Dendrites integrate inputs in highly non-linear ways, but it is unclear how these non-linearities contribute to the overall input-output transformation of single neurons. Here, we developed statistically principled methods using a hierarchical cascade of linear-nonlinear subunits (hLN) to model the dynamically evolving somatic response of neurons receiving complex spatio-temporal synaptic input patterns. We used the hLN to predict the membrane potential of a detailed biophysical model of a L2/3 pyramidal cell receiving in vivo-like synaptic input and reproducing in vivo dendritic recordings. We found that more than 90% of the somatic response could be captured by linear integration followed a single global non-linearity. Multiplexing inputs into parallel processing channels could improve prediction accuracy by as much as additional layers of local non-linearities. These results provide a data-driven characterisation of a key building block of cortical circuit computations: dendritic integration and the input-output transformation of single neurons during in vivo-like conditions.


Reporting effect sizes aids the transparent presentation and independent interpretation of scientific data. However, calculation and reporting of effect sizes for data obtained in basic research is rare. A standardized effect size was reported by Norman Cliff, known as Cliff's delta. It has several advantageous features, as (i) it makes no assumption on the shape of the underlying distribution, (ii) it works well for small to moderate samples (n>10), (iii) it is easy to calculate, and (iv) its basis is readily understood by non statisticians. Here, a VBA macro, implemented in Excel, is presented. The macro takes two independent samples as input and calculates Cliff's delta with 95% confidence intervals. The macro will reduce the barrier for calculating the effect size and can be a valuable tool for research and teaching.


This paper exploits a Danish policy reform combined with population-wide administrative registers to investigate whether being above the minimum age of criminal responsibility deters juveniles from crime. We study young individuals' tendency to commit crime as well as their likelihood of recidivism by exploiting police records on offenses committed by the population of children and youth, including those below the minimum age of criminal responsibility. The reform lowered the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 years. We find that the reform did not deter 14-year-olds from committing crime. Moreover, conditional on committing crime in the first place, youths affected by the lower minimum age of criminal responsibility were more likely to recidivate and less likely to be enrolled in the 9th grade, just as they have lower grades at the 9th grade exit exam, conditional on participating. The latter results are consistent with labeling effects of processing in the criminal justice system.


Scientists have long known that variation in animal color patterns carry far more than cosmetic signifi cance. Darwin fi rst connected pigmentation with adaptive advantage, noting that male fi nches with bright red plumage enjoyed greater reproductive success than their drab competitors. Explaining why coloration confers such advantages, however, has proved somewhat easier than showing how it arises. Biologists studying how neighboring regions of the vertebrate body plan develop differences in appearance and form have identifi ed a small number of signaling pathways common to all animals. How and whether these pathways also control the developmental expression and variation of surface attributes like hair color, hair density, and hair length are unclear. By studying an old mouse mutant called droopy ear, Gregory Barsh and colleagues show that a member of the well-known family of T-box genes is required for a key pigmentation pattern in mice. Many vertebrate species—be they fi sh, bird, or mammal—have a much lighter belly than back. Studies in mice indicate these dorsoventral pigment differences arise from differential expression of the Agouti gene in the ventral and dorsal regions of the developing mouse; Agouti produces a pale yellow color and thus mice with light bellies have Agouti expressed in their ventral but not dorsal region. Droopy ear was discovered more than 50 years ago by virtue of its effects on head and ear shape, but it also affects pigmentation patterns; mutant mice have expanded ventral-specifi c Agouti expression into the dorsal region. First, Sophie Candille, a graduate student in Barsh's laboratory, searched for the gene that underlies the defect in droopy ear. When the researchers homed in on the chromosomal region known to harbor droopy ear, they found Tbx15—a member of the T-box gene family. T-box genes are found in a wide range of species and play diverse roles during embryonic development. In the droopy ear mouse, Tbx15 carries a mutation that makes the protein nonfunctional. The researchers made certain that Tbx15 really is the droopy ear gene by deleting most of the gene's coding region and showing that this "knocked-out'' gene produces the typical droopy ear mouse. The pattern of embryonic Tbx15 expression—determined by observing messenger RNA transcripts in developing tissues of the head, trunk, and limbs—suggests that early expression of Tbx15 in the dorsal fl ank sets coordinates for dorsoventral differences in hair length and pigmentation. Candille et al. demonstrate that the regional pigment differences characteristic of adults is indeed established soon after embryonic Tbx15 expression. So this boundary in pigmentation is set up very early during development. Interestingly, the early coordinates of the future pigment boundary do not correspond to any other known developmental boundary. The Tbx15 pigmentation effects seen in these lab mice, the researchers note, resembles coat variations in other mammals, including German shepherds and an endangered mouse whose lighter dorsal markings once gave it an adaptive advantage on the white sand reefs where it lives (sadly, such markings offer no protection against loss of habitat). T-box genes are also found in humans; mutations in Tbx1, Tbx4, Tbx5, and Tbx22 can cause developmental abnormalities of the heart, limbs, or of the head and neck. Mutations of human Tbx15 have not yet been identifi ed, but could contribute to regional differences of pigmentation (in dorsal and ventral surfaces of the limbs, for example) or to development of the head and neck. The identifi cation of Tbx15 adds a new player to the genes that help pattern the developing embryo—attention now turns to the controls that regulate Tbx15 and the Tbx15 targets, which set up the pattern.


Abstract: Crop mapping in West Africa is challenging, due to the unavailability of adequate satellite images (as a result of excessive cloud cover), small agricultural fields and a heterogeneous landscape. To address this challenge, we integrated high spatial resolution multi-temporal optical (RapidEye) and dual polarized (VV/VH) SAR (TerraSAR-X) data to map crops and crop groups in northwestern Benin using the random forest classification algorithm. The overall goal was to ascertain the contribution of the SAR data to crop mapping in the region. A per-pixel classification result was overlaid with vector field boundaries derived from image segmentation, and a crop type was determined for each field based on the modal class within the field. A per-field accuracy assessment was conducted by comparing the final classification result with reference data derived from a field campaign. Results indicate that the integration of RapidEye and TerraSAR-X data improved classification accuracy by 10%–15% over the use of RapidEye only. The VV polarization was found to better discriminate crop types than the VH polarization. The research has shown that if optical and SAR data are available for the whole cropping season, classification accuracies of up to 75% are achievable.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was first used in adults with severe respiratory failure in the 1970s. Its use has been steadily increasing since the 1990s after a trial demonstrated improved survival. There are currently seven centres in the UK offering ECMO to adults. Neurological complications are often picked up within the first few days of initiating ECMO. Intracerebral haemorrhage is a well recognised complication and it is the leading cause of death in infants on ECMO and rates of 9–18.9% in adults have been reported. We report a 52-year-old woman admitted in severe type 1 respiratory failure in January 2012. She was transferred to a tertiary centre and suffered bitemporal and right parietal haemorrhages on ECMO in late February. She was repatriated to our unit for rehabilitation in April 2012. Her rehabilitation needs represent the complexity of this patient group with multiple medical, behavioural and physical challenges.


Vannman has earlier studied a class of capability indices, containing the indices C p , C pk , C pm and C pmk , when the tolerances are symmetric. We study the properties of this class when the tolerances are asymmetric and suggest a new enlargened class of indices. Under the assumption of normality an explicit form of the distribution of the new class of the estimated indices is provided. Numerical investigations are made to explore the behavior of the estimators of the indices for different values of the parameters. Based on the estimator a decision rule that can be used to determine whether the process can be considered capable or not is provided and suitable criteria for choosing an index from the family are suggested.


This paper reports some initial observations as we explore the hypothesis that ontologies can be used to improve the capabilities and performance of on-board route planning for autonomous vehicles. We are in the early stages of an effort to evaluate the performance of ontologies in different components of our chosen infrastructure: the 4D/RCS system architecture developed at NIST. Our initial focus has been on simple roadway driving scenarios where the controlled vehicle encounters potential obstacles in its path. As reported elsewhere [7], our approach is to develop an ontology of objects in the environment, in conjunction with rules for estimating the damage that would be incurred by collisions with the different objects in different situations. Automated reasoning is used to estimate collision damage; this information is fed to the route planner to help it decide whether to avoid the object. We describe the issues and insights developed during the first phase of the project and discuss the changes to our approach that have resulted.


Agricultural activities in the Midwestern United States have potentially altered geochemical fluxes within the critical zone (CZ) compared to native prairie systems that previously dominated the region. To quantify the impact of agricultural land use on soil and stream solute behavior, we studied two watersheds in the region: Glacier Creek Preserve (GCP) in eastern Nebraska and the Intensively Managed Landscapes Critical Zone Observatory (IML-CZO) in eastern Iowa. Both watersheds were initially under agricultural land use for over 100 years, but part of each watershed was restored to prairie 20 – 50 years ago. Soils at both sites formed in thick loess (≥6 m) overlying glacial till with similar mean annual temperatures (~10 °C) but slightly higher mean annual precipitation in Iowa (89 cm) compared to Nebraska (78 cm). At both sites, soil pore water and precipitation were collected every two to four weeks to measure anions, cations, and alkalinity; stream waters draining either restored prairie or agriculture were sampled similarly in Nebraska. Both soil moisture content and electrical conductivity were consistently higher in the upper one meter of agricultural soils compared to prairie soils in Nebraska, implying slower drainage and higher solute concentrations in the agricultural soils. At both sites, soil pore water Ca+2 and Mg+2 concentrations and annual fluxes were significantly higher in agricultural soils compared to restored prairie. Conversely, streams draining restored prairie have significantly higher Ca+2 and Mg+2 concentrations than the agricultural streams. Fluxes from agricultural streams, however, were higher than the prairie, pointing to a potential dilution effect of runoff from the agricultural land use. These observations lead to a conceptual model where deeply infiltrating water in restored prairie soils interacts with minerals present deeper in the soil before reaching the stream whereas in agricultural soils water does not infiltrate as deeply and thus experiences more shallow flowpaths to the stream. Furthermore, changes in geochemical and hydrologic fluxes have been realized in just a few decades since switching land use from agriculture to prairie. Thus, intense agricultural land use may alter soil function and solute transport to streams compared to critical zones hosting tallgrass prairie vegetation.


