual text.


Microtunneling is a trenchless construction method that is highly adequate to install pipelines beneath roads, rail roads, dams, harbours and environmentally sensitive areas. Microtunneling could be understood as a remotely-controlled, guidance operation of a MicroTunneling Boring Machine (MTBM), where references are provided by a human operator from the surface. A review of current technologies and main working principles of traditional guidance systems used to determine the position and orientation of the drill head of the MTBM during tunneling will be presented. Practical limitations and drawbacks will be discussed. A special attention will be given to those systems based on a laser-generated reference. In this paper a new video target system developed to improve the current performance of guidance systems will be presented. As it will be detailed, improving target processing of laser' incidence allow us to extend the minimum range to achieve a distance over 400 m, without having to displace the total reference stations which are guiding the path during tunnel execution. The new target sensing principle, the implementation approach, the image processing and pose estimation algorithms will be discussed. Additionally, some preliminary results of the prototype in its current testing phase in real scenarios, gathered in parallel with commercial units, and its comparison will be presented.


Abstract Contributing to the ongoing debate on decentering science, technology, and society (STS) from Western contexts, this article elaborates on and reconsiders Wen-yuan Lin and John Law's proposal for correlative STS ("A Correlative STS" 2014). Like them, we empirically draw on Chinese medicine (CM) and its relation to biomedicine, but we explore the modes by which CM was enacted in the historical, political, and sociomaterial settings of socialist and postsocialist Central Europe. We show that not only specific correlations but also correlativity itself—as the ontological stance of the actors—are situated and can shift. Our argument regarding STS is twofold. First, while Lin and Law argue that STS needs to develop an appropriate mode of betrayal when translating across ontological differences from a source language to a destination language (Western analytics), we show that in our case an ethnographer cannot find any single source language. Consequently, we argue that STS should study actors' modes and moves of betrayal and their doing ontology as an open process. Second, unlike Lin and Law, who postulate the Chinese mode of international as "subtle" and "minimalist" and an alternative to the Western mode (Lin and Law 2013), we argue that with the rise of China and the changing world political economy, STS needs to be more attentive to dominating expansions that come from non-Western locations as much as from the West.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between theoretically grounded telework factors and various individual and organizational outcomes of telework (overall satisfaction with telework, perceived advantages of telework, career opportunities and self-reported productivity).Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, ten telework factors that may affect individual and organizational telework outcomes were identified and empirically tested using the survey data of 128 teleworkers exercising different telework intensity and representing various sectors of the economy.FindingsThe bundle of theoretically selected variables explained a significant part of the variance of telework outcomes. Reduced communication with co-workers, supervisor's trust and support, suitability of the working place at home were found to be the most important telework factors impacting different telework outcomes. Higher self-reported productivity was related to reduced time in communicating with co-workers, a suitable working place at home and the possibility to take care of family members when teleworking.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights about the management of telework in organizations by highlighting the factors that promote the satisfaction, productivity and perceived career opportunities of teleworkers.Originality/valueThis paper challenges the results of previous research on the factors related with telework and its outcomes. Based on the job demands-resources theory, the authors identified the factors that serve as resources in generating positive telework outcomes, and the factors increasing job demands and reducing satisfaction with telework.


OBJECTIVES
This study aims to examine amplitude changes of low-frequency oscillations (fALFF) in the blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal associated with acupuncture on NeiGuan (PC6).

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Ten (10) healthy adults participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (i.e., nuclear medicine; fMRI) study. During the brain-imaging procedure, the participants were instructed to lie quietly; they did not perform any cognitive task.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Three (3) fMRI scans were conducted for each participant: a first resting-state scan (R1), a stimulating-acupoint scan (AP), and a second resting-state scan (R2) after AP. Individual fALFF maps were calculated for each scan.

