Prominences and cavities are ubiquitously observed together, but the physical link between these disparate structures has not been established. We address this issue by using dynamic emission in the extreme ultraviolet to probe the connections of these structures. The SDO/AIA observations show that the cavity exhibits excessive emission variability compared to the surrounding quiet-Sun streamer, particularly in the 171 Å bandpass. We find that this dynamic emission takes the form of coherent loop-like brightening structures which emanate from the prominence into the central cavity. The geometry of these structures, dubbed prominence horns, generally mimics the curvature of the cavity boundary. We use a space-time statistical analysis of two cavities in multiple AIA bandpasses to constrain the energetic properties of 45 horns. In general, we find there is a positive correlation between the light curves of the horns in the 171 Å and 193 Å bandpasses; however, the 193 Å emission is a factor of five weaker. There is also a strong correlation between structural changes to the prominence as viewed in the He ii 304 Å bandpass and the enhanced 171 Å emission. In that bandpass, the prominence appears to extend several megameters along the 171 Å horn where we observe co-spatial, co-temporal 304 Å and 171 Å emission dynamics. We present these observations as evidence of the magnetic and energetic connection between the prominence and the cavity. Further modeling work is necessary to explain the physical source and consequences of these events, particularly in the context of the traditional paradigm: the cavity is underdense because it supplies mass to the overdense prominence.


The survey by Calvo and D'Mello presents a useful overview of the progress of and issues in affect detection. They focus on emotion theories that are relevant to Affective Computing (AC) and suggest stronger collaborations between disciplines. My contribution emphasizes the importance of these issues for AC. In fact, empirical research strongly suggests that facial, vocal, and bodily expressions, subjective experience, and physiological changes are often not very highly correlated in spontaneous situations. Overestimating this cohesion limits the usefulness of affect detection methods in real-world applications. Other factors, such as social context, knowledge regarding the goals of certain interactions, as well as interindividual differences are critically important factors for improving affect detection. At times, social concepts, such as politeness, might be more conducive to model realistic behavior. Knowledge on affect perception is important to estimate the level of realism required to create satisfying and productive interactions between users and artificial systems. Interdisciplinary joint research between social and biological scientists on the one hand and computer scientists and engineers on the other is necessary to deal with the complexity of affective processes. All disciplines involved have much to gain in the process.


Cells sense the environment's mechanical stiffness to control their own shape, migration, and fate. To better understand stiffness sensing, we constructed a stochastic model of the "motor-clutch" force transmission system, where molecular clutches link F-actin to the substrate and mechanically resist myosin-driven F-actin retrograde flow. The model predicts two distinct regimes: (i) "frictional slippage," with fast retrograde flow and low traction forces on stiff substrates and (ii) oscillatory "load-and-fail" dynamics, with slower retrograde flow and higher traction forces on soft substrates. We experimentally confirmed these model predictions in embryonic chick forebrain neurons by measuring the nanoscale dynamics of single–growth-cone filopodia. Furthermore, we experimentally observed a model-predicted switch in F-actin dynamics around an elastic modulus of 1 kilopascal. Thus, a motor-clutch system inherently senses and responds to the mechanical stiffness of the local environment.


Despite the late arrival of the Internet and social media in China, Chinese authorities stepped into the regulation of the new communication tools earlier than many European and American countries. Since the landing of the Internet in 1994 and the generalized use of social media in the late 1990s, laws, administrative provisions, and regulations were adopted one after the other in China. However, the main objectives of the regulation vary in different epochs, due to technical difficulties in earlier periods, the changing governmental priorities, and the striking technological progress in China. After a detailed document analysis conducted about all of the 39 social media-related legislations and regulations adopted from 1994 until now in China, the article argues that social control is not always the prime concern for Chinese regulators of the Internet and social media. Throughout the period from 1994 to 2012, Chinese regulators aimed above all at setting up a general regulation framework and working out a set of feasible norms and standards for the telecommunications and online activities. It is during the period of 2012-2017 that social control stood at the core of the state regulation of social media. From 2018 onward, the priority of the regulation shifts again. Making full use of social media to boost the development of the E-commerce becomes an important goal of the regulatory activities.


Background Futures Group through a CDC co-operative agreement has been working with the Kenya Ministry of Health (MoH) to develop a patient-level data warehouse and business intelligence (BI) solutions to ensure that electronic patient care data is used in real-time decision making. Challenge While the Kenya MoH has been investing in information communication technology (ICT) implementations to improve service delivery, a number of these implementations are silos leading to multiple unintegrated systems. This has consequently deprived policy makers and the general public of a rich and centralized repository of data for country level business intelligence, analytics and reporting capabilities. Response To address this challenge, the Kenya MoH and Futures Group have started development of a HIV centric data mart to further understanding requirements, design, implementation and data security needs. Lessons Learnt The computerization of patient medical records together with the goodwill of stakeholders in the Kenya MoH has made it possible to consolidate patient data for decision making in a centralized data repository. There continues to be a need for rigorous processes to be undertaken in development of data governance policies around patient data security and administration. Next Steps In order to develop a meaningful and sustainable data warehouse, the Kenya HMIS project aims at increasing technical capacity within the ministry through workshops and other stakeholder engagement forums. A culture of data demand and information use is also being cultivated at health facilities with an aim of not only developing analytics capacity at the health facility but also improve on the quality of data generated by these facilities.


Catherine Alliott brings us the fabulously funny and wonderfully heart-warming My Husband Next Door. For better or worse...Ella was nineteen and madly in love when she married dashing young artist Sebastian Montclair. But that was a long time ago. Now Ella and the kids live in a ramshackle farmhouse while Sebastian and his paintings inhabit the outhouse next door - a family separated in every way but distance. Is it a marvellously modern relationship - or a disaster waiting to happen? So when charming gardener Ludo arrives on the scene and Sebastian makes a sudden and surprising decision, Ella sees a chance at a fresh start. Yet with two teenagers and her parents on the verge of their own late-life crisis, will Ella be allowed to choose her own path? And how long can she hide from the truth which haunts her broken marriage? Step into Alliott Country with My Husband Next Door. "Another huge treat from Catherine Alliott. It's hilarious yet poignant, with wonderful characters, including all the animals! I lapped up every page." (Sophie Kinsella). "Captivating and heartwarming". (Closer).


Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome (HHCS) is an autosomal and dominant disease caused by heterogeneous mutations in the iron responsive element (IRE) of the 5′ untranslated flanking region of ferritin L-chain mRNA, which reduce the binding to the trans iron regulatory proteins and make L-chain synthesis constitutively upregulated. In the several families identified so far, the serum and tissue L-ferritin levels are fivefold to 20-fold higher than in nonaffected control subjects, iron metabolism is apparently normal, and the only relevant clinical symptom is early onset, bilateral cataract. Some pathogenetic aspects of HHCS remain obscure, with particular reference to the isoferritins produced by HHCS cells, as well as the mechanism of cataract formation. We analyzed lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from two nonaffected control subjects and from HHCS patients carrying the substitution A40G (Paris-1), G41C (Verona-1), and the deletion of the residues 10-38 (Verona-2) in the IRE structure. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays specific for the H- and L-type ferritins showed that L-ferritin levels were up to 20-fold higher in HHCS than in control cells and were not affected by iron supplementation or chelation. Sequential immunoprecipitation experiments of metabolically-labeled cells with specific antibodies indicated that in HHCS cells about half of the L-chain was assembled in L-chain homopolymers, which did not incorporate iron, and the other half was assembled in isoferritins with a high proportion of L-chain. In control cells, all ferritin was assembled in functional heteropolymers with equivalent proportion of H- and L-chains. Cellular and ferritin iron uptake was slightly higher in HHCS than control cells. In addition, we analyzed the lens recovered from cataract surgery of a HHCS patient. We found it to contain about 10-fold more L-ferritin than control lens. The ferritin was fully soluble with a low iron content. It was purified and partially characterized. Our data indicate that: (1) in HHCS cells a large proportion of L-ferritin accumulates as nonfunctional L-chain 24 homopolymers; (2) the concomitant fivefold to 10-fold expansion of ferritin heteropolymers, with a shift to L-chain–rich isoferritins, does not have major effects on cellular iron metabolism; (3) L-chain accumulation occurs also in the lens, where it may induce cataract formation by altering the delicate equilibrium between other water-soluble proteins (ie, crystallins) and/or the antioxidant properties.


The Philippine K to 12 science curriculum is a learner-centered and inquiry-based discipline that requires learners to utilize learning materials and learning spaces needed for a meaningful understanding of the scientific concepts and for developing their scientific literacy. This is anchored to the constructivism theory that supports 'learning by doing.' A laboratory is an essential place for active learning and science teaching that would provide students with opportunities to think creatively and critically to solve real-world problems. This study assessed the current status of the science laboratory facilities in two public junior high schools in the province of Lanao del Sur. This is to assess the current condition and availability of laboratory facilities and to identify the challenges faced by science teachers. This study employed descriptive case study method, in which the participants were from two selected schools in Lanao del Sur. A researcher-made checklist of laboratory facilities and semi-structured interviews were used to gather the data. Frequency was used as a statistical tool for quantifying the number of available laboratory facilities and equipment. Based on the findings, both schools have inadequate laboratory facilities that hinder the performance of the activities in the science module designed by the Department of Education. The lack of a laboratory room, the inadequacy of laboratory facilities and science equipment, defective laboratory equipment, the inadequacy of learning materials, lack of water supply, lack of electricity are common issues in both schools. Teacherrespondents of this study have difficulty in teaching some science concepts and are not fully equipped on how to use some science equipment. Addressing the identified challenges is recommended to achieve quality education for all.