One crucial goal in kernel online learning is to bound the model size. Common approaches employ budget maintenance procedures to restrict the model sizes using removal, projection, or merging strategies. Although projection and merging, in the literature, are known to be the most effective strategies, they demand extensive computation whilst removal strategy fails to retain information of the removed vectors. An alternative way to address the model size problem is to apply random features to approximate the kernel function. This allows the model to be maintained directly in the random feature space, hence effectively resolve the curse of kernelization. However, this approach still suffers from a serious shortcoming as it needs to use a high dimensional random feature space to achieve a sufficiently accurate kernel approximation. Consequently, it leads to a significant increase in the computational cost. To address all of these aforementioned challenges, we present in this paper the Dual Space Gradient Descent (DualSGD), a novel framework that utilizes random features as an auxiliary space to maintain information from data points removed during budget maintenance. Consequently, our approach permits the budget to be maintained in a simple, direct and elegant way while simultaneously mitigating the impact of the dimensionality issue on learning performance. We further provide convergence analysis and extensively conduct experiments on five real-world datasets to demonstrate the predictive performance and scalability of our proposed method in comparison with the state-of-the-art baselines.


A nonlinear model with neural networks structure is identified in this paper from input-output data of the activated-sludge process. The simulation protocol BSM1 is used as a benchmark to gather the operating data used for the neural networks training and validations. The neural model is constituted by two feed-forward neural networks to estimate oxygen and nitrates concentrations. The performance of each NN is assessed as a virtual sensor for variable estimation, or as a predictive model for process control purposes.


In recent decades we have witnessed the creation of a communication system that promises unparalleled connectedness. And yet the optimistic dreams of Internet-enabled engagement and empowerment have faded in the face of widespread Internet commercialization. In Liberating Voices, Douglas Schuler urges us to unleash our collective creativitysocial as well as technologicaland develop the communication systems that are truly needed. Inspired by the vision and framework outlined in Christopher Alexander's classic 1977 book, A Pattern Language, Schuler presents a pattern language containing 136 patterns designed to meet these challenges. Using this approach, Schuler proposes a new model of social change that integrates theory and practice by showing how information and communication (whether face-to-face, broadcast, or Internet-based) can be used to address urgent social and environmental problems collaboratively. Each of the patterns that form the pattern language (which was developed collaboratively with nearly 100 contributors) is presented consistently; each describes a problem and its context, a discussion, and a solution. The pattern language begins with the most general patterns ("Theory") and proceeds to the most specific ("Tactics"). Each pattern is a template for research as well as action and is linked to other patterns, thus forming a single coherent whole. Readers will find Liberating Voices an intriguing and informative catalog of contemporary intellectual, social, and technological innovations, a practical manual for citizen activism, and a compelling manifesto for creating a more intelligent, sustainable, and equitable world.


The question of farm size has long been a concern in the agricultural economics literature. The observation of a long-lasting persistence of so-called small farms drew the attention of numerous researchers. The size of farms is often approximated by the farm area in hectares or the added value and gross margin. We propose to investigate the opportunity to use labour (family labour and hired, permanent and seasonal, wage labour) as an entry point for a typology of agricultural holdings, with an application on French data from the Census collected in 2000 and 2010. We show that two dynamics are at stake: an evolution towards off-farm labour for the smallest farms relying on family labour; a convergence towards a model based on hired wage labour for the largest family farms.


We propose a new method to measure persuasion within small groups, and apply this method to a large scale randomized deliberative experiment. We define persuasion as the systematic component of an individual's preference change that is due to discursive interpersonal interaction, and we measure this systematic component using a spatial model that captures dependence in policy preferences among participants randomly assigned to discussion groups. Our method separately measures persuasion in an ideological space from persuasion in a non-ideological, topic-specific space. The functional form of our model accommodates tests of substantive hypotheses found in the small group literature on small group polarization. To illustrate the methods we present an application in which we examine how changes in participants' policy views on U.S. fiscal policy in a large-scale randomized experiment resulted from the composition of the small discussion groups to which they were randomly assigned.


ABSTRACT DR3 (Ws1, Apo3, LARD, TRAMP, TNFSFR12) is a member of the death domain-containing tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily, members of which mediate a variety of developmental events including the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We have investigated the in vivo role(s) of DR3 by generating mice congenitally deficient in the expression of the DR3 gene. We show that negative selection and anti-CD3-induced apoptosis are significantly impaired in DR3-null mice. In contrast, both superantigen-induced negative selection and positive selection are normal. The pre-T-cell receptor-mediated checkpoint, which is dependent on TNFR signaling, is also unaffected in DR3-deficient mice. These data reveal a nonredundant in vivo role for this TNF receptor family member in the removal of self-reactive T cells in the thymus.


The complex shape of comet 67P and its oblique rotation axis cause pronounced seasonal effects. Irradiation and hence activity vary strongly.
Aims. We investigate the insolation of the cometary surface in order to predict the sublimation of water ice. The strongly varying erosion levels are correlated with the topography and morphology of the present cometary surface and its evolution.
Methods. The insolation as a function of heliocentric distance and diurnal (spin dependent) variation is calculated using >105 facets of a detailed digital terrain model. Shading, but also illumination and thermal radiation by facets in the field of view of a specific facet are iteratively taken into account. We use a two-layer model of a thin porous dust cover above an icy surface to calculate the water sublimation, presuming steady state and a uniform surface. Our second model, which includes the history of warming and cooling due to thermal inertia, is restricted to a much simpler shape model but allows us to test various distributions of active areas.
Results. Sublimation from a dirty ice surface yields maximum erosion. A thin dust cover of 50 μm yields similar rates at perihelion. Only about 6% of the surface needs to be active to match the observed water production rates at perihelion. A dust layer of 1 mm thickness suppresses the activity by a factor of 4 to 5. Erosion on the south side can reach more than 10 m per orbit at active spots. The energy input to the concave neck area (Hapi) during northern summer is enhanced by about 50% owing to self-illumination. Here surface temperatures reach maximum values along the foot of the Hathor wall. Integrated over the whole orbit this area receives the least energy input. Based on the detailed shape model, the simulations identify "hot spots" in depressions and larger pits in good correlation with observed dust activity. Three-quarters of the total sublimation is produced while the sub-solar latitude is south, resulting in a distinct dichotomy in activity and morphology.
Conclusions. The northern areas display a much rougher morphology than what is seen on Imhotep, an area at the equator that will be fully illuminated when 67P is closer to the Sun. Self-illumination in concave regions enhance the energy input and hence erosion. This explains the early activity observed at Hapi. Cliffs are more prone to erosion than horizontal, often dust covered, areas, which leads to surface planation. Local activity can only persist if the forming cliff walls are eroding. Comet 67P has two lobes and also two distinct sides. Transport of material from the south to the north is probable. The morphology of the Imhotep plain should be typical for the terrains of the yet unseen southern hemisphere.


Accumulation of assets to enable the diversification of activities has been established as crucial in helping the rural poor escape poverty. The empowerment of women has been identified as a way to overcome inefficiencies in the allocation of resources within the family and so improve agrarian households' productivity. However, achieving diversification is not necessarily empowering for women and some initiatives may worsen their position.

This book uses the information collected in original household surveys conducted in rural areas in four countries to investigate the links between women's position in the household, diversification strategies, labour market participation and poverty reduction. The book centres on country-specific chapters that provide an in-depth focus on an issue of relevance to the location and that tease out the interplay between female empowerment and development in that context. In particular, the chapters examine:

Landlessness in Ethiopia
Feminization of the agricultural labour market in Andhra Pradesh, India
Female labour supply and women's power within the household in Uganda
Disadvantages faced by female-headed households in Zimbabwe

The analysis calls for caution in assuming that labour market expansion necessarily acts to empower women and emphasizes the role female access to assets can have in facilitating diversification and escaping poverty. It will appeal to all those studying development economics, with particular interest in areas such as diversification, poverty and female empowerment.


MJA 199 (2) · 22 July 2013 100 Arthroscopy to treat osteoarthritis of the knee? TO THE EDITOR: In their editorial, Buchbinder and Harris conclude that "The use of arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis has been allowed to continue, exposing patients to an intervention that is at best ineffective, and at worst, harmful".1 Each year, HCF funds more than 5000 knee arthroscopies in private hospitals alone, and the primary diagnosis is osteoarthritis (coded as gonarthrosis [arthrosis of the knee]) in more than 1000 of these procedures. As such, HCF will endeavour to contribute to the debate by surveying members who have a primary diagnosis of gonarthrosis to collect data on self-assessed benefits of knee arthroscopies. It would be fair to say that the patient's view of the benefits of the procedure is a leading indicator and should form an integral part of assessing the success of knee arthroscopies for osteoarthritis.