RESULTS
During R1, consistent with previous studies, the default network regions showed significantly detectable fALFF amplitudes. Acupuncture on PC6 increased fALFF amplitudes within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), occipital fusiform gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus (PCC/PCU). In contrast, during R2, fALFF within PCC is still significantly higher than R1 while ACC and cerebellum showed decreased fALFF.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings imply that stimulating PC6 can change the amplitude of the intrinsic cortical activity of the brain. In particular, a continuous and temporally consistent effect of acupuncture within PCC not the common brain circuit of pain including ACC and cerebellum was observed. Considering the cognitive functions and deficits of the relevant areas in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease, acupuncture on PC6 could potentially affect both psychiatric and neurological disorders. Thus, stimulating PC6 may be a candidate method for improving cognitive impairment.


In the aftermath of mass shootings by violent extremists and amid increasing anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination, many Muslim Americans have responded to these and other social, legal, and political developments with philanthropic initiatives inspired by orthodox Islamic teachings. This humanitarian impulse in Islam, which has shaped the religion since its founding, is relatively unknown to non-Muslim Americans. Humanitarian Islam is defined here in largely oppositional terms to so-called the "radical Islam." In contrast to the violence, aggression, death, and destruction commonly associated with "radical Islam," selfless volunteerism, benevolence, altruism, and charitable giving in service to others are characteristic of humanitarian Islam. This Article presents interdisciplinary research in its inquiry into humanitarian Islam and employs case studies to achieve a number of objectives. First, through the unique lens of philanthropy, it reveals the Muslim lived experience in contemporary America, from countering violent extremism to challenging discrimination. Second, it explores the minority faith community's varied contributions in geographically diverse regions of the country. Third, this Article examines the communal relations that Muslim Americans have formed with non-Muslim Americans. Fourth, it illuminates the role, extent, and influence of Islamic faith beliefs and practices among Americans who are Muslims and a distinct perspective regarding Islam in America. * Engy Abdelkader, JD, LL.M., teaches courses on international human rights at Rutgers University.


Due to the increasing popularity of web applications, and the number of browsers and platforms on which such applications can be executed, cross-browser incompatibilities (XBIs) are becoming a serious concern for organizations that develop web-based software. Most of the techniques for XBI detection developed to date are either manual, and thus costly and error-prone, or partial and imprecise, and thus prone to generating both false positives and false negatives. To address these limitations of existing techniques, we developed X-PERT, a new automated, precise, and comprehensive approach for XBI detection. X-PERT combines several new and existing differencing techniques and is based on our findings from an extensive study of XBIs in real-world web applications. The key strength of our approach is that it handles each aspects of a web application using the differencing technique that is best suited to accurately detect XBIs related to that aspect. Our empirical evaluation shows that X-PERT is effective in detecting real-world XBIs, improves on the state of the art, and can provide useful support to developers for the diagnosis and (eventually) elimination of XBIs.


Subtyping of Meningiomas into benign, atypical and malignant entities is of supreme importance in respect to treatment options of surgery, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two, in addition to that, embolization procedure for the feeding arteries is a successful consideration in most of the highly vascular or potentially more malignant meningiomas to evaluate the role of MRI in defining the characteristic pattern of intracranial meningiomas and to correlate MRI with the histopathological findings in an attempt to predict the histological diagnosis (subtype) prior to surgery. A cross-sectional analytic study was performed on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of surgically and biopsy verified intracranial meningiomas in 62 patients (21 males and 41 females) in an attempt to predict the histological features. The study was done in Al-Jirahat Specialized Surgical Hospital and in Al-Sadir teaching Hospital, department of radiology beside Alameer MR private center in Alnajaf AlAshraf city during a period between October 2002 and September 2005. On MRI appearance, atypical and malignant meningiomas in contrast with the more benign histology had more heterogeneous signal intensity and enhancement in (80%) and (100%) respectively, less obviously showed meningioma cleft sign, more cystic appearance in (60%) and (100%) respectively, surrounded by marked edema (+++) degree, exert more mass effect and invade the dural venous sinus in almost all the cases. Overall, MRI is an excellent non-invasive tool for the preoperative evaluation of intracranial meningiomas and can predict with a good degree of certainity the aggressive behavior of the more atypical and malignant meningiomas. This study showed lower rate of atypical and malignant meningiomas than other similar studies. Other findings are similar to what have been found in other studies performed on intracranial meningiomas.