In previous decades, the bulk of research focused on Black students in doctoral programs highlight issues of recruitment and access with little attention given to the racialized experiences or perspectives of African descent scholars-in-training. More recently, a growing body of research has used qualitative methods to dismantle the myth of a colorblind doctoral student experience. Instead these scholars illuminate the ways in which race and racism create challenges for Black doctoral students. The present study adds to this literature by revealing the ways that Black doctoral students persist amid this highly racialized context. Researchers employ critical race theory and qualitative focus group methods to describe the factors that contribute to Black doctoral student persistence. Findings expand the existing literature on Black doctoral student persistence in ways that further delineate the nature of support factors, which have implications for faculty and administrators.


The seasonal growth pattern and reproductive biology of the rock pool prawn, Palaemon elegans , were studied in the southern Black Sea between February 2002 and January 2004. The seasonal von Bertalanffy growth parameters, computed from monthly length frequency distributions, were estimated as L ∞ = 47.8 mm total length (TL), K = 1. 115 year -1 for females and as L ∞ = 41.1 mm TL, K = 1.654 year -1 for males. The seasonal oscillation in growth rate for females (C = 0.904) was larger than it was for males (C = 0.586). The slowest period of growth corresponded to June in females and February in males. The size at sexual maturity for females (TL 50 ) was estimated as 33.8 mm TL. Ovigerous females were recorded from March to August and juveniles appeared in the benthic population in August. The ovarian development of the rock pool prawn was most probably initiated by photoperiod, whereas embryo development was accelerated with increasing water temperatures.


FULDHEIM, DOROTHY (26 June 1893--3 Nov. 1989) entered the field of television at an age when most people begin to plan their retirement and lasted there long enough to become a living legend. She was born Dorothy Violet Snell in Passaic, N.J., and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisw., where she attended Milwaukee College and entered teaching. Following her marriage to Milton H. Fuldheim, she moved to Cleveland in the 1920s and pursued a career in lecturing. She also gained experience in radio, including a local historical biographical series on WTAM and a weekly editorial over the ABC network. Joining Cleveland's first television station, WEWS, 2 months before it went on the air in Dec., 1947, Fuldheim became the first woman in the country with her own news show. Unhampered by any hardened format, she devised one which worked commentary and interviews into the straight news summary.Eventually others took over the "anchor" chores, leaving her free to concentrate on analysis and interviews and to co-host a long-running afternoon show, "The One O'Clock Club." Among her estimated 15,000 interviews by 1974 were Helen Keller, Anastas Mikoyan, and the Duke of Windsor. WEWS also used her as a roving reporter on assignments ranging from the Mideast to Northern Ireland. An interview she did in Hong Kong with 2 American prisoners released by Communist China in 1955 brought her a National Overseas Press Club award. After the death of her first husband in 1952, Fuldheim was married to William L. Ulmer. Her only child, Dorothy Fuldheim-Urman, a professor of Russian at CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, died in 1980, and her own career was finally ended at 92, after a crippling stroke suffered on the job on 27 July 1984. Named one of America's Most Admired Women by a Gallup Poll, Fuldheim was the only active journalist included among the charter members of the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, established by the PRESS CLUB OF CLEVELAND. She wrote 2 autobiographical reminiscences, I Laughed, I Cried, I Loved (1966) and A Thousand Friends (1974).Fuldheim, Dorothy. I Laughed, I Cried, I Loved: A News Analyst's Love Affair With the World (Cleveland, 1966).


The application of learning methods in each learning will have an impact on learning outcomes and the atmosphere of classroom learning and student activities in learning. One method that can be used is Inquiry Learning Strategies (SPI). This method is used in Classroom Action Research (PTK) Indonesian language learning material Exploring Information from Class IV Adventist Texts of Students in SD Negeri 001 Koto Taluk Kuantan. This study aims to get an idea of how to improve student learning outcomes after using Inquiry Learning Strategies (SPI) methods in Indonesian language material. Exploring Information from the Class IV Adventurer's Texts in SD Negeri 001 Koto Taluk Kuantan. The study uses four steps of PTK, namely planning, action, observation, and reflection. The four components of the research step constitute one cycle. This research was carried out in two cycles. Improved student learning outcomes, in the initial data with an average of 67.1 increased in Deuteronomy Daily I to 75.2 with an increase of 12.1. In Deuteronomy Daily II it increased to 81.9 with an increase of 8.9. Then from individual and classical completeness, in the first cycle the total number of students completed was 10 people at 47.6% and the incomplete 11 people amounted to 52.4%, whereas in the second cycle the number of students who completed 19 people was 90.5%, , while the incomplete 2 people amounted to 9.5%. Thus, it can be concluded that Inquiry Learning Strategies (SPI) can improve the results of Indonesian language learning material Exploring Information from the Class IV Adventist Texts of Students in SD Negeri 001 Koto Taluk Kuantan.


We have constructed an optical neural-network system with learning capability by using a Pockels readout optical modulator. The system has a two-dimensional structure that permits easy optical alignment and can handle images without scanning. Learning signals are calculated optically with two liquid-crystal devices by a matrix-matrix outer-product method. The calculated learning signals are added directly to the weights memorized on the Pockels readout optical modulator. A two-layer network is implemented, and the learning and recognition of four alphabetical characters are realized according to the delta rule.


In flight control, the design objective and the aircraft dynamics may be different in low and high angle of attack regions. This paper presents a systematic switching LPV control design method to determine if it is practical to use for flight control designs over a wide angle of attack region. The approach is based on multiple parameter-dependent Lyapunov functions. A family of LPV controllers are designed, and each of them is suitable for a specific parameter subspace. The state of the controller is reset to guarantee the stability requirement of the Lyapunov function when the switching event occurs. Two parameter-dependent switching logics, hysteresis switching and switching with average dwell time, are examined. The proposed switching LPV control scheme is applied to an F-16 aircraft model with different design objectives and aircraft dynamics in low and high angle of attack regions. The nonlinear simulation results using both switching logics are compared.


Perturbations in cellular concentrations of citrate, and to a lesser extent malate, have a major impact on nucleus-encoded transcript abundance, hinting at specific roles of carboxylic acids in metabolite signaling. The transcriptional response to metabolites is an important mechanism by which plants integrate information about cellular energy and nutrient status. Although some carboxylic acids have been implicated in the regulation of gene expression for select transcripts, it is unclear whether all carboxylic acids have the same effect, how many transcripts are affected, and how carboxylic acid signaling is integrated with other metabolite signals. In this study, we demonstrate that perturbations in cellular concentrations of citrate, and to a lesser extent malate, have a major impact on nucleus-encoded transcript abundance. Functional categories of transcripts that were targeted by both organic acids included photosynthesis, cell wall, biotic stress, and protein synthesis. Specific functional categories that were only regulated by citrate included tricarboxylic acid cycle, nitrogen metabolism, sulfur metabolism, and DNA synthesis. Further quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of specific citrate-responsive transcripts demonstrated that the transcript response to citrate is time and concentration dependent and distinct from other organic acids and sugars. Feeding of isocitrate as well as the nonmetabolizable citrate analog tricarballylate revealed that the abundance of selected marker transcripts is responsive to citrate and not downstream metabolites. Interestingly, the transcriptome response to citrate feeding was most similar to those observed after biotic stress treatments and the gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol. Feeding of citrate to mutants with defects in plant hormone signaling pathways did not completely abolish the transcript response but hinted at a link with jasmonic acid and gibberellin signaling pathways. Our results suggest that changes in carboxylic acid abundances can be perceived and signaled in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) by as yet unknown signaling pathways.


Parkin translocates to mitochondria with low membrane potentials and causes their autophagic removal. The most commonly mutated gene in familial Parkinson's disease is PARK2, which encodes the ubiquitin E3 ligase Parkin. Narendra et al. noticed that endogenous Parkin, which normally displays a cytosolic distribution, was localized to smaller, fragmented mitochondria in a subset of human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. Parkin accumulation on mitochondria was increased when cells were exposed to carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), which uncouples the electron transport chain and causes mitochondrial depolarization. Parkin tagged with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP-Parkin) also translocated to mitochondria after CCCP treatment in HeLa cells (which have low amounts of endogenous Parkin). Parkin accumulation was not caused by morphological changes in mitochondria, such as fragmentation or fission, but instead correlated with membrane depolarization, suggesting that Parkin selectively localized to damaged mitochondria. Volumetric measurements revealed that, in YFP-Parkin–containing HeLa cells but not cells without exogenous Parkin, mitochondria decreased in mass, then disappeared after CCCP treatment, an observation confirmed by the inability of cells without mitochondria to survive in media containing galactose instead of glucose. Parkin colocalized with microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), an autophagosome marker, which suggests that Parkin recruitment to mitochondria initiated autophagic degradation of the damaged organelles. Indeed, autophagy of mitochondria was blocked by inhibitors of lysosomal function or autophagosome formation, supporting this conclusion. More important, mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking a key component of the autophagy pathway, autophagy-related 5 homolog (ATG5), retained their mitochondria after CCCP treatment, even though YFP-Parkin translocated to the mitochondria in these cells. In the associated commentary, McBride suggests that loss of Parkin recruitment to dysfunctional mitochondria may precede the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's disease. D. Narendra, A. Tanaka, D.-F. Suen, R. J. Youle, Parkin is recruited selectively to impaired mitochondria and promotes their autophagy. J. Cell Biol. 183, 795–803 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text] H. M. McBride, Parkin mitochondria in the autophagosome. J. Cell Biol. 183, 757–759 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Abstract Primextra is a commercial herbicide formulation generally used in agriculture for weed control. The present study was designed to investigate the oxidative stress biomarkers and biochemical responses in the tissues of Clarias gariepinus juvenile exposed to primextra. Fish were exposed to 0.24 and 0.47 mgL−1 corresponding to 1/20 and 1/10th of 96 h LC50 of the herbicide. The liver and muscle tissues were sampled on day 1, 5, 10 and 15 and results showed concentration and time dependent significant increase (p < 0.05) in the values of lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and alkaline phosphatase in both tissues. A marked significant increase (p < 0.05) was observed in the values of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and glucose in the liver while a mixed trend in their values were observed in the muscle. The values of superoxide dismutase and protein in both tissues were comparable to the control except on day 15 in the liver where the values significantly declined. The condition factor was not directly affected but values of hepatosomatic index were significantly reduced. The present findings revealed that primextra induced toxic stress even at sublethal concentrations resulting in alterations of the studied parameters which were more evident in the fish liver than in the muscle tissue.


