A series of experiments were carried out to observe the effects of
rhizobacterial and agrobacterial inoculation, singly or combined on the total content,
concentration and distribution of the biochemical components (total soluble protein,
soluble nitrogen, proline, peroxidase activity, total soluble phenolic, nitrate
reductase activity, nitrate, chlorophyll), physiological characteristics (percentages of
growth, number of roots, fresh and dry weight of roots, maximum and total length of
roots) and mineral contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) of in vitro banana plantlets using
MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) basal medium. The effects of rhizobacterial
inoculation in modified MS medium containing sodium chloride (0.2%) and boron
(1 yM and 10 pM) on the biochemical components, physiological characteristics
and mineral content of the in vitro banana plantlets were also studied. Growth of
banana plantlets cultured in modified MS liquid medium supplemented with
different forms and concentrations of nitrogen or carbon sources and inoculated with
Bacillus sphaericus UPMBl 0 was estimated.
Results from the inoculation study using MS basal medium indicated that
inoculation with rhizobacteria (Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, Bacillus sphaericus
UPMBlO and Microbacterium oxydens UPMB11) or agrobacteria ( Agrobacterium
rhizogenes strains AR9402 and A4) showed positive response on growth of in vitro
banana plantlets compared to uninoculation after one month of culture. The
inoculation treatment also increased the number of root, fresh and dry weight of
roots and total length of root. At the same time, with inoculation the total content or
concentration of the respective biochemical activity as total soluble protein,
peroxidase, nitrate reductase, proline, nitrate, soluble nitrogen, phenolic and
chlorophyll of the host plants increased and varied according to the type of bacteria
used. Inoculation with these bacteria also enhanced the accumulation of N and P in
the plantlets. Co-inoculation with rhizobacteria (Azospirillum brasilense Sp7,
Bacillus sphaericus UPMB 1 0 and Microbacterium oxydens UPMB 1 1) and
agrobacteria (Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains AR9402 and A4) also showed
similar response as in single inoculation; UPMBlO+AR9402 treatment was the
most effective treatment. The presence of rhizobacteria in the medium supplemented
with 0.2% sodium chloride resulted in an improvement in growth and root biomass
compared to the control (uninoculated). This rhizobacterial inoculation also
produced an increase in protein, nitrate, soluble nitrogen and chlorophyll contents of
the plantlets cultured in MS modified medium containing 0.2% sodium chloride. The
descending order of effectiveness of the rhizobacteria in medium containing 0.2%
sodium chloride was:UPMB 1 1 NPMB 1 O>Sp7. Similar response was shown when
Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO was inoculated into medium containing boron at two
concentrations: 1 pM and 10 pM. An increase in percentage of growth (> 295%)
was shown when boron was applied into medium inoculated with Bacillus
sphericus UPMB10. Results fiom the experiment of modified MS medium
supplemented with different concentrations and forms of nitrogen also strongly
indicated that inoculation with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO has the potential to
improve the in vitro plant growth especially in the absence of nitrogen. Inoculation
with Bacillus sphericus UPME310 showed significant increased plant growth in
treatment without nitrogen (- nitrogen) at 166% compared to un-inoculated only at
115%. Inoculation with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO to enhance growth of in vitro
plantlets could partly replace the expensive chemical nitrogen requirement for the
plants. Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO seem to have the ability to increase growth of
plantlets in medium supplemented with asparagine, potassium nitrate and urea. The
descending order of effects of rhizobacterial inoculation on growth of plantlets
varied according to the following N-sources in the MS modified media: asparagine
(392%) > potassium nitrate (376%)> urea 291%. There was a negative response of
Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO inoculation in promoting growth of plantlets in media
containing KN03 (a range of 0 mM -300 mM) or (NH,+)2S04 (a range of 0 mM-
80mM) at all concentrations used. At 1.5% to 6.0% concentrations of sucrose,
inoculated plantlets with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO showed increased growth
within a range of 250% to 304% compared to un-inoculated plantlets. It also indicate
that inoculation with Bacillus sphaericus UPMBlO into the media containing carbon
successfidly enhanced growth of in vitro plantlets. The descending order of effect of
UPMBlO inoculation on plant growth varied according to the following carbon
sources in the MS modified media: hctose (421%)> sucrose (356%)> glucose
(354%)> maltose (221%)> sorbitol (78%)> rnannitol(51%). Therefore, inoculation
with Bacillus sphaericus UPMBlO into the medium containing carbon sources
produced positive response on the host plant, an effect which is dependent on the
forms and concentrations of the carbon sources. The above finding provided
evidence that Azospiriflum brasilense Sp7, BacilIus sphaericus UPMB 10,
Microbacterium oxydens UPMBl 1, Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains AR9402 and
A4, singly or combined are potentially effective in promoting growth of in vitro
banana plantlets. Inoculation of rhizobacteria were showed beneficial to the plantlet
in saline conditions through increment of growth and improvement in rooting system
The effectiveness of inoculation is increased when associated with boron, nitrogen
or carbon into the medium. Thus these bacterial strains could be used as a
bioenhancer for growth of in vitro banana plantlets.


SUMMARY: Sponge morphological plasticity has been a long-standing source of taxonomic difficulty. In the Caribbean, several morphotypes of the sponge Callyspongia vaginalis have been observed. To determine the taxonomic status of three of these morphotypes and their relationship with the congeneric species C. plicifera and C. fallax, we compared the spicule composition, spongin fiber skeleton and sequenced fragments of the mitochondrial genes 16S and COI and nuclear genes 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA. Phylogenetic analyses with ribosomal markers 18S and 28S rRNA confirmed the position of our sequences within the Callyspongiidae. None of the genetic markers provided evidence for consistent differentiation among the three morphotypes of C. vaginalis and C. fallax, and only C. plicifera stood as a distinct species. The 16S mtDNA gene was the most variable molecular marker for this group, presenting a nucleotide variability (/ = 0.024) higher than that reported for COI. Unlike recent studies for other sponge genera, our results indicate that species in the genus Callyspongia maintain a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, and that morphological characteristics may not reflect reproductive boundaries in C. vaginalis.


The global economic crisis of 2008 had effects on the world at all levels of life. It caused serious problems and difficulties in professional sports as well. In my paper I will try to show what kind of effects the global economic crisis had on one of the best organised championships of the world. What effects it had on attendance? How this influenced the prices of the tickets to the matches?I am going to show those marketing and financial steps, which were made by the championship's leader corp and the teams participating in it. I think the teams could moderate their losses by making different special offers, drafting new players and being opened for the foreign countries, I think this will lead to an increase in attendance in the next few years. Finally, I will try to make a future forecast of attendance.


This annotated bio-bibliographical guide provides long-overdue recognition for women writers of Spain, including special entries on those writing in Catalan and Galician. By familiarizing readers with the content and meaning of selected works by three hundred such writers, readers and students of Spanish literature now have access to works which may be judged as excellent examples of the literature of their age, yet have previously received little or no attention. Through the efforts of seventy-nine specialists in Spanish literature, each of these writers is summarized in a brief biographical sketch and overview of her work, followed by an in-depth analysis, including complete biographical data and descriptive annotations for the major works. While some women writers from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries are included, this guide concentrates primarily on authors of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, providing for the first time an extensive and comprehensive listing for the present century. The abundance of information in this guide is made accessible through four appendixes: a chronological list of authors; a list of Catalan authors; a list of Galician authors; and an index of translated titles in this bio-bibliography.


This paper introduces a novel articulatory-acoustic mapping in which detailed spectral envelopes are estimated based on the cepstrum, inclusive of the high-quefrency elements which are discarded in conventional speech synthesis to eliminate the pitch component of speech. For this estimation, the method deals with the harmonics of multiple voiced-speech spectra so that several sets of harmonics can be obtained at various pitch frequencies to form a spectral envelope. The experimental result shows that the method estimates spectral envelopes with the highest accuracy when the cepstral order is 48-64, which suggests that the higherorder coefficients are required to represent detailed envelopes reflecting the real vocal-tract responses.


The dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models used to study business cycles typically assume that exogenous disturbances are independent first-order autoregressions. This paper relaxes this tight and arbitrary restriction by allowing for disturbances that have a rich contemporaneous and dynamic correlation structure. Our first contribution is a new Bayesian econometric method that uses conjugate conditionals to allow for feasible and quick estimation of DSGE models with correlated disturbances. Our second contribution is a reexamination of U.S. business cycles. We find that allowing for correlated disturbances resolves some conflicts between estimates from DSGE models and those from vector autoregressions and that a key missing ingredient in the models is countercyclical fiscal policy. According to our estimates, government spending and technology disturbances play a larger role in the business cycle than previously ascribed, while changes in markups are less important.


This article describes the coding portion of a study to test the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing (MI) training program for probation officers. We describe some of the challenges with using the Motivational Interview Treatment Integrity (MITI) instrument to code interactions between probation officers and clients. Our team of raters was able to obtain adequate inter-rater reliability on most MITI scales, though reliability ratings on some of the specific behavior counts such as Giving Information, MI Adherent, and MI Non-adherent fell considerably lower than the original MITI norming study. Our results suggest that the MITI is a mostly reliable instrument for coding criminal justice interactions, though there were exceptions to this rule. Based on our experiences, we discuss some of the ways that probation interactions might be different from traditional counseling interactions, and identify some rules of thumb that helped us to code interactions. We end with suggestions for how MITI feedback can be used effectively in training and supervision in criminal justice and other non-traditional settings.


We now live in a society where communicating is done mostly through computer-technology based mediums. In Swedish municipal infrastructure a lot of the communication-data consists of geospatial data-collections. This data is generated with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) which usage in Sweden has increased rapidly. This has lead to a competition between developers in designing their systems for a wider user-base. A transition between designs that has its focus on a small target group and designs intended for a wide range of different users puts the developers in a challenge where usability is one of the big concerns. In this thesis we, have adopted a qualitative research approach with contextual observations and usability testing, in order to identify the crucial usability concerns when designing GIS for a wider user-base. Results show that the most crucial usability concerns are related to system feedback and the GIS not being compatible with other GIS data formats. The research has been concentrated within municipalities in Sweden and results presented in this thesis are rough, but true indications. More research is needed to get detailed accuracy of the usability concerns. We hope that this thesis will aid developers of GIS in their design-phase and to be part of a foundation to future GIS-standards.


A simple and versatile method for the synthesis of substituted 1,5-benzodiazepines on MTSA-Neutral Al2O3 in the solid state is reported. The substituted 1,5-benzodiazepines were prepared by the three component reaction of substituted aldehydes, substituted acetophenones and o-phenylenediamine in the solid state. The chemical structure of the newly synthesized compounds has been confirmed by IR, 1H NMR, mass spectra and elemental analysis.


Online product review networks help to transmit information that customers can use to evaluate product quality. The prior literature has found that, in the aggregate, better product reviews lead to higher sales. However, product review networks increasingly include an explicit social component that allows consumers to evaluate individual reviews based on the status of the reviewer and on the "helpfulness" of the review to the community. In this research, we extend this literature by analyzing the impact of reviews at a disaggregate level. We find that reviews that the community finds helpful have a stronger influence on consumers' purchase decisions than other reviews do. Moreover, these reviews have a stronger impact on less popular books than on more popular books, where consumers may be able to use other outside information sources to form an opinion of the product. Overall, our results suggest that the micro-level dynamics of community interactions are valuable in signaling quality over-and-above aggregate-level scores. One implication of this result is that the micro-level dynamics of reputation communities make it harder for self-interested parties to manipulate reviews versus an environment where consumers only have aggregate quality measures.


Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter for precise characterization
of the plant canopy structure. M I describes a fundamental property of the
plant canopy that has often been used as a critical variable to simulate the
growth and yield models. The present conventional method used in
determining LA1 is laborious, difficult and time consuming. Thus an imagebased
measurement using camera system with fish eye lens offers an
alternative means for accurate indirect measurement of LA1 in oil palm. In this
study leaf area index was determined by direct and indirect methods. The
LAI-2000 plant canopy analyser (PCA), fish eye lens with charge couple
device (CCD) camera and radiation sensor were used as indirect methods.
Results show that the LA1 value was overestimated (30.8%-153%) for
immature palm and underestimated (24%-52%) for mature palm as
compared to direct measurement. The MI-2000 PCA reading varies
according to the condition of sky, measuring technique, view cap, height of
the measuring point and shade. Four models (leaflet shape factor model,frond area model, leaflet dry weight model and leaflet area model) were
tested for accurate estimation of leaf area. Results show that the leaflet dry
weight was strongly correlated (r = 0.98) with leaflet area.
Light interception by a canopy is a fundamental requirement for crop growth
and important for biomass production and plant growth modelling. In this
study, two operational methods for estimating the amount of
photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by a canopy of the oil palm
were developed, i.e. "Triangular" method and "Circular" method. Results
show that both methods were suitable for oil palm PAR measurement. A nonlinear
relationship was found between radiation interception and LAI. Results
show that the radiation interception decreased with increasing distance from
the frond base to frond tip.
Hemispherical photography was used in this study to estimate the leaf area
index and gap fraction in oil palm plantation. Photographs were taken from
different palm ages i.e. 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13 and 16-year old after field planting.
The average LAI values obtained from photography method were 0.68 to
1.71 for 2 to 16-year old palms. The average LA1 value was underestimated
as compared to destructive method. The LA1 values need to be multiplied by
a conversion factor to get the accurate LA1 as obtained from the photography
method. For palms less than 5-year olds, the photographic method gave the
accurate MI value. The gap fractions obtained from photographic method
ranged from 0.51 to 0.18 for palm age range from 2 to 16-year old palms.
The gap fraction was linearly correlated (r = 0.99) with leaf area index.Computer simulation models have become powerful tools to enhance
information derived from costly and laborious field experiments. Particularly
in oil palms where field experiments are expensive, time consuming and
labours intensive. A computer simulation model was developed using Visual
C++ computer language for simulation of leaf area index and yield of oil
palm. The simulated results were reasonably comparable to the field data for
both LA1 and yield. The LA1 data was collected by field experiment for 2 to16-
year old palms, whereas yield data was obtained from Malaysian Palm Oil
Board (MPOB). A strong linear relationship was found between the measured
LA1 and the simulated LA1 with correlation coefficient r of 0.96. A good linear
relationship (r = 0.95) was found between the simulated LA1 and the
simulated yield. Also a strong relationship (r = 0.98) was found between the
simulated yield and observed yield.
The proposed photographic method for LA1 estimation, different regression
models, methodology for PAR measurement as well as computer program for
LA1 and yield simulation have potential application in oil palm sector, oil palm
R&D and also as teaching tools.


What a variety of issues Ed Yourdon addresses in his "A Tale of Two Futures." In that diverse collection of topics, I'd like to focus on a fairly obscure part of what he has to say: the quality of today's programmers. Not because it's important to Ed, necessarily, but because it's important to me. First, let me tell you where I'm coming from. I like to tell people that my head is in software's academic world, but that my heart is in its practice.What do I mean by this? I have done the academic software thing. I've been a professor of software engineering, the director of a software engineering program, a visiting professor at a university in Sweden, and a member of the Software Engineering Institute's technical staff (which, at the time, was far more academic than practical). I've accumulated more than a decade's worth of academic experience.I have done the industrial software thing. I've worked as a maintainer, then a developer, team leader, acquisition manager, and R&D specialist. I've served as a consultant. All in all, I've accumulated more than three decades of industrial experience.Drawing on this mixed background to mull over the formative experiences of my career, I find that it's the practitioner moments that I come back to. I recall the brilliant, strange, and wonderful developers I worked with and the exciting, challenging, and world-changing applications I worked on. From deep in the trenches, I acquired the gritty, hard-won lessons that let me solve real problems with sheer brainpower, getting the awesomely dumb computer to do awesomely brilliant things by infusing it with just the right software. I still marvel at what we practitioners have accomplished. For these reasons, I take offense when people knock software practice. And Ed has, in spades, with his prediction of software's future.


Currently, a large arsenal of stimulants is used for plant growth, mainly gibberellins, amino acids and mineral salts ("Gibbor-M", "Ovary", "Gibberross", etc.). Growth stimulants increase the plant immunity against pests. Soaking seedlings in stimulant solutions during rooting and transplantation promotes stimulation of root formation and increased survival.

