The work described in this thesis was designed to investigate the current impact of parasitic gastroenteritis on organic and conventional dairy farms in first season grazing youngstock in Scotland, and to elucidate a marker of significant parasite challenge within individual calves, in order to target these calves with an anthelmintic treatment. It was felt particularly that any recommendations should be practical and easily implemented on-farm, and optimise anthelmintic usage, with regard to animal health, welfare and performance on both organic and conventional farms.

There is world-wide recognition that nematode parasite infections are one of the greatest causes of lost productivity of grazing livestock. In the UK, the single most important cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in cattle is infection with the abomasal nematode, Ostertagia ostertagi, although concomitant infection with the less pathogenic intestinal nematode, Cooperia oncophora is common. Often, non-organic (conventional) producers use anthelmintic treatment programmes that prevent disease or treat all animals in a group without necessarily considering the basic epidemiological information needed for an optimal strategic control. Organic producers are encouraged to avoid this approach, thus it may be hypothesised that organic livestock harbour higher parasite burdens compared to livestock in conventional systems. However, little information is available on current UK organic dairy anthelmintic use and subsequent parasite challenge to youngstock. This thesis aimed to investigate current management practices on three Scottish organic farms compared to three Scottish conventional farms and examine different ways of assessing parasite challenge (including novel markers) with a view to the implementation of a targeted selective treatment (TST) programme. Liveweight gain assessment by means of weigh-bands as a tool to investigate the effect of parasitism on the host was also examined. In year one of the study, the six farms were visited on four occasions throughout the grazing season where fifteen first season grazers on each farm had their liveweight measured (weigh-band or weigh-scale), a faecal egg count (FEC) recorded and plasma pepsinogen, plasma fructosamine and Ostertagia ostertagi antibody concentrations measured.

Knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal nematode infestation has led to the identification of parasitic biomarkers for use either as a diagnostic tool or for providing a threshold for anthelmintic treatment. Faecal egg counts (FEC) are the most widely used parameter, both clinically and in studies on gastrointestinal nematode infections of ruminants, because of their relative convenience and low cost. Organic producers are encouraged to use faecal egg counts in order to direct anthelmintic treatment to calves, or groups of calves, that have counts of 200 eggs per gram or more (Soil Association, 2010). The recent launch of COWS (Control of Worms Sustainably in Cattle) in May 2010 - an initiative to prevent widespread anthelmintic resistance and to use anthelmintics appropriately in cattle in the UK - has also seen conventional farmers encouraged to use faecal egg counts in the same manner as their organic counterparts (Taylor, 2010i). None of the biomarkers, including FEC, investigated in the study reflected liveweight gain adequately to use in a targeted selective anthelmintic treatment programme. An ideal biomarker would give indication of calves that would most benefit from anthelmintic treatment before liveweight gain was affected. The biomarkers in this study indicated presence of gastrointestinal parasitism but could not target the animals that had poor liveweight gains. The emphasis on FEC in advice to farmers regarding the need for anthelmintic treatment requires re-evaluation.

The data from year one showed that the conventionally farmed first season grazers (FSG) had significantly higher liveweight gains than the organically farmed calves. Anthelmintic treatment was applied to the organic calves in the study when the calves were known to be harbouring gastrointestinal parasite infection from positive faecal egg counts. The organically farmed first season grazers in this study had high gastrointestinal parasite challenge, indicated by parasite-based markers such as FEC and plasma pepsinogen concentration. The conventional producers in this study exposed FSG to 652% more days of anthelmintic than the organic producers and gained superior liveweight gains over the grazing season. Essentially, the organic producers fulfilled the ethos of organic production, reducing anthelmintic usage and showing necessity of anthelmintic treatment. However, subclinical and clinical parasitic gastroenteritis reduces animal welfare, the essence of the organic ethos. The organic industry needs to investigate whether there is a superior alternative to FEC that still promotes the organic ethos and reduces subclinical and clinical parasitic gastroenteritis.

The possibility of using liveweight gain as a marker for anthelmintic treatment was investigated. An accurate assessment of liveweight is necessary if calf liveweight gain is to be calculated accurately and used as a threshold for anthelmintic treatment. Cattle weigh-scales are expensive and often not available on farm, particularly where youngstock may be grazing at pasture and gathered in the field for handling. With this in mind, cattle weigh-bands, which measure heart girth and relate this to liveweight, have been devised and used in practice in order to estimate cattle liveweight. Realistically, if a liveweight gain threshold were to be recommended for use on farms in the UK, the weigh-band must estimate liveweight and hence liveweight gain accurately. Given that many farmers do not possess weigh-scales on farm, use of heart-girth measurements to estimate liveweight gain is the best option available to farmers currently.

Year two involved the implementation of a targeted selective anthelmintic treatment (TST) programme on two organic farms and one conventional farm; all were previously involved in the year one study. Anthelmintic treatment was applied only to FSG calves growing at <0.75kg/day at two points in the grazing season. Organic Farm 1 (O1) and Organic Farm 2 (O2) increased the liveweight gain of the FSG in year two by 50% and 44% respectively. Farm O2 exposed the FSG to 1160% more days of anthelmintic than in 2009; however, approximately 10% of the group were left untreated. Conventional FSG showed reduced liveweight gain from the previous year by 19%. However, respiratory disease was present on-farm also and may have confounded findings. Applying a performance-based targeted anthelmintic regime treatment in the field is possible and using it on farms where anthelmintic treatment was already minimal, such as organic farms, increased liveweight gain in first season grazers without significantly increasing anthelmintic treatment. Applying a TST regime to a conventional farm where previously a suppressive anthelmintic treatment had been applied may have reduced liveweight gain in the first season grazers (FSG) but maintained it at an acceptable level. The acceptance by farmers of TST strategies, and their implementation, may require a high level of input and education to the farming community.


The pervasive post-adoption of on-demand software-as-a-service (SaaS) products via the Internet has provided clients with sufficient convenience and functional flexibility to rent and build the multifunctional services they require. Prior research has called for a deeper understanding of how client firms encourage the exploration of SaaS applications in the workplace. However, exploring the best service combinations depends on the clients' socially related motivation. Hence, we draw on social capital theory in this study to examine clients' intentions to explore new SaaS service features. We use service quality to complement structural capital as an indicator, as it is more suitable for assessing the service structure of systems. Drawing on a sample of 246 employees in the IT service departments of smalland medium-sized companies in Taiwan, we generate the following empirical results. First, most of the main effect paths only show significant positive signs for the effect of relational capital on the intention to explore, and the effect of environmental quality on social capital is not supported. Second, we rebuild the mediation model to test the non-supported hypotheses and find that relational capital partially mediates the relationship between service quality and the intention to explore. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


We introduce an iterative approach to recognizing two-dimensional grammatical structure within digital images, which we term "turbo recognition." Inspired by the success of turbo decoding for channel coding of one-dimensional sequences, we develop a recognition scheme for images based on two independent views of the same underlying message. These correspond to two independent image sources, one in the horizontal direction and the other in the vertical direction, which are driven by a single input message. The recognition process proceeds iteratively, first along one direction and then the other, applying the Forward/Backward algorithm to derive a new prior probability distribution on the input message for the orthogonal recognition step. This holds promise as a principled approach within the Document Image Decoding (DID) framework for the recognition of nontrivial 2D layout structure such as tables.


Consumers often pursue goals (e.g., losing weight) where the chance of attaining the goal increases with some behaviors (e.g., exercise) but decreases with others (e.g., eating). Although goal monitoring is known to be a critical step in self-control for successful goal pursuit, little research investigates whether consumers accurately monitor goal progress. Seven experiments demonstrate that consumers tend to show a progress bias in goal monitoring, perceiving that goal-consistent behaviors (e.g., saving $45) help progress more than goal-inconsistent behaviors of the equivalent size (e.g., spending $45) hurt it. Expectations of goal attainment moderate the progress bias; reducing the expectation that the goal will be reached reduces the tendency to perceive goal-consistent behaviors to have a larger impact on goal progress than equivalent goal-inconsistent behaviors. A study on exercise and eating shows that although the progress bias can increase initial goal persistence, it can also lead to premature goal release due to poor calibration of overall progress.


Wearable textile-based stretch sensors for health-care monitoring allow physiological and medical evaluation without interfering in the daily routine of the patient. In our previous work, we successfully coated viscose and polyester (PES) fibers with the conjugated polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. In the present paper we report the possibility of producing a large quantity of PEDOT-coated conductive fibers with acceptable mechanical strength and frictional properties, so that knitted stretch sensors can be produced. In utilizing these knitted structures we have demonstrated the possibility of producing a textile-based monitoring device which is more readily integrated into wearable clothing than the previous metal-containing structures. The performance of viscose and PES knitted structures as stretch sensors has been investigated using a cyclic tester of our own design. For imitation of respiratory and joint movement, the variation in electrical properties of the knitted structures was examined at 5 to 50% elongation, and the performance of knitted viscose and PES structures was then compared on the basis of the cyclic testing results. In order to determine the effect of washing on PEDOT coatings and the knitted structures, two washing cycles were performed. After washing, the persistence of PEDOT coating on knitted structures was investigated using FT–IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. In the case of PES fiber, it was revealed that stretch sensing behavior persisted even after the washing cycles. These structures thus have the potential to be utilized in medical textiles for monitoring the physiological activities of patients, such as breathing rate and joint movement.