Food desert communities face persistent barriers in accessing affordable fresh and healthy foods, particularly for the underserved and limited-resourced minority population. This research brief proposes an integrated design concept examining human-environment dynamics of food deserts to identify strategies that would provide effective planning to prevent, prepare for, or respond to disruptive events such as natural disasters or pandemics in the future. The North Carolina example we describe identifies the potential overlapping areas between food deserts and number of COVID-19 cases to demonstrate how an unpredictable event could exacerbate public health in food desert communities to a greater extent than in communities with better food access, availability, and accessibility. The improved understanding of food systems could help in addressing unprecedented challenges such as those due to the COVID-19 crisis.


Arbitrary complex-valued functions can be implemented as arrays of individually specified diffusers. For any diffuser, only average step height and vertical roughness are needed to control phase and amplitude. This modulation concept suggests potentially low-cost fabrication methods in which desired topographies are patterned by exposing photoresist with partially developed speckle patterns. Analyses and experimental demonstrations that illustrate the modulation concept and aspects of the fabrication method are presented, with particular emphasis on limitations of complex recording set by various photoresist and exposure properties. Applications of diffuser array concepts to spatial light modulators and to gray-scale lithographic printing of micro-optics are also mentioned.


Poxviruses replicate their linear genomes by forming concatemers that must be resolved into monomeric units to produce new virions. A viral resolvase cleaves DNA four-way junctions extruded at the concatemer junctions to produce monomeric genomes. This cleavage reaction is required for viral replication, so the resolvase is an attractive target for small molecule inhibitors. To provide a platform for understanding resolvase mechanism and designing inhibitors, we have determined the crystal structure of the canarypox virus (CPV) resolvase. CPV resolvase is dimer of RNase H superfamily domains related to Escherichia coli RuvC, with an active site lined by highly conserved acidic residues that bind metal ions. There are several intriguing structural differences between resolvase and RuvC, and a model of the CPV resolvase·Holliday junction complex provides insights into the consequences of these differences, including a plausible explanation for the weak sequence specificity exhibited by the poxvirus enzymes. The model also explains why the poxvirus resolvases are more promiscuous than RuvC, cleaving a variety of branched, bulged, and flap-containing substrates. Based on the unique active site structure observed for CPV resolvase, we have carried out a series of experiments to test divalent ion usage and preferences. We find that the two resolvase metal binding sites have different preferences for Mg2+ versus Mn2+. Optimal resolvase activity is maintained with 5 μm Mn2+ and 100 μm Mg2+, concentrations that are well below those required for either metal alone. Together, our findings provide biochemical insights and structural models that will facilitate studying poxvirus replication and the search for efficient poxvirus inhibitors.


One of the major challenges of the language identification (LID) system comes from the sparse training data. Manually collecting the linguistic data through the controlled studio is usually expensive and impractical. But multilingual broadcast programs (Voice of America, for instance) can be collected as a reasonable alternative to the linguistic data acquisition issue. However, unlike studio collected linguistic data, broadcast programs usually contain many contents other than pure linguistic data: musical contents in foreground/background, commercials, noise from practical life. In this study, a systematic processing approach is proposed to extract the linguistic data from the broadcast media. The experimental results obtained on NIST LRE 2009 data show that the proposed method can provide 22.2% relative improvement of segmentation accuracy and 20.5% relative improvement of LID accuracy.