Considering the aforesaid, an attempt of use of homeopathic medicine Arnica 3CH for increase in stability of fragments of bulbs of wild onions at reproduction has been made by division. The percent of death of plants was 60% less, than in control. Biosubstrata (juice of leaves) have crystallized under natural conditions by a technique of a classical crystalloscopy. The correctness of course of processes of crystallization was studied by means of assessment of extent of destruction of the crystalloscopic facies. [1] This parameter in skilled group remained above a similar indicator of control groups throughout all experiment. In control group of plants, the maximum destruction of the facies was registered.

Root crops were used in the present study. Plants were grown in 3 different manners: organic farming methods, use of homeopathic medicines and the controls were plants grown with industrial techniques. The results showed significant difference between the groups of carrots, beets and potatoes grown with different techniques with thesiographic and crystallographic control [2]. Facies differed considerably relative to number and type of crystals and ratio. The crystalline structures on the facies of beets grown using homeopathy were very large, occupying a considerable area of the field. The crystalline structures on the facies of beets grown with organic methods had an elongated shape, and large amounts were located at the center of the facies. Crystal structures in beet-roots, grown industrially, have a compact form, with a much smaller size than that of beets, grown with using homeopathy and organics [3,4]. Conducted studies shown the effect of homoeopathic influence over root growing after single application by bedding in relation to control variants of this plants cultivation, which confirms the views on the electromagnetic wave nature of the homeopathic phenomenon introduced by Russian scientists in 2000 [5].

Therefore, application of the crystallographic method to the study of the study of the effects of potentized medicines on plants has much potential, requiring systematic studies.


[1] Aerosol indirect effects are quantified as a function of cloud top pressure over India and the Indian Ocean in February and March 2003–2005 from analyses of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiances, reflectance, and aerosol optical depth data. We test the hypothesis that aerosol indirect effects are present throughout the troposphere. Theoretical cloud reflectance values are calculated by application of the discrete-ordinate DISORT multiple scattering program, as a function of cloud top pressure, aerosol optical depth, and cloud phase (i.e., liquid droplets and cloud ice), and are compared to MODIS cloud reflectance data at 1.38 and 3.75 μm. Aerosol indirect effects are apparent for pressure levels associated with liquid droplets; that is, derivatives of cloud reflectance with respect to aerosol optical depth at 3.75 μm for liquid droplets over land and ocean are larger than corresponding derivatives associated with theoretical aerosol direct effects. Aerosol indirect effects are not apparent for pressure levels associated with tropospheric ice crystals.


Abstract. Validation of sea-ice models, representation of sea-ice processes in large-scale models, and regional planning around ice use and hazards requires climatological ice property data. We summarize key ice properties, in particular temperature and salinity, representative of broader Arctic conditions, from long-term observations near Utqiaġvik, Alaska and Van Mijen Fjord, Svalbard. Additionally, we simulate salinity and temperature profiles using the Los Alamos sea-ice model (CICE) in stand-alone mode, forced with meteorological data for both locations. We compare observations and model results by aggregating profiles using a degree day model and statistical analysis to create ice property climatologies, which describe the seasonal evolution of sea ice. During the growth season, the CICE model accurately replicates ice property evolution for both salinity (R = 0.7) and temperature (R = 0.9). While the model initiates ice desalination at melt onset, and reproduces the temperature field well through melt (R = 0.9), model salinities later tend towards an asymptotic value of 5 ‰ (R = 0.3). This suggests that the model does not fully capture the desalination processes and their impact on ice physico-chemical properties during the melt season. Overall, the standard deviation of the model remains similar to the natural sea-ice variability throughout the season. Despite mismatches during the melt season, the CICE model shows promise for simulating the seasonal evolution of salinity and temperature profiles, which may serve as proxies for bulk ice properties that constrain transport of heat and mass through sea ice. Our findings highlight the necessity for a large number of observations throughout the year to create an effective model benchmarking dataset.


In the Learning to Price setting, a seller posts prices over time with the goal of maximizing revenue while learning the buyer's valuation. This problem is very well understood when values are stationary (fixed or iid). Here we study the problem where the buyer's value is a moving target, i.e., they change over time either by a stochastic process or adversarially with bounded variation. In either case, we provide matching upper and lower bounds on the optimal revenue loss. Since the target is moving, any information learned soon becomes out-dated, which forces the algorithms to keep switching between exploring and exploiting phases.


This thesis deals with optical signal- and energy transmission with the purpose of the development and realization of an optical interconnection for use in a visual prosthesis (retinal implant. A transmission link with a miniaturized receiver was developed, which was tested at transmission rates between 56 kbit/s and 224 kbit/s and is capable of providing more than 20 mW power. The system consists of the following components: A transmitter circuit generates a controlled current up to 980 mA to supply a laser diode. This current can be modulated with data and clock signals. An optical system secures the function of the link for eye rotations up to 20 deg. The optoelectronic receiver consists of a photo diode (bandwidth > 150 MHz) for signal reception and an
array of 12 photovoltaic cells (open circuit voltage 12.6 volts, effi-ciency 31.5 %) for energy reception. These elements are monolithically integrated on a semiconductor substrate. The receiver circuit was developed as a CMOS-ASIC.


423 Egypt's food subsidy system has been a mainstay of the government's long-term policy of promoting social equity and political stability. It has also been a major component of the social safety net for the poor, guaranteeing the availability of affordable staples, helping to reduce infant mortality and malnutrition, and mitigating the adverse effects of recent economic reform and structural adjustment. The cost of the system has declined considerably from 14% of government expenditures in 1980–81 to 5.6% in 1996–97. The absolute cost, however, remains high: in 1996–97, the total cost was 3.74 billion Egyptian pounds (LE) or about US$1.1 billion. The government and various stakeholders agree that the system's costs can be further reduced and its efficiency improved with better targeting to the needy. This report evaluates the economic, political, and technical feasibility of reducing costs while improving or maintaining the welfare of the poor. The report addresses five questions: How well does the present system target the poor? How much leakage—the pilferage of subsidized foods in the distribution channel—occurs? At what cost does the government transfer income to the needy? How can subsidies be better targeted to the needy? What are politically feasible options for reform? The subsidy system includes four foods: baladi bread, wheat flour, sugar, and cooking oil. Baladi bread and wheat flour are available to consumers of all income levels without restrictions. Sugar and cooking oil are targeted, being available only to those with ration cards. In principle, higher-income households should get lowsubsidy red ration cards and lower-income households should get high-subsidy green cards.


This paper presents a new volumetric stereo algorithm to reconstruct the 3D shape of an arbitrary object. Our method is based on finding the minimum cut in an octahedral graph structure embedded into the volumetric grid, which establishes a well defined relationship between the integrated photo-consistency function of a region in space and the corresponding edge weights of the embedded graph. This new graph structure allows for a highly efficient hierarchical implementation supporting high volumetric resolutions and large numbers of input images. Furthermore we will show how the resulting cut surface can be directly converted into a consistent, closed and manifold mesh. Hence this work provides a complete multi-view stereo reconstruction pipeline. We demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of our technique by a number of high quality reconstructions of real objects.


The aim of this study was to examine the impact of well-controlled uncomplicated type 2 diabetes (T2D) on exercise performance. Six obese sedentary men with T2D and 7 control participants without diabetes matched for age, sex and body mass index were recruited. Anthropometric characteristics, blood samples, resting cardiac and pulmonary functions and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and ventilatory threshold were measured on a first visit. On the four subsequent visits, participants performed step transitions (6 min) of moderate-intensity exercise on an upright cycle ergometer from unloaded pedaling to 80 % of ventilatory threshold. VO2 (τVO2) and HR (τHR) kinetics were characterized with a mono-exponential model. VO2max (27.8±4.0 vs. 27.5±5.3 ml kg-1 min-1; p=0.95), τVO2 (43±6 vs. 43±10 s; p=0.73) and τHR (42±17 vs. 43±13 s; p=0.94) were similar between diabetics and controls respectively. The remaining variables were also similar between groups. These results suggest that well-controlled T2D is not associated with a reduction in VO2max or slower τVO2 and τHR.