A new genus, Catanduba, is proposed and supported on the cladistic analysis with the following synapomorphies: em-bolus tapering abruptly from half of the length, embolus tooth associated with PIK and a triangular basal nodule on malemetatarsus I. Homoeomma simoni and Plesiopelma flavohirtum are transferred to Catanduba and five new species are de-scribed: C. tuskae, C. araguaia, C. piauiensis, C. canabrava and C. peruacu. The species occur mainly in central Brazil,in Cerrado areas, with some species also occurring in Atlantic forest (C. tuskae sp. n. ) and Caatinga (C. piauiensis sp. n. and C. peruacu sp. n.).


For taxonomic studies, 37 isolates of the genus Rhizopus obtained from various hosts in Tehran and west Azarbaijan provinces were investigated. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and D1D2 regions of the large subunit ribosomal DNA were amplified using ITS1/NL4 primer pair. Amplified products were digested with four restriction endonucleases HaeIII, RsaI, HinfI and MspI and seven representative isolates were selected and sequenced. These and 23 isolates from GenBank were analyzed to determine their phylogenetic relationship. In contrast to the extreme variation of the ITS region and D1/D2 regions of LSU rDNA proved to be valuable in the phylogeny of the genus Rhizopus. Based on the results, 37 isolates were divided into three groups, R. lyococcus, R. stolonifer and R. oryzae. R. lyococcus is a new record for Iran which is the first report of R. stolonifer on nectarines and R. oryzae on persimmons and nectarines. R. stolonifer on nectarines is a new record for the world.


Formulating and implementing a new strategy may be a challenging task, especially if it alters the way in which a company has operated and positioned itself before. This may be particularly true for companies within the forest industry, like manufacturers of paper packaging products, pursuing differentiated customer value and innovative solutions where, traditionally, success has been measured in volume and relative position on a cost curve. In theory there are different schools of thought and approaches on how to go about formulating and implementing strategy. In practice, going through strategic change may create a need to embrace new ways of thinking and acting in order to close the gap between formulation and implementation, between knowing what to do and doing it. This gap, particularly the interdependence between formulation and implementation in the context of change between strategies of different schools and assumptions, merits more attention in literature. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of strategic change, illustrating a change process of formulating and implementing a strategy through the lenses of schools of strategy and cognitive research. The purpose is also to suggest areas for future research and practical guidance for organisations aiming to break away from a reigning strategy paradigm in search for new ways to compete. Based on a longitudinal case study of Billerud, a Swedish world-leading manufacturer of paper packaging material, two propositions are suggested for future research and practical guidance for managers when formulating and implementing strategic change. Firstly for an organisation going through strategic change, understanding the assumptions behind different strategic intents and the link between a chosen strategy and critical core activities, capabilities and culture is a prerequisite to enable a transition. Secondly, strategic change is enabled through an iterative and probing approach between formulation and implementation which considers knowledge and learning of new concepts, activity and culture as situated.


In this study, macroscopic and spectroscopic data were combined to develop a surface complexation model that describes the acid-base properties of Bacillus subtilis. The bacteria were freeze-dried and then resuspended in 0.1 M NaCl ionic medium. Macroscopic measurements included potentiometric acid-base titrations and electrophoretic mobility measurements. In addition, ATR-FTIR spectra of wet pastes from suspensions of Bacillus subtilis at different pH values were collected. The least-squares program MAGPIE was used to generate a surface complexation model that takes into account the presence of three acid-base sites on the surface: tripple bond COOH, tripple bond NH+, and tripple bond PO-, which were identified previously by XPS measurements. Both potentiometric titration data and ATR-FTIR spectra were used quantitatively, and electrostatic effects at the charged bacterial surface were accounted for using the constant capacitance model. The model was calculated using two different approaches: in the first one XPS data were used to constrain the ratio of the total concentrations of all three surface sites. The capacitance of the double layer, the total buffer capacity, and the deprotonation constants of the tripple bond NH+, tripple bond POH, and tripple bond COOH species were determined in the fit. A second approach is presented in which the ratio determined by XPS of the total concentrations of tripple bond NH+ to tripple bond PO- sites is relaxed. The total concentration of tripple bond PO- sites was determined in the fit, while the deprotonation constant for tripple bond POH was manually varied until the minimization led to a model which predicted an isoelectric point that resulted in consistency with electrophoretic mobility data. The model explains well the buffering capacity of Bacillus subtilis suspensions in a wide pH range (between pH=3 and pH=9) which is of considerable environmental interest. In particular, a similar quantitative use of the IR data opens up possibilities to model other bacterial surfaces at the laboratory scale and help estimate the buffering capacity of carboxylate-containing compounds in natural samples.


Machine learning (ML) has progressed rapidly during the past decade and the major factor that drives such development is the unprecedented large-scale data. As data generation is a continuous process, this leads to ML model owners updating their models frequently with newly-collected data in an online learning scenario. In consequence, if an ML model is queried with the same set of data samples at two different points in time, it will provide different results.
In this paper, we investigate whether the change in the output of a black-box ML model before and after being updated can leak information of the dataset used to perform the update, namely the updating set. This constitutes a new attack surface against black-box ML models and such information leakage may compromise the intellectual property and data privacy of the ML model owner. We propose four attacks following an encoder-decoder formulation, which allows inferring diverse information of the updating set. Our new attacks are facilitated by state-of-the-art deep learning techniques. In particular, we propose a hybrid generative model (CBM-GAN) that is based on generative adversarial networks (GANs) but includes a reconstructive loss that allows reconstructing accurate samples. Our experiments show that the proposed attacks achieve strong performance.


Objective: To determine if blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein can discriminate between Parkinson disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) with equally high diagnostic accuracy as CSF NfL, and can therefore improve the diagnostic workup of parkinsonian disorders. Methods: The study included 3 independent prospective cohorts: the Lund (n = 278) and London (n = 117) cohorts, comprising healthy controls and patients with PD, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), as well as an early disease cohort (n = 109) of patients with PD, PSP, MSA, or CBS with disease duration ≤3 years. Blood NfL concentration was measured using an ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) method, and the diagnostic accuracy to distinguish PD from APD was investigated. Results: We found strong correlations between blood and CSF concentrations of NfL (ρ ≥ 0.73–0.84, p ≤ 0.001). Blood NfL was increased in patients with MSA, PSP, and CBS (i.e., all APD groups) when compared to patients with PD as well as healthy controls in all cohorts (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in the Lund cohort, blood NfL could accurately distinguish PD from APD (area under the curve [AUC] 0.91) with similar results in both the London cohort (AUC 0.85) and the early disease cohort (AUC 0.81). Conclusions: Quantification of blood NfL concentration can be used to distinguish PD from APD. Blood-based NfL might consequently be included in the diagnostic workup of patients with parkinsonian symptoms in both primary care and specialized clinics. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that blood NfL levels discriminate between PD and APD.


In this work, the exposure of people, through their diet, to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been assessed for the urban, rural, and general populations in Syria. The food categories consumed have been divided into major groups, and the health risk assessment on dietary exposure of PAHs determined in each food category. For this purpose, two approaches were used: incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and margin of exposure approach (MOE). The results showed that each of the following food categories: oils and fats, meat and meat products, vegetables, and cereals dominantly contribute in the dietary exposure of PAHs. Also their MOE values are the lowest. Additionally, they have higher ILCR values. Therefore, these groups are a main risk source to health. On the other hand, the dietary exposure of PAHs in each of urban, rural and general populations was of low health concern, whereas their ILCR values reached to 10E-05 in total food categories, nevertheless it remains lower than serious risk level (ILCR>10E-04). This work is the first study that is dealing with dietary exposure of PAHs and their health risk assessment in Syria.


Title of dissertation: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND RURAL MARKET PERFORMANCE IN CENTRAL INDIA Aparajita Goyal, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Dissertation directed by: Professor Mark Duggan Department of Economics Professor Rachel Kranton Department of Economics How do improvements in information impact market performance? This dissertation examines the effect of an innovative initiative launched by a private company in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Beginning in October 2000, it set up 1700 internet kiosks and 45 warehouses that provide wholesale price information and an alternative marketing channel to soybean farmers in the state. I develop a theoretical model of this intervention and estimate the impact using a new market-level dataset with spatial geo-coded information. The causal effect is isolated by exploiting the variation in the timing of the introduction of kiosks and warehouses across districts of the state. The estimates suggest an immediate and significant increase in the monthly wholesale market price of soybeans after the introduction of kiosks, lending support to the predictions of the theoretical model. While the presence of warehouses appears to have no effect on price, warehouses are associated with a dramatic reduction in the volume of sales in the traditional markets. Moreover, there is a significant increase in the area under soy cultivation. The estimates are robust to disaggregated measures of treatment and comparisons with alternative crops grown in the same season as soy. The analysis suggests that information can substantially enhance the functioning of rural markets by increasing the competitiveness of buyers. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND RURAL MARKET PERFORMANCE IN CENTRAL INDIA


The paper studies approximations for a class of nonlinear filters known as Volterra filters. Although the Volterra filter provides a relatively simple and general representation for nonlinear filtering, it is often highly overparameterized. Due to the large number of parameters, the utility of the Volterra filter is limited. The overparameterization problem is addressed in the paper using a tensor product basis approximation (TPBA). In many cases, a Volterra filter may be well approximated using the TPBA with far fewer parameters. Hence, the TPBA offers considerable advantages over the original Volterra filter in terms of both implementation and estimation complexity. Furthermore, the TPBA provides useful insight into the filter response. The paper studies the crucial issue of choosing the approximation basis. Several methods for designing an appropriate approximation basis and error bounds on the resulting mean-square output approximation error are derived. Certain methods are known to be nearly optimal.