In this article, we examine the conceptual importance of integrating risk and intersectionality theory for the study of how risk and various forms of inequality intersect and are mutually constitutive. We argue that an intersectional perspective can advance risk research by incorporating more effectively the role of such social categories as gender and race into the analysis of 'risk' as an empirical phenomenon. In doing so, the intersectional perspective articulates more clearly the connection between the social construction of risk and, on the one hand, the reproduction of new and complex social inequalities and, on the other, intersections of social class, gender, ethnicity and other social categorisations. We trace the intellectual division between risk and feminist-inspired intersectionality research, showing how these approaches can be aligned to study, for example, risk-based welfare and social policy. We use a discussion of general directions within welfare policy to illustrate how an intersectional perspective can be used to show the ways in which new governance strategies create new divisions and reproduce existing forms of social inequality. We conclude the article with a call for a new research agenda to integrate intersectional frameworks with risk theory in order to provide a more nuanced analysis of the relationship between social inequality and risk.


One of the tasks of the Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK) is the development of a fuel clean-up system for future fusion reactors. The current reference process for the Tokamak Exhaust Process (TEP) system of ITER is called CAPER and consists of three different steps; the third step is based on counter current isotopic swamping to recover trace amounts of tritium in the so called PERMCAT. For testing the efficiency of the PERMCAT tritium concentrations below 3.7*1010 Bqm-3 need to be measured in a process gas, challenging real time measurement, a wide measurement range of at least 4 orders of magnitude and low memory effects. The sampling technique used at TLK to measure the tritium concentration at the outlet of the PERMCAT is discussed in details with regards to memory effects.


Multiple object class learning and detection is a challenging problem due to the large number of object classes and their high visual variability. Specialized detectors usually excel in performance, while joint representations optimize sharing and reduce inference time --- but are complex to train. Conveniently, sequential learning of categories cuts down training time by transferring existing knowledge to novel classes, but cannot fully exploit the richness of shareability and might depend on ordering in learning. In hierarchical frameworks these issues have been little explored. In this paper, we show how different types of multi-class learning can be done within one generative hierarchical framework and provide a rigorous experimental analysis of various object class learning strategies as the number of classes grows. Specifically, we propose, evaluate and compare three important types of multi-class learning: 1.) independent training of individual categories, 2.) joint training of classes, 3.) sequential learning of classes. We explore and compare their computational behavior (space and time) and detection performance as a function of the number of learned classes on several recognition data sets.


In the offices of Dhaka, artificial light is the main contributor to the visual environment, even though there is an abundance of daylight and the working hours in offices utilise much of the daylight hours. Electric lighting costs, peak demand charges, and work interruptions during power brownouts can be greatly reduced by using daylighting. Daylight should be encouraged in office spaces because, not only would it save on energy, but it also carries immense physiological and psychological benefits. So, strategies for more daylight inclusion is needed for office interiors in context of any city which has a growing demand on electricity, far in excess of its production. This work started with a physical survey on offices located in different places of Dhaka to explore the current lighting practice and to identify key design issues where daylight could broadly enhance the luminous environment for offices. A pilot survey on a total number of 50 offices, determined by random sampling, was conducted. The survey covered a broad area through a questionnaire. During survey, importance was given on the surrounding context and external and internal elements of the offices that directly affect daylight inclusion into the office interiors and the overall luminous environment. The findings of survey helped to identify some problems on window configuration, sill height, lintel height, false ceiling, internal partition, blind configurations etc. Survey shows that lighting design in general is a neglected aspect of the overall design of spaces. Most of the cases it was found that the popular practice is against the common strategies of daylight. Survey also indicate that there is a considerable potential for more daylight inclusion into offices by some simple modification of the existing spaces and awareness about daylighting issues during the design phase. Recommended guidelines are specific to general problems found during survey, at the same time for introduction of building elements that were not found in Dhaka offices, e.g. light shelves, skylights etc. The author tried to draw simple recommendation that can be applied easily in any time from design phase to even after occupancy. It is expected that these suggestions will improve the luminous environment of offices of Dhaka under daylight.


In this work we introduce a novel weighted message-passing algorithm based on the cavity method for estimating volume-related properties of random polytopes, properties which are relevant in various research fields ranging from metabolic networks, to neural networks, to compressed sensing. We propose, as opposed to adopting the usual approach consisting in approximating the real-valued cavity marginal distributions by a few parameters, using an algorithm to faithfully represent the entire marginal distribution. We explain various alternatives for implementing the algorithm and benchmarking the theoretical findings by showing concrete applications to random polytopes. The results obtained with our approach are found to be in very good agreement with the estimates produced by the Hit-and-Run algorithm, known to produce uniform sampling.


Earthquake scarps associated with recent historical events have been found on the floor of the Sea of Marmara, along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF). The MARMARASCARPS cruise using an unmanned submersible (ROV) provides direct observations to study the fine‐scale morphology and geology of those scarps, their distribution, and geometry. The observations are consistent with the diversity of fault mechanisms and the fault segmentation within the north Marmara extensional step‐over, between the strike‐slip Ganos and Izmit faults. Smaller strike‐slip segments and pull‐apart basins alternate within the main step‐over, commonly combining strike‐slip and extension. Rapid sedimentation rates of 1–3 mm/yr appear to compete with normal faulting components of up to 6 mm/yr at the pull‐apart margins. In spite of the fast sedimentation rates the submarine scarps are preserved and accumulate relief. Sets of youthful earthquake scarps extend offshore from the Ganos and Izmit faults on land into the Sea of Marmara. Our observations suggest that they correspond to the submarine ruptures of the 1999 Izmit (Mw 7.4) and the 1912 Ganos (Ms 7.4) earthquakes. While the 1999 rupture ends at the immediate eastern entrance of the extensional Cinarcik Basin, the 1912 rupture appears to have crossed the Ganos restraining bend into the Sea of Marmara floor for 60 km with a right‐lateral slip of 5 m, ending in the Central Basin step‐over. From the Gulf of Saros to Marmara the total 1912 rupture length is probably about 140 km, not 50 km as previously thought. The direct observations of submarine scarps in Marmara are critical to defining barriers that have arrested past earthquakes as well as defining a possible segmentation of the contemporary state of loading. Incorporating the submarine scarp evidence modifies substantially our understanding of the current state of loading along the NAF next to Istanbul. Coulomb stress modeling shows a zone of maximum loading with at least 4–5 m of slip deficit encompassing the strike‐slip segment 70 km long between the Cinarcik and Central Basins. That segment alone would be capable of generating a large‐magnitude earthquake (Mw 7.2). Other segments in Marmara appear less loaded.


Functional languages provide a solid foundation on which complex optimization passes can be designed to exploit parallelism available in the underlying system. Their mathematical foundations enable high-level optimizations that would be impossible in traditional imperative languages. This makes them uniquely suited for generation of efficient target code for parallel systems, such as multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs) or highly data-parallel Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Such systems are becoming the mainstream for scientific and commodity desktop computing. Writing performance portable code for such systems using low-level languages requires significant effort from a human expert. This paper presents NOVA, a functional language and compiler for multi-core CPUs and GPUs. The NOVA language is a polymorphic, statically-typed functional language with a suite of higher-order functions which are used to express parallelism. These include map, reduce and scan. The NOVA compiler is a light-weight, yet powerful, optimizing compiler. It generates code for a variety of target platforms that achieve performance comparable to competing languages and tools, including hand-optimized code. The NOVA compiler is stand-alone and can be easily used as a target for higher-level or domain specific languages or embedded in other applications. We evaluate NOVA against two competing approaches: the Thrust library and hand-written CUDA C. NOVA achieves comparable performance to these approaches across a range of benchmarks. NOVA-generated code also scales linearly with the number of processor cores across all compute-bound benchmarks.


This thesis presents an analysis of the stability of complex distribution networks. We present a stability analysis against cascading failures. We propose a spin [binary] model, based on concepts of statistical mechanics. We test macroscopic properties of distribution networks with respect to various topological structures and distributions of microparameters. The equilibrium properties of the systems are obtained in a statistical mechanics framework by application of the replica method. We demonstrate the validity of our approach by comparing it with Monte Carlo simulations. We analyse the network properties in terms of phase diagrams and found both qualitative and quantitative dependence of the network properties on the network structure and macroparameters. The structure of the phase diagrams points at the existence of phase transition and the presence of stable and metastable states in the system. We also present an analysis of robustness against overloading in the distribution networks. We propose a model that describes a distribution process in a network. The model incorporates the currents between any connected hubs in the network, local constraints in the form of Kirchoff's law and a global optimizational criterion. The flow of currents in the system is driven by the consumption. We study two principal types of model: infinite and finite link capacity. The key properties are the distributions of currents in the system. We again use a statistical mechanics framework to describe the currents in the system in terms of macroscopic parameters. In order to obtain observable properties we apply the replica method. We are able to assess the criticality of the level of demand with respect to the available resources and the architecture of the network. Furthermore, the parts of the system, where critical currents may emerge, can be identified. This, in turn, provides us with the characteristic description of the spread of the overloading in the systems.