John Bowlby made a profound contribution to the field of early parenting with his theory of attachment. He suggested that attachment theory has universal applicability. However, it has been argued that attachment theory is based upon a Western worldview, and as such, lacks applicability in cross-cultural contexts. In light of this objection, this study aimed to examine the relevancy of attachment theory within the South African context. In order to do this, a qualitative research design, employing focus groups, was set up to explore isiZulu-speaking mothers' constructions of infant-caregiver relationships. Participants were recruited from two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in KwaZulu-Natal. Each participant partook in three focus groups. The focus group data was analyzed using a form of thematic analysis. The group discussion provided support for attachment theory in the South African context. However, there appeared to be some cultural variations in the ways in which the attachment relationship is carried out within this context. In particular, it appeared that isiZulu-speaking mothers employ physical touch and a rapid response style with their infants. Furthermore, evidence emerged to suggest that there are certain barriers to the attachment relationship in South Africa. Finally, this research study showed that urbanization has had an important impact on parenting. As such, from this research, it can be concluded that attachment interventions are useful in South Africa, yet these may need to occur alongside other interventions. There is also room for further research to explore understandings of attachment within broader population groups, including fathers and grandmothers.


The smoothest reflectance function [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A7, 1891 ( 1990)] is considered an estimate of the actual reflectance function with the same tristimulus values under the given illuminant. The estimate differs from the actual function by a so-called metameric black. The metameric black depends on a number of parameters that are inaccessible to the visual system and describes the uncertainty with which the visual system has to cope when illuminant-independent properties of reflectance are being predicted. Illuminant-independent properties of reflectance are determined that can be predicted with little uncertainty and that therefore can be calculated in good approximation from the estimate of the actual reflectance function. The result is an estimate of the property that is, by construction, almost independent of the illuminant and thus in principle is able to explain color constancy. Such a property, a weighted mean of reflectance yielding an achromatic variable, is constructed; the predictions are verified numerically; and the result is compared with experiment.


Introduction: Crohn's disease is characterised by an abnormal inflammatory response
possibly induced by components of enteric bacteria, in genetically susceptible individuals.
Mutations in the NOD2 gene are strongly associated with Crohn's disease, although the
mechanisms by which these mutations cause Crohn's disease remain unknown. Peripheral
blood monocytes (PBMC), a key component of the innate immune system, highly express
NOD2, as do intestinal epithelial Paneth cells. The ligand for NOD2 is Muramyl dipeptide
(MDP), a component of bacterial peptidoglycan. MDP has been shown to be a powerful
priming agent for subsequent stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in cell lines and this
effect has been linked to NOD2. Studies of primary mononuclear cells in Crohn's disease
comparing the functional effects of the NOD2 mutations had not previously been reported.
Aims: To determine the effect of inherited mutations in the NOD2 gene on the cellular
responses of freshly extracted PBMC to MDP and other bacterial ligands including
mycobacteria. To examine the effect of MDP pre treatment 'priming' on PBMC responses
to subsequent LPS stimulation in both normal and Crohn's disease affected patients
expressing wild type and mutant NOD2 proteins.
Methods: PBMC from healthy controls (n=12), and Crohn's disease affected patients who
were genotypically either wild type (n=12), heterozygous (n=11) or homozygous (n=5) for
the common disease-causing NOD2 mutations. PBMC were stimulated with bacterial
products in vitro, with or without prior stimulation or 'priming' with MDP. The
transcription of selected cytokine genes was determined by real time quantitative RT-PCR
Results: MDP is a weak stimulant of inflammatory responses in PBMC whereas LPS
evoked much stronger responses. Responses to MDP were particularly reduced in PBMC
homozygous for the NOD2 mutations. Priming with MDP reduced the inflammatory
response of normal PBMC to subsequent LPS stimulation. In PBMC carrying two mutant
NOD2 alleles this modulatory effect was reversed and MDP priming caused the
inflammatory response to be enhanced.
Conclusion: MDP priming significantly modulates responses of monocytes to LPS. This
effect is altered in patients with Crohn's disease – possibly related to mutations in the
NOD2 gene. This modulatory effect may explain in part the pro-inflammatory consequence
of mutations in the NOD2 gene and could provide mechanistic understanding of how
mutations in the NOD2 gene may cause Crohn's disease.


A major problem facing dairy farmers is production risk, and dairy cattle insurance is one alternative for reducing this risk. The primary objective of this paper is to test the effects of dairy cattle insurance on farmers' anti-risk inputs. Based on the survey data of dairy farmers in 2015, this paper selects the main area of dairy farming in China-the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the study area, using treatment-effects model for empirical test and analysis. The findings indicates that the existing dairy cattle insurance policies in China do not have a significant effect on farmers' anti-risk inputs. Due to the low insurance payments and the narrow insurance coverage for the death of dairy cattle, the farmers who participate in dairy cattle insurance, will not weaken their health management measures for dairy cattle, and they do not have negative anti-risk behaviors in the process of dairy production.


Abstract:In this article, I explore the smile as regulatory mechanism installed in the face to organise a subject's responses to neo-imperial/biopolitical capitalist governmentality. I begin by situating my reading with respect to Sara Ahmed's and Lauren Berlant's work on affective labour before turning to German philosopher Helmuth Plessner (1892–1985) in order to consider the smile as theory of sovereignty. I propose that these two meanings or deployments of the smile – as (1) act that demonstrates forced enslavement to capitalist culture and (2) as articulation of the sovereign self/state – converge in their joint purpose, which is the elimination of sociality and solidarity. My article thereby contributes to recent scholarship on the face, in particular its function in affective/service labour, which it supplements by drawing on Plessner's work: at stake is not only the worker's subjection to capital but also to a regime obsessed with securing borders.


Innovations through Enterprise Architecture (EA) require a transformation in public sector's management. EA has been identified as one of the prime initiatives towards public sector transformation. EA implementation is highly recommended to execute efficient and effective public service delivery. However, building upon several public sector agencies that had implemented these initiatives, EA implementation in Malaysian Public Sector (MPS) was reported as unfavourable. This study aims to identify related issues and challenges towards sustainability of EA implementation. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study. Semi structured interview was held involving five EA experts. From the analysis, six related issues such as (i) absence of the mandate from government to implement EA initiatives; (ii) improper EA governance leading to difficulty in managing EA implementation; (iii) absence of EA tool to maintain EA document; (iv) lack of EA awareness (v) lack of EA readiness and (vi) limited knowledge and skills on EA among the team were discerned in sustaining EA practices. With regard to the practical implication, this paper can serve as reference in EA implementation in the public sector.


This note summarizes the Bank of Canada's 2016 annual reassessment of potential output growth, which is projected to be 1.5 per cent over 2016–18 and 1.6 per cent in 2019–20. This projection is weaker than the one presented in the April 2015 Monetary Policy Report. Substantially softer business investment, largely due to much lower energy prices, causes the growth of trend labour productivity to be weaker. Weak business investment is the main negative shock to our projection. As investment picks up and the negative effects of the ongoing economic restructuring dissipate, we expect the growth of trend labour productivity to gradually increase toward its long-term average. Demographic developments are expected to contribute to gradually weaker trend labour input growth, however, which will act as a drag on the growth of potential output. A sensitivity analysis to various assumptions suggests a range for potential output that increases from about ±0.3 percentage points in 2016 to ±0.6 percentage points in 2018 and ±0.7 in 2019 and 2020.


In the 1940s and 1950s, at Santa Monica's Muscle Beach, male and female acrobats and bodybuilders performed stunts and displayed muscular physiques. In 1958, in the aftermath of a sex crime panic, the site was closed. In the following decades a new "Muscle Beach" arose in countercultural Venice. The Muscle Beach phenomenon illuminates the changing meaning of muscles in America, from the conflation of muscularity with homosexuality in the 1950s to the triumph of "hard bodies" in the 1980s. The legitimization of visible muscularity was not a simple process. While the Muscle Beach athletes successfully distanced themselves from the taint of homosexuality by associating muscles with heterosexual glamour, the 1958 scandal reversed this trend and reinforced the stigma attached to muscles. In its second life, Muscle Beach gradually sidelined female weightlifters and glorified the heterosexuality of male bodybuilders, thus reinforcing traditional gender norms and leading to wider acceptance of the male muscular physique by the 1980s.