Tapestries - the art form of kings - were a principal element in the ostentatious magnificence used by powerful Renaissance rulers to broadcast their wealth and might. During the period between 1460 and 1560, courts and churches lavished vast sums on costly weavings in silk and gold thread from designs by leading artists. In this illustrated volume, contributors analyze some of these tapestries; examine the stylistic and technical development of tapestry production in the Low Countries, France and Italy during the Renaissance; and discuss the contribution that the medium made to the art, liturgy and propaganda of the day. The survey presents 45 surviving tapestries along with some 20 preparatory drawings and cartoon fragments. Featured are examples designed by Italian masters Raphael, Giulio Romano and Perino del Vaga. In addition, works by Netherlandish designers such as Bernaert van Orley and his followers are included, demonstrating how elements of the northern design tradition were fused with Italianate innovations, resulting in an extraordinarily rich aesthetic, ideally suited to the medium.


Abstract The basement of the Central Pontides, and by implication that of Crimea, consists of pre-Permian low-grade metaclastic rocks intruded by latest Permian – Early Carboniferous (305–290 Ma) granitoids. Further up in the stratigraphic sequence are Triassic limestones, which are now preserved as olistoliths in the deformed Upper Triassic turbidites. New conodont and foraminifera data indicate an Anisian to Carnian (Middle to Late Triassic) age for these hemi-pelagic Hallstatt-type limestones. The siliciclastic turbidites surrounding the Triassic limestone contain the Norian (Late Triassic) bivalve Monotis salinaria; the same species is also found in the Tauric series in Crimea. The Upper Triassic flysch in the Central Pontides is locally underlain by basaltic pillow lavas and includes kilometre-size tectonic slices of serpentinite. Both the flysch and the serpentinite are cut by an undeformed acidic intrusion with an Ar–Ar biotite age of 162 ± 4 Ma (Callovian–Oxfordian). This indicates that the serpentinite was emplaced into the turbidites before Middle Jurassic time, most probably during latest Triassic or Early Jurassic time, and that the deformation of the Triassic sequence pre-dates the Middle Jurassic. Regional geological data from the circum-Black Sea region, including widespread Upper Triassic flysch, Upper Triassic eclogites and blueschists of oceanic crustal affinity, and apparent absence of a 'Cimmerian continent' between the Cretaceous and Triassic accretionary complexes indicate that the latest Triassic Cimmeride orogeny was accretionary rather than collisional and is probably related to the collision and accretion of an oceanic plateau to the southern active margin of Laurasia.


[1] In the stratified rotating estuary of Chesapeake Bay, the Ekman transport drives a counterclockwise lateral circulation under down-estuary winds and a clockwise lateral circulation under up-estuary winds (looking into estuary). The clockwise circulation is about twice as strong as the counterclockwise circulation. Analysis of the streamwise vorticity equation reveals a balance among three terms: titling of the planetary vorticity by vertical shear in the along-channel current, baroclinic forcing due to sloping isopycnals at cross-channel sections, and turbulent diffusion. The baroclinic forcing is highly asymmetric between the down- and up-estuary winds. While the counter-clockwise lateral circulation tilts isopycnals vertically and creates lateral barolinic pressure gradient to oppose the Ekman transport under the down-estuary wind, the clockwise circulation initially flattens the isopycnals and the baroclinic forcing reinforces the Ekman transport under the up-estuary wind. The Coriolis acceleration associated with the lateral flows is of the first-order importance in the along-channel momentum balance. It has a sign opposite to the stress divergence in the surface layer and the pressure gradient in the bottom layer, thereby reducing the shear in the along-channel current. Compared with the non-rotating system, the shear reduction is about 30–40%. Two summary diagrams are constructed to show how the averaged streamwise vorticity and along-channel current shear vary with the Wedderburn (W) and Kelvin (Ke) numbers.


This publication could not have been more timely with the epidemic increases in obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that threaten today's world and the inherent social and economical consequences. It is now clear that a gradual decreasing amount of physical activity and increasing consumption of calories and fat are at the basis of these epidemics and related (neuro)degenerative diseases. Each essay has been written by world leading experts with complimentary expertise in human physiology and biochemistry. Both the metabolic impairments that occur in the human body as a result of inactivity and disease, and the beneficial effects of exercise in correcting these mechanisms and improving health are described. As a collective, the essays give clear mechanistic insight into the multitude of enzymes, signaling pathways, tissue - and bodily functions that benefit from relatively modest increases in physical activity. Drugs simultaneously aiming at so many targets are unlikely to ever be developed, making exercise into a unique and incredibly efficient therapeutic treatment mode. The volume is the best compilation published so far of the hard experiment based evidence that exercise improves human health and wellbeing. The volume is aimed at all final year undergraduate and 1st year postgraduate students and their teachers in the biological and medical sciences. Also for the current generation of medical doctors, health professionals and dieticians and for policymakers in public health, this volume is a unique information source, illustrating the acute need for active interference of governments and health agencies to make the current and future world populations as least as physically active as we were 100 years ago.


This master thesis was executed at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The thesis was initiated to establish and evaluate an alternative model representation of the facility at Ormen Lange. Traditionally, a PQ-model has been used to represent Ormen Lange. This thesis, however, has implemented three two-terminal dc line models (converter models) to represent the facility. The first part of the thesis starts with an overall introduction to the basic principles of configuration, operation and control of HVDC systems. The objective of this part is to provide an overview of the HVDC technology which is treated in detail later in the thesis. The software tool "Power System Simulator for Engineering" (PSS/E) was used for both power flow and dynamic simulations performed in this thesis. The second part of the thesis describes the power flow establishment, and constitutes the basis for both power flow and dynamic simulations. The main focus in this part is the modeling of the two-terminal dc line model which is implemented at Nyhamna. Data for the two-terminal dc line model is presented on three consecutive data records. Since these data enables not only power flow analysis but also establishes the initial steady-state for the dynamic analysis, a detailed description is presented in this section. The latter data is based on technical information provided by ABB and default values in PSS/E. The third part of the thesis presents the power flow simulations. The objective of this part is to gain knowledge about the performance of the two-terminal dc line model implemented at Ormen Lange. This knowledge facilitates the understanding of the following dynamic simulations. Two cases were studied to simulate the action of the converter control system when exposed to a depression in rectifier bus voltage. In the first case the rectifier transformer tap settings were adjustable. In the second case the rectifier tap settings were locked to its initial value. The purpose of locking the tap setting was to represent a transient situation where the tap changer action is too slow and hence not considered. The result showed that with adjustable rectifier tap settings, the depression in rectifier bus voltage is handled by reducing the rectifier transformer tap position and firing delay angle. This increased the voltage on the valve side of the rectifier transformer and enabled the rectifier to maintain dc current control. Consequently, the scheduled dc values were unaffected by the depression in rectifier bus voltage. However, with the rectifier tap setting locked, the transformer did not boost the voltage on the valve side of the rectifier transformer. This caused the control logic to reduce the rectifier firing delay angle to its minimum, and the inverter assumed control of the dc current. With the inverter in control of the current, the scheduled dc current was reduced by a fraction equal to the current margin along with the remainder dc values. Hence, the presence of an adequate rectifier transformer setting is essential for the two-terminal dc line model to maintain scheduled dc values during voltage depression. All simulations showed that a voltage depression at the rectifier bus leads to a reduction in rectifier reactive power consumption. This is due to the action from the control logic which reduced the rectifier firing delay angle to counteract the voltage depression. The greatest reduction in rectifier reactive consumption was experienced when the rectifier firing delay angle was reduced to its minimum value. Hence, in situations with depressed bus voltage, the latter operation of the converter control logic causes the two-terminal dc line model to exhibit less stress to the ac system than the PQ-model. The fourth part of this thesis contains a detailed description of the dynamic modeling of the two-terminal dc line model (CDC4T). Many of the chosen parameters are based on an example in [15], and do not necessary represent realistic values. The final part of this thesis presents the dynamic simulations. The objective of this part is to analyze the control actions of the CDC4T model under normal regulation and during temporary overriding the normal regulation. This was performed by introducing ac system faults which depressed the rectifier bus voltage to a varying degree. Further, this part analyzed the consequence of using the dynamic model CDC4T to represent Ormen Lange instead of a PQ-model. The purpose was to determine whether the response from the ac system differs when using the CDC4T model instead of a PQ-model. It is important to emphasize that this part does not evaluate stability issues associated with the implementation of CDC4T. The results from the dynamic simulations showed that CDC4T exhibited an instantaneous response to changes in rectifier ac voltage. This is because CDC4T is a pseudo steady-state dynamic model which omits the L/R dynamic of the dc system and high frequency firing angle controller dynamics. Further, the results revealed an important characteristic of the CDC4T model. After fault clearance, the rectifier bus exhibited small voltage fluctuations. The rectifiers compensated these fluctuations by adjusting their firing delay angles correspondingly. Consequently, the latter resulted in fluctuations in reactive power consumption. This means that the ac system perceives the CDC4T model as a varying reactive load following fault clearance. Comparing the ac system response when using the CDC4T model and when using the PQ-model, the results showed that the main difference was CDC4T's generation of reactive power fluctuations. These fluctuations were experienced in the transmission line going into Nyhamna and Viklandet, and were substantial compared to the initial loading of the transmission lines. Two arguments were used to substantiate why the response from the CDC4T model only differs from the PQ-model in terms of reactive power fluctuations: I. The calculated value of the short circuit ratio at Nyhamna indicated a strong interconnected ac/dc system. II. The dynamic behavior of the pseudo-steady state model, CDC4T, is limited. Both the L/R dynamic of the dc line, smoothing reactors and high frequency controller dynamics are omitted. In further studies where converter modeling at Ormen Lange is considered, a more complex dynamic dc model should be utilized to represent the converters. This model should include L/R dynamic of the dc system and high-speed controller dynamics, and will thus influence the ac system to a greater extent than CDC4T. Further, the model establishment should focus on achieving a sufficiently realistic load representation of Ormen Lange. In this manner, the converters' influence on system stability can be evaluated.