In Part I is developed the theory of the tensor as a device for the construction of concomitants. This part includes the specific separation of a complete cogredient tensor of rank r into simple tensors, with a formula indicating the corresponding separation of a mixed tensor; also the corresponding theory in tensors to the Glebsch theory of algebraic forms, and a compact proof of the fundamental theorem that all concomitants under the full linear group can be obtained by the multiplication and contraction of tensors. The general equivalence is demonstrated, so far as elementary applications are concerned, of the method of tensors with the classical symbolic method of invariant theory. The first part forms a foundation for the principal theory of the paper which is developed in Part II. This primarily consists of an analysis of the properties of S-functions which provides methods for predicting the exact number of linearly independent concomitants of each type, of a given set of ground forms. Complementary to this, a method of substitutional analysis based on the tableaux which must be constructed in obtaining a product of S-functions, enables the specific concomitants of each type to be written down. Part III consists of applications to the classical problems of invariant theory. For ternary perpetuants a generating function is obtained which is not only simpler than that given by Young, but is also more general, in so far as it indicates, as well as the covariants, also the mixed concomitants. Extension is made to any number of variables. The complete sets of concomitants, up to degree 5 or 6 m the coefficients, are obtained for the cubic, quartic and quadratic complex in any number of variables. Alternating concomitant types are described and enumerated. A theorem of conjugates is proved which associates the concomitants of one ground form with the concomitants of a ground form of a different type, namely, that which corresponds to the conjugate partition. Some indication is made of the extension of this theory to invariants under restricted groups of transformations, e.g. the orthogonal group, but the full development of this extended theory is to be the subject of another paper.


The study at hand deals with the question of whether the regular performance of motion sequences in school lessons has a positive influence on the students' learning ability. Learning ability is largely affected by one's attentiveness and ability to concentrate, which can be summarised as cognitive abilities. Based on the theoretical background proving positive effects on cognitive abilities due to physical activity, motion sequences were developed and tested in Biology lessons. In order to examine the effectiveness of this intervention, the d2 test of attention by Brickenkamp (2002) for the determination of attention and concentration performance was conducted in a test-retest-design and further accompanied by a selfdeveloped questionnaire. Due to a disturbance variable, the hypothesis could not be validated. Still, the students' personal feedback was uniformly positive, which goes along with results of other authors who detected various factors in teaching connected to physical activity that increase the students' learning ability and the willingness to learn.


In late nineteenth-century America, a new type of book became commonplace in millions of homes across the country. Volumes sporting such titles as The Way to Win and Onward to Fame and Fortune promised to show young men how to succeed in life. But despite their upbeat titles, success manuals offered neither practical business advice nor a simple celebration of the American Dream. Instead, as Judy Hilkey reveals, they presented a dire picture of an uncertain new age, portraying life in the newly industrialized nation as a brutal struggle for survival, but arguing that adherence to old-fashioned virtues enabled any determined man to succeed. Hilkey offers a cultural history of success manuals and the industry that produced and marketed them. She examines the books' appearance, iconography, and intended audience--primarily native-born, rural and small-town men of modest means and education--and explores the genre's use of gendered language to equate manhood with success, femininity with failure. Ultimately, argues Hilkey, by articulating a worldview that helped legitimate the new social order to those most threatened by it, success manuals urged readers to accommodate themselves to the demands of life in the industrial age.


Introduction: The habit of smokeless tobacco chewing is one of the known risk factors for oral cancer among the residents of southeast of Iran. Most likely, the antioxidant defense system in dealing with free radicals induced paan and prevention of oral cancer is important. In this study, the activity of super oxide dismutase is compared in the saliva of paan consumers and non-consumers. Methods: In this study, Unstimulated saliva of 87 subjects (47 paan consumers and 40 non-consumers) who referred to the Oral Medicine Department of Dentistry School of Zahedan was collected. The activity of super oxide dismutase enzyme was measured by standard biochemical methods (Mc Cord and Fridovich) and the obtained data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS-15 through non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Results: The mean activity of super oxide dismutase was significantly higher in the paan consumers group (4.4±1.6 u/mg) compared to non-consumers (3.59±1.8 u/mg, p=0.027). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that consumption of paan leads to increased


In this molecular dynamics simulation study we ascertain the dynamics
of the glass transition for polymer melts and ionic liquids. Moreover, we systematically investigate changes of dynamical behavior by varying the molecular weight of the polymers and investigate the interpretation of experimental results, in particular of nuclear magnetic resonance data.