Global economic integration is a reality that has increasingly materialised across the world over the past number of years. The prime question is whether Africa can become a worthy participant in an increasingly globalised economy and in what way. As business enterprises locate their operations in countries with potential for economic growth, they impact on the expectations for quality education and training. New sources of skilled, cost-effective labour are constantly sought. Against this background, education for teaching in a globalised economic environment presupposes a number of new expectations and immediate challenges. In particular, to train teachers in Africa amidst increasing globalisation implies idiosyncratic characteristics that pose a major challenge to higher education institutions. This article extrapolates, in a post hoc, reflective fashion, a recent international conference on education for teaching held in Namibia, southern Africa. Trends and perspectives from conference papers, discussions and resolutions are highlighted. In particular, dialogue at the African Education Forum meeting is interpreted to point out possible needs concerning future education for teaching professionals in the African context. Conclusions are drawn and strategies are suggested to assist (southern) African teacher education providers to comply with the expectations and challenges generated by the trend of globalisation on the one hand and the realities of teaching in Africa on the other. The challenge lies in finding a compromise between these two extremes. Higher education is to take the lead as it is the converging point of knowledge, ideas, research and training.


The B cell receptor (BCR) activates several signaling pathways including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Although the B cell protein CD19 can mediate some BCR-dependent activation of PI3K, other proteins also contribute to PI3K activation. Okada et al. have cloned and characterized BCAP (B cell adaptor for PI3K) as a protein that mediates much of PI3K activation in B cells. BCAP is expressed in spleen cells, and in B cell and mast cell lines. BCAP was present as four different molecular sizes that resulted from alternative splicing, and BCAP shares some weak sequence similarity with the Drosophila protein adaptor protein Dof. BCAP appeared to be phosphorylated first by the kinase Syk and then by another kinase, Btk, as demonstrated in several kinase-deficient cell lines. The tyrosine kinase Lyn, however, appeared to attenuate the phosphorylation of BCAP, possibly by interfering with or regulating the kinase activities of Syk and Btk. The p85 subunit of PI3K exhibited inducible association with BCAP that correlated with the phosphorylation of specific BCAP tyrosine moieties. Activation of Akt, a protein kinase substrate of PI3K, was decreased, but not abolished, in BCAP-deficient cells, suggesting that CD19 or another signaling protein was responsible for residual PI3K activation. (JNK) Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation, however, was almost completely blocked. Additionally, BCAP-deficient cells were defective in translocation of PI3K glycolipid rafts. The results suggest that, by acting as a substrate for tyrosine kinases, BCAP contributes to BCR-induced activation of PI3K. Okada, T., Maeda, A., Iwamatsu, A., Gotoh, K., and Kurosaki, T. (2000) BCAP: the tyrosine kinase substrate that connects B cell receptor to phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation. Immunity 13: 817-827. [Online Journal]


Abstract The ways in which examination standards are conceptualised and operationalised differently across nations has not been given sufficient attention. The international literature on standard-setting has been dominated by the psychometrics tradition. Broader conceptualisations of examination standards have been discussed in the literature in England, which has curriculum-related examinations at the end of schooling. There has, however, been little analysis of conceptualisations of examination standards in Scotland. Different education systems and examinations operate in Scotland and England, and the stated value positions and processes relating to examination standards differ markedly. This paper critically examines policy positions on assessment standards in Scotland and England through the lens of recent theories of standard-setting. By analysing public statements on standards, the paper illuminates similarities and differences in conceptual bases and operational approaches, and examines the effects of these on outcomes for candidates. We conclude that both systems are operationalising attainment-referencing, but with different processes in Scotland and England and these practices do not fit within previous examination standards classifications. As such, the paper moves examination standards theory forward by concluding that there is at least one superordinate definitional category that draws upon more than one definitional stance.


Each image in a Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system is represented by its features such as colour, texture and shape. These three groups of features are stored in the feature vector. Therefore, each image managed by the CBIR system is associated with one or more feature vectors. As a result, the storage space required for feature vectors is proportional to the amount of images in the database. In addition, when comparing the similarities among images, the CBIR needs to compare these feature vectors. Nonetheless, researchers are still facing problems when working with a huge image database. Much time is needed when comparing huge feature vectors, as a large amount of memory is required to run the CBIR system. Due to this problem, feature reduction and selection techniques are employed to alleviate the storage and time requirements of large feature vectors. There are many feature reduction techniques, including linear projection techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA) and metric embedding techniques (both linear and non-linear). However, these methods have limitations in the CBIR system and cannot improve CBIR performance (retrieval accuracy) and reduce semantic gap efficiently. Therefore, we need a feature selection method that can deal with image features efficiently and has the ability to deal with uncertainties.

This research proposes an improved approach to select significant features from the huge image feature vector. The concept behind this research is that it is possible to extract image feature relational patterns in an image feature vector database. After which, these relational patterns are used to generate rules and improve the retrieval results for a CBIR system. In addition, this research proposes a CBIR system utilising the Rough Set instead of deterministic and crisp methods. In this research, Rough Set rules are evaluated with noisy images. Also, in order to have a more accurate classifier in the CBIR system, the classifier is proposed to be based on the Rough Set and Support Vector Machine (SVM) in this research.

The significance of this research is firstly, proposing an improved pre-processing phase to solve CBIR problems. Secondly, proposing an integrated framework of using Rough Set with one-versus-one (1-v-1) Support Vector Machine and Rough Set with one-versus-all (1-v-r) Support Vector Machine classifiers in CBIR systems. The Rough Set theory, as a feature selection method in this pre-processing phase, could solve huge amounts of image features problems by narrowing the search space. Also, this theory could deal with vague and incomplete areas by its upper and lower approximations and solve the incomplete and vague areas in image descriptions. As such, the accuracy of the CBIR system can be improved. This proposed approach also gives the confidence and deviation of the estimation (that traditional methods cannot provide before) when compared with historical systems. Finally, the semantic gap problem can be reduced by the Fuzzy Rough Set semantic rules.

The performance of the proposed CBIR system is assessed using 2000 images from the Corel image dataset. The images were divided into 10 semantic groups, as well as a number of features. They were then compared to other techniques such as Gain Ratio, Genetic Algorithm, Information Gain, Isomap, Kernel PCA, OneR, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Relief-F. The results from the experiment conducted in this thesis show that the proposed feature selections and classifiers will improve the semantic performance results in the proposed CBIR systems. Retrieval accuracy results for Fuzzy Rough feature selection is 91.06% for Normal images, and the results are 90.31%, 91.28% and 90.42% with Gaussian Noise, Salt & Pepper Noise and Poisson Noise respectively.

Moreover, comparing the Rough Set with 1-v-1 SVM and the Rough Set with 1-v-r SVM classifiers to other classifiers (Decision Tree (C5.0), K-nearest neighbour, neural network, and Support Vector Machine) show that the retrieval accuracy has increased to 91.4% for Rough Set 1-v-r SVM and 92% for Rough Set 1-v-1 SVM.


Although it was previously considered that Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms must come into direct contact with Fe(III) oxides in order to reduce them, recent studies have suggested that electron-shuttling compounds and/or Fe(III) chelators, either naturally present or produced by the Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms themselves, may alleviate the need for the Fe(III) reducers to establish direct contact with Fe(III) oxides. Studies with Shewanella alga strain BrY and Fe(III) oxides sequestered within microporous beads demonstrated for the first time that this organism releases a compound(s) that permits electron transfer to Fe(III) oxides which the organism cannot directly contact. Furthermore, as much as 450 w M dissolved Fe(III) was detected in cultures of S. alga growing in Fe(III) oxide medium, suggesting that this organism releases compounds that can solublize Fe(III) from Fe(III) oxide. These results contrast with previous studies, which demonstrated that Geobacter metallireducens does not produce electron-shuttles or Fe(III) chelators. Some freshwater aquatic sediments and groundwaters contained compounds, which could act as electron shuttles by accepting electrons from G. metallireducens and then transferring the electrons to Fe(III). However, other samples lacked significant electron-shuttling capacity. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the electron-shuttling capacity of the waters was not only associated with the presence of humic substances, but water extracts of walnut, oak, and maple leaves contained electron-shuttling compounds did not appear to be humic substances. Porewater from a freshwater aquatic sediment and groundwater from a petroleum-contaminated aquifer contained dissolved Fe(III) (4-16 w M), suggesting that soluble Fe(III) may be available as an electron acceptor in some sedimentary environments. These results demonstrate that in order to accurately model the mechanisms for Fe(III) reduction in sedimentary environments it will be necessary to have information on the concentrations of electron-shuttling compounds and possibly Fe(III) ligands. Furthermore, as it is now apparent that different genera of Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms may reduce Fe(III) via different mechanisms, knowledge of which Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms predominate in the environment of interest is essential in order to model this process appropriately.