Dynamic loading conditions distress the structural integrity of a structure differently than the static ones. Such actions transfer high rate strains and instant energy waves to the structure, inducing the possibility of imminent collapse and casualties as a direct consequence. In the latest years, considering the dramatic increase of terrorist threats and global warming, the structural safety criteria imply more than ever the need to withstand this kind of loading (e.g., missiles and blast, projectiles, strong winds, tornados and earthquakes) in addition to the static ones. The aim of this paper is to provide a general overview with regard to impact loading in terms of defining the phenomenon from physical and mechanical perspective, its complex local or global effect on the targeted structure, relevant material characteristics, main research approaches, namely theoretical studies and experimental procedures developed for improving the predictability of the dynamic loads and their effects. New directions in developing superior cementitious composites, with better characteristics in terms of dynamic loading performance are also emphasized.


BACKGROUND
Rifampicin has received increased interest in veterinary dermatology because of its activity against multidrug-resistant meticillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS). There is limited knowledge about the efficacy and safety of rifampicin in dogs.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE
To provide information on response to treatment and adverse effects in dogs treated with rifampicin for multidrug-resistant MRS pyoderma.

ANIMALS
Thirty two dogs treated with rifampicin for rifampicin-susceptible multidrug-resistant MRS pyoderma.

METHODS
Retrospective review of medical records, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) serum activity levels and total bilirubin concentrations, obtained before and throughout the treatment, was performed.

RESULTS
Oral rifampicin as sole systemic antimicrobial therapy (median dose 5 mg/kg twice daily) was effective in 71.88% of cases. Topical antimicrobials were used in most cases. Median duration of rifampicin treatment was five weeks for superficial pyoderma and four weeks for deep pyoderma. Gastrointestinal signs were reported in 15% of treated dogs. Statistically significant increases of ALT (P = 0.045) and ALP (P = 0.0002) values after 3-4 weeks of treatment was observed. The median increase was equal to 0.3 and ×1.5 the upper limit of the reference ranges for ALT and ALP, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS/CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Oral rifampicin combined with topical antimicrobials can be considered an effective therapeutic option for canine superficial and deep pyoderma caused by rifampicin-susceptible multidrug-resistant MRS. Liver enzyme induction might be the most important cause of ALT and ALP increase associated with rifampicin therapy in dogs.


Literary theorists have excelled at different definitions of the concept of "text." In handbooks of literary theory, "text" may mean discourse (or work of art), the most authoritative version of this discourse, or any system of signs – not to mention more arcane meanings. Presumably, this very wide use of the term text (text as just about anything that can be interpreted) reflects an aesthetic – the belief that there really are no autonomous works, no organic forms, and that everything created by man really is a flow of signs.


Jean-Luc Godard-musicien: die Musik in den Filmen von Jean-Luc Godard. By Jurg Stenzl. Munich: Edition Text + Kritik, 2010. [464 p. ISBN 9783869160979. i48.] Music examples, facsimiles, interview, bibliography, filmography, discography, index. Jean-Luc Godard. Edited by Bernd Kiefer. (Film-Konzepte, edited by Thomas Koebner and Fabienne Liptay, Heft 20.) Munich: Edition Text + Kritik, 2010. [116 p. ISBN 9783869160719. i22.] Music examples, screen stills, filmography, list of contributors. Given his fame and widely acknowledged influence, Jean-Luc Godard reached his eightieth birthday in December 2010 after a year predictably filled with festivals, retrospectives, and similar public events. Just as predictably, the director himself was actively involved in the celebration and stirred up controversy along the way. He had already set the terms with a retrospective exhibition in 2006, and when the time came, he offered the premiere of a dense and politically pointed film (Film socialisme, Cannes Film Festival, May 2010). Later in the year, media attention spiked as he dithered about whether he would attend the ceremony to receive an honorary award from the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Science (he decided not to go). Rumors started in 2009 also continued throughout 2010 that Godard's next proj - ect would be a film version of Daniel Mendelsohn's book about the Holocaust, The Lost: Six of Six Million. The year offered surprisingly little from publishing quarters, however. The specialty film seller, Criterion Collection, did take advantage of the event to release a number of early films on DVD and to upgrade several of the most familiar to Blu-ray format. Of three substantial trade-level publications, one is a topical dictionary ( Jean-Luc Douin, Jean-Luc Godard, dictionnaire des passions [Paris: Stock, 2010]) and the second an exhaustive documentation of more than 900 pages by a film historian (Antoine de Baecque, Godard: biographie [Paris: Grasset & Fasquelle, 2010]). The third actually appeared in 2009 and was a paperback reprint of a critical biography skewed by overly aggressive claims that Godard is anti-Semitic (Richard Brody, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard [New York: Picador (Macmillan), 2009]). Academic journals, on the other hand, barely seemed to notice. Cinema Journal, the official organ of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, did run a print symposium, but it covered the New Wave generally, not only Godard (in vol. 49, no. 3 [June 2010]). Critical Quarterly also ran a five-article symposium on Godard's late films (in vol. 51, no. 3 [October 2009]), but film periodicals with a leftist political tradition, such as Screen, Cineaste, and Cineaction, published only the scattered article through 2009 and 2010. Ironic, then, that two of the most sustained efforts came not from France or North America but from Germany: a special issue in the periodical Film-Konzepte and a monograph survey of Godard's career in terms of his treatment of the sound track. Jurg Stenzl is emeritus professor of musicology at the University of Salzburg. He is known as a medievalist and a specialist on Italian modernists, in particular Luigi Nono. Jean-Luc Godard is his first book about film. The author's segmentation of Godard's career comes through very clearly in the book's organization. Six chapters begin with Godard and his composers, covering early films (from 1959-67) that follow the traditional path in which an experienced musician provides original material for the underscore and sometimes also for source music. "For Ever Beethoven" gathers seven films from the 1970s and 1980s (with one outlier from 2002) in which that composer's music provides the source material from which Godard fashions the musical component of his film's sound design. "Political and Musical Passions," as the title suggests, divides into two sections: the first on the films that respond to world events in the 1970s and in which music's role is either reduced or eliminated, and films from the 1980s in which Godard returns to aesthetic concerns but refashions his approach to the sound track. …


Forest ecosystems deliver multiple goods and services and, traditionally, forest owners tend to have a high interest in goods in the form of merchantable wood. As a consequence, forest management often aims to increase timber production and economic returns through intervention into natural processes. However, forests provide further services, including carbon sequestration, water quantity and quality, and preservation of biodiversity. In order to develop and implement strategies for sustainable forest management, it is important to anticipate the long-term effects of different forest management alternatives on the ability of the forest to provide ecosystem goods and services. Management objectives might emphasize economic interests at the expense of other services. Very few attempts have been made to illustrate and evaluate quantitatively the relationship between forest goods and services. By use of virtual but realistic datasets, we quantified, for multiple services, the effects of five forest management alternatives that form an intensity gradient. Our virtual forest management units represented Central European forest ecosystems in the submontane vegetation zone under a humid-temperate climate with acidic soils. In this zone the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is the dominant tree species. In order to assess the effects on ecosystem services, the untouched natural forest reserve served as a reference. Wherever possible, response functions were deduced to couple the various services via stand-level data to demonstrate trade-offs between the services. Management units comprised all development phases in the sense of a "normal forest". It was clearly illustrated that maximizing the rates of biomass production and carbon sequestration may conflict with protection of authentic biodiversity. Several silvicultural operations may, however, have positive effects on biodiversity and water protection without high costs. We also illustrated that water quality and maintenance of soil fertility may be affected either positively or negatively by several forest management operations. In contrast, water quantity was only minimally influenced by forest management. For the virtual forest in a humid climate, differences of 70 mm/yr in runoff were negligible. Under dry continental conditions, however, such differences may have important implications for groundwater formation.


The payday advance industry makes small, very short-term consumer loans through an extensive network of storefront shops. Customer demand for this product appears to be very strong, and the industry has grown dramatically over the past decade. Yet many observers view the industry with suspicion. The fees charged on payday advances convert to very high annualized rates of interest (APRs). And the media (and others) circulate anecdotes about payday borrowers who renew their loans frequently and become burdened by the high associated fees. Some analysts claim that the industry could not survive without these chronic troubled borrowers. Yet it is difficult to understand the determinants of the industry's profitability because researchers have had very limited access to micro level data about payday advance firms. Using proprietary store-level data provided by two large payday lenders, we study store costs and profitability. We examine how profitability is related to the borrowing patterns of payday advance customers, default losses, and store characteristics. We also ask how profitability varies with local economic and demographic conditions. We find that fixed operating costs and loan loss rates do justify a large part of the high APRs charged on payday advance loans, and that a store's loan volume is a key determinant of its profitability. However, we do not find that loan renewals or loans from frequent borrowers are more profitable than other loans per se, although they certainly contribute to a store's loan volume. Finally, controlling for loan volume, we also do not find that economic and demographic conditions in the neighborhoods where stores are located have much of an effect on profitability, although they do slightly influence default losses.