The web is a catalyst for drawing people together around shared goals, but many groups never reach critical mass. It can thus be risky to commit time or effort to a goal: participants show up only to discover that nobody else did, and organizers devote significant effort to causes that never get off the ground. Crowdfunding has lessened some of this risk by only calling in donations when an effort reaches a collective monetary goal. However, it leaves unsolved the harder problem of mobilizing effort, time and participation. We generalize the concept into activation thresholds, commitments that are conditioned on others' participation. With activation thresholds, supporters only need to show up for an event if enough other people commit as well. Catalyst is a platform that introduces activation thresholds for on-demand events. For more complex coordination needs, Catalyst also provides thresholds based on time or role (e.g., a bake sale requiring commitments for bakers, decorators, and sellers). In a multi-month field deployment, Catalyst helped users organize events including food bank volunteering, on-demand study groups, and mass participation events like a human chess game. Our results suggest that activation thresholds can indeed catalyze a large class of new collective efforts.


This research aimed to examine digital technology (DT) use, sleep quality (SQ), and the correlations between these variables in children and parents, in Croatia during the lockdown. Furthermore, it aimed to determine parental life satisfaction (LS) and its relation to DT use. In an online questionnaire, 281 parents of children (3 to 14 years old) provided information about the duration of DT activities throughout the pandemic, compared to the time before the pandemic, the time spent using digital devices in a typical day, and SQ for themselves and their children, as well as the estimates of personal LS. The results show that the relationship between DT use and SQ during the lockdown differs between parents and children. More time spent using DT devices is not related to SQ in parents, and more time spent on smartphones is positively associated with parents' LS. In children, the prolonged use of smartphones for leisure is negatively linked to SQ. These results call for caution in allowing children longer screen time.


This paper presents investigation of using Digital Image Correlation measurement method in Ioscipescu Shear Test. Additionally a FEM model was developed to further support research and to be used in future investigation. Test specimens were made of Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), an isotropic material which shear test results can be compared with calculated shear modulus from the tensile test. FEM model was developed as 2D linear model with thickness as parameter. In development the linear model was dropped in favor of model with contact and friction that gave better results. The results of shear test compared to the shear modulus calculated from tensile test, gave matching results. FEM model due to inclusion friction mechanism required calibration, therefore its accuracy was confirmed by strain measurements. Overall both experiment and FEM model worked its purpose.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.24.4.20301


Has lobbying by financial institutions contributed to the financial crisis? This paper uses detailed information on financial institutions' lobbying and mortgage lending activities to answer this question. We find that lobbying was associated with more risk-taking during 2000-07 and with worse outcomes in 2008. In particular, lenders lobbying more intensively on issues related to mortgage lending and securitization (i) originated mortgages with higher loan-to-income ratios, (ii) securitized a faster growing proportion of their loans, and (iii) had faster growing originations of mortgages. Moreover, delinquency rates in 2008 were higher in areas where lobbying lenders' mortgage lending grew faster. These lenders also experienced negative abnormal stock returns during the rescue of Bear Stearns and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, but positive abnormal returns when the bailout was announced. Finally, we find a higher bailout probability for lobbying lenders. These findings suggest that lending by politically active lenders played a role in accumulation of risks and thus contributed to the financial crisis.


Miller, Brittney R. PhD, Purdue University, May 2016. Kernels of Adjoints of Composition Operators on Hilbert Spaces of Analytic Functions . Major Professor: Carl C. Cowen. This thesis contains a collection of results in the study of the adjoint of a composition operator and its kernel in weighted Hardy spaces, in particular, the classical Hardy, Bergman, and Dirichlet spaces. In 2006, Cowen and Gallardo-Gutiérrez laid the groundwork for an explicit formula for the adjoint of a composition operator with rational symbol acting on the Hardy space, and in 2008, Hammond, Moorhouse, and Robbins established such a formula. In 2014, Goshabulaghi and Vaezi obtained analogous formulas for the adjoint of a composition operator in the Bergman and Dirichlet spaces. While it is known that the kernel of the adjoint of a composition operator whose symbol is not univalent on the complex unit disk is infinite-dimensional, no classification has been given for functions in this kernel. Chapter 1 introduces the relevant definitions in the study of composition operators and their adjoints. Chapter 2 provides the background for results obtained by Cowen and Gallardo-Gutiérrez, and Hammond, Moorhouse, and Robbins in the Hardy space. The results by Goshabulaghi and Vaezi for the Bergman and Dirichlet spaces are also given. Chapter 3 contains explicit descriptions of the kernel of the adjoint of a composition operator in a particular class on general weighted Hardy spaces. Chapter 4 uses the adjoint formula by Hammond, Moorhouse, and Robbins to give a functional equation that characterizes functions in the kernel of the adjoint of a composition operator with a rational symbol of degree two on the Hardy space. Chapters 5 and 6 use the adjoint formulas by Goshabulaghi and Vaezi to prove some results about the kernels of adjoints of composition operators on the Bergman and Dirichlet spaces.


We may distinguish three styles or strategies of decisionmaking. Under a maximizing approach, the decisionmaker chooses the action whose consequences are best for the case at hand (defining "best" according to some value the decisionmaker holds). Where decisionmakers choose the action that is best relative to constraints, accounting for the direct costs and opportunity costs of decisionmaking, we may call the approach optimizing rather than maximizing. Whereas the maximizer focuses only on the case at hand, the optimizer acts so as to maximize value over an array of cases. In contrast to both approaches, satisficing permits any decision whose results in the case at hand are good enough - although satisficing, like optimizing, may itself represent an indirect strategy of maximization. In this brief essay, I apply these distinctions to legal interpretation. Many approaches to the interpretation of statutes and the Constitution are maximizing approaches that attempt to produce as much as possible of some value the interpreter holds - for example, fidelity to legislative intent or original understandings. Optimizing approaches to interpretation condemn maximizing interpretation as a simpleminded approach that neglects the costs of decisionmaking and the costs of interpretive error. An alternative to both maximizing and optimizing approaches is a satisficing style of interpretation, in which interpreters eschew the search for the very best interpretation (even within constraints), instead selecting an interpretation that is good enough, in light of whatever value theory the interpreter holds. I criticize the maximizing style of interpretation and praise its two competitors. Both the optimizing and satisficing perspectives help to justify some controversial principles of statutory and constitutional interpretation, such as the rule barring resort to legislative history where statutes have a plain meaning, and clause-bound (as opposed to broadly holistic or "intratextualist") interpretation of statutes and the Constitution. Although maximizing interpretation is untenable, neither the optimizing approach nor the satisficing approach is globally best; each is an attractive decision-procedure in some contexts. Where the interpretive stakes are either very low or very high, satisficing is reasonable (whether or not rational in some stronger sense), while optimizing is best suited to medium-stakes decisions.


Prior to the Civil War there were three major differences among states in how U.S. banks were regulated: (1) Whether they were established by charter or under free-banking laws. (2) Whether they were permitted to branch. (3) Whether the state established a state-owned bank. I use a census of the state banks that existed in the United States prior to the Civil War that I recently constructed to determine how these differences in state regulation affected the banking outcomes in these states. Specifically, I determine differences in banks per capita by state over time; bank longevities (survival rates) by state, size, and type of organization; and bank failure probabilities also by state, size, and type of organization. In addition, I estimate the losses experienced by note holders and determine whether there were systematic differences in these depending on whether or not a bank was organized under a free banking law.


Mesoporous metals are useful for heterogeneous catalysis because their ultrapermeable architecture promotes mass transport to abundant active sites. Our group recently developed a method to manipulate the interior space of nanocrystals by synthesizing mesoporous Rh nanospheres that serve as high performance catalysts for methanol oxidation and nitric oxide (NO) remediation (Jiang, B.; et al. Nat. Commun. 2017, 8, 15581). Here, we extend this concept and propose a sophisticated soft-templating strategy to synthesize three-dimensional mesoporous bimetallic RhCu nanospheres. The nanospheres are alloys of Rh and Cu, and their compositions can be continuously tuned by varying the amount of metal precursors. The mesoporous RhCu nanospheres were examined for catalytic remediation of NO and show good catalytic performance considering the reduced economic cost of the alloyed material. This method offers a general approach for the precise design of high surface area Rh-based metal catalysts.