Objectives: Emergency Physicians utilize multiple patient information (PI) sources within Emergency Departments. Access to a centralized health record system is ideal but not always available to physicians. A technological gap exists in the context of PI sharing regarding patients' representative and their in-situ involvement as an alternative PI source. The purpose of this study is to understand emergency physicians' perceptions about patients' representative and our design concept for improvement of PI sharing to physicians.
Methods: Observations focused on physician's interaction with representatives were used to understand the emergency setting which led to a mobile PI sharing application design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three experienced physicians to obtain their perceptions about the usefulness of our proposed design.
Results: Physicians shared their experiences about interactions with patient representatives and perceptions about potential use our proposed design concept. Physicians' main problems during interaction with representatives were insufficient PI and occasional unfavorable attitudes. Regarding our design concept, physicians' perceived benefits were reduced information-seeking time, reduced PI search actions, and reduced stress. Physicians' perceived shortcomings were related inter-department PI sharing features and insufficient PI relating patients' daily activities prior to admission and a do not resuscitate policy.
Conclusion: Physicians are willing to use our design concept in the future if concerns about security, upto- date PI and PI reliability are addressed. Although our current design concept focuses on the point of interaction between physicians and representatives, our scope will be widened to consider inter-ED PI sharing features and event-based PI.


current industry standard microcomputers-for example, IBM personal computers-that use the MS-DOS operating system, the minimum size for a computer virus is 97 bytes. Following his example, one of us created a virus this morning. From the initial idea it took only 20 minutes of work and the virus was up and running and infectious, capable of spreading spontaneously from disk to disk. Its minimal size for infectious behaviour was only 32 bytes; to ensure minimal pathogenesis and therefore probably long term survival a more sophisticated version of about 64 bytes was necessary. Finally, may we point out that Dr Harkin himself is the result ofan extremely unlikely event. The odds against his creation by the normal random reshuffling of his parents' chromosomes are one in 24-that is, one in 70 368 744 177 664. Yet that, we presume, is exactly what happened.


Curved shell structures are known for their excellent load-carrying capability and are commonly used in thin-walled constructions. Although theoretically able to withstand greater buckling loads than flat structures, shell structures are notoriously sensitive to imperfections owing to their postbuckling behavior often being governed by subcritical bifurcations. Thus, shell structures often buckle at significantly lower loads than those predicted numerically and the ensuing dynamic snap to another equilibrium can lead to permanent damage. Furthermore, the strong sensitivity to initial imperfections, as well as their stochastic nature, limits the predictive capability of current stability analyses. Our objective here is to convert the subcritical nature of the buckling event to a supercritical one, thereby improving the reliability of numerical predictions and mitigating the possibility of catastrophic failure. We explore the elastically nonlinear postbuckling response of axially compressed cylindrical panels using numerical continuation techniques. These analyses show that axially compressed panels exhibit a highly nonlinear and complex postbuckling behavior with many entangled postbuckled equilibrium curves. We unveil isolated regions of stable equilibria in otherwise unstable postbuckled regimes, which often possess greater load-carrying capacity. By modifying the initial geometry of the panel in a targeted—rather than stochastic—and imperceptible manner, the postbuckling behavior of these shells can be tailored without a significant increase in mass. These findings provide new insight into the buckling and postbuckling behavior of shell structures and opportunities for modifying and controlling their postbuckling response for enhanced efficiency and functionality.


In this thesis, we study the problem of mapping regular loops onto multiprocessors. We develop mapping schemes that yield very e cient executions of regular loops on shared and distributed memory architectures. We also develop novel analysis techniques, using which we argue about the e ciency of these resulting executions. The quality of the execution of these regular loops in the distributed memory setting, relies heavily on implementing cyclic shifts e ciently. E ectively, cyclic shifts are used to communicate results between individual processors, to which di erent interdependent iterations are assigned. Therefore, in order to achieve e cient executions of regular loops on distributed memory architectures, we also develop and analyze algorithms for solving the cyclic shift problem. In order to analyze the executions of regular loops that result from any speci c mapping, we need to characterize the important parameters that determine its e ciency. We formally characterize a basic set of such parameters. These parameters facilitate the analysis of the memory and the processor requirements of a given execution, as well as its running time. Using these parameters, we analyze a greedy execution scheme, in the shared memory model. For example, we can determine the limit on the number of processors beyond which no speedup can be attained by the greedy method, for regular loops. The greedy scheme is of interest because it exploits the maximal possible parallelism in a natural way. We then address the mapping scheme of regular loops onto distributed memory machines. Unfortunately, we show that the problem of nding an optimal mapping is computationally intractable in this case. In order to provide schemes that can be actually applied to regular loops at compile-time, we relax the requirement that the resulting executions be optimum. Instead, we design a heuristic mapping algorithm and validate it through experiments. This heuristic mapping scheme relies heavily on the use of e cient algorithms for realizing cyclic shifts. Therefore, we also study the problem of realizing cyclic shifts on hypercube architectures.


PURPOSE
To develop an energy dependent optimization criteria for incorporation into the intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) optimization problem and perform simultaneous optimization of photon energy and intensity for X-ray modulated radiotherapy (XMRT).

METHODS
For a simple spherical tumor model, energy dependent optimization criteria (EDOC) were formulated based on three objectives: maximize distal edge dose of the tumor, minimize healthy tissue entrance dose, and maximize uniformity of the tumor dose distribution. This was implemented in MATLAB to test on a simplified scenario of a 10 cm wide 1D photon beam incident on a spherical tumor (10cm radius) centered within a 5600 cm3 water phantom. The 1D beam was further partitioned into 20 beamlets of equal width. From the MATLAB program, an optimal assignment of monoenergetic photons (ranging from 1 MeV to 18 MeV) for each beamlet based on the EDOC was obtained. The dose calculation for each monoenergetic photon beamlet was restricted to primary dose only.

RESULTS
The beamlet distributions showed the mid tumor region assigned higher energies due to the large amount of tumor tissue traversed. Outer edge beamlets were assigned lower energies to spare the large portion of healthy tissue traversed. Changing priorities for each objective effected the optimal distribution in an intuitive manner (i.e. larger emphasis on sparing healthy tissue results in lower energies assigned to each beamlet).

CONCLUSION
A viable set of energy dependent optimization criteria has been developed that can be used in reformulating the inverse optimization problem for radiotherapy, allowing optimization in terms of both beam energy and intensity. Currently, geant4 is being used to generate and benchmark dose profiles for 1 MeV to 18 MeV photons energies to improve the accuracy of the dose calculation. A rigorous testing of the optimization criteria through added complexity of radiotherapy is currently being investigated.


This paper examines whether the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001 have influence on the job prospects of Arabs in the German labor market. Using a large, representative database of the German working population, the attacks are treated as a natural experiment that may have caused an exogenous shift in attitudes toward persons who are perceived to be Arabs. Evidence from regression-adjusted difference-in-differences-estimates indicates the 9/11 did not cause a severe decline in job prospects. This result is robust over a wide range of control groups and several definitions of the sample and the observation period. Several explanations for this result, which is in line with prior evidence from Sweden, are offered.


Overview: Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan organism that is specific to cats and can cause large bowel diarrhoea. It is distinct from other Tritrichomonas species and not considered to be zoonotic. Infection is most common in young cats from multicat households, particularly pedigree breeding catteries. Disease signs: Affected cats show frequent fetid diarrhoea, often with mucus, fresh blood and straining, but generally remain bright and do not lose weight. Diagnosis: Diagnosis of infection is usually based on direct microscopic examination of freshly voided faeces. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is more sensitive but may detect infections unrelated to diarrhoea and, therefore, requires care in interpretation. Treatment: The treatment of choice is ronidazole, which should be used with care as it is an unlicensed drug for cats with a narrow safety margin. Clinical signs are generally self-limiting in untreated cases, but may take months to resolve.


Often advertised and imaginatively located as a pastoral paradise, California9s Central Valley is in fact an industrialized agricultural juggernaut unmatched in the world. Such an environmentally invasive infrastructure inherently creates social and environmental injustices that refute the ever valuable idea of the California Dream, though these counter-narratives often go unpublicized and thus unaddressed. Among the greatest of these, intimately connected to farm labor and chemical farming, is the methamphetamine (meth) epidemic in the Valley. The social and ecological toll of its manufacture and use is immeasurable, and deserves a place in the mainstream consciousness in the name of justice for this land and its people. This region exists as much imaginatively as it does literally, yet it also sustains one of the deadliest realities in the nation. A new understanding of this land, inclusive of these social and environmental violations, must be pursued.


Purpose – The lean enterprise model has been adopted in a wide range of industries beyond its origins in the motor industry. To achieve this there has been a considerable extension of the lean concept outside high-volume repetitive manufacture. The purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth study of the application of lean within the British Royal Air Force. It offers a number of new insights which have implications for the future development and adoption of lean in service contexts, and the public sector in particular. Design/methodology/approach – To illustrate the issues of application of lean outside automotive, this paper considers the adoption of the lean concept by the Tornado joint integrated project team within the UK Ministry of Defence. A review of methods of application of lean used within Tornado are studied. The paper considers how the fundamental principles of lean apply in this environment and how, considering these principles, methods of implementation should be modified. Findings – This paper finds that the five lean fundamental principles apply in Tornado but they need to considered specifically within the public service context particularly the pull principle. Hence the authors offer three propositions relating to the use of the lean principles of value, waste, flow and pull in the public sector, and one for perfection only relating to military organisations. Originality/value – This paper makes an important contribution by demonstrating that lean can be successfully applied, in a public service context, with only modest modifications to its core principles, principally about how customer demand (pull) is managed. The implication of this finding demonstrates that to be adopted successfully, lean must be adapted to its context and the lean principles need to be reviewed too.