Objective: To compare the clinical and genetic features of the seven-generation family (MN-A) used to define the spinocerebellar ataxia 8 (SCA8) locus. Background: The authors recently described an untranslated CTG expansion that causes a novel form of SCA (SCA8) characterized by reduced penetrance and complex patterns of repeat instability. Methods: Clinical and molecular features of 82 members of the MN-A family were evaluated by neurologic examination, quantitative dexterity testing, and, in some individuals, MRI and sperm analyses. Results: SCA8 is a slowly progressive, predominantly cerebellar ataxia with marked cerebellar atrophy, affecting gait, swallowing, speech, and limb and eye movements. CTG tracts are longer in affected (mean = 116 CTG repeats) than in unaffected expansion carriers (mean = 90, p < 10−8). Quantitative dexterity testing did not detect even subtle signs of ataxia in unaffected expansion carriers. Surprisingly, all 21 affected MN-A family members inherited an expansion from their mothers. The maternal penetrance bias is consistent with maternal repeat expansions yielding alleles above the pathogenic threshold in the family (>107 CTG) and paternal contractions resulting in shorter alleles. Consistent with the reduced penetrance of paternal transmissions, CTG tracts in all or nearly all sperm (84 to 99) are significantly shorter than in the blood (116) of an affected man. Conclusions: The biologic relationship between repeat length and ataxia indicates that the CTG repeat is directly involved in SCA8 pathogenesis. Diagnostic testing and genetic counseling are complicated by the reduced penetrance, which often makes the inheritance appear recessive or sporadic, and by interfamilial differences in the length of a stable (CTA)n tract preceding the CTG repeat.


Incorporation of laboratory elements into dreams elicited in the sleep laboratory is a methodological problem, i.e., the measurement technique affects unwittingly the object of measurement (dream content). On a theoretical level, the occurrence of laboratory references, however, fits in the framework of the continuity hypothesis of dreaming. Reviewing the literature revealed that there is a strong effect of the experimental setting on dreams and that emotional involvement may explain inter-individual differences regarding the incorporation of laboratory elements. Investigating the effects of the laboratory setting on dream content seems to be a powerful tool for studying continuity between waking and dreaming in a detailed way.


Draper, the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of the Ced-1 protein of Caenorhabditis elegans, is a cell-surface receptor required for the recognition and engulfment of apoptotic cells, glial clearance of axon fragments and dendritic pruning, and salivary gland autophagy. To further elucidate mechanisms of Draper signaling, we screened chromosomal deficiencies to identify loci that dominantly modify the phenotype of overexpression of Draper isoform II (suppressed differentiation of the posterior crossvein in the wing). We found evidence for 43 genetic modifiers of Draper II. Twenty-four of the 37 suppressor loci and 3 of the 6 enhancer loci were identified. An additional 5 suppressors and 2 enhancers were identified among mutations in functionally related genes. These studies reveal positive contributions to Drpr signaling for the Jun N-terminal Kinase pathway, supported by genetic interactions with hemipterous, basket, jun, and puckered, and for cytoskeleton regulation as indicated by genetic interactions with rac1, rac2, RhoA, myoblast city, Wiskcott–Aldrich syndrome protein, and the formin CG32138, and for yorkie and expanded. These findings indicate that Jun N-terminal Kinase activation and cytoskeletal remodeling collaborate in Draper signaling. Relationships between Draper signaling and Decapentaplegic signaling, insulin signaling, Salvador/Warts/Hippo signaling, apical-basal cell polarity, and cellular responses to mechanical forces are also discussed.


There is a tendency for opposing partisans to ideological disputes to imagine that their opponents are extremist, biased, and in diametric opposition to themselves. The current investigation examined the role of these imagined ideological differences in face‐to‐face negotiations. Experiment 1 examined the problems that develop when negotiators attend to irrelevant ideological differences. Dyads who were made aware of political differences, even imagined ones (i.e., their political views were actually similar), required more time to allocate hypothetical funds and perceived their partner less favorably than did dyads who were unaware of their political differences. Experiments 2 and 3 tested the hypothesis that ideological opponents who acquire accurate information about their counterpart's beliefs (thus reducing the effects of imagined ideological differences) will have more successful negotiations. Opposing partisans to abortion (Experiment 2) and the death penalty (Experiment 3) reached more comprehensive, integrative agreements and perceived each other more favorably when they disclosed their own views to each other before negotiating. The relevance of these findings to other mediation techniques and real world conflicts was discussed.


This paper presents a generalized spectrofluorescence analysis scheme that makes it possible to estimate not only the quantitative DNA concentration in a sample, but also the variation in its primary and spatial structure by using a system of several specially chosen fluorophores. The paper discusses ways of using this system to rapidly estimate the degree of microbiological contamination of samples and the individual radiosensitivity of living organisms, as well as the genotoxicity of various products, drugs, environmental factors, etc. (including when they act jointly).


Sensor networks usually generate mass of data, which if not structured for future applications, will require much effort on analytical processing and interpretations. Thus, storing sensor data in an effective and structured format is a key issue in the area of sensor networks. In the meantime, even a little improvement on data storing structure may lead to a significant effect on the lifetime and performance of the sensor network. This paper describes a new method for sensor storage that combines semantic web concepts, a data aggregation method along with aligning sensors in hierarchical form. This solution is able to reduce the amount of data stored at the sink nodes significantly. At the same time, the method structures sensed data in a way that we can respond to semantic web-based queries with less consumption of energy compared to previous conventional methods. Results show that, in some situations especially when the diversity of query responses and life of network are vital, the efficiency of our new solution is much better.


The scaly-naped pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa) is threatened by hunting in the Caribbean. At present, the pigeon is abundant in Puerto Rico, but overharvesting is a major concern; therefore, the development of a sustainable harvest strategy is a management priority. The management objective of the harvest strategy is to maximize hunting opportunity while keeping the population above an abundance threshold (NT) of 260,000 pigeons. To facilitate operational development and implementation of the harvest strategy, we conducted point-transect distance sampling to estimate population size, and mail and telephone hunter surveys to estimate total harvest. We used monitoring data and a Bayesian state-space model to estimate population and harvest management parameters, and predicted changes in population size as a function of expected total harvest. Population size averaged 262,899 pigeons (SE = 122,087) in April–June 1986–2012, and total harvest averaged 40,760 pigeons (SD = 43,405) in September–November 1986–2011. Intrinsic rate of growth was 0.442 (SD = 0.142), carrying capacity was 524,900 pigeons (SD = 119,200), maximum sustainable harvest rate was 0.221 (SD = 0.071) with a total harvest of 57,988 pigeons (SD = 14,640), and equilibrium population size was 262,500 pigeons (SD = 59,620). Because the population recently recovered from deforestation and has been affected by hurricanes, a conservative harvest level was prescribed at 50,311 pigeons (SD = 24,939). However, harvest in 2008–2011 was 2.1 times larger than the maximum sustainable yield. Assuming 122,905 pigeons were harvested per year in 2012 and 2013, we predicted a population size of 216,000 pigeons (SD = 90,770) in 2014, suggesting that restrictive regulations may need to be prescribed to meet the management objective. Our monitoring and modeling framework is an important first step in the development and implementation of a sustainable harvest strategy for the scaly-naped pigeon, and the approach can be applied to the management of other columbids in Puerto Rico. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.


Retrieving images to match with a hand-drawn sketch query is a highly desired feature, especially with the popularity of devices with touch screens. Although query-by-sketch has been extensively studied since 1990s, it is still very challenging to build a real-time sketch-based image search engine on a large-scale database due to the lack of effective and efficient matching/indexing solutions. The explosive growth of web images and the phenomenal success of search techniques have encouraged us to revisit this problem and target at solving the problem of web-scale sketch-based image retrieval. In this work, a novel index structure and the corresponding raw contour-based matching algorithm are proposed to calculate the similarity between a sketch query and natural images, and make sketch-based image retrieval scalable to millions of images. The proposed solution simultaneously considers storage cost, retrieval accuracy, and efficiency, based on which we have developed a real-time sketch-based image search engine by indexing more than 2 million images. Extensive experiments on various retrieval tasks (basic shape search, specific image search, and similar image search) show better accuracy and efficiency than state-of-the-art methods.