The glass transition occurs in a wide range of systems and upon, e.g., cooling and increasing pressure. Its description is thereby commonly kept universal so that the understanding of the glass transition is closely connected to the understanding of common features for the different systems and control parameters. We find that various scaling approaches, which incorporate different control parameters, e.g., temperature, volume and entropy, describe the dramatic slowdown of dynamics approaching the glass transition for an ionic liquid and four polymer systems. The breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation is found for a variety of glass formers and related to other features of the glass transition, e.g., the properties of spatially het-
erogeneous dynamics. Thereby, the fractional Stokes-Einstein exponent,
obtained as a result from the breakdown, is found to be a temperature-
independent key feature of glass formers.

The growth of regions with spatially heterogeneous dynamics has inspired the most promising theories of the glass transition. Length scales are thereby a critical component and not clearly defined. Recent studies discuss a description of length scales for confinement systems, where region sizes and confinement sizes intersect. In further analyses we, hence, test the Adam-Gibbs and Random First Order Transition (RFOT) theory via a determination of dynamic and static length scales. For this purpose we study poly(propyleneoxide) in a neutral confinement of four geometries and find length scales, which describe the evolution of bulk dynamics approaching the glass transition. These results and findings in a complementary study of water carried out by F. Klameth [1] support the predictions of the RFOT theory.

Experimental measurements of the diffusion and structural relaxation is a fundamental prerequisite for the study of the glass transition. Recent studies have developed new approaches to study diffusion coefficients and structural relaxation times by way of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for wide time ranges and long times. Hence, the key aspects in the interpretation of spin-lattice relaxation times from nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are evaluated from a molecular dynamics simulation perspective. Therein, we find the investigated approaches to determine diffusion coefficients and relaxation times acceptable within sometimes more stringent criteria. Furthermore, we provide a detailed analysis on the origin of deviations between the theoretic framework of polymer dynamics and experimental results. We find that intermolecular contributions, inherent to the method, and fast end groups may result in deviations of the experimental data from theoretical predictions. The simulation approach enables us to identify contributions unaccounted for in common interpretation and theoretic consideration and quantify them.

The present study provides new insight into differences and similarities between a wide range of glass formers, the application of theoretic models of the glass transition, application of confinements to investigate the glass transition, methodical understanding of NMR observables, and deviations from predicted regimes in polymer dynamics.


In 1997 an ecumenical conference was held in Limuru, Kenya. The meeting brought together researchers, some Sudanese and others deeply interested and involved in Sudanese church life. The conference was entitled "The Church in Sudan-Its Impact Past, Present and Future." Many of the papers presented at that gathering have subsequently been published in a set of volumes under the general editorship of Andrew Wheeler and William Anderson. By 1998 Paulines Publications Africa of Nairobi had published the first six volumes of the "Faith in Sudan Series." The conference and these six initial publications have spurred further research and writing so that by the time of this review there are now eleven volumes in this important series. Although these works are not described specifically as "historical", both of the series editors are church historians with the result that most of the volumes have a strong emphasis on the history of Sudanese Christianity. Given the situation of war, genocide, famine and the displacement of massive numbers of people over the two decades in the Southern Sudan it is amazing that any substantial research on the history and theology of Sudanese Christianity could be accomplished at all. That these volumes, several of them substantial works of scholarship, have appeared is a remarkable achievement. The deliberately ambiguous title of the series, "Faith in Sudan," reflects a profound hope, for these books are not merely a testimony to the faith of the churches in the Sudan, they also express the joy of the Sudanese and their partners around the world that God is in their midst. As in any series involving multiple authors the volumes are rather uneven, nor is there an apparent grand design to the shape of the series. Rather, the volumes are a rich set of studies and stories. Some of the work here is carefully documented historical research, some is on a more popular level and includes anecdotal information which would be very difficult to verify, some is frankly a bit hagiographie. Each of these volumes, however, contains valuable material. The first volume, Land of Promise: Church Growth in a Sudan at War (1997) edited by Wheeler, presents seven studies, most analyzing a particular case study. An introductory article by Wheeler surveys the phenomenon of the massive influx of traditionalist African people into the churches between 1983 and 1996. "The Church in Sudan has been described as the fastest growing church in Africa and the Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS) in particular has been described as the fastest growing church in the Anglican Communion." This growth is obvious to any visitor to the Sudan. The rapid growth of the Sudanese churches is now also evident as Southern Sudanese refugees organize their worship life in refugee camps throughout eastern Africa, and in cities of the Middle East like Cairo and Beirut, where attendance at Christian churches is swelled by large numbers of refugee Sudanese worshippers. As the displacement continues, Sudanese have begun to settle in Europe and North America. This volume is limited to the study of the growth of churches within the Sudan, but there will soon be further scope for study as Sudanese Christianity begins to interact with the more settled (and declining) traditions of the churches outside of die Sudan. As with each of the "Faith in Sudan" volumes, the material here is ecumenical in its scope. Interesting studies of the work of the Sudan Interior Mission among the Uduk and the Reformed Church of America among the Murle people provide insight into the complex questions involved in the interaction between gospel and culture. Three articles should be of special interest to Anglican readers. Oliver Duku's essay "The Development and Growth of Mayo Congregations" is a study of the growing congregations (of various denominations, including the ECS) of displaced Southern Sudanese living on the outskirts of Khartoum in Northern Sudan. Marc Nikkel has contributed two essays. …