The present chapter contains the results of studying electrochemical and thermodynamic properties of La, Nd, and U in "liquid metal-molten salt" systems, where liquid metals were binary Ga-Al and Ga-In alloys of various compositions. The apparent standard potentials of ternary U-Ga-In, U-Ga-Al, La-Ga-In, La-Ga-Al, Nd-Ga-In, and Nd-Ga-Al alloys at various temperatures were determined, and the temperature dependencies were obtained. Primary thermodynamic properties (activity coefficients, partial excess Gibbs free energy change, partial enthalpy change of mixing, and excess entropy change) were calculated. The influence of the bimetallic alloy composition and the nature of lanthanide on thermodynamic properties of compounds are discussed. The values of U/Nd separation factors on gallium-aluminum and U/La on gallium-indium alloys were calculated. The value of the separation factors strongly depends on the alloy composition. Uranium in this case is accumulating in the metallic phase and lanthanides in the salt melt. Analysis of the data obtained showed the perspective use of the active cathodes (Ga-Al and Ga-In instead of single Cd) in future innovative methods for reprocessing spent nuclear fuels (SNF) and high-active nuclear wastes in the future of closed nuclear fuel cycle.


This article provides a theoretical and an empirical analysis of the migration patterns and experiences of Chinese and Polish migrants in order to understand the human geography of these movements and the qualitative parameters and dimensions of contemporary migration into Ireland. Using theories of transnationalism, I argue that there are three general types of immigrant transnational orientations in the interviewees studied: target earners, target learners and trampoliners. Immigrant abilities to imagine a future in Ireland were shaped in large part by structural conditions such as: their visa status, race, gender and class backgrounds, the ability to move across borders freely, educational backgrounds and occupational skills. Their orientations were often expressed in terms of their communication with home, Ireland and many countries in between, through the use of digital media and technology.


A theoretical analysis of transport in a controlled hydrologic volume, inclusive of two willow trees and forced by erratic water inputs, is carried out contrasting the experimental data described in a companion paper. The data refer to the hydrologic transport in a large lysimeter of different fluorobenzoic acids seen as tracers. Export of solute is modeled through a recently developed framework which accounts for nonstationary travel time distributions where we parameterize how output fluxes (namely, discharge and evapotranspiration) sample the available water ages in storage. The relevance of this work lies in the study of hydrologic drivers of the nonstationary character of residence and travel time distributions, whose definition and computation shape this theoretical transport study. Our results show that a large fraction of the different behaviors exhibited by the tracers may be charged to the variability of the hydrologic forcings experienced after the injection. Moreover, the results highlight the crucial, and often overlooked, role of evapotranspiration and plant uptake in determining the transport of water and solutes. This application also suggests that the ways evapotranspiration selects water with different ages in storage can be inferred through model calibration contrasting only tracer concentrations in the discharge. A view on upscaled transport volumes like hillslopes or catchments is maintained throughout the paper.


Electrical insulating and dielectrical materials can be broadly divided into; gaseous,
liquids, vacuum and solids. These materials are widely used in electrical components
like, circuit breakers, transformers, cables and capacitors. Liquids dielectrics in particular
are preferred because of their ability to have self-cure to situations leading to partial or
total discharges.
Petroleum and mineral based fluids have, for almost half a centuary, been used for
cooling and insulation purposes. Their popularity stems out of their availability and
cheapness. However recent evidence has shown deficiencies with these fluids. They have
low properties especially flash and fire points and most importantly low dielectric break
down voltage. The most serious of these shortcomings is the inability to meet up with
health and environmental laws. This is because they are not organic and hence not biodegradable; their spillage takes very long time to decompose. These developments
have led to seeking alternatives in vegetable based fluids. The fluids that have been
tested and to be used as dielectric fluids include Castor oil, Coconut oil, Soya bean oil,
and Rapeseed oil.
The present work has measured the properties of palm oil against the IEEE C637 and
ASTM D section for possible use as a dielectric fluid. The results show that refined palm
oil has break down voltage of 75 KV/mm, flash point (>220), fire point (>220) and
moisture content (0.08%). Hence these have shown the potential of palm oil as a
dielectric fluid. However future work should focus on further investigation before field
application. Malaysia as country stands a lot of gains in this type of research, since it is
the world leader in the palm oil production.


Estimating contemporary genetic structure and population connectivity in marine species is challenging, often compromised by genetic markers that lack adequate sensitivity, and unstructured sampling regimes. We show how these limitations can be overcome via the integration of modern genotyping methods and sampling designs guided by LiDAR and SONAR data sets. Here we explore patterns of gene flow and local genetic structure in a commercially harvested abalone species (Haliotis rubra) from southeastern Australia, where the viability of fishing stocks is believed to be dictated by recruitment from local sources. Using a panel of microsatellite and genomewide SNP markers, we compare allele frequencies across a replicated hierarchical sampling area guided by bathymetric LiDAR imagery. Results indicate high levels of gene flow and no significant genetic structure within or between benthic reef habitats across 1400 km of coastline. These findings differ to those reported for other regions of the fishery indicating that larval supply is likely to be spatially variable, with implications for management and long‐term recovery from stock depletion. The study highlights the utility of suitably designed genetic markers and spatially informed sampling strategies for gaining insights into recruitment patterns in benthic marine species, assisting in conservation planning and sustainable management of fisheries.


Abstract. A parsimonious semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model has been developed for flow prediction. In distribution, attention is paid to both timing of runoff and heterogeneity of moisture storage capacities within sub-catchments. This model is based on the lumped FLEXL model structure, which has proven its value in a wide range of catchments. To test the value of distribution, the gauged Upper Ping catchment in Thailand has been divided into 10 sub-catchments, which can be grouped into 5 gauged sub-catchments where internal performance is evaluated. To test the effect of timing, firstly excess rainfall was calculated for each sub-catchment, using the model structure of FLEXL. The excess rainfall was then routed to its outlet using the lag time from storm to peak flow (TlagF) and the lag time of recharge from the root zone to the groundwater (TlagS), as a function of catchment size. Subsequently, the Muskingum equation was used to route sub-catchment runoff to the downstream sub-catchment, before adding to runoff of the downstream sub-catchment, with the delay time parameter of the Muskingum equation being a function of channel length. Other model parameters of this semi-distributed FLEX-SD model were kept the same as in the calibrated FLEXL model of the entire Upper Ping basin, controlled by station P.1 located at the centre of Chiang Mai Province. The outcome of FLEX-SD was compared to: 1) observations at P.1; 2) the results of the calibrated FLEXL model; and 3) the semi-distributed URBS model - another established semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model. FLEX-SD showed better performance than URBS, but a bit lower than the calibrated FLEXL model with NSE of 0.74, 0.71, and 0.76, respectively. Subsequently, at the level of the gauged internal sub-catchments, runoff estimates of FLEX-SD were compared to observations and calibrated FLEXL model results. The results demonstrate that FLEX-SD provides more accurate runoff estimates at P.1, P.67 and P.75 stations which are located along the main Ping River, compared to those provided by the lumped calibrated FLEXL model. The results were less good at 2 tributary stations (P.20 and P.21), where calibrated FLEXL output performed better, while performance was similar at one tributary station (P.4A). Overall, FLEX-SD performed better than URBS at 5 out of 6 stations except at P.21. Subsequently, the effect of distributing moisture storage capacity was tested. Since the FLEX-SD uses the same Sumax value - the maximum moisture holding capacity of the root zone - for all sub-catchments, FLEX-SD-NDII was set-up making use of the spatial distribution of the NDII (the normalized difference infrared index). The readily available NDII appears to be a good proxy for moisture stress in the root zone, particularly during dry periods. The maximum moisture holding capacity in the root zone assumed to be a function of the maximum seasonal range of NDII values. The spatial distribution of this range among sub-catchments was used to calibrate the semi-distributed FLEX-SD-NDII model. The additional constraint by the NDII improved the performance of the model and the realism of the distribution. To test how well the model represents root zone soil moisture, the performance of the FLEX-SD-NDII model was compared to time series of the soil wetness index (SWI). The correlation between the root zone storage and the daily SWI appeared to be very good, even better than the correlation with the NDII, because NDII does not provide good estimates during wet periods. The SWI, which is partly model-based, was not used for calibration, but appeared to be an appropriate index for verification.