To understand better the mechanisms that lead to dorsoventrality in the lateral organs of plants, mutants at the phantastica (phan) locus of Antirrhinum majus have been identified and characterised. The leaves, bracts and petal lobes of phan mutants show varying degrees of reduction in dorsal tissues, indicating that phan is required for establishing dorsal cell identity. Each phan mutant produces a variety of different leaf morphologies, but has a characteristic and relatively constant floral phenotype. In several different forms of phan mutant leaves and petal lobes, novel boundaries between dorsal and ventral cell types form ectopic axes of growth, suggesting that phandependent dorsal cell identity is required for lateral growth of the wild-type leaf and petal lobe. Comparisons between the development of wild-type and mutant petals or leaves reveal that phan acts early in development of these lateral organs. The possible role of the phan gene in evolution of different leaf forms is discussed. SUMMARY


This thesis addresses the process of meaning production through personal experiences and collective memory. It undertakes a phenomenological, historical and hermeneutic investigation of South Korean art educators' perceptions of the purpose and meaning of teaching art formed in this specific socio-cultural context. The research uses a qualitative case study technique for collecting and analysing research data. The thesis describes the author's experiences relating to the forming of her pedagogical identity as an art teacher exposed to Western cultural influences on Korean art education and these experiences lead to research questions which attempt to explore issues of culture and pedagogised identities in art education in South Korea.
The thesis reviews a brief history of Korean art education before and after Western influences in order to investigate how selected art educators view the purpose of art education and how they position themselves as art educators. The research data consists of a series of interview transcriptions obtained through semi-structured interviews with five South Korean art educators working at different levels of art education from 1950s to the present: secondary school teacher, university professor, government administrator, policy maker and researcher.
The analysis of the interview narratives is conducted by employing three different hermeneutic lenses—conservative, moderate and critical hermeneutics. Each of these lenses helps to reveal contrasting attitudes to art education which are named as cultural reproduction (conservative), cultural conversation (moderate) and critical engagement (critical). Though these theoretical lenses help to shed light on the interweaving histories of tradition and practice the interview data illustrates a complex combination of reproduction, conversation and critical reflection. The central notion of tradition illustrates the complexity of issues relating to cultural identity, pedagogy and desire. What is thought of as 'traditional' painting or drawing in the sense of enduring form and value is shown in fact to be composed of a series of different and subtle variations of practice.
The outcomes of the research provides a direction for critical engagement with art teaching and learning indicating a sense of how particular identities are constantly positioned and re-positioned within the ideological frameworks that structure understanding of teaching and learning. The key findings provide significant implications for designing curriculum policy and practice for art education in a contemporary where futures are more transient and uncertain.


The European campus is a crucial enabler for the future of Europe. This proposition triggered a comprehensive research project that explores university campuses in all 28 European Union (EU) member states. The current publication summarizes the state of the European campus. It highlights the heritage – illustrated with many photos – and underlines the challenges that more than 800 European universities are confronted with. The quality of European universities, including their physical infrastructure, not only affects policy agendas of education, research and innovation, it affects Europe's position in the global 'battle for brains'. The 'fitness for purpose' of the European university campuses should be explicitly part of a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. This book – covering the data of 28 EU member states – emphasizes that the European campus (still) has the heritage and inner-city locations that provide students with a life experience as much as a learning experience. The unique qualities of European cities add to 'sense of place' and attract students from all over the world. However, the last part of the book compares country data and draws conclusions about age profile, condition, footprint etc. Many universities are investing in new state-of-the art facilities, but this heavily affects their financial sustainability. At the same time, many existing European campuses are in very poor functional and physical condition, which negatively influences productivity and satisfaction of users. This requires reinvestment, but most of all: smart strategies. Based on thorough data collection, best practices and prior research about managing university campuses this book suggests campus stress testing as a tool for assessing the 'fitness for use' of today's campuses. Sharing knowledge, benchmarking and self-assessment tools will map the readiness of Europe's higher education infrastructure to engage global competition. And, crucially, pinpoint key areas of deficiency, just as banking stress tests do. Some of these challenges are operationalized in this book. This research project is conducted in close collaboration with European university networks and policy officers of the European Commission (EC). In the coming years Alexandra den Heijer (associate professor) and George Tzovlas (PhD researcher) will explore new theories for managing university campuses and provide information and tools to support decision- making in practice. This first book – with its many facts, maps, figures and photos – sets the European campus agenda. It is relevant for presidents, university board members and policymakers from university to EC level, but also for (future) students, staff and visitors who are more than welcome at the European campus.


This study was done to evaluate the effect of physical architecture components on the treatment of autism disorder in children aged 4 to 10 years old. Using a semi-experimental design, 24 participants were selected from people referring to West Azarbaijan Welfare Center in Urmia city and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (n=12 in each group). At first, each group was given a pre-test by Conners Questionnaire, Parent Form, and after making changes to the physical environment of the experimental group's home and learning environment and making recommendations in this regard by their parents and caregivers, post-test was taken from both groups after 6 weeks and the results were analyzed by covariance analysis using spss18 software. The research findings showed that natural light, audio and visual connection to the outdoors, a view of nature from the child's bedroom window, the the pink and purple color spectrum, enough space for physical activity, encouraging the child to do their outdoor activities and homework as well as targeted games in the natural and green outdoors, the presence of small plants and shrubs in the courtyard and the ability of the child to interact with them can significantly reduce the severity of ADS symptoms. Regarding the significant difference between these experimental and control groups, it can be concluded that proper design of housing and educational facilities and attention to the quality of spaces may help to reduce the symptoms of autism in children.


In Unveiling Traditions Anouar Majid issues a challenge to the West to reimagine Islam as a progressive world culture and a participant in the building of a multicultural and more egalitarian world civilization. From within the highly secularized space it inhabits, a space endemically suspicious of religion, the West must find a way, writes Majid, to embrace Islamic societies as partners in building a more inclusive and culturally diverse global community.

Majid moves beyond Edward Said's unmasking of orientalism in the West to examine the intellectual assumptions that have prevented a more nuanced understanding of Islam's legacies. In addition to questioning the pervasive logic that assumes the "naturalness" of European social and political organizations, he argues that it is capitalism that has intensified cultural misunderstanding and created global tensions. Besides examining the resiliency of orientalism, the author critically examines the ideologies of nationalism and colonialist categories that have redefined the identity of Muslims (especially Arabs and Africans) in the modern age and totally remapped their cultural geographies. Majid is aware of the need for Muslims to rethink their own assumptions. Addressing the crisis in Arab-Muslim thought caused by a desire to simultaneously "catch up" with the West and also preserve Muslim cultural authenticity, he challenges Arab and Muslim intellectuals to imagine a post-capitalist, post-Eurocentric future. Critical of Islamic patriarchal practices and capitalist hegemony, Majid contends that Muslim feminists have come closest to theorizing a notion of emancipation that rescues Islam from patriarchal domination and resists Eurocentric prejudices.

Majid's timely appeal for a progressive, multicultural dialogue that would pave the way to a polycentric world will interest students and scholars of postcolonial, cultural, Islamic, and Marxist studies.


A number of beta adrenergic blocking drugs were evaluated on ring preparations of endothelium intact and denuded segments of the rat aorta. The preparations were preconstricted under isometric conditions with an EC80 dose of phenylephrine. Labetalol (10(-7)-10(-5) M), MK-761 10(-7)-10(-5) M), timolol (10(-7)-10(-4) M) and propranolol (10(-6)-10(-4) M) relaxed both endothelium intact and denuded vessels in a dose-dependent manner. Spirendalol (2.8 X 10(-8)-8.1 X 10(-6) M), a specific beta-2 receptor antagonist and L643717 (1.8 X 10(-7)-3.6 X 10(-6) M), a specific beta-1 receptor antagonist did not elicit relaxation. Labetalol, MK-761, timolol and propranolol promoted relaxation only when vascular segments were preconstricted with phenylephrine or norepinephrine and failed to do so when prostaglandin F2 alpha or U46619 were used. This indicates a possible displacement of alpha adrenergic agonists with the beta antagonists. The degree of relaxation induced by labetalol, MK-761, timolol and propranolol was significantly less (P less than .05) when the endothelium was removed. Eicosatetraynoic acid (3.2 X 10(-5) M) significantly attenuated the relaxation response to labetalol, MK-761 and timolol in the intact but not in denuded vascular preparations. These studies suggest that some of the vascular effects of beta blockers may relate to the endothelium.


The present investigation studies of the static immersion corrosion behavior of Al/Al2O3 and Al/SiC nanocomposites in 1 M HCl solution. The aforementioned nanocomposites were fabricated using conventional powder metallurgy (P/M) route. The effect of nanoparticles size and volume fraction on the corrosion behavior of nanocomposites was studied. The durations of the corrosion tests ranged from 24 to 120 hours and the temperature of the solution ranged from ambient to 75 oC. The corrosion rates of the nanocomposites were calculated using the weight lossmethod. The results showed thatAl/SiC andAl/Al/Al2O3MMNCs exhibited lower corrosion rates than the pureAlmatrix. Such behavior was noticed at both room temperature and higher temperatures. Generally, the Al/Al2O3 nanocomposites exhibited lower corrosion rates than the Al/SiC nanocomposites. TheAl/Al/Al2O3 containing (60 nm) exhibited the higher corrosion resistance among all the investigated nanocomposites. The corrosion rate was reduced with the increase the exposure time and the volume fraction of the nanoparticles. While it increased with increasing the nanoparticles size and the solution temperature.


Drug discovery based on the pharmacophore searching is used in the leading modification
and searching programmes. In this context, it was thought appropriate to extensively perform pharmacophoric searching in our laboratory for identifying an ideal scaffold for designing an anticancer candidate that eventually could emerge out to become a CDK inhibitor. Four feature pharmacophores consisting of a dual hydrogen bond acceptor site, a hydrogen bond donor site and a positive ionic group as characteristic pharmacophoric features were developed for a novel series of pyrimidin-7-ones for the selective inhibition of CDK4 .The hypothesis AADP20 resulted in a statistically reliable 3D QSAR model with 0.9586 as R2 (regression coefficient) value and 0.8835 as Q2 (crossed correlation coefficient) was chosen as the significant common hypothesis. The developed model was validated externally by their predictive accuracy on a selected number of test molecules. The squared regression coefficient of 0.89 was observed between literature value and predicted activity values of test molecules and regression coefficient value of 0.96 was observed between the literature value and the predicted activity values of training set molecules. Thus, the QSAR equation was developed and tested sucessfully on the designed molecules.The equation was significant with values of standard deviation at 0.1773, R2 value at 0.9586, stability at 110, Q2 value at 0.8835 and Pearson-r value at 0.9413.The built model could be useful for predicting the structural requirements that supports in the selective inhibition of CDK4.