Obesity is a complex condition that affects all age groups and socioeconomic strata and places significant burdens on health and social care systems in both developed and developing countries. Overeating and a lack of exercise, along with smoking and high alcohol use, are the most common causes of non-communicable diseases, which account for almost two-thirds of global deaths each year. This programme of PhD research aimed to better understand dietary and other health risk behaviours by considering the influence of evolutionary behavioural strategies, while controlling for other determinants of health risk behaviours, including childhood experience and socioeconomic variables. In the first study, young adults (n=393; aged 18-30 years) completed a bespoke self-report questionnaire and provided data on their developmental experiences and their socioeconomic environments, in addition to a range of behavioural choices and evolutionary strategies (e.g. reproductive behaviour). In the second study, a secondary analysis of the second iteration of the North West Mental Well-being Survey (NWMWBS) 2012/13 was undertaken to supplement findings from study 1. These studies were analysed using regression analysis and Latent Class Analysis. Across both studies, there was a clustering of risk behaviours. Adverse childhood experiences and lower socioeconomic status were found to be predictive of health risk behaviours, including unhealthy eating, binge drinking and smoking cigarettes. Various evolutionary behavioural strategies were found to be predictive of health risk behaviours. Reproductive strategy was found to be predictive of BMI; health offsetting was found to be predictive of risky eating behaviour and physical activity; investing behaviour was found to be predictive of BMI, general health risk taking, binge drinking, current daily smoking, and violence; altruism was found to be predictive of eating preference; trust was found to be predictive of general health risk taking, current daily smoking, and physical activity; cooperation was found to be predictive of current daily smoking; and, planning behaviour was found to be predictive of current daily smoking, and risky sexual practices. Overall, the research suggests that childhood experiences and socioeconomic inequality are key determinants of behavioural strategies, and that such strategies are likely to be adaptive.


A new technology has emerged with the potential to increase police compliance with the law and to increase officers' accountability for their conduct. Called "body worn video" (BWV) or "head cams," these devices are smaller, lighter versions of the video and audio recording systems mounted on the dash boards of police cars. These systems are small enough that they consist of something the size and shape of a cellular telephone earpiece, and are worn by police officers the same way. Recordings are downloaded directly from the device into a central computer system for storage and indexing, which protects them from tampering and assures a defensible chain of custody.This article explores the good that BWV can do for both the police and members of the public, particularly how these recordings might play a role in assuring that officers comply with Fourth Amendment search and seizure rules. Field tests of BWV in Britain have shown that police used the devices to keep records and record evidence, and that the devices were a uniquely effective bulwark against false complaints. Coupled with a requirement that every citizen encounter involving a search or seizure be recorded, and a presumption that without a recording the factfinder must draw inferences in favor of the defendant, BWV can help resolve disputes over search and seizure activities, and give the public a heretofore unattainable degree of assurance that police officers enforcing the law obey it as they do so. While BWV is certainly no panacea, and presents significant issues of tampering and reliability, it can help bring accountability and rule following to an aspect of police behavior that has largely proven resistant to it.