Volcanism in convergent arcs is the end result of magma ascending to the Earth's surface. However, many of the details of the ascent process are still debated. In particular, how long does magma persist in reservoirs at particular depths? What is the timescale and physical mechanism of ascent between reservoirs? To address these questions this thesis investigates volcanic deformation in the Central Andes Volcanic Zone of South America (CVZ, 15-28◦S). The CVZ is one of three distinct volcanic arc segments in the Andes that results from the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South America Plate. To begin, I compile available information for Holocene eruptions to show that despite containing the largest number of 'active volcanoes' (70), the CVZ has only 12% of recorded eruptions in the Andes. I then demonstrate through a synoptic survey with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) that 40% of volcanic deformation events in the Andes over the last two decades occur in the CVZ. Next, I attempt to constrain the physical properties of two active intrusions in the CVZ that are unique in terms of their large size (>50km diameter) and persistent maximum rates of uplift (>1 cm/yr for >10yrs). First, I focus on Uturuncu Volcano, where I analyze InSAR and GPS data to constrain the spatial and temporal deformation pattern between 1992 and 2014. I propose a 'dipole' model of magma transport between vertically-aligned reservoirs in the lower crust and middle crust to explain the observation of uplift and peripheral subsidence at Uturuncu. The ratio of vertical to radial surface displacements for single inflation source is increased by adding a dipole reservoir, but decreased to a greater degree by crustal heterogeneity known from seismic tomography. Additionally, volume discrepancies of 1-10x between source and sink reservoirs are expected given known ranges of lower crustal material properties in the Central Andes. Finally, I present current InSAR and GPS observations at Lazufre Volcanic Complex through 10/2014 that show maintained spatial and temporal patterns of uplift compared to the previous two decades. Using a finite element model for an opening sill I demonstrate the role of layering and 3D heterogeneous structure based on newly-available seismic tomography. The proposed heterogeneous structure increases the surface displacements for homogeneous crust by less than 7% within a 10km radius of the center of uplift.


Apart from elementary predications that can be classified clearly as Activities or Accomplishments, Russian has elementary predications that are hybrid in their actionality and can be classified as Activities as well as Accomplishments. With regard to the category of aspect in Russian, these hybrid predications are characterized by the fact that they can be coded perfective not only by a paired perfective verb but also by a so-called delimitative procedural verb. The first part of this paper examines the conditions under which elementary predications can be interpreted as hybrid. Two different types of hybrid Accomplishments will be distinguished. First, there are hybrid Accomplishments where the Activity component is conceptualized as a homogeneous continuous process and thus fulfills the principle of arbitrary divisibility. In this case the imperfective aspect, which forms the basis for coding the Accomplishment as perfective by a delimitative procedural verb, has durative-processual meaning. Second, there are hybrid Accomplishments where the Activity component consists of several randomly ordered subevents and thus fulfills the principle of cumulativity. In this case the Activity component has conative meaning. The second part shows that elementary predications that are not hybrid in their actionality can be reclassified in their actionality by temporal distributivity and in that case are also characterized as hybrid. The third part deals with predications with an inner argument modified by quantifying determiners and measure expressions. I show that these predications likewise allow a reclassification by temporal distributivity. However, this is only the case if the extent of the entities involved in the situation is determined in advance.


Online version of a book review, originally published as: Gunster, Shane, Review: [untitled], Gramsci and Contemporary Politics: Beyond Pessimism of the Intellect by Anne Showstack Sassoon, Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Mar., 2002), pp. 220-222.


by Kathleen Soriano and Liz Rideal

Madam & Eve is a rich, varied and exciting overview of how women artists have depicted women in art over the last 50 years.

This is a visually stimulating presentation of the many different media and approaches that women have used to create images of themselves and other women, and it is also a eloquent examination of the impact that the feminist movement has had on contemporary art.

Over 200 artists, ranging from the well-established to the lesser known, are each represented by one work. A historical introduction sets the artistic and cultural context for the period up to the present, and the remaining chapters, which focus on contemporary art, cover the universal themes of the body, life, death, stories and icons.


We report a novel protocol for achieving highly efficient and stable indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-free large-area perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) by introducing thiol-functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to modify the interfacial properties of the devices. Two SAM molecules, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and (11-mercaptoundecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (MUTAB), are employed as the seed layer for an ultrathin Ag transparent electrode and cathode buffer layer (CBL), respectively. Our results indicate that both SAMs can afford admirable interfacial properties. The thiol groups on the MPTMS SAM can interact with the incident Ag atoms, thereby lowering the percolation thickness of the Ag film to 8 nm. The resulting ultrathin Ag film provides several remarkable features for use as the transparent electrode in PeSCs, including a low resistance of ∼6 Ω sq−1, high average transmittance up to ∼78%, and high robustness against solvents and mechanical deformation. In addition to using the MPTMS SAM as the seed layer, the double-end functionalized MUTAB can not only covalently bond to the Ag surface for SAM formation, but also induce the formation of favorable interfacial dipoles to turn a high work-function (WF) Ag electrode into an efficient low-WF electrode. With these desired interfacial properties, the resulting devices deliver a power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 16.2%. Notably, a high PCE up to ∼16% can be secured for large-area devices (1.2 cm2) with a SAM-modified ultrathin Ag electrode, which represents the highest performance ever reported for PeSCs with similar active areas. More significantly, the resulting devices also possess good ambient stability without the need for rigorous encapsulation.


Grounded in case studies in Brazil, this research explores how pirate audiences create an effective parallel system of informal television viewing and distribution. From August 2010 to November 2012, two specific case studies were examined: the informal distribution of U.S. TV shows through downloading websites and Orkut downloading communities, and amateur subtitlers. Informal TV downloading practices are evolving, along with the notions of audiences, television content, television viewing, and piracy. These practices are also incorporated into people's everyday lives. The article establishes a framework around media practices and proposes that many pirates are members of audiences. Thus, the aims of this article are twofold: (1) to document TV sharing infrastructures in Brazil; and (2) to draw attention to contemporary practices of watching television. The findings fill a gap in the Brazilian research literature on television downloading cultures and contribute to current literature on pirate cultures.


Lotus japonicus har1 mutants respond to inoculation with Mesorhizobium loti by forming an excessive number of nodules due to genetic lesions in the HAR1 autoregulatory receptor kinase gene. In order to expand the repertoire of mutants available for the genetic dissection of the root nodule symbiosis (RNS), a screen for suppressors of the L. japonicus har1-1 hypernodulation phenotype was performed. Of 150,000 M2 plants analyzed, 61 stable L. japonicus double-mutant lines were isolated. In the context of the har1-1 mutation, 26 mutant lines were unable to form RNS, whereas the remaining 35 mutant lines carried more subtle symbiotic phenotypes, either forming white ineffective nodules or showing reduced nodulation capacity. When challenged with Glomus intraradices, 18 of the 61 suppressor lines were unable to establish a symbiosis with this arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus. Using a combined approach of genetic mapping, targeting induced local lesions in genomics, and sequencing, all non-nodulating mutant lines were characterized and shown to represent new alleles of at least nine independent symbiotic loci. The class of mutants with reduced nodulation capacity was of particular interest because some of them may specify novel plant functions that regulate nodule development in L. japonicus. To facilitate mapping of the latter class of mutants, an introgression line, in which the har1-1 allele was introduced into a polymorphic background of L. japonicus ecotype MG20, was constructed.


Neurophysiological data suggest that the integration of prior information and incoming sensory evidence represents the neural basis of the decision-making process. Here, we aimed to identify the brain structures involved in the integration of prior information about the average magnitude of a stimulus set and current sensory evidence. Specifically, we investigated whether prior average information already biases vibrotactile decision making during stimulus perception and maintenance before the comparison process. For this purpose, we used a vibrotactile delayed discrimination task and fMRI. At the behavioral level, participants showed the time-order effect. This psychophysical phenomenon has been shown to result from the influence of prior information on the perception of and the memory for currently presented stimuli. Similarly, the fMRI signal reflected the integration of prior information about the average vibration frequency and the currently presented vibration frequency. During stimulus encoding, the fMRI signal in primary and secondary somatosensory (S2) cortex, thalamus, and ventral premotor cortex mirrored an integration process. During stimulus maintenance, only a region in the intraparietal sulcus showed this modulation by prior average information. Importantly, the fMRI signal in S2 and intraparietal sulcus correlated with individual differences in the degree to which participants integrated prior average information. This strongly suggests that these two regions play a pivotal role in the integration process. Taken together, these results support the notion that the integration of current sensory and prior average information is a major feature of how the human brain perceives, remembers, and judges magnitude stimuli.


Any experimental study of catalysts and catalytic recombining devices for removal of hydrogen gas from industrial environments is known to carry a risk of ignition of hydrogen. Experiments conducted in an atmosphere with a high concentration of hydrogen present a particular danger. Here, a technique is reported that allows conducting such experiments with relative safety. This technique has been developed and applied by the company 'Russian Energy Technologies' for the last five years without any significant incident. A "Gas stream method" for testing and analysis of the characteristics of a catalyst for hydrogen/oxygen recombination is proposed. Tests with a variety of catalysts in a passive recombining device were carried out in a climatic chamber (86 l in volume) with a hydrogen/air mixture containing up to 20% (v/v) hydrogen flowing through it. The balance equation for hydrogen and oxygen flows entering, reacting and exiting the chamber led to a formula for calculating the efficiency of a catalyst or a catalytic device under stationary conditions. Fluctuations in local temperatures of the catalyst and other parts of the chamber along with variation in the concentration of hydrogen gave the authors an insight into the thermal regime of an active catalyst. This enabled them to develop new catalysts for removal of hydrogen from the environment using industrial recombining devices.