Most scientists would hold that science has not established that the cosmos is physically comprehensible – i.e. such that there is some as-yet undiscovered true physical theory of everything that is unified. This is an empirically untestable, or metaphysical thesis. It thus lies beyond the scope of science. Only when physics has formulated a testable unified theory of everything which has been amply corroborated empirically will science be in a position to declare that it has established that the cosmos is physically comprehensible.
But this argument presupposes a widely accepted but untenable conception of science which I shall call standard empiricism. According to standard empiricism, in science theories are accepted solely on the basis of evidence. Choice of theory may be influenced for a time by considerations of simplicity, unity, or explanatory capacity, but not in such a way that the universe itself is permanently assumed to be simple, unified or physically comprehensible. In science, no thesis about the universe can be accepted permanently as a part of scientific knowledge independently of evidence. Granted this view, it is clear that science cannot have established that the universe is physically comprehensible.
Standard empiricism is, however, as I have indicated, untenable. Any fundamental physical theory, in order to be accepted as a part of theoretical scientific knowledge, must satisfy two criteria. It must be (1) sufficiently empirically successful, and (2) sufficiently unified. Given any accepted theory of physics, endlessly many empirically more successful disunified rivals can always be concocted – disunified because they assert that different dynamical laws govern the diverse phenomena to which the theory applies. These disunified rivals are not considered for a moment in physics, despite their greater empirical success. This persistent rejection of empirically more successful but disunified rival theories means, I argue, that a big, highly problematic, implicit assumption is made by science about the cosmos, to the effect, at least, that the cosmos is such that all seriously disunified theories are false.
Once this point is recognized, it becomes clear, I argue, that we need a new conception of science which makes explicit, and so criticizable and improvable the big, influential, and problematic assumption that is at present implicit in physics in the persistent preference for unified theories. This conception of science, which I call aim-oriented empiricism, represents the assumption of physics in the form of a hierarchy of assumptions. As one goes up the hierarchy, the assumptions become less and less substantial, and more and more nearly such that their truth is required for science, or the pursuit of knowledge, to be possible at all. At each level, that assumption is accepted which (a) best accords with the next one up, and (b) has, associated with it the most empirically progressive research programme in physics, or holds out the greatest hope of leading to such an empirically progressive research programme. In this way a framework of relatively insubstantial, unproblematic, fixed assumptions and associated methods is created, high up in the hierarchy, within which much more substantial and problematic assumptions and associated methods, low down in the hierarchy, can be changed, and indeed improved, as scientific knowledge improves.
One assumption in this hierarchy of assumptions, I argue, is that the cosmos is physically comprehensible – that is, such that some yet-to-be-discovered unified theory of everything is true.
Hence the conclusion: improve our ideas about the nature of science and it becomes apparent that science has already established that the cosmos is physically comprehensible – in so far as science can ever establish anything theoretical.


The 2-[(18)F]fluoropropionic (2-[(18)F]FPA) acid is used as a prosthetic group for radiolabeling proteins and peptides for targeted imaging using positron emission tomography (PET). Radiolabeling of compounds with more than one acylable functional group can lead to complex mixtures of products; however, peptides can be labeled regioselectively on the solid phase. We investigated the use of a solid-phase approach for the preparation of 2-[(18)F]fluoropropionyl peptides. [(18)F]FPA was prepared and conjugated to the peptides attached to the solid phase support. The (18)F-labeled peptides were obtained in 175 min with decay corrected yields of 10% (related to [(18)F]fluoride) and with a purity of 76-99% prior HPLC purification. The suitability of various coupling reagents and solid supports were tested for radiolabeling of several peptides of various lengths.


This research project is situated in broader debates about youth-citizenship and youth participation which emerged around concerns that young people are not sufficiently engaged with politics and are not well informed about their role as citizens. The assumption is that young people as individuals lack the proper knowledge and skills, the right values and the appropriate dispositions to be active and contributing citizens. Citizenship education is seen as an important political instrument through which such future citizens-to-be are constructed and their aspirations can be moulded towards certain ends. Consequently, citizenship education often is understood as the preparation of youths to participate in society as future adult citizens. The aim of this study is to examine how citizenship education affects everyday meanings of good citizenship among Singapore's youth with a particular focus on processes of subjection and resistance to official discourses of good citizenship. Qualitative methods are the main instruments utilised in this project. Both the analysis of semi-structured interviews and the discourse analysis of texts are deployed to understand the interconnected motivations, instruments, and processes of modern citizenship education. In theoretical terms this thesis is situated across the fields of national identity, citizenship, and youth studies. This research investigates (good) citizenship and citizenship education by engaging in the theoretical debates of habitus and performativity, neoliberalism, governance, and education. The thesis illustrates that the good citizen subject is performed rather than always internalised by Singapore's youth. Common displays of good citizenship resemble pragmatic compliance with societal norms and expectations rather than necessarily illustrating individuals' submission to official discourses. Young people are citizens here and now, however their expressions of citizenship remain contained within adult-defined notions of acceptable action. This thesis concludes by arguing that seeing good citizenship as performed rather than an internalised set of discourses helps to obtain a more nuanced understanding of the multifaceted character of (youth-) citizenship.


Computational modeling is used to investigate the functional impact of G protein-mediated presynaptic autoinhibition on synaptic filtering properties. It is demonstrated that this form of autoinhibition, which is relieved by depolarization, acts as a high-pass filter. This contrasts with vesicle depletion, which acts as a low-pass filter. Model parameters are adjusted to reproduce kinetic slowing data from different Gbetagamma dimeric isoforms, which produce different degrees of slowing. With these sets of parameter values, we demonstrate that the range of frequencies filtered out by the autoinhibition varies greatly depending on the Gbetagamma isoform activated by the autoreceptors. It is shown that G protein autoinhibition can enhance the spatial contrast between a spatially distributed high-frequency signal and surrounding low-frequency noise, providing an alternate mechanism to lateral inhibition. It is also shown that autoinhibition can increase the fidelity of coincidence detection by increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in the postsynaptic cell. The filter cut, the input frequency below which signals are filtered, depends on several biophysical parameters in addition to those related to Gbetagamma binding and unbinding. By varying one such parameter, the rate at which transmitter unbinds from autoreceptors, we show that the filter cut can be adjusted up or down for several of the Gbetagamma isoforms. This allows for great synapse-to-synapse variability in the distinction between signal and noise.


AbstractMeasuring routine vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature is critical in understanding stability and the dynamics of the boundary layer. Routine monitoring in remote areas such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica is logistically difficult and expensive. Pseudovertical profiles that were derived from a network of inexpensive ground temperature sensors planted on valley sidewalls (up to 330 m above valley floor), together with data from a weather station and a numerical weather prediction model, provided a long-term climatological description of the evolution of the winter boundary layer over the MDV. In winter, persistent valley cold pools (VCPs) were common, lasting up to 2 weeks. The VCPs were eroded by warm-air advection from aloft associated with strong winds, increasing the temperature of the valley by as much as 25 K. Pseudovertical datasets as described here can be used for model validation.


The creation of Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) is a major phase in the System Dynamics (SD) life-cycle, since the created CLDs express dependencies and feedback in the system under study, as well as, guide modellers in building meaningful simulation models. The creation of CLDs is still subject to the modeller's domain expertise (mental model) and her ability to abstract the system, because of the strong dependency on semantic knowledge. Since the beginning of SD, available system data sources (written and numerical models) have always been sparsely available, very limited and imperfect and thus of little benefit to the whole modelling process. However, in recent years, we have seen an explosion in generated data, especially in all business related domains that are analysed via Business Dynamics (BD). In this paper, we introduce a systematic tool supported CLD creation approach, which analyses and utilises available disparate data sources within the business domain. We demonstrate the application of our methodology on a given business use-case and evaluate the resulting CLD. Finally, we propose directions for future research to further push the automation in the CLD creation and increase confidence in the generated CLDs.


The world has compromised justice in many occasions by making amnesty laws to forgive perpetrators of crime. These laws are often passed to resolve conflicts between rebels and government. Albeit, controversy arises when the conflict involves crimes of a jus cogens character. The norm of jus cogens are the highest in the hierarchy of international law, and any laws conflicting them shall be null and void. Among these norms are Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and Aggression. The international world have disregarded amnesties given for alleged Jus Cogens criminals, and have chosen to put the perpetrators to trials, i.e. in Sierra Leone, Chile, Uganda, inter alia. Yet in South Africa in 1995,in which amnesties have been given to the globally infamous actors of the apartheid regime, the world's response was no less than positive. This article will elaborate how this amnesty provision in the National Unity and Reconciliation Act (1995) of South Africa was highly appreciated by the world from the perspective of international law and politics, as they were highly essential to end the long and painful conflict during the apartheid regime and to ensure a peaceful transition in the country.


This paper describes the design and simulation of novel I shape fractal antenna using IE3D electromagnetic simulation software. The fractal structure is advantageous in generating multiple frequencies or enhancing bandwidth. I shape fractal antenna gives better performance in return loss, efficiency and directivity. This fractal antenna can be used in the Wi-Fi. Fractal antenna are very odd in concept and very new in design for broadband applications, many discontinues in the structure add in radiating higher frequencies. This paper proposes the design and simulation of four stages of antenna and the performance characteristics of this four antennas reported in this paper.


Output coupling of light from a conically tapered optical fiber is investigated. Such a technique may be used to provide "wide-angle" illumination from a single fiber of low numerical aperture. Experimental results for a series of fibers of varying taper angles are presented. It is found experimentally that light which is coupled out of a taper is widely dispersed when the taper angle is large. Based upon modified geometrical optics we present a theory which qualitatively predicts the experimentally measured radiation intensity patterns.