Late in adenovirus infection, large amounts of viral mRNA accumulate while cell mRNA transport and translation decrease. Viruses deleted in the E1B region of type 5 adenovirus do not produce the same outcome: (i) viral mRNA synthesis by the mutants is normal, delivery to the cytoplasm is 50 to 75% of normal, but steady-state levels of viral mRNA are decreased 10-fold; (ii) cell mRNA synthesis and transport continue normally in the mutant virus-infected cell; and (iii) translation of preexisting cell mRNA which is disrupted in wild-type infection remains normal in mutant-virus-infected cells. Thus E1B proteins are required for accumulation of virus mRNA and for induction of the failure of host cell mRNA transport and translation. If a single function is involved, by inference the transport and some aspect of translation of mRNAs could be linked.


This study is
focused on the prediction of residual stresses and microstructure development of
steel and aluminum alloys during laser-based manufacturing processes by means
of multi-physics numerical modeling.

A finite
element model is developed to predict solid-state phase transformation,
material hardness, and residual stresses produced during laser-based
manufacturing processes such as laser hardening and laser additive
manufacturing processes based on the predicted temperature and geometry from a
free-surface tracking laser deposition model. The solid-state phase
transformational model considers heating, cooling, and multiple laser track heating
and cooling as well as multiple layer tempering effects. The residual stress
model is applied to the laser hardening of 4140 steel and to laser direct deposition
of H13 tool steel and includes the effects of thermal strain and solid-state
phase transformational strain based on the resultant phase distributions.
Predicted results, including material hardness and residual stresses, are
validated with measured values.

Two dendrite
growth predictive models are also developed to simulate microsegregation and
dendrite growth during laser-based manufacturing processes that involve melting
and solidification of multicomponent alloys such as laser welding and laser-based
additive manufacturing processes. The first model uses the Phase Field method
to predict dendrite growth and microsegregation in 2D and 3D. It is validated
against simple 2D and 3D cases of single dendrite growth as well as 2D and 3D
cases of multiple dendrite growth. It is then applied to laser welding of
aluminum alloy Al 6061 and used to predict microstructure within a small domain.

The second model uses a novel technique by
combining the Cellular Automata method and the Phase Field method to accurately
predict solidification on a larger scale with the intent of modeling dendrite
growth. The greater computational efficiency of the this model allows for the
simulation of entire weld pools in 2D. The model is validated against an
analytical model and results in the literature.


Hydrogen sulfide production was investigated in 29 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae — two commercial and 27 natural isolates. Sulfide formation was evaluated under two synthetic juice conditions: one leading to full expression of the sulfate reduction sequence and the other to maximal repression of this pathway. Strains could be categorized as high, medium, low, or non-producers under each of these conditions. There was no correlation between category of production in these two media for the strains evaluated, but for each strain, production under repressing conditions was much less. Under repressing conditions, H 2 S production decreased from 4- to 560-fold depending upon the strain, with the majority of strains displaying a 200-fold or greater reduction in production. Hydrogen sulfide formation was also evaluated in natural and synthetic juices that establish conditions intermediate between full repression and induction of the sulfate reduction sequence, and with sulfur dioxide or with limitation for other components. Yeast variability in H 2 S formation was greatest under conditions of marginal nitrogen content of the medium, but there was not a simple correlation of amount of H 2 S formed and total nitrogen content, fermentation rate, or time of formation during fermentation. The effectiveness of nitrogen (diammonium phosphate) addition in commercial isolate UCD522 was found to be dependent upon the concentration of methionine in the medium. The effectiveness of methionine addition at suppression of hydrogen sulfide formation was similarly dependent upon the ammonium (or total nitrogen) content. At low methionine concentrations, DAP impact on H 2 S was minimal, and at low ammonium concentrations the effect of methionine addition was likewise minimal. Genetic analysis of one strain revealed that hydrogen sulfide formation is under the control of several genes, consistent with what is known about the complex regulation of the sulfate reduction pathway.