Glaciers shape alpine landscapes. They broaden valley bottoms, enhance local valley relief, generate multiple steps, overdeepen valley floors, and cause tributary valleys to hang. These distinctive glacial signatures result from 10 4 –10 5 yr of erosion, during which swings in climate drive advances and retreats of alpine glaciers. We use a numerical model of glacial erosion to explore the development of the longitudinal profiles of glaciated valleys. The model is driven by the past 400 k.y. of variable climate. Because both sliding speed, which dictates abrasion rate, and water-pressure fluctuations, which strongly modulate quarrying rate, should peak at the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA), we expect the locus of most rapid erosion to follow the transient ELA. Simulations of a single glacial valley show rapid flattening of the longitudinal profile. Inclusion of a tributary glacier creates a step immediately downvalley of the tributary junction that persists over multiple glaciations and commonly leaves the tributary valley hanging. Steps and overdeepenings result from an increase in ice discharge immediately below the tributary junction, which is accommodated primarily by increased ice thickness and hence sliding rate. The size of the step increases with the ratio of tributary to trunk ice discharge, while the height of a hanging valley reflects the difference in the time-integrated ice discharge in tributary and trunk valleys and therefore increases as the discharge ratio decreases.


The initiative of this study derived from my concern of two critical urban issues in China today: housing and urban renewal. In the recent two decades, the Chinese urban housing stock underwent a significant, if not extreme, transformation. From 1949 to 1998, the urban housing stock in China largely depended on the public sector, and a large amount of public housing areas were developed under the socialistic public housing system in Beijing and other Chinese cities. Yet in 1998, a radical housing reform stopped this housing system. Thus, most of the public housing stock was privatized and the urban housing provision was conferred to the market. The radical housing privatization and marketization did not really resolve but intensified the housing problem. Along with the high-speed urbanization, the alienated, capitalized and speculative housing stock caused a series of social and spatial problems. The Chinese government therefore attempted to reestablish the social housing system in 2007. However, the unbalanced structure of the Chinese urban housing stock has not been considerably optimized and the housing problem is still one of the most critical challenges in China. Based on the background of privatization, the former socialistic public housing areas in Beijing confront the ambiguity of their housing stock and the confusion of housing management. While they still accommodate the majority of urban residents and are identified by their good places, (social and programmatic) mixed communities, vibrant local life, and diversified housing types, they are facing the serious challenges of physical deterioration and social decline. Therefore, urban renewal was thought as an effective solution seeking to improve the living conditions in those neighborhoods. Nevertheless, urban renewal in itself is also a controversial issue. In order to solve the housing problem, the large-scale urban renewal in Beijing started at the beginning of the 1990s. The radical housing reform further boosted urban renewal, often in the form of wholesale reconstruction and linked to real estate development. The market-driven urban reconstruction resulted in the resident displacement, community destruction, disappearance of historical images and, more threatening, socio-spatial segregation. It encountered the rising criticism from scholars and activists and resistance from the residents. As a result, many housing renewal projects, including the reconstruction projects of former public housing areas, had to be stopped or suspended in Beijing after 2004. Nowadays there is a dilemma for the urban renewal of Beijing's former public housing areas. On the one hand, its conventional approach became inadaptable in the existing transitional context of China, and thus led to the increasing conflict of interests between different actors (or groups) and the tension between individuality and collectivity; but on the other hand, if there will be social-oriented, adapted strategies, urban renewal would still be an effective means to improve the quality of living and to solve the housing problem of the city. Therefore, my study addressed the general research question, "What will be the adapted strategies used for the urban renewal of former socialistic public housing areas in Beijing to improve the local living conditions and to deal with the existing urban housing problem?" As a social-oriented, step-by-step approach to avoid wholesale reconstruction, urban rehabilitation might be an alternative approach for Beijing's urban renewal. It is the hypothesis of my study. However, here comes the question if this approach, originally developed in the West, can adapt to the Chinese situation. In a transitional society undergoing continuous social diversification and differentiation as well as ethical collision, contemporary Chineseness could refer to the hybridity of ethoses. Facing this super hybrid situation, the adaptability of the Western approach, which was developed in the context of the hybrid ethos (an ethos based on the common belief of individualism and consumerism), is questionable. Therefore, we need a pragmatic and inclusive theoretical thinking, as ontology and methodology, to guide and to frame the research. In my study, that is what I called the thinking of spatial phenomenon. Thinking of spatial phenomenon starts with an idea of pragmatization and phenomenalization of spatiality, which stems from both the Chinese tradition and the Western modernity. As an analytic tool, it includes different ethical viewpoints and is hence composed of three dimensions: the socio-economic dimension (a structuralistic point of view for the modern society), the community-placial dimension (a humanistic point of view for everyday life) and the aesthetic-technical dimension (a positivistic point of view for physical environments). As a philosophy of practice, it emphasizes the historicality and practicality of thinking and the unity of theory and practice. Moreover, considering the current Chinese situation in general, thinking of spatial phenomenon has its primary thesis of socio-spatial integration, which recalls the Chinese tradition of approaching-to-the-good society and is the ethical task of contemporary Chinese urban rehabilitation. My research study is thus enframed by the methodology of thinking of spatial phenomenon. It is both problem-driven (the problems on housing and urban renewal for the former socialistic public housing areas in Beijing) and purpose-driven (the purpose of socio-spatial integration in the context of the hybridity of ethoses in a transitional society). And the research followed a matrix composed of its historical and dimensional axes. The former axis represents the consideration from a historical review and the analysis of the status quo to the referable case studies and the development of new strategies, while the latter is demonstrated by the analyses in the socio-economic, community-placial and aesthetic-technical dimensions in each section. This research framework is presented in my writing. In this book, Part II, following the introductive Part I, reviewed the historical evolution of Beijing's socialistic public housing in the socio-economic, community-placial and aesthetic-technical dimensions, respectively. Part III subsequently analyzed the current urban housing problem, the existing conditions of Beijing's former socialistic public housing areas and the dilemma of urban renewal. It concluded by raising the concrete challenges of an alternative approach for renewing those housing areas. These challenges comprise the balance of housing affordability and economic sustainability, the stabilization of mixed community and the alternative physical initiatives instead of the wholesale reconstruction. In order to answer to these challenges, the study in Part IV focused on several successful and referable experiences of urban renewal in cities with a comparable context, i.e. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Berlin, Vienna and Hong Kong. And Part V, based on two "pilot design research projects" on Sanlihe Neighborhood 1 in Beijing, developed a proposal for rehabilitating the former socialistic public housing areas in Beijing. This proposal is called an integrated plural approach. This approach is made up of six recommended strategies that are also sorted by three dimensions. There are housing re-socialization and economic sustainability in the socio-economic dimension, housing differentiation and community participation in the community-placial, as well as a combination of housing renovation and reconstruction and an integral physical planning/design in the aesthetic-technical dimensions. In conclusion, while those strategies gave answers to the existing practical challenges, the integrated plural approach in all proposed a new establishment of urban rehabilitation to adapt to the hybrid, diverse and plural Chinese situation and to fulfill the ethical task of sociospatial integration. However, in comparison with drawing concrete conclusions, this research study has more to do with inspiring reflection. On the one hand, my study on rehabilitating the former socialistic public housing areas in Beijing can only be concluded as a proposal, same as many other urban studies. The applicability of an integrated plural approach must be proved in practice. A proposal of urbanistic research has to be tested and modified within urban practice. On the other hand, this book cannot be seen as an end but as a beginning of new explorations in urban study, theoretically. The openness, inclusion and integration of thinking of spatial phenomenon might contribute to the establishment of new ontology and methodology for the study of not just Chinese but also universal urban issues in an era of globalization.