Embrace your Roman muse! As a learner of Latin, you want to experience the Roman world by reading its writers in their original language. But you may be unsure where to begin in the classical canon or you may worry that your Latin skills are insufficient to tackle authentic texts. Requiring only a grounding in the basics, Beginning Latin Poetry Reader lets you explore the rich and diverse range of Latin verse, including epics, comedies, satires, lyric poetry, and even graffiti! Inside you'll find seventy selections from authors of the early Republic such as Plautus and Terrance as well as those of the Golden and Silver Ages such as Vergil, Horace, Ovid, and Juvenal--all supported by helpful footnotes and English translations. This book also includes a clear overview of Latin syntax and the metrics of its verse, a glossary of all Latin words found in the readings, and a time line showing the historical and literary context of each author. Lose yourself in: the sparkling comedies of Plautus the intimate love poetry of Catullus the majestic hexameters of Vergil the elegant lyricism of Horace the refined sensuality of Ovid the compelling satires of Juvenal the bristly epigrams of Martial


Residential combustion of solid fuel is a major source of air pollution. In regions where space heating and cooking occur at the same time and using the same stoves and fuels, evaluating air-pollution patterns for household-energy-use scenarios with and without heating is essential to energy intervention design and estimation of its population health impacts as well as the development of residential emission inventories and air-quality models. We measured continuous and 48 h integrated indoor PM2.5 concentrations over 221 and 203 household-days and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations on a subset of those days (in summer and winter, respectively) in 204 households in the eastern Tibetan Plateau that burned biomass in traditional stoves and open fires. Using continuous indoor PM2.5 concentrations, we estimated mean daily hours of combustion activity, which increased from 5.4 h per day (95% CI: 5.0, 5.8) in summer to 8.9 h per day (95% CI: 8.1, 9.7) in winter, and effective air-exchange rates, which decreased from 18 ± 9 h(-1) in summer to 15 ± 7 h(-1) in winter. Indoor geometric-mean 48 h PM2.5 concentrations were over two times higher in winter (252 μg/m(3); 95% CI: 215, 295) than in summer (101 μg/m(3); 95%: 91, 112), whereas outdoor PM2.5 levels had little seasonal variability.


"This introductory text is a sound, basic overview. It is well structured, and easily accessible both to lay persons, who may have little knowledge or experience of social gerontology, as well as to students who may seek to explore and develop insights further, within what is a relatively recent intellectual tradition." Christine Atwell, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK "Ageing Societies: A Comparative Introduction provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of ageing, highlighting the inter-connections between health, economic and social aspects of ageing. Virpi Timonen's book is written in a lively and accessible style and will be particularly valuable for undergraduates and students on professional courses. " Sara Arber, University of Surrey, UK "Timonen does an excellent job of explaining both very basic concepts and complex aspects, thus making this book accessible to a broad range of readers. There are only very few exceptions where this is neglected. Overall, therefore, this is a very balanced approach to an important and vast subject area that manages to balance a social critique that calls us to address and adapt ageing socially, politically and economically, with an optimistic view of the achievements and opportunities that these developments bring with them." VANESSA BECKUniversity of Leicester "It is very refreshing to read a book which achieves the delicate balance between celebrating age and ageing without losing the message that there are distinct biological, psychological and social challenges for older people in all societies ...The volume is well written in a jargon-free, lively and accessible style, and any necessary acronyms and technical vocabulary are fully explained to the reader ...I have no doubt that the book will be of interest to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in fields such as gerontology, social policy, social work, sociology, nursing, as well as professionals and practitioners who work with older people. Timonen provides a clear, well-organised, wide-ranging and comprehensible introduction to the complex and highly topical subject of ageing and its global and social diversity." KATE DAVIDSONCentre for Research on Ageing and Gender,University of Surrey, Guildford, UK What is ageing? Why is ageing important and how can we understand it better? How does policy and practice in relation to ageing populations differ across the globe?This book aims to convince readers that ageing is not boring, threatening or depressing, but that it has enormous relevance for the young and the old alike. Virpi Timonen provides an engaging introduction to the central social, economic and political aspects and impacts of ageing and makes the case for the importance of analysing ageing from a number of different perspectives. Using comparative international data, the author provides a detailed description of the process of population ageing, including increasing longevity, changes in fertility and variations in the health status of older populations. In addition, the book sets out the social context and background of ageing, discussing related and relevant developments, such as: Changes in family structures Patterns of household formation Women's labour market participation Income and work in older age Health and social care of older people Attitudes towards older peopleThe book highlights the nature of ageing as an individual and societal experience. The author succeeds in arguing that whilst ageing is becoming an increasingly widespread and global experience, age-related policies, practices and consequently the actual lived experience of ageing differ greatly between countries and regions of the world. Ageing Societies is of interest and use to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in fields such as gerontology, social policy, social work, sociology, nursing, as well as professionals and practitioners in the eldercare sectors and general readers from a wide variety of backgrounds who wish to gain an understanding of the complex and highly topical subject of ageing.


In Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall's (1978) seminal examination of maternal factors that shape the development of the caregiver-infant attachment relationship in a sample of low-risk mothers in the infant's first year, several maternal behaviors were found to predict attachment relationship quality, most notably maternal sensitivity, responsiveness, and appropriately stimulating play. Maternal sensitivity includes perceiving that a signal has occurred, interpreting it accurately, responding promptly, and responding appropriately (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974). Maternal sensitivity to infant signals appears to be the most salient factor related to quality of mother-infant attachment (De Wolff & van IJzendoorn, 1997), and low maternal sensitivity has been reported in numerous studies of high-risk families. Maternal insensitivity has been related to depression (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD] Early Child Care Research Network, 1999), high incidence of abuse or neglect (Carlson, Cicchetti, Barnett, & Braunwald, 1989; Lyons-Ruth, Repacholi, McLeod, & Silva, 1992), frightening or frightened behavior of the parent (Hesse & Main, 2006), inconsistent care (Bosquet & Egeland, 2001), and a subjective feeling of helplessness in mothers (Spangler & Grossman, 1999). Children whose mothers have shown low sensitivity in parent-child interactions demonstrate poor compliance to maternal requests as toddlers (Ainsworth et al., 1974), elevated instances of psychopathology at four years (Bohlin & Hagerskull, 2000), and low school readiness and verbal comprehension in preschool (Hoffman, Crnic, & Baker, 2006). Although recent studies of maternal sensitivity (e.g., Cowan, 1997; De Wolff & van IJzendoorn, 1997; Juffer, van IJzendoorn, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 1997; van den Boom, 1997) have generally reported less predictability for maternal sensitivity than Ainsworth originally posited for her Baltimore sample, the construct remains the most important predictor of attachment quality within the family (De Wolff & van IJzendoorn; Koren-Karie, Oppenheim, Doley, Sher, & Etzion-Carasso, 2002). Some researchers (e.g., Thompson, 1997) have pondered why sensitive responsiveness contributes to secure attachment and how maternal sensitivity predicts later working models of self and relationships. Promptness, consistency, and appropriateness of maternal response are generally the main constituents that are used to define sensitivity (van den Boom, 1997). However, maternal sensitivity is more than a stable, maternal trait. Sroufe and Sampson (2000) point out that Ainsworth's sensitivity measures were not just the frequency of discrete maternal behaviors, but rather the interplay of behavioral patterning, surrounding context, and meaning that are necessary to understand sensitivity. They point out that sensitivity must be observed at the level of the relationship. Of course, maternal behavior is not independent of infant behavior. It is easier to be sensitive to a secure infant who gives clear signals for proximity and comfort than to an avoidant infant (who may provide few signals), or to a resistant infant (who may reject mother's offers of comfort). However, sensitivity to a particular infant's signals is a multidimensional construct that incorporates the mother's detection and interpretation of her child's signals, as well as the appropriateness and timing of her response. Ainsworth et al. (1974) believed that a mother's ability to see things from the child's point of view was necessary for serving as a secure base for exploration and the development of secure attachment. This seems to reflect the early, developing maternal side of the goal-corrected partnership that Bowlby (1969/1982) describes as unfolding in the infant's second year. A number of studies following Ainsworth and her colleagues (1978) have examined maternal sensitivity at home (e. …


A new dual-frequency laser displacement measurement interferometer with nanometer precision has been developed. An eight-pass optical subdivision technology is proposed to improve resolution based on commercial interferometers. A static positioning error measuring method has been used to examine the precision and repeatability of the laser interferometer. An optical resolution of 1.24 nm and an accuracy of nanometer scale have been achieved.


Background
Mosquitoes become infected with malaria when they ingest gametocyte stages of the parasite from the blood of a human host. Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are sensitive to the drug primaquine (PQ). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends giving a single dose or short course of PQ alongside primary treatment for people ill with P. falciparum infection to reduce malaria transmission. Gametocytes themselves cause no symptoms, so this intervention does not directly benefit individuals. PQ causes haemolysis in some people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency so may not be safe.

Objectives
To assess whether a single dose or short course of PQ added to treatments for malaria caused by P. falciparum infection reduces malaria transmission and is safe.

Search methods
We searched the following databases up to 10 April 2012 for studies: the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), published in The Cochrane Library; MEDLINE; EMBASE; LILACS; metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) and the WHO trials search portal using 'malaria*', 'falciparum', and 'primaquine' as search terms. In addition, we searched conference proceedings and reference lists of included studies, and we contacted likely researchers and organizations for relevant trials.

Selection criteria
Trials of mass treatment of whole populations (or actively detected fever or malaria cases within such populations) with antimalarial drugs, compared to treatment with the same drug plus PQ; or patients with clinical malaria being treated for malaria at health facilities randomized to short course/single dose PQ versus no PQ.