Abstract The effects of acidification on the preservation of buried lacustrine microfossils were evaluated using experimental tanks to simulate pH, depth, duration of acidification, and buffering conditions below the sediment/water interface of a hypothetical acidified lake. The taphonomic data provided from these experiments suggest that buffering by the host catchment (i.e., the CaCO3 content of the soils and outcrops that underlie the lake and drainage basin) is the primary factor promoting calcareous-fossil preservation under conditions of moderate and severe acidification. Global acid-rain fallout was a likely environmental consequence of the Chicxulub impact event at the Cretaceous– Paleogene boundary, and may have been important at other times in Earth history. Fossil preservation at the K/Pg boundary may have been affected by acidic groundwater leaching. Whereas the duration and intensity of the acid-rain fallout is poorly constrained, acid rain would have had varying effects on the acidity of lacustrine and fluvial environments with different acid-buffering capacities. Variations in acid-buffering capacities of lacustrine and fluvial catchments also may be a factor in the apparent extinction selectivity of non-marine aquatic fauna at the K/Pg boundary. Last appearances of taxa can result from poor preservation conditions or extinction—both of which may result from acidification. Last appearances observed at the species level, but not in higher taxa, may be the result of regional heterogeneities in catchment geology. Understanding local buffering conditions may be important for interpreting the continental fossil record at the K/Pg boundary.


To implement the BB84 decoy-state quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol over a lossy ground-satellite quantum uplink requires a source that has high repetition rate of short laser pulses, long term stability, and no phase correlations between pulses. We present a new type of telecom optical polarization and amplitude modulator, based on a balanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, coupled to a polarization-preserving sum-frequency generation (SFG) optical setup, generating 532 nm photons with modulated polarization and amplitude states. The weak coherent pulses produced by SFG meet the challenging requirements for long range QKD, featuring a high clock rate of 76 MHz, pico-second pulse width, phase randomization, and 98% polarization visibility for all states. Successful QKD has been demonstrated using this apparatus with full system stability up to 160 minutes and channel losses as high 57 dB . We present the design and simulation of the hardware through the Mueller matrix and Stokes vector relations, together with an experimental implementation working in the telecom wavelength band. We show the utility of the complete system by performing high loss QKD simulations, and confirm that our modulator fulfills the expected performance.


Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) provide numerous benefits for
cacheable content: reduced delivery cost, improved quality of
experience for End Users, and increased robustness of delivery. For
these reasons, they are frequently used for large-scale content
delivery. As a result, existing CDN Providers are scaling up their
infrastructure, and many Network Service Providers (NSPs) are
deploying their own CDNs. It is generally desirable that a given
content item can be delivered to an End User regardless of that End
User's location or attachment network. This is the motivation for
interconnecting standalone CDNs so they can interoperate as an open
content delivery infrastructure for the end-to-end delivery of content
from Content Service Providers (CSPs) to End Users. However, no
standards or open specifications currently exist to facilitate such
CDN Interconnection. The goal of this document is to outline the
problem area of CDN Interconnection for the IETF CDNI (CDN
Interconnection) working group. This document is not an Internet
Standards Track specification; it is published for informational
purposes.


This article examines how the proliferation of branding practices on Instagram (re)produces and intensifies a labour that exploits the identity of individuals. Analysing user-generated content, it shows how the platform creates dispositions towards certain forms of self-presentation through the interactions between influencers and common users. In particular, this contribution argues that the practice of tagging/hashtagging brands, mediated by influencer marketing, has penetrated the social tissue of the platform to such an extent that common users have come to appropriate a set of pre-established self-presentation narratives tailored by neoliberal rationalities over evaluative practices. The article concludes by claiming that branding practices undertaken by Instagram users can be understood not only as a form of structural labour but also as a form of subjective labour that, due to the nature of the social media milieu, enlarges the space of an ideological environment by reaching an ever-growing number of users.