Image categorization research has created knowledge on the types of attributes humans use in interpreting image similarity. Little effort has gone into studying the effect of any wider contextual factors on the image groupings people create. This paper reports the results of an investigation on the effect of associated text on magazine image categorization. Image journalism professionals performed a two-phase free sorting of 100 test images and the resulting data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively; using grounded theory methods and hierarchical clustering. The categorization behavior of the two groups was rather similar but there was a statistically significant difference in the types of names given to the categories constructed. Results indicate that having page context available results more likely in descriptions based on overall theme or story of the image. When the context is withheld, people are more prone to describe the people, objects and scenes portrayed in the images, and to combine various categorization criteria. This has implications for the design of interfaces for image archival and retrieval.


Surface dyslexia has been attributed to an overreliance on the sub-lexical route for reading. Typically, surface dyslexic patients commit regularisation errors when reading irregular words. Also, semantic dementia has often been associated with surface dyslexia, leading to some explanations of the reading impairment that stress the role of semantics in irregular word reading. Nevertheless, some patients have been reported with unimpaired ability to read irregular words, even though they show severe comprehension impairment. We present the case of M.B., the first Spanish-speaking semantic dementia patient to be reported who shows unimpaired reading of non-words, regular words, and–most strikingly–irregular loan words. M.B. has severely impaired comprehension of the same words he reads correctly (whether regular or irregular). We argue that M.B.'s pattern of performance shows that irregular words can be correctly read even with impaired semantic knowledge corresponding to those words.


Household gas appliances produce nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which may be associated with an increase in symptoms in asthmatics. The relationship between indoor NO2 exposure, and respiratory symptoms in people with asthma was evaluated. Self-reported asthmatics (n=125) wore lapel badges that measured NO2 daily over 6 weeks at home. Outdoor pollutants, spores and meteorological parameters were measured daily, in addition to smoking status and demographic factors. Seven asthma symptoms were recorded in diaries, for analysis by same day and also with 1 day lag exposures, using a generalized estimating equation. Significant interactions were demonstrated between NO2 at age < or =14 yrs, with respect to the symptoms of chest tightness on the same day (odds ratio (OR): 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.43) and with a 1 day lag (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.14-1.46), breathlessness on exertion with a 1 day lag (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00-1.28), daytime asthma attacks on the same day (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26) night asthma attacks on the same day (OR: 1.16, 95% CI:1.03-1.30) and with a 1 day lag (OR: 1.15, 95% CI; 1.03-1.29) after adjustment for potential confounders. A significant interaction between NO2 and age 35-49 yrs was demonstrated for coughs with a 1 day lag (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.31). Daily personal exposures to NO2 are associated with asthmatic symptoms in children.


The telegraph and the telephone were the first electrical communications networks to become hallmarks of modernity. Yet they were not initially expected to achieve universal accessibility. In this pioneering history of their evolution, Richard R. John demonstrates how access to these networks was determined not only by technological imperatives and economic incentives but also by political decision making at the federal, state, and municipal levels. In the decades between the Civil War and the First World War, Western Union and the Bell System emerged as the dominant providers for the telegraph and telephone. Both operated networks that were products not only of technology and economics but also of a distinctive political economy. Western Union arose in an antimonopolistic political economy that glorified equal rights and vilified special privilege. The Bell System flourished in a progressive political economy that idealized public utility and disparaged unnecessary waste. The popularization of the telegraph and the telephone was opposed by business lobbies that were intent on perpetuating specialty services. In fact, it wasn't until 1900 that the civic ideal of mass access trumped the elitist ideal of exclusivity in shaping the commercialization of the telephone. The telegraph did not become widely accessible until 1910, sixty-five years after the first fee-for-service telegraph line opened in 1845. "Network Nation" places the history of telecommunications within the broader context of American politics, business, and discourse. This engrossing and provocative book persuades us of the critical role of political economy in the development of new technologies and their implementation.


this work proposes a general framework for the design and simulation of network on chip based turbo decoder architectures. Network on chip or network on a chip (NoC or NOC)is a communication subsystem on an integrated circuit typically between IP cores in a system on a chip(SOC).this explains a network on chip(NoC)structure for turbo decoders. Based on this analysis finite state machine approach are proposed for reducing the complexity of the NoC. Effective architecture level changes of MASIP is used for performance improvement. Here we are analysing the performance of area, power, speed and comparing the results of existing one.


The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether students using a multicomponent intervention for reading comprehension (RC) would increase their RC scores in comparison to students who learned under traditional instruction. A total sample of 66 fifth-grade students participated in the study. This paper presents a comparison study of two groups: the first group received specific RC strategies and the second group received traditional way of teaching RC which relies heavily on questioning the students after reading silently selected text. The intervention was implemented for 18 weeks. The results indicated that students in the treatment class outperformed students in the comparison class on the standardized RC measure and the CBM Maze progress.


Photo cross-linkable thermoresponsive polymers of UCST-type based on acrylamide (AAm) and acrylonitrile (AN) useful for preparing thermophilic hydrogel films and fibers are presented. The polymers prepared via free radical and reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization methods using N-(4-benzoylphenyl)acrylamide (BPAm) as photo cross-linkable comonomers provided highly stable UCST-type phase transition in water reproducible without hysteresis for many cycles. The cloud point could be manipulated by varying the acrylonitrile amount in the feed. Chemically cross-linked hydrogel films and nanofibers (average diameter 500 nm) were successfully prepared from the ter-copolymers by solution casting and electrospinning followed by UV irradiation. These hydrogels showed a continuous positive volume transition behavior in water with increasing temperature that was utilized for the design of microactuators.


At the time Madagascar gained independence, only those who had been naturalized French citizens had the opportunity to choose Malagasy citizenship. Foreigners who had settled in the country, but did not have French citizenship were left stateless. Many of these foreigners have been in the country for four or five generations and are still waiting to be naturalized. These individuals are mostly Muslim or of Indian/Pakistani decent. Those of Indian/Pakistani decent, called Karana, occupy a unique space in Malagasy society because the Karana are estimated to contribute close to one-third of the country's GDP. Preventing the Karana from accessing citizenship disincentives the wealthiest in the country from investing in its growth. As Madagascar develops, access to citizenship will come to the forefront of the political agenda. The government has the opportunity now to peacefully reform the citizenship system and build a strong foundation for a vibrant participatory democracy in the future. Madagascar can reform the citizenship system by amending the Nationality Code to protect against statelessness and discrimination, addressing institutional barriers to access, and promoting integration of the Muslim and Karana communities.


The variability of optical properties of combustion particles generated from a propane diffusion flame under varying fuel-to-air (C/O) ratios was studied with a three-wavelength nephelometer, a particle soot absorption photometer, and an integrating sphere photometer. Information on particle size distribution, morphology, and elemental carbon to total carbon (EC/TC) ratios were obtained from scanning mobility particle sizer measurements, transmission electron microscopy analyses, and thermal-optical analyses. Particles generated under a low C/O ratio (0.22) showed high elemental carbon fraction (EC/TC = 0.77) and low brown carbon to equivalent black carbon (BrC/EBC) ratio (0.01), and were aggregates composed of small primary particles. Rayleigh–Debye–Gans theory reproduced experimental single-scattering albedo, ω, absorption, and scattering Ångström exponents within 56, 3, and 18%, respectively. In contrast, particles produced under a high C/O ratio (0.60) showed low elemental carbon fraction (EC/TC = 0.09) and high BrC/EBC ratio >100, and were smaller and spherical in shape. Their optical properties were better modeled with Mie theory. By minimizing the difference between calculated and measured ω and Ångström exponents, refractive indices of OC at three visible wavelengths were deduced. Contrary to the widely accepted assumption that refractive index of BC is wavelength independent, BC-rich particles exhibited absorption Ångström exponent >1.0 which implies some degree of wavelength dependence. Copyright 2015 American Association for Aerosol Research


Advances in research on desertification processes were acquired through remote sensing, especially in the analysis of the dynamics between surface and atmosphere. The techniques in remote sensing for its intrinsic spatial and multi-temporal approach allow the evaluation process trends by identifying changes in vegetation and surface soil by monitoring multiple parameters including the Vegetation Index Difference standardized and surface albedo. The main objective of the study was to determine the evolution spatiotemporal two indicators of desertification obtained through remote sensing: the albedo surface and NDVI based on spectral bands of TM - Landsat 5, thus contributing to the establishment plans to combat desertification in action for the municipality of Sao Joao do Cariri, Paraiba semi-arid, presenting severe levels of land degradation (84%). Satellite images were used Landsat - 5 TM, orbit 215 point 065 between the years 1990 and 2005 acquired the site of the United States Geological Survey - USGS. Use of ArcGIS software 9.3 and ERDAS Imagine 9.3 GIS lab meteorological department of the Federal University of Campina Grande - UFCG. The images were validated with field research and conducting this survey vegetation in the area (7 26'57.12 "S and 36o30'25.85" O). The structure of vegetation was carried out in two plots of 10 x 20 m, lying 50 cm between plots with a total area of 0,04ha. Were used for analysis only, the shrubby-arboreal extracts with (CAP) ≥ 3.5, Phytosociological using the following parameters: absolute density (DA), the relative density (RD), absolute frequency (AF), on rate (RR) absolute dominance (DoA), relative dominance (DoR) and importance value (VI). found that there is a strong inverse linear relationship between NDVI and surface albedo and according to the results obtained for the city of Sao Joao do Cariri, in the period between 1990 and 2005.Verificou It is this temporal analysis of biophysical parameters that when the value of albedo declined in class 0.10-0.15 there was an increase in classes 0.4- 0.6 and> 0.6 NDVI, conversely the 0.15-0.20 and 20-30 albedo classes showed an expansion in these areas and hence a decrease in the area corresponding to 0.2 to 0 class 4 NDVI.O increase in albedo values can be explained by the influence of meteorological factors (rain irregularity, energy balance etc.) and by human activities responsible for landscape change over time. The Phytosociological results for the two installments selected 30 individuals were found belonging to 9 species contained in 5 families. The families with the highest number of species were: Mimosaceae , with 12 individuals, Cactaceae with 8 individuals and Fabaceae with 4 individuals, they are typical of anthropogenic environments showing enough tolerance to high levels of disturbance.