Data collection and analysis
Two authors (PMG and HG) independently screened all abstracts, applied inclusion criteria, and abstracted data. We sought data on the effect of PQ on malaria transmission intensity, participant infectiousness, the number of participants with gametocytes, and gametocyte density over time. We stratified results by primary treatment drug as this may modify any PQ effect. We calculated the area under the curve (AUC) for gametocyte density over time for comparisons for which data were available, and also sought data on haematologic and other adverse effects. We used GRADE guidelines to assess evidence quality, and this is reflected in the wording of the results: high quality ("PQ reduces ...."); moderate quality ("PQ probably reduces ..."); low quality ("PQ may reduce...."); and very low quality ("we don't know if PQ reduces....").

Main results
We included 11 individually randomized trials, with a total of 1776 individuals. The 11 trials included 20 comparisons with partner drugs, which included chloroquine (CQ), sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), mefloquine (MQ), quinine (QN), artesunate (AS), and a variety of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). For G6PD deficiency, studies either did not test (one study), tested and included all (one study), included only G6PD deficient (one study), excluded G6PD deficient (two studies), or made no comment (six studies).
None of the trials we included assessed effects on malaria transmission (incidence, prevalence, or entomological inoculation rate (EIR)) in the trial area.
With non-artemisinin drug regimens, PQ may reduce the infectiousness to mosquitoes of individuals treated, based on one small study with large effects (Risk Ratio (RR) 0.06 on day 8 after treatment, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0 to 0.89; low quality evidence). Participants who received PQ had fewer circulating gametocytes up to day 43 (log(10) AUC relative decrease from 24.3 to 27.1%, one study (two comparisons), moderate quality evidence); and there were 38% fewer people with gametocytes on day 8 (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.76, four studies (five comparisons), moderate quality evidence). We did not identify any study that looked for effects of the drug on haemolytic anaemia.
With artemisinin-based drug regimens, we do not know if PQ influences infectiousness to mosquitoes, as no study has examined this directly. PQ probably reduces infectiousness, based on reduction in log(10) AUC (relative decrease range from 26.1% to 87.5%, two studies (six comparisons), moderate quality evidence); and reduces by 88% the number of participants with gametocytes on day 8 (RR 0.12, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.20, four studies (eight comparisons), moderate quality evidence).
When used with artemisinin-based regimens, we do not know if PQ results in haemolytic anaemia; one trial reported percent change in mean haemoglobin against baseline, and for the PQ group this indicated a significantly greater drop at day 8 in those given PQ (very low quality evidence). Overall, the safety of PQ used in single dose or short course was poorly evaluated.

Authors' conclusions
We do not know whether PQ added to treatment regimens for patients with P. falciparum infection reduces transmission of malaria. In individual patients, it reduces gametocyte prevalence and density. In practical terms, even if PQ results in large reductions in gametocytes in people being treated for malaria, there is no reliable evidence that this will reduce transmission in a malaria-endemic community, where many people are infected but have no symptoms and are unlikely to be treated. Since PQ is acting as a monotherapy against gametocytes, there is a risk of the parasite developing resistance to the drug. In terms of harms, there is insufficient evidence from trials to know whether the drug can be used safely in this way in populations where G6PD deficiency occurs.
In light of these doubts about safety, and lack of evidence of any benefit in reducing transmission, countries should question whether to continue to use PQ routinely in primary treatment of malaria. Further synthesis of observational data on safety and new trials may help elucidate a role for PQ in malaria elimination, or in situations where most infected individuals are symptomatic and receive treatment.


Introduction: In spite of the commendable flocculating activities of microbial flocculants, a good number of them potentiate significant toxicity. This study evaluated the in vivo toxicological implications of treatment with the Purified bioflocculant (PB) from Arthrobacter humicola using OECD guidelines. Materials and Methods: In the acute toxicity assessment, a single oral administration of 2000 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) of PB was given to the Wistar rats and the animals were observed for 2 weeks. The daily dose toxicity testing was performed through daily oral treatment with graded doses (50, 200 and 500 mg/kg b.w.) of PB for 4 weeks. Clinical signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, hematological and biochemical parameters were thereafter evaluated. Results: PB at 2000 mg/kg b.w. produced no treatment-mediated signs of toxicity, behavioral changes or mortality in the animals. Thus, its no-observed-adverse-effect level was estimated to be above 2000 mg/kg b.w. In the repeated dose toxicity testing, treatments with PB also revealed no significant differences in the feeding patterns, lipid profiles, hematological and clinical biochemistry parameters when compared with the control group. Although, at 500 mg/kg b.w. PB, a significant increase was observed in the serum activities of alkaline phosphatase, nonetheless, cage side observations recorded no treatment-induced signs of toxicity and macro-histopathological examinations of all the investigated organs also revealed no obvious morphological changes. Conclusion: The overall results suggested that PB was well tolerated by the animals and is endowed with monosaccharides bearing functional groups of flocculation importance, thus, suggesting its potential application as a safe actinomycetes bioflocculant for water treatment.


This title deals with the anatomy of type. It offers everything you could ever want to know about printing letters and numbers. Looking back as far as man's first efforts to communicate with visual signs and drawings, "Letterfountain" is a completely unique typeface handbook: in addition to examining the form and anatomy of every letter in the alphabet (as well as punctuation marks and special characters), the book cross-references type designs with important works of art and art movements from Gutenberg's times until today. Further attention is given to the esthetics of the digital age and typographical recommendations such as the choice of the right typeface for a job. Rounding out the guide are an in-depth comparison between sans-serif and serif typefaces, an essay about measuring systems and indications, advice about typographic rules, plus a manual for developing digital fonts. Over 150 typefaces, their origins, and font characteristics are discussed in detail, visually explained by full page tables including scale, weight, and slope increments. The extensive appendix contains a general index, one on typefaces (more than 300 are depicted in the book), an index on over 250 type designers, an exhaustive index on type founders from Gutenberg to present, a graphical dictionary, and a bibliography for further reading. The original Dutch edition "Letterfontein" received a Certificate for Typographic Excellence from Type Directors Club New York (TDC) in 2010, and a red-dot design award from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. This title is thoroughly hardbound in half linen with three ribbon bookmarks. It includes 144 pages appendix with resourceful glossary and indices. It has convenient typographic ruler with conversions between four measurement systems and hidden shortcuts for your Apple keyboard! Editor and author: Joep Pohlen and Geert Setola are graphic designers, both devoted with heart and soul to professional typography. Joep Pohlen founded Dutch Fontana Publishers in 1994, and has won several awards with different works on typeface and book design.


This article is an introduction to the FRIDGE design environment which supports the design and DSP implementation of fixed-point digital signal processing systems. We present the tool-supported transformation of signal processing algorithms coded in floating-point ANSI C to a fixed-point representation in SystemC. We introduce the novel approach to control and data flow analysis, which is necessary for the transformation. The design environment enables fast bit-true simulation by mapping the fixed-point algorithm to integral data types of the host machine. A speedup by a factor of 20 to 400 can be achieved compared to C++-library-based bit-true simulation. FRIDGE also provides a direct link to DSP implementation by processor specific C code generation and advanced code optimization.


Britain's ruling Conservative government is battle hardened in opposing a blanket ban on tobacco advertising. For years it has fought against the ban in the capitals of Europe. But until now it has not had to face the same challenge back home in the British parliament as it has in the European Union. Next month, however, the House of Commons will consider the Tobacco Advertising Bill, which seeks to outlaw all tobacco advertising beyond the point of sale. It is the first substantive attempt at a statutory ban in Britain. The chances of the bill becoming law are not high, but it is none the less an important landmark in a rapidly changing scene.

In recent years the balance of argument and numbers in Britain has been shifting inexorably in favour of a state imposed ban. It tipped decisively about three years ago when the Labour party …


As discussed already, in June 2016, with Olivier L'Haridon, we will organize a (small) conference, in Rennes, on risk models in a multi-attribute framework. Related to that conference, we have a working group on related topics. At the end of September, I gave a brief survey on multivariate distributions. And yesterday, Olivier gave the first part of survey on multivariate decision making. The second part will be in two weeks,


Background: Starting from 1 January 2007, electronic locking devices based on proof-of-age (via electronic cash cards or a European driving licence) were installed in approximately 500 000 vending machines across Germany to restrict the purchase of cigarettes to those over the age of 16. Objective: To examine changes in the number of tobacco vending machines before and after the introduction of these new measures. Design: The total number of commercial tobacco sources in 2 selected districts (70 000 inhabitants) in Cologne were recorded and mapped. This major German city was the ideal setting for this study as investigators were able to use existing sociogeographical data from the area. A complete inventory was compiled in autumn 2005 and 2007. A total of 780 students aged 12 to 15 were also interviewed in the study areas. The main outcome measures were quantities and locations of commercial tobacco sources. Results: Between 2005 and 2007 the total number of tobacco sources decreased from 315 to 277 within the study area. Although the most obvious reduction was detected in the number of outdoor vending machines (−48%), the number of indoor vending machines also decreased by 8%. Adolescents changed from vending machines to other sources for cigarettes, particularly kiosks or friends (+31% points usage rate, p<0.001; +35% points usage rate, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Although the number of tobacco vending machines decreased, this has not had a significant impact on cigarette acquisition by underage smokers as they were able to circumvent this new security measure in several different ways.