In 1994 in upper north-east Adams county, local people relate thoughts of death with advanced age, hospitals, and nursing homes. Occasionally, there is an accident or irreversible medical problem involving a younger person. These infrequent occurrences receive much attention from the community. Widespread fear of infant mortality is not manifest. However, in this same area, from colonial times until about 1920 death occurred in a more widely dispersed fashion: far from being merely the prospect of the elderly, death's inevitability was the unseen companion of young and old alike. Death could occur at random. Mortality was a distinct possibility for every child. The cultural effects of the ensuing, profoundly different perspective are evidenced in the area's music, art, and folk beliefs. [excerpt]


This paper explores privacy problems related to search behavior conducted using public search engines. Specifically it exposes problems related to unintentional information leakage through a vanity search - which is a search for information about one's self. We begin by discussing recent events which have made this problem extremely topical. We introduce a number of existing technologies, such as Tor and TrackMeNot, that aim to protect users' privacy online and explain how each of these programs fails to protect users against the specific risks related to self-search. We highlight the inherent information asymmetry in the relationship between search engines and their users which makes it almost impossible to create cover traffic good enough to blend into. We conclude by exploring other avenues for protecting user privacy online.


In this thesis, the applicability of Class-D amplifiers to integrated wide-band communication line driver applications is studied. While Class-D techniques can address some of the efficiency limitations of linear amplifier structures and have shown promising results in low frequency applications, the low frequency techniques and knowledge need further development in order to improve their practicality for wide band systems. New structures and techniques to extend the application of Class-D to wide-band communication systems, in particular the HomePlug AV wireline communication standard, will be proposed. Additionally, the digital processing requirements of these wide-band systems drives rapid movement towards nanometer technology nodes and presents new challenges which will be addressed, and new opportunities which will be exploited, for wide-band integrated Class-D line drivers. There are three main contributions of this research. First, a model of Class-D efficiency degradation mechanisms is created, which allows the impact of high-level design choices such as supply voltage, process technology and operating frequency to be assessed. The outcome of this section is a strategy for pushing the high efficiency of Class-D to wide band communication applications, with switching frequencies up to many hundreds of Megahertz. A second part of this research considers the design of efficient, fast and high power Class-D output stages, as these are the major efficiency and bandwidth bottleneck in wide-band applications. A novel NMOS-only totem pole output stage with a fast, integrated drive structure will be proposed. In a third section, a complete wide-band Class-D line driver is designed in a 0.13μm digital CMOS process. The line driver is systematically designed using a rigorous development methodology and the aims are to maximise the achievable signal bandwidth while minimising power dissipation. Novel circuits and circuit structures are proposed as part of this section and the resulting fabricated Class-D line driver test chip shows an efficiency of 15% while driving a 30MHz wide signal with an MTPR of 22dB, at 33mW injected power.


Identifying when to give treatments to patients and how to select among multiple treatments over time are important medical problems with a few existing solutions. In this paper, we introduce the Counterfactual Recurrent Network (CRN), a novel sequence-to-sequence model that leverages the increasingly available patient observational data to estimate treatment effects over time and answer such medical questions. To handle the bias from time-varying confounders, covariates affecting the treatment assignment policy in the observational data, CRN uses domain adversarial training to build balancing representations of the patient history. At each timestep, CRN constructs a treatment invariant representation which removes the association between patient history and treatment assignments and thus can be reliably used for making counterfactual predictions. On a simulated model of tumour growth, with varying degree of time-dependent confounding, we show how our model achieves lower error in estimating counterfactuals and in choosing the correct treatment and timing of treatment than current state-of-the-art methods.


Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that does not often naturally infect alternate hosts, such as plants, the plant- P. aeruginosa model has become a widely recognized system for identifying new virulence determinants and studying the pathogenesis of the organism. Here, we examine how both host factors and P. aeruginosa PAO1 gene expression are affected in planta after infiltration into incompatible and compatible cultivars of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.). N. tabacum has a resistance gene (N) against tobacco mosaic virus, and although resistance to PAO1 infection is correlated with the presence of a dominant N gene, our data suggest that it is not a factor in resistance against PAO1. We did observe that the resistant tobacco cultivar had higher basal levels of salicylic acid and a stronger salicylic acid response upon infiltration of PAO1. Salicylic acid acts as a signal to activate defense responses in plants, limiting the spread of the pathogen and preventing access to nutrients. It has also been shown to have direct virulence-modulating effects on P. aeruginosa . We also examined host effects on the pathogen by analyzing global gene expression profiles of bacteria removed from the intracellular fluid of the two plant hosts. We discovered that the availability of micronutrients, particularly sulfate and phosphates, is important for in planta pathogenesis and that the amounts of these nutrients made available to the bacteria may in turn have an effect on virulence gene expression. Indeed, there are several reports suggesting that P. aeruginosa virulence is influenced in mammalian hosts by the availability of micronutrients, such as iron and nitrogen, and by levels of O 2 .


ABSTRACT
 The genetic basis by which insects adapt to novel host plants is poorly understood, in part because genetic changes that accompany host-range expansions often cannot be distinguished from those that occurred well after the shift. We examined the inheritance of traits mediating rapid adaptation to a poor host by the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). For an Asian beetle population, larval survival in lentil, Lens culinaris Medikus, was initially ≈1%, but three separate mass-selection experiments produced lines with >80% survival in <20 generations. Each lentil-adapted line (L1–3) was then crossed with the ancestral line (M) from which it had been recently derived. Survival in the parental lines was extremely divergent: >90% in all L lines versus 0% in the M line. Survival of reciprocal F1 and F2 progeny suggested additive (intermediate) inheritance, with a small dominance deviation toward the M-line parent (in the L1 cross) or the L-line parent (in the L2 and L3 crosses), and no evidence of sex-linkage or cytoplasmic effects. Progeny from backcrosses to the M line survived at a much lower rate than would be expected by additive inheritance, but the survival of L1-backcrossed progeny was consistent with simple additivity. A potential explanation for this asymmetry is that larvae deriving 75% of their genes from the M line only rarely reach a threshold of enzymatic activity needed to detoxify lentil seeds. Two other fitness components, egg-to-adult developmental time and adult mass, also were intermediate in hybrids, but quantitative comparisons were precluded by a lack of M-line adults emerging from lentil. Additive expression of initially rare alleles can account for rapid colonization of a marginal host.


Most of the studies conducted on future business models for electronic scholarly publishing have concentrated on the major publishing areas of North America and Western Europe, and on large publishers (both for-profit and not-for-profit). This paper considers the prospects for electronic scholarly publishing in a smaller country away from these two parts of the world. Malaysia is a medium-sized developing country in Southeast Asia, with the ambition to become fully developed by 2020. The government has invested heavily both in ICT infrastructure and in educating the population in its use, and as a result Internet usage is quite high, and most academics and research workers can access the Internet both at work and at home. A number of journals are published by not-for-profit organisations in Malaysia, but their sales are small and their financial positions precarious, and few of them are available electronically yet. This work is based on a large-scale questionnaire survey of Malaysian scientists, and interviews with managers of university presses and other not-for-profit publishers in Malaysia, designed to reveal attitudes to online electronic journals among their potential authors and potential publishers. Those academics who published frequently in printed scholarly journals were significantly more positive in their attitude towards online journals, and this effect was particularly strong if they published in international journals and in English. Interviews with representatives of the presses of universities and research institutes revealed that most Malaysian journals are small, publishing only 20-30 papers per year, and have low print runs, typically about 300. They gain relatively little income from subscriptions, many copies being distributed though exchanges, and are subsidised by their host institutions. Only one journal among this sample of presses had a parallel electronic version; the remainder were print-only. An important feature of Malaysia is its very high value on Hofstede's Power Distance Index (PDI), which implies that a high level of deference to one's superiors is usual in Malaysia. The results from the interviews suggested strongly that the effect seen in scholarly publishing is a consequence of senior managerial figures in universities not supporting online publishing. Those researchers with a more international orientation are the ones most likely to go against the cultural trend.


In the course of less than a decade, Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have evolved from narrowly scoped application specific accelerators to general-purpose parallel machines capable of accommodating an ever-growing set of algorithms. At the same time, programming GPUs appears to have become trapped around an attractor characterised by ad-hoc practices, non-portable implementations and inexact, uninformative performance reporting. The purpose of this paper is two-fold, on one hand pursuing an in-depth look at GPU hardware and its characteristics, and on the other demonstrating that portable, generic, mathematically grounded programming of these machines is possible and desirable. An agent-based meta-heuristic, the Max-Min Ant System (MMAS), provides the context. The major contributions brought about by this article are the following: (1) an optimal, portable, generic-algorithm based MMAS implementation is derived; (2) an in-depth analysis of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) GPU and the C++ AMP programming model is supplied; (3) a more robust approach to performance reporting is presented; (4) novel techniques for raising the abstraction level without sacrificing performance are employed. This represents the first implementation of an algorithm from the Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO) family using C++ AMP, whilst at the same time being one of the first uses of the latter programming environment.