Calcium/calmodulin–dependent protein kinase II delta (CaMKIId) plays a fundamental role in cardiac dysfunction and is known to be overexpressed and hyper-activated in the diseased heart. A role for CaMKIId in compromised cardiovascular function associated with ageing has yet to be established. Here we compare CaMKIId expression and oxidation (a novel route of enzyme activation) in the diseased and in the aged heart and vasculature. Using a minimally invasive transverse aortic banding (MTAB) mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy as our disease model, we investigated whether alterations in CaMKIId and oxidised CaMKII (ox-CaMKII) observed during cardiac disease are also a key feature of ageing, where oxidative stress is apparent. Myocardial function was assessed in vivo by echocardiography and compared with that of sham-operated animals. A significant increase in systolic blood pressure (110±6.3 vs 78±2.6, MTAB vs sham, n=4), mean arterial pressure (75±3.3 vs 60±2.6 (mmHg), MTAB vs sham) and reduction in fractional shortening (39.4±4.4 vs 53.6±3.8 (%FS) MTAB vs sham, n=7, p<0.05) was observed in the hearts from hypertrophied animals demonstrating successful surgical intervention. Post-mortem analysis revealed increased heart weight:body weight in MTAB animals (5.48±0.17 vs 4.32±0.01, MTAB vs sham, n=6, p<0.05). Quantitative immunoblotting of CaMKIId and ox-CaMKII expression in whole heart homogenates from MTAB animals showed significant up-regulation of both when compared to sham controls (0.68±0.02 vs 0.47±0.01 MTAB v's sham, n=7, p<0.01). Interestingly, similar results were obtained in hearts from aged animals. A significant increase in CaMKIId expression was evident in aged hearts (0.81±0.08 vs. 0.46±0.08 aged vs young, p=0.04, n=3) and preliminary data suggests ox-CaMKII levels also show an increase in comparison to young (1.5-fold increase, n=1). Similar experiments were also conducted in young and aged rat aortae to assess CaMKIId involvement in vascular function. Vessels from aged subjects showed a significant increase in wall thickness (16.4±0.9 vs. 28±1.5 (um), young vs. aged, p=0.002, n=3) which may suggest an altered phenotype comparable to that observed during disease. Further quantitative immunoblotting indicated that CaMKIId is highly expressed in the vasculature and initial results suggest some alterations in ox-CaMKII protein levels with ageing, parallel to that observed in the heart. Overall, this work highlights for the first time that ageing alone, produces similar physiological and biochemical alterations in the heart as observed during cardiac disease. In addition to this, preliminary data from the vasculature has revealed a similar trend, suggesting CaMKIId may play an important role in overall deterioration of cardiovascular function with progressive ageing.


This study of colonialism and art examines the intersection of visual culture and political power in late-eighteenth-century British painting. Focusing on paintings from British America, the West Indies, and India, Beth Fowkes Tobin investigates the role of art in creating and maintaining imperial ideologies and practices—as well as in resisting and complicating them.

Informed by the varied perspectives of postcolonial theory, Tobin explores through close readings of colonial artwork the dynamic middle ground in which cultures meet. Linking specific colonial sites with larger patterns of imperial practice and policy, she examines paintings by William Hogarth, Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Arthur William Devis, and Agostino Brunias, among others. These works include portraits of colonial officials, conversation pieces of British families and their servants, portraits of Native Americans and Anglo-Indians, and botanical illustrations produced by Calcutta artists for officials of the British Botanic Gardens. In addition to examining the strategies that colonizers employed to dominate and define their subjects, Tobin uncovers the tactics of negotiation, accommodation, and resistance that make up the colonized's response to imperial authority. By focusing on the paintings' cultural and political engagement with imperialism, she accounts for their ideological power and visual effect while arguing for their significance as agents in the colonial project.

Pointing to the complexity, variety, and contradiction within colonial art, Picturing Imperial Power contributes to an understanding of colonialism as a collection of social, economic, political, and epistemological practices that were not monolithic and inevitable, but contradictory and contingent on various historical forces. It will interest students and scholars of colonialism, imperial history, postcolonial history, art history and theory, and cultural studies.


The global communication via internet has been fostering the political participation of the public civil into the world orders through several different ways; include the participation of computer virtuosos, called hackers, who have been sponsored the emergent of a new social movement "hacktivism" as a new interest phenomena for the media communication and technology field. This article aims to describe the hacktivism movement as one of the ways of civil people to participate into the global politics through the public sphere, communicate their ideas and promote the principles of democracy using the technology of hacking computer. Within this article I focus on several hacktivism activities emergent since 1990s. My findings have revealed that the hacking politics actions and the social-humanity messages were conveyed by the hactivists encouraged the global circumstances for being more aware and concern on the democracy discourses. Hence I shall conclude that in the modern era of communication and technology the hacktivism has been emerging to promote the freedom of people through the internet and distributes the democracy principles into the global world for the global changing.


This review examines the relationships between politics, sustainability, and development. Following an overview of sustainability thinking across different traditions, the politics of resources and the influence of scarcity narratives on research, policy and practice are explored. This highlights the politics of transformations and the way these play out under combinations of technology-led, market-led, state-led, and citizen-led processes. In particular, this review points to the politics of alliance building and collective action for sustainability and development. Transformations cannot be managed or controlled, but must draw on an unruly politics, involving diverse knowledges and multiple actors. This review highlights how politics are articulated through regimes of truth, rule, and accumulation, and how understanding such political processes has implications for institutional and governance responses. The conclusion reflects on future research priorities and the methodological stance required for an ...


Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) is a network based mobility management
protocol that enables IP mobility for a host without requiring its
participation in any mobility-related signaling. PMIPv6 requires all
communications to go through the local mobility anchor. As this can be
suboptimal, Localized Routing (LR) allows Mobile Nodes (MNs) attached
to the same or different Mobile Access Gateways (MAGs) to route
traffic by using localized forwarding or a direct tunnel between the
gateways. This document proposes initiation, utilization, and
termination mechanisms for localized routing between mobile access
gateways within a proxy mobile IPv6 domain. It defines two new
signaling messages, Localized Routing Initiation (LRI) and Local
Routing Acknowledgment (LRA), that are used to realize this mechanism.
[STANDARDS-TRACK]


In the first chapter of his book Logical Foundations of Probability, Rudolf Carnap introduced and endorsed a philosophical methodology which he called the method of 'explication'. P.F. Strawson took issue with this methodology, but it is currently undergoing a revival. In a series of articles, Patrick Maher has recently argued that explication is an appropriate method for 'formal epistemology', has defended it against Strawson's objection, and has himself put it to work in the philosophy of science in further clarification of the very concepts on which Carnap originally used it (degree of confirmation, and probability), as well as some concepts to which Carnap did not apply it (such as justified degree of belief).
 We shall outline Carnap's original idea, plus Maher's recent application of such a methodology, and then seek to show that the problem Strawson raised for it has not been dealt with. The method is indeed, we argue, problematic and therefore not obviously superior to the 'descriptive' method associated with Strawson. Our targets will not only be Carnapians, though, for what we shall say also bears negatively on a project that Paul Horwich has pursued under the name 'therapeutic', or 'Wittgensteinian' Bayesianism. Finally, explication, as we shall suggest and as Carnap recognised, is not the only route to philosophical enlightenment.


Influenza, in its zoonotic, seasonal epidemic and pandemic forms, remains a substantial global public health threat. The continuous circulation and re-assortment of influenza viruses in nature represents an ever-present public health threat to both animals and people. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus has exacted a heavy toll on poultry farming and the national economies of affected countries since its initial emergence in 1997 and subsequent geographical spread. Although human infections with this avian virus are rare, such infections are severe and death has occurred in 60% of all documented cases.1 Concern about the pandemic potential of H5N1 spearheaded a renewed focus on pandemic planning and response worldwide. This virus remains a potential pandemic threat.

Human infection with influenza can vary from asymptomatic infection and acute self-limiting upper respiratory tract disease to serious complicated illness that may include exacerbation of other underlying conditions and severe viral pneumonia. The very young, the elderly and persons with chronic medical conditions typically face the highest risks of death and serious complications from annual seasonal influenza.2 Seasonal influenza epidemics can affect up to 15% of the population and result in up to 500 000 deaths worldwide each year. Influenza pandemics can have an even bigger impact in the wider population, including younger age groups, because of a lack of population immunity to the new strain.3,4 Influenza is, however, both a vaccine-preventable and treatable disease. Opportunities remain for the improvement of both vaccines and treatments, and for ensuring wider equitable and affordable access to these interventions, so that the morbidity and mortality from seasonal, zoonotic and pandemic influenza can be reduced.