In experiments with axenic cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa, we tested whether this cyanobacterium incorporates leucine, a compound that is often used for the measurement of heterotrophic bacterioplankton production. Microcystis showed significant leucine incorporation, and the uptake of exponentially growing cells was higher than the uptake of cells in stationary growth phase. Therefore, the leucine method may not be suitable for measuring bacterial production in highly eutrophic waters with a dominance of cyanobacteria.


methacrylate networks have a long history of applications in medical technology and much is known of their non-fouling properties. However, in recent times it has become clear that the swollen nature of these materials may provide some advantages if they are used as scaffolds in tissue engineering. In general however these hydrogels are resistant to protein adsorption and human cells do not easily adhere. in this work we provide an overview of several strategies that are designed to improve the cell-adhesive properties of hydrogels while maintaining their useful properties, mainly ease of diffusion of nutrients and growth factors. We describe our early attempts at modifying hydrogels based on 2,3-propandiol -1-methacrylate, with either hydrophobic units or acid groups. Modification with lauryl methacrylate produced an improvement but acid modification failed to provide surfaces that were conducive to cell culture. Much better scaffolds were prepared by amination of epoxy functional 2,3-propandiol-1-methacrylate networks. Optimized materials in this class were shown to be good substrates for the co-culture of bovine keratocytes with human corneal epithelial cells. We also describe the synthesis and biological properties of methacrylate conetworks, which phase separate during synthesis to give porous amphiphilic materials. Optimization of these materials produces materials that perform as well as tissue culture plastic so that confluent sheets of human dermal fibroblasts can be produced using standard culture techniques.


Abstract There is a traditional debate in analytic aesthetics that surrounds the classification of film as Art. While much philosophy devoted to considering film has now moved beyond this debate and accepts film as a mass art, a subcategory of Art proper, it is worth reconsidering the criticism of film pre-Deleuze. Much of the criticism of film as pseudo-art is expressed in moral terms. Adorno, for example, critiques film as 'mass-cult', mass-produced culture which presents a 'flattened' version of reality. Adorno worries about the passivity encouraged in viewers. Films are narrative artworks, received by an audience in a context, making the focus on the reception of the work important. The dialogue held between Adorno and Walter Benjamin post-Second World War is interesting because, between them, they consider both the possible positive emancipatory and negative politicization effects of film as a mass produced and distributed storytelling medium. Reading Adorno alongside Benjamin is a way to highlight the role of the critical thinker who receives the film. Arguing that the critical thinker is a valuable citizen, this paper focuses on the value of critical thinking in the reception of cinematic artworks. It achieves this by reconsidering Adorno and Benjamin's theories of mass art.


We examine how financial theory and economic principles offer guidance and predictions about the organization of investments and asset allocation decisions given the structure of taxes in estate - planning situations. We provide insight about many of the conventional approaches to estate planning and suggest how these strategies can be enhanced. For example, we show that the advantage of the reset provision by which the investor's capital gains tax bases are adjusted to the market value at the time of death is greater in the presence of individual rather than joint ownership of assets, provided that at the first death of one of the joint owners the basis is reset to an average of the date of death value and the survivor's original cost. We analyze asset location and distribution policies in the context of trusts that are outside of the taxable estate of its principal beneficiary as well as direct funds owned by the beneficiary, highlighting the interaction between estate taxation and the reset of the capital gains tax basis at death. We compare the optimal decisions for traditional tax-deferred accounts and after-tax ("Roth") IRAs. Finally, we also examine the value and importance of borrowing in various contexts in estate planning.


This research tests OSG-057 superconducting gravimeter (SG) performance in Lhasa in terms of noise levels in the seismic (2 min to 1 h), sub-seismic (1 to 6 h), and tidal (above 6 h) bands. Based on the Seismic Noise Magnitude (SNM) and Sub-Seismic Noise Magnitude (SSNM), 0.867 and 2.608 respectively, and compared to the noise levels of other SGs in the Global Geodynamics Project (GGP)/International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Service (IGETS), it is concluded that the instrument-site combination in Lhasa has low noise and good quality in both the seismic and sub-seismic bands. The seismic and sub-seismic band results were confirmed by large signal-to-noise ratio amplitude spectra observations below 1 milliHertz (mHz) obtained from OSG-057 data record residuals after the 4/11/2012 M8.6 Sumatra earthquake, and by background free Earth oscillation observations ('hum'), although very weak. Using the ETERNA Earth Tide Analysis program in the tidal band, it was found that the OSG-057 performs well due to the low average noise amplitudes and small standard deviations. Knowledge of the noise levels of the OSG-057 SG in Lhasa in different frequency bands provides a necessary precondition and reference for its applications to both global and regional geodynamical researches.


Design, Fabrication, and Optimization of Miniaturized Devices for Bioanalytical Applications Suresh Kumar Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BYU Doctor of Philosophy My dissertation work integrates the techniques of microfabrication, micro/nanofluidics, and bioanalytical chemistry to develop miniaturized devices for healthcare applications. Semiconductor processing techniques including photolithography, physical and chemical vapor deposition, and wet etching are used to build these devices in silicon and polymeric materials. Onchip micro-/nanochannels, pumps, and valves are used to manipulate the flow of fluid in these devices. Analytical techniques such as size-based filtration, solid-phase extraction (SPE), sample enrichment, on-chip labeling, microchip electrophoresis (μCE), and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) are utilized to analyze biomolecules. Such miniaturized devices offer the advantages of rapid analysis, low cost, and lab-on-a-chip scale integration that can potentially be used for point-ofcare applications. The first project involves construction of sieving devices on a silicon substrate, which can separate sub-100-nm biostructures based on their size. Devices consist of an array of 200 parallel nanochannels with a height step in each channel, an injection reservoir, and a waste reservoir. Height steps are used to sieve the protein mixture based on size as the protein solution flows through channels via capillary action. Proteins smaller than the height step reach the end of the channels while larger proteins stop at the height step, resulting in separation. A process is optimized to fabricate 10-100 nm tall channels with improved reliability and shorter fabrication time. Furthermore, a protocol is developed to reduce the electrostatic interaction between proteins and channel walls, which allows the study of size-selective trapping of five proteins in this system. The effects of protein size and concentration on protein trapping behavior are evaluated. A model is also developed to predict the trapping behavior of different size proteins in these devices. Additionally, the influence of buffer ionic strength, which can change the effective cross-sectional area of nanochannels and trapping of proteins at height steps, is explored in nanochannels. The ionic strength inversely correlates with electric double layer thickness. Overall, this work lays a foundation for developing nanofluidic-based sieving systems with potential applications in lipoprotein fractionation, protein aggregate studies in biopharmaceuticals, and protein preconcentration. The second project focuses on designing and developing a microfluidic-based platform for preterm birth (PTB) diagnosis. PTB is a pregnancy complication that involves delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, and causes many newborn deaths and illnesses worldwide. Several serum PTB biomarkers have recently been identified, including three peptides and six proteins. To provide rapid analysis of these PTB biomarkers, an integrated SPE and μCE device is assembled that provides sample enrichment, on-chip labeling, and separation. The integrated device is a multilayer structure consisting of polydimethylsiloxane valves with a peristaltic pump, and a porous polymer monolith in a thermoplastic layer. The valves and pump are fabricated using soft lithography to enable pressure-based sample actuation, as an alternative to electrokinetic operation. Porous monolithic columns are synthesized in the SPE unit using UV photopolymerization of a mixture consisting of monomer, cross-linker, photoinitiator, and various porogens. The hydrophobic surface and porous structure of the monolith allow both protein retention and easy flow. I have optimized the conditions for ferritin retention, on-chip labelling, elution, and μCE in a pressure-actuated device. Overall functionality of the integrated device in terms of pressurecontrolled flow, protein retention/elution, and on-chip labelling and separation is demonstrated using a PTB biomarker (ferritin). Moreover, I have developed a μCE protocol to separate four PTB biomarkers, including three peptides and one protein. In the future, an immunoaffinity extraction unit will be integrated with SPE and μCE to enable rapid, on-chip analysis of PTB biomarkers. This integrated system can be used to analyze other disease biomarkers as well.


Privacy-enhancing identity management systems allow users to act securely in the information society while keeping sovereignty over their personal spheres. This paper elaborates the benefits that privacy-enhancing identity management can provide for both end users and services sides. These benefits include increased privacy protection for end users and enhanced trust relations between users and services sides. The PRIME system developed within the EU project PRIME (Privacy and Identity Management for Europe) and a PRIME-enable e-shopping application scenario are used to illustrate these benefits. Besides, also potential business drivers for services sides to deploy privacy-enhancing identity management systems are discussed.


This study analyses technical efficiency (TE) levels among small-scale raspberry producers in Central Chile. Special attention is given in to investigate the impact of the marketing channel used by the farmers on their technical performance. The data used in this study were obtained from a farm-level survey of 139 small-scale raspberry farmers. A stochastic production frontier model was used to evaluate the association between TE, extension, training and farmers' decisions to sell their production directly to the agro-industry or indirectly through an informal middleman. The empirical results show that the decision to sell raspberries using informal channels is negatively associated with farm productivity and revenues. The analysis also reveals a positive relationship between TE and income among experienced and trained farmers. Implementing food quality and safety standards was also found decisive in increasing farm income. Policy implications stemming from these results are also discussed.


This paper investigates the evolution of the gender wage gap in South Africa, using the 1993–2015 Post-Apartheid Labour Market Series data set.The changes in the gap are heterogeneous across the wage distribution. There has been a substantial narrowing of the gap at the bottom of the distribution, attributable to the implementation of the minimum wage in low-paying industries However, the median gender wage gap is substantial at 23–35 per cent. This is unexplained by differences in human capital characteristics, and is not declining over time.This implies that wage-employed women in South Africa have better human capital characteristics than men. Contrary to previous literature, the wage gap at the mean narrowed from 40 per cent in 1993 to 16 per cent in 2014. The gap at the 90th percentile declined during 1993–2005, but has expanded in recent years. This is due to a continually expanding unexplained component of the wage gap, which is usually associated with discrimination.