Background: It is well established that high blood pressure (BP) increase the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, most studies have focused on baseline BP, and relatively few have examined the effects of a change in BP over a period of time. Design: Population-based prospective cohort study with 11 years of follow-up. Methods: The study was carried out using data from the population-based Nord-Trondelag health study (HUNT) linked with the Cause of Death Registry at Statistics Norway. BP measurements from HUNT 1 (1984-96) and HUNT 2 (1995-97) were used to calculate individual change in BP between the surveys. A total of 25,187 women and 22,099 men were followed up on cause of death from baseline in HUNT 2. We used Cox regression to analyze the effect of both relative and absolute changes in BP, separately for men and women, and also stratified by physical activity level. Results: During follow-up, 2,084 men and 1,854 women had died from CVD. An absolute increase in Systolic BP of ≥40 mmHg was associated with an increase in risk ratio (RR) of 1.1 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.9-1.3 and 0.9-1.4) in both men and women, compared to having a stable BP (-4 to +4 mmHg). On the other hand, a decrease in Systolic BP of ≥20 mmHg was associated with an increase in RR of 1.8 (CI 1.5-2.2) and 1.9 (CI 1.5-2.2) for men and women respectively, compared to being stable. For diastolic BP, the largest increase (≥40 mmHg) was associated with a RR of 1.3 (CI 1.1-1.6 and 1.0-1.5) in both men and women compared to a stable BP. Relative changes in BP showed a similar pattern; the strongest effect was observed among people who reduced their BP between the surveys. However, having a high systolic BP (≥140 mmHg) at both surveys resulted in a RR of 1.4 (CI 1.2-1.7) in men and 2.0 in women (CI 1.6-2.5). There were no large differences in the estimated associations when comparing physically active to inactive, although active people who increased their systolic BP with ≥40 mmHg had a RR of 1.5 (CI 1.0-2.4), whereas this was not evident among the inactive. Conclusion: Overall, a reduced BP was associated with the highest of death, but the risk was also increased among people with the largest increase in BP, and among those who had a stable high blood pressure. There were marginal differences in the association between BP and risk of death being active and inactive persons.


In La Frontera , Thomas Miller Klubock offers a pioneering social and environmental history of southern Chile, exploring the origins of today's forestry "miracle" in Chile. Although Chile's forestry boom is often attributed to the free-market policies of the Pinochet dictatorship, La Frontera shows that forestry development began in the early twentieth century when Chilean governments turned to forestry science and plantations of the North American Monterey pine to establish their governance of the frontier's natural and social worlds. Klubock demonstrates that modern conservationist policies and scientific forestry drove the enclosure of frontier commons occupied by indigenous and non-indigenous peasants who were defined as a threat to both native forests and tree plantations. La Frontera narrates the century-long struggles among peasants, Mapuche indigenous communities, large landowners, and the state over access to forest commons in the frontier territory. It traces the shifting social meanings of environmentalism by showing how, during the 1990s, rural laborers and Mapuches, once vilified by conservationists and foresters, drew on the language of modern environmentalism to critique the social dislocations produced by Chile's much vaunted neoliberal economic model, linking a more just social order to the biodiversity of native forests.


One could certainly argue that the role of a curator of contemporary art is increasingly shifting towards that of a filter feeder, since cultural production in general has become more 'networked' through current technologies and changed public art viewing practices. However, the politics of selection and the role played by art institutions undergo more substantial changes in the online curatorial process, which takes place in the non-locality of a distributed network.(1)


"How Should an Author Be?" is a study of creative writers as characters in contemporary
Canadian novels. The theoretical framework, developed from both the Anglo-American and the
European approaches to ethical criticism, highlights the complexity of discourses on authors, and
it works in three stages. In the first stage, consideration is given to how a text and a hypothetical
reader might interact. Aesthetic strategies that foster open-mindedness are then highlighted and
discussed. In the final stage of this process, the first two stages are re-evaluated and critiqued in
order to consider alternative points of view.
The first chapter considers four contemporary Canadian authors who wrestle with the
motif of the artist as hero. David Adams Richards' Hope in the Desperate Hour, Lynn Coady's
Mean Boy, Steven Heighton's The Shadow Boxer, and Sheila Heti's How Should a Person Be? all
represent or critique this motif in some way. I read this powerful and intoxicating
characterization of writer-characters as a distraction preventing readers from fully engaging with
these texts. I propose an alternative way that authors "should be": not as heroes but as restless
questioners. The phrase "restless questioner" is from Wayne C. Booth's discussion of "restless
questioning" in The Company We Keep: An Ethics of Fiction (478). These individuals are rarely
certain of their role or their function in society, and they do not need to be. Their goal is to write
as well as possible without ignoring the profound importance of the Other. For restless
questioners, writing well tends to mean developing complicated fictional worlds that challenge
simplistic forms of thought.
The second chapter explores the various ways that one author can create a sense of
openness. In this thesis, openness is discussed mainly in relation to the indeterminacy of the
present, and it derives from Mikhail Bakhtin's description of the novel as "zone of crude
contact" (26). A sense of openness encourages resistance to dogmatism, and it invites complex
interpretations of meaning. Michael Winter's first four novels, This All Happened, The Big Why,
The Architects Are Here, and The Death of Donna Whalen, represent the writer-character as
capable of challenging certitude and conviction through the complexity of their aesthetic visions.
Authors are not cultural heroes, but they can demonstrate how certain forms of observing and
describing are preferable to others. A sense of openness, for example, invites one to consider the
complexities of other people's lives.
In chapter three, Edward Riche's Easy to Like, Russell Smith's Muriella Pent, Lawrence
Hill's Any Known Blood, and Lynn Coady's The Antagonist are discussed as parodic narratives.
Here, "parody" is informed by Linda Hutcheon's development of the term "as repetition with
critical distance that allows ironic signaling of difference at the very heart of similarity" (185).
These novels add new layers to the argument that is developed in the first two chapters by
exploring the world of authors and writing from critical perspectives that challenge my
arguments from the first two chapters. Ideally, this study invites readers to develop their own
idiosyncratic responses to the titular question, "How should an author be?"


This memo defines a Media Delivery Index (MDI) measurement that can be
used as a diagnostic tool or a quality indicator for monitoring a
network intended to deliver applications such as streaming media, MPEG
video, Voice over IP, or other information sensitive to arrival time
and packet loss. It provides an indication of traffic jitter, a
measure of deviation from nominal flow rates, and a data loss
at-a-glance measure for a particular flow. For instance, the MDI may
be used as a reference in characterizing and comparing networks
carrying UDP streaming media. This memo provides information for the
Internet community.


The forms and flows of global media coverage of the Charlie Hebdo assassinations of January 2015 compel a reexamination of cherished nostrums in media studies. Limited coverage of analogous lethal attacks elsewhere suggests the privileging of certain historical narratives over others and pinpoints the urgency of honing concepts adequate to the mediated processes in play. Current notions of integrative global media events and of a rational global public sphere demand to be replaced by far more supple heuristics that engage with these attacks from the perspective of cultural history and prioritize "thick" description. Clashing narratives around colonialism, Islamophobia, and free speech circulate instantaneously, yet some traumas receive priority in global coverage. Mere repetition of frozen concepts cannot do justice to a world of considerable violence and flux.


Background/Aim: The R450H mutation of the TSH receptor (TSHR) gene has been frequently observed in Japanese patients with resistance to TSH. The purpose of this study was to clarify the phenotype of patients with a homozygous R450H mutation of the TSHR gene; the mutant receptor has previously demonstrated moderately impaired function in vitro. Methods: We performed a clinical investigation of 5 Japanese patients who had hyperthyrotropinemia as neonates, in whom a homozygous R450H mutation of the TSHR gene had been demonstrated by genetic sequencing analysis. Results: The thyroid hormone levels of the patients were normal in early infancy, although their serum levels of TSH were mildly elevated. After supplemental treatment with levothyroxine sodium (L-T4) was started, we had to increase the dose to maintain the level of TSH within the normal range in all patients. Thyroid dysfunction became obvious in one patient at reexamination during adolescence when L-T4 treatment was stopped for 1 month. Four patients were examined for intelligence quotient and their scores were normal. Conclusions: Thyroid hormone replacement therapy should be considered based on biological data in patients with hyperthyrotropinemia who have a homozygous R450H mutation of the TSHR gene even if they do not exhibit obvious hypothyroidism in infancy.


Osmotic cataracts were diagnosed in all of 191 Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. postsmolts caught during 8 trawl hauls on the western side of the Vøringsplateau, Norwegian Sea, in June 2001. The changes varied from a hazy opacity in the anterior part of the lens to cataracts affecting the whole lens. Severely affected lenses appeared swollen and large vacuoles were visible in the opaque areas. Large vacuoles in otherwise clear lenses were diagnosed in 1 of 4 adult salmon examined. Histologically, widened sutures, vacuolation of lens epithelium and cortex, and proteinaceous lakes subjacent to the epithelium were the most frequent changes, while extensive cortical necroses and epithelial proliferation were seen in a few cases. UV-absorbance of the aqueous humor was determined and levels compared to plasma levels and also to levels in farmed Atlantic salmon of the same developmental stage. Wild salmon generally showed higher levels of protective factors than farmed fish. The osmotic type of cataract diagnosed leads to poor vision and is a potential cause of reduced survival in postsmolts. The cause of the cataracts could not be determined, but defective osmoregulation is suspected.