In many under-resourced countries, the magnitude and scope of the influenza burden are poorly understood. Prevention and control measures are ceded a low priority due to competing public health priorities.5 Furthermore, the 2009 influenza pandemic has left some uncertainty and controversy over the public health impact of influenza. The historical legacy of the severe 1918 pandemic, and the very high case-fatality rate of human infections with avian (H5N1) influenza, contrast with the milder pandemics of 1968 and 2009.

The global response to the 2009 pandemic has provided a substantial amount of new experience and evidence in public health responses to influenza, its treatment and prevention. The World Health Assembly (through the International Health Regulations Review Committee) has reviewed the global response to the pandemic,6 as have some national governments.7 At a meeting of Member States and World Health Organization (WHO) regional offices in October 2010,8 participants discussed the need to publish evaluations of the measures implemented during the 2009 pandemic. They asked WHO to support the publication of evidence-based experiences, especially in the light of the proposed revision of the pandemic preparedness and response guidance, while simultaneously using the global interest in the pandemic to strengthen approaches to seasonal and zoonotic influenza threats.

To build on this, and to capture a range of experiences in influenza, the Bulletin plans to publish a special theme issue on Influenza in the 21st century. This issue will address the public health importance of influenza, including lessons and experiences from the past few years, as well as an agenda for future action and research. One of the key aims of this theme issue will be to strengthen the discussion on public health policy and outcomes to complement the more detailed scientific reports published in many scientific and medical journals and to provide a stronger evidence base for policy and planning decisions.

We welcome papers for all sections of the Bulletin and encourage authors to consider contributions that address any of the following topics: disease burden assessments in low-income countries, since information in this area is scarce; vaccination implementation and policy, particularly on the cost and public health benefit of vaccination programmes; and the evaluation of non-pharmaceutical public health measures since these are widely described as control measures, but there is less published evidence on their effectiveness than for pharmaceutical interventions (vaccines and medicines). In particular, we seek submission of papers that document experiences from low-resource settings. The deadline for submissions is 20 October 2011. Manuscripts should respect the Guidelines for contributors and mention this call for papers in a covering letter. All submissions will go through the Bulletin's peer review process. Please submit to: http://submit.bwho.org


Anyone familiar with the German IS research culture would expect to find numerous action researchers in Germany. However, a closer examination of the literature reveals there are relatively few if any. There are few publications claiming to report on action research and there is little if any ongoing debate on action research. This paper argues that the lack of publications is a result of a different framing of action oriented research in Germany. The purpose of this paper is to use a variant of action research, the piloting of an innovation, as a starting point for a debate on the action research methodology in Germany and to contribute to the international debate on action research. We do so in a general manner and by reflection on the research approach in the socio-technical pilot project Cuparla.


This study was designed to investigate psychological factors involved in the adjustment
to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In particular, the study examined perceptions of control
over daily symptoms, knowledge of RA and the use of coping strategies, and looked at
how these factors related to emotional adjustment, clinical disease activity and
subjective physical functioning in RA outpatients. The study also aimed to determine
aspects of RA which patients perceived as most stressful.
The main study was cross-sectional and designed in two parts. The first part was
a quantitative design in which 50 participants completed questionnaires to assess
perceptions of RA stressors; health locus of control beliefs over RA symptoms; levels of
RA-related knowledge; coping strategies used; emotional adjustment and physical
functioning. An objective measure of disease activity was also taken. The second part
was a qualitative design consisting of semi-structured interviews with 14 participants,
exploring perceptions of stress, control, knowledge, coping and adjustment.
Quantitative data were statistically analysed and compared with previous
research findings. Qualitative data were transcribed into predefined themes and
compared with the quantitative data.
Results showed that participants consistently rated fatigue and disability as the
most stressful aspects of RA. Participants reported more symptoms of anxiety than
depression and used a wide range of coping strategies. Quantitative data suggested that
participants perceived high levels of chance control over their daily RA symptoms,
however, qualitative findings did not support this view. Participants knew most about
RA-related issues that were directly relevant to them.
Significant associations were found between coping strategies and psychological
outcome, particularly for positive affect. Associations were also found between
maladaptive coping and positive physical adjustment and between adaptive coping and
negative physical adjustment. Adaptive coping strategies were associated with `internal'
and `doctor' locus of control and increased knowledge. Few associations were found
between outcome and either control or knowledge. Regression analyses found coping
strategies to account for some of the variance in outcome variables, particularly positive
affect.
The implications for clinical practice were considered. Methodological
limitations of the study and implications for future research were also discussed.


Kin-selected altruism is an evolutionary explanation for why biological kin other than parents are willing childcare providers or alloparents. Kin alloparents may increase lineage fitness by reducing maternal energy depletion and improving child survival through childcare activities. The aim of this research was to apply the hypothesis that kin-based alloparental care has benefits for child health in a western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic context.

 The hypothesis was tested using the first sweep of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 18 552 infants). The outcome was number of hospitalizations by age 9 months, and the main predictors were kin-based alloparental care during work hours, socioeconomic position and infant health-related variables and their interactions with kin-based alloparenting. Analysis of hospitalizations was carried out using negative binomial regression.

 Kin alloparents were primary day carers in 17% of households. Infants whose main care arrangement during work hours was with kin allocarers had statistically significantly fewer hospitalizations than infants in all other care arrangements combined (Incidence rate ratio = 0.86, P < 0.03), and when contrasted with maternal day care (Incidence rate ratio = 0.79, P < 0.02).

 Kin-based allocare was associated with about a 15% reduction in the risk of infant hospitalization in the first 9 months. The difference appeared to be due in part to a difference in the risk of hospitalization for infectious diseases. Sensitivity analyses indicated that infants cared for by their mother during the day rather than in day-care facilities were most at risk of hospitalization compared with those in kin-based care.

 Modern industrialized societies are generally characterized by nuclear family households, with grandparents and other extended family often living a considerable distance away. Studies carried out in societies which have not undergone the fragmentation of extended families have shown that grandmothers and other biological kin reduce infant mortality, most likely because they distribute the burden of infant care so that it does not fall exclusively on the mother. Here, the hypothesis that grandparental and other family care would be beneficial for infant health in the contemporary UK was testing using the UK Millennium cohort. Infant health was measured as number of hospitalizations in the first 9 months from birth. The main findings were that kin-based infant care, which was most commonly by grandparents, was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of hospitalization in infants up to 9 months of age. Further analysis suggested that the difference was larger for risk of infant hospitalization due to infectious diseases rather than non-infectious diseases. The results also suggested that the finding may have been driven by increased risk for infants of mothers caring for their infant during normal working hours with no other help, such as from the father or pay-for day-care.


Design and management of the Indus Basin Irrigation System are aimed at achieving equity in canal water supply. This concept, which is more than a century old, ignores the due aspect of groundwater management in today9s perspective. Recent research has proved that variation in irrigation demand and rainfall within the irrigation units has given birth to varying stresses on groundwater. In response to spatial climate variability, reallocation of canal supplies from the head towards the tail of the Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) command was evaluated in this study, with the objective of achieving equitable total irrigation costs. The ensuing groundwater regime was simulated for 50 years9 time with a groundwater model. A 25% reallocation from head towards tail-end improves the standard deviation of total irrigation cost equity from 1905 to 241. This command scale integration of available water resources also demonstrated a net saving in groundwater pumping cost to the tune of 7.24 to 18.9%, in comparison with existing equitable canal supplies. With this approach, at least minimal or no waterlogging in the head-end area, even during wet years, and no groundwater mining in the tail-end, even during dry periods, are anticipated. In addition, this system-scale integrated water management would increase adaptive capacity to climate change adaptation.


Because of their strong nonlinear optical properties, Platinum(II) acetylides are investigated as potential chromophores for optical power limiting (OPL) applications. The strong excited state absorption and efficient intersystem crossing to the triplet states in these materials are desired properties for good OPL performance. We recently reported on OPL and photo-physical properties of Pt(II)-acetylide chromophores in solution, modified with thiophenyl or triazole groups. [R. Westlund et al. J. Mater. Chem. 18, 166 (2008); E. Glimsdal et al. Proc. SPIE 6740, 67400M (2007)] The chromophores were later incorporated into poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) glasses. A variety of doped organic solids were prepared, reaching concentrations of up to 13 wt% of the guest molecule. Raman spectra of the doped solid devices proved that the chemical structure of the nonlinear dyes remains intact upon the polymerization of the solid matrix. Luminescence spectra confirm that the basic photo-physical properties (absorption, emission and inter-system crossing) observed for the solute molecules in THF are maintained also in the solid state. In particular, the phosphorescence lifetime stays in the order of μs to ms, just as in the oxygen evacuated liquid samples. Also, the wavelength dependence and time-dynamics of the triplet absorption spectra of the dyes, dissolved in THF solution and dispersed in solid PMMA matrices, were investigated and compared. Ground state UV absorption spectra between 300 and 420 nm have corresponding broad band visible triplet-triplet absorption between 400 and 800 nm. The triplet state extinction coefficients were determined to be in the order of 104 M-1cm-1.


In this paper, the main focus lies on the development and size of the shadow economy labour force in OECD, developing and transition countries. Besides informal employment in the rural and non-rural sector, other measures of informal employment like the share of employees not covered by social security, own account workers or unpaid family workers are also shown. The most influential factors on the shadow labour force are tax policies and state regulation, which, if they rise, increase both. Furthermore the discussion of the recent literature underlines that economic opportunities, the overall situation on the labour market and unemployment are crucial for an understanding of the dynamics of the shadow economy and especially the shadow labour force.


The liquid forging process has the flexibilities of casting in forming intricate profiles and features while imparting the liquid forged components with superior mechanical strength compared to similar components obtained via casting. Additionally, liquid forging requires significantly lower machine loads compared to solid forming processes. Currently, components that are formed by liquid forging are usually casting alloys of aluminum. This paper investigates the suitability of liquid forging a wrought aluminum alloy Al-6061 and the mechanical properties after forming. The proper handling of the Al-6061 alloy in its molten state is important in minimizing oxidation of its alloying elements. By maintaining the correct alloying composition of Al-6061 after liquid forging, these Al-6061 samples can subsequently undergo a suitable heat treatment process to significantly improve their yield strengths. Results show that the yield strengths of these liquid forged Al-6061 samples can be increased from about 90MPa, when they are in the as-liquid forged state, to about 275MPa after heat treatment. This improved yield strength is comparable to that of Al-6061 samples obtained by solid forming processes. As such, the liquid forging process here has been shown to be capable of forming wrought aluminum alloy components that has the potential for structural applications.


Use of nonferrous fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement bars (rebars) offers one promising alternative to mitigating the corrosion problem in steel reinforced concrete bridge decks. Resistance to chloride ion driven corrosion, high tensile strength, nonconductive property and lightweight characteristics make FRP rebars attractive. However, there are design challenges in the use of FRP reinforcement for concrete including concerns about structural ductility, low stiffness, and questions about their fatigue response and long-term durability. The report presents results from a three-year collaborative investigation conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri-Rolla. Details of the investigation, results and discussions from static and fatigue studies are presented including experimental programs on bond, flexural ductility, accelerated durability, and full-scale slab tests. Based on the results from this investigation, the use of a hybrid reinforced concrete deck slab is recommended for field implementation. The hybrid reinforcement comprises a combination of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) continuous reinforcing bars with the concrete matrix also reinforced with 0.5% volume fraction of 2-in.-long fibrillated polypropylene fibers. A working stress based flexural design procedure with mandatory check for ultimate capacity and failure mode is recommended.


Introduction: Polycythemia vera (PV) patients suffer from disease-related constitutional symptoms, cardiovascular complications and risk of transformation into myelofibrosis and acute leukemia. Areas covered: Clinical and molecular aspects and current therapies will be described to provide clinical and molecular background to understand the natural history and treatment strategies in PV. Pertinent ongoing research questions, challenges arising out of the specific disease course and biology of PV as well as challenges and opportunities for new agents in PV are addressed. A focus is placed on pegylated interferon-α formulations (PEG-INFa2a) and JAK2 inhibitors. Newest data on symptom burden and incidence and prevalence of PV and MPNs are highlighted in the context of development of PV therapies. Expert opinion: Therapeutic goals in PV are to prevent vascular events, reduce symptoms and for future therapies delay/prevent disease progression. Currently available treatments such as phlebotomy, antiplatelet therapy, managing risk factors and cytoreductive therapies such as hydroxyurea (HU) and PEG-INFa2a are effective. JAK2 inhibitors recently have shown promising activity in reducing PV symptoms and spleen size and improving blood counts. Yet the influence of long-term outcome and delaying disease progression is unknown. Thus, there still remains an unmet medical need for improved therapy and symptom management in PV.


This chapter analyzes and critiques homophobia in Africa and argues that as a matter of general historical practice, Africans did not discriminate against, or socially stigmatize, gays and lesbians. The author contends that modern homophobia in Africa can be traced directly to mission Christianity and Islam whose doctrinal teachings have been used to promote homophobia. The writer takes the view that it is the normative obligation of human rights thinkers and advocates to deconstruct the intellectual bankruptcy of African homophobes and reconstruct a rights discourse that affirms the dignity of homosexuals. It is not un-African to be gay, as some have argued. Nor is there anything racial – or ethnic – about any form of sexual orientation. The author concludes by calling for a struggle based on anti-subordination to combat all forms of human powerlessness, including sexual orientation.


The temperature of 0◦C, the phase change point of water-ice, is among the most influential factors on the hydrology of the temperate regions that experience winter. Many cryospheric processes, such as snow and ice melt, avalanches, freshwater ice breakup, and ice jam floods, are triggered by the arrival of the above-0◦C air temperatures. Moreover, such 0◦C based changes can have significant cascading impacts on other parts of the physical environment as well as related socio-economic activities. This research adopts an extensive analytical approach to examine the changes in the sign of mean JFM (January-FebruaryMarch) and MAM (March-April-May) air temperatures, in the 0.5◦×0.5◦ land grid cells of the Northern Hemisphere (20.25◦N-89.75◦N), during the period 1901-2009. The goal is to identify grid cells in which JFM or MAM temperatures used to be primarily below freezing, however, changed sign permanently some time during 1901-2009 due to an advancement in the arrival timing of the annual above-0◦C temperature. Considering that air temperature fluctuates and can cross 0◦C several times during the entire period of study, four different modelling techniques are employed to detect the shift points in the trend function as well as mean level of the time series and to determine the year when the model rises above 0◦C (y0) in a given location. Model-specific criteria are set to determine y0 in cases of multiple positive 0◦C crossings. The techniques applied include i) trend shift detection techniques: Model 2 and Model 3 (Perron and Yabu, 2009b; Kim and Perron, 2009), ii) Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (Friedman, 1991), and iii) the R method (Rodionov, 2004, 2006). This thesis provides a thorough discussion of these techniques and reviews their strengths and weaknesses relative to the research goals. In addition to y0, the time of the onset of warming that causes a time series to permanently rise above 0◦C (yw) is identified. The applied methods divide the entire domain of the time series into sub-regions in which the data are approximated by polynomials of degree zero or one. The segment which encompasses y0 is termed the 'segment of interest' (Sinterest). The combination of Sinterest and the segment(s) with positive slope that immediately follows Sinterest forms a section referred to as the 'section of total warming' (SWtotal). The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test, following the modified trend-free prewhitening approach (Burn et al., 2004), is conducted to examine if the warming during Sinterest, which causes the temperature to turn positive, is significant. The same test is applied to SWtotal to determine if the total warming subsequent to yw is significant. Only the locations with significant warming during Sinterest and SWtotal are selected. A bootstrap iii analysis (Cunderlik and Burn, 2002), conducted to determine the field significance of the results, indicates that local trends are also globally significant. A thorough comparative evaluation of all the above-mentioned techniques determines that Model 2 is the technique that best meets the analysis goals. Analytical results indicate that during JFM, y0 most commonly takes place in the following zones (referred to as 'transition area'). It should be noted that only the grid cells with significant warming during Sinterest and SWtotal are considered: i) North America, western U.S; ii) Europe, highest density in central Europe; iii) southwestern and central Asia, a small region consisting of some parts of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran; iv) central-eastern Asia, a small area in western China most of which lies in the Taklamakan Desert; v) easternmost Asia, some grid cells from east-central China, South Korea, and Japan. During MAM, over North America, the transition area of Model 2 is principally located in Canada and extends from northeastern British Columbia to the Atlantic regions. In Eurasia, northern Europe, European Russia, southern Russia, northern Mongolia, and northeastern China form the great portion of the transition area. It should be noted that except for a few high-elevation regions located in lower latitudes, the grid cells with y0 taking place during MAM are located north of those with y0 occurring during JFM. Results also indicate that y0 of the majority of locations occurs during the 1960-2008 interval. During MAM, the transition area of Model 2 in east-central Canada and Eurasia exhibits a clear pattern of increase in y0 values with latitude. This characteristic is also observed in some regions during JFM. The yw values are most commonly distributed over the period 1901-1980 with a peak during 1960-1980. The rate of warming over Sinterest and SWtotal generated by Model 2 is ∼ 0.01−0.1(◦C/year). The spatial and temporal variability in the results is believed to be related to variations in climate, elevation effects, and/or large-scale atmosphere and ocean circulations, all of which require further evaluation for proper attribution of effects.


Over the past decades, English has become the predominant language for the transfer of specialized knowledge, which conditions the creation of new lexical units in other codes. This conditioning can result in terminological dependency, a linguistic phenomenon arising from a unidirectional transfer of specialized denominations between two languages. Terminological neology in potentially dependent codes such as Spanish reflects the way the importation of units from English involves a set of linguistic asymmetries that affects the conceptual configuration of specialized domains by the importing community of scientists. In this article, we propose a three-step analysis in order to detect and measure the terminological dependency of Spanish on English in the domain of Alzheimer's Disease, based on the semantic characterization of a set of specialized neologisms related to this domain. After analysing the semantic features of these units in English, we found a significant, though not exact, correlation between the uniformity of certain semantic aspects and the degree of terminological dependency observed in their equivalents in Spanish.