This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the Metro Orange Line of Los Angeles County, California, one of the first full-feature bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the United States. The paper also compares the Orange Line with two recent transit investments in Los Angeles: the Gold Line light rail and Metro Rapid, a rapid bus service with limited BRT features. The assessment is based on existing performance, cost, and operational data from the Orange Line's first year of service. The study found that the Orange Line is exceeding ridership projections, reducing travel times, easing congestion, and attracting people out of their cars. It is performing better than the Gold Line, which cost significantly more, yet carries fewer riders. Metro Rapid appears to have some cost-effectiveness advantages but lacks travel time consistency and a premium transit service image. The Orange Line also offers lessons for future BRT planners. The Orange Line has suffered several collisions between buses and private vehicles, primarily because private vehicles were running red lights. Safety changes included reducing bus speeds through intersections, which contributed to higher-than-projected travel times. If safety issues were addressed, this would provide valuable lessons for future at-grade busway projects. Also, as with some other recent projects, the Orange Line has pavement integrity issues. Further research would be useful in this area. Overall, the Orange Line is providing mobility benefits and attracting new riders to an extent usually thought possible only with expensive rail systems. As the Orange Line matures, further performance analysis and evaluation of land development impacts would be valuable.


As the number of fatalities from cardiovascular diseases declines in western industrial nations, an opposite trend is observed in the East African region. Inter-regional variations in the prevalence of vascular disorders have been attributed to socioeconomic, psychosocial and heritable physiological parameters. Although faulty mineralocorticoid metabolism and the dysfunctional kidney are prominent features of circulatory problems, many current studies are focused on membrane receptors, transmembrane ion transport mechanisms, ion channels and the possible genetic polymorphisms that determine the characteristics of those molecular structures in the vascular system of normal or hypertensive persons. In this review, a composite of the data available on each of the above parameters and its significance in the pathogenesis of hypertension in the industrial West and transforming economies of East Africa is presented.


Ronald Coase famously argued that "if an economist finds something – a business practice of one sort or other – that he does not understand, he looks for a monopoly explanation". So it is with credit card interchange fees. Intellectual confusion has led to the phenomenon of interchange fees being misdiagnosed as being a monopoly problem leading to inappropriate policy intervention. Following George Stigler's path breaking analysis of the US Security and Exchange Commission he claimed that financial regulation was "founded upon prejudice and…reforms are directed by wishfulness". In our opinion, Australian regulatory attitudes towards interchange fees should be placed into the same category: reforms initiated by ignorance and anti-bank prejudice.


In changing higher education environments, health profession's educators have been increasingly challenged to prepare future health professionals to care for aging populations. This article reports on an exploratory, mixed-method research study that used an innovative photo-elicitation technique and interprofessional small-group work in the classroom to enhance the reflective learning experience of medical and nursing students. Data were collected from pre- and postquestionnaires and focus groups to explore shifts in perceptions toward older persons following the reflective learning session. The qualitative data revealed how using visual images of older persons provides a valuable learning space for reflection. Students found meaning in their own learning by creating shared storylines that challenged their perceptions of older people and themselves as future health professionals. These data support the use of visual methodologies to enhance engagement, reflection, and challenge students to explore and deepen their understanding in gerontology.


Background To be an older woman, live alone, have chronic pain, and be dependent on support are all factors that may have an impact on daily life. One way to promote ability in everyday activities in people with pain-related conditions is to use individualized, integrated behavioral medicine in physical therapy interventions. How this kind of intervention works for older women living alone at home, with chronic pain, and dependent on formal care to manage their everyday lives has not been studied. The aim was to explore the feasibility of a study and to evaluate an individually tailored integrated behavioral medicine in physical therapy intervention for the target group of women. Materials and methods The study was a 12-week randomized trial with two-group design. Primary effect outcomes were pain-related disability and morale. Secondary effect outcomes focused on pain-related beliefs, self-efficacy for exercise, concerns of falling, physical activity, and physical performance. Results In total, 23 women agreed to participate in the study and 16 women completed the intervention. The results showed that the behavioral medicine in physical therapy intervention was feasible. No effects were seen on the primary effect outcomes. The experimental intervention seemed to improve the level of physical activity and self-efficacy for exercise. Some of the participants in both groups perceived that they could manage their everyday life in a better way after participation in the study. Conclusion Results from this study are encouraging, but the study procedure and interventions have to be refined and tested in a larger feasibility study to be able to evaluate the effects of these kinds of interventions on pain-related disability, pain-related beliefs, self-efficacy in everyday activities, and morale in the target group. Further research is also needed to refine and evaluate effects from individualized reminder routines, support to collect self-report data, safety procedures for balance training, and training of personnel to enhance self-efficacy.


Graphene is an important material for sensing and energy storage applications. Since the vast majority of sensing and energy storage chemical and electrochemical systems require bulk quantities of graphene, thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) is commonly employed instead of pristine graphene. The sp(2) planar structure of TRGO is heavily damaged, consisting of a very short sp(2) crystallite size of nanometre length and with areas of sp(3) hybridized carbon. Such a structure of TRGO is reminiscent of the key characteristic of the structure of amorphous carbon, which is defined as a material without long-range crystalline order consisting of both sp(2) and sp(3) hybridized carbons. Herein, we describe the characterization of TRGO, its parent graphite material and carbon black (a form of amorphous carbon) via transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry experiments. We used the data obtained as well as consideration of practical factors to perform a comparative assessment of the relative electrochemical performances of TRGO against amorphous carbon. We found out that TRGO and amorphous carbon exhibit almost identical characteristics in terms of density of defects in the sp(2) lattice and a similar crystallite size as determined by Raman spectroscopy. These two materials also exhibit similar amounts of oxygen containing groups as determined by XPS and nearly indistinguishable cyclic voltammetric response providing almost identical heterogeneous electron transfer constants. This leads us to conclude that for some sensing and energy storage electrochemical applications, the use of amorphous carbon might be a much more economical solution than the one requiring digestion of highly crystalline graphite with strong oxidants to graphite oxide and then thermally exfoliating it to thermally reduced graphene oxide.


Modelling portfolio credit risk is one of the crucial challenges faced by financial services industry in the last few years. We propose the valuation model of collateralized debt obligations (CDO) based on copula functions with up to three parameters, with default intensities estimated from market data and with a random loss given default that is correlated with default times. The methods presented are used to reproduce the spreads of the iTraxx Europe tranches. We apply hierarchical Archimedean copulae (HAC) whose construction allows for the fact that the risky assets of the CDO pool are chosen from six different industry sectors. The dependence among the assets from the same group is specified with the higher value of the copula parameter, otherwise the lower value of the parameter is ascribed. The copula with two and three parameters models the relation between the loss given default and the default times. Our approach describes the market prices better than the standard pricing procedure based on the Gaussian distribution.


The basis for this research is an examination of the outcomes of a required multicultural course. Students completed pre-, mid- and post-tests assessing their multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills. Analyses of the pre-, mid- and posttests indicated significant increases in multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills. ********** This research focused on the outcome of multicultural training for future school psychologists and educators. Increasingly, school psychologists and teachers receive training in multicultural topics in both their education and counseling coursework. Although this attention to multicultural training is to be lauded, research which defines those elements that constitute successful training programs is needed. Relative to the total amount of literature on multicultural issues, a small amount has been directed toward evaluating the pedagogy and components of training programs with psychometrically sound instruments. Researchers (Neville, et al, 1996; & Ridley, Mendoza, & Kanitz, 1994) have pointed out the critical need for more evaluative studies in this area. Within this time of continued diversification of student populations (Sue, 1991), psychologists and teachers within our school systems remain primarily European American and middle class in many geographical regions. This research assessed whether or not elements within a required multicultural course increase awareness, knowledge and skills for future educators and psychologists. Relevant Literature Evans, Torrey, and Newton (1997) report that 50% of the states have criteria and requirements for multicultural education. Bank & Banks (2001) examine issues of multicultural education and include as most relevant an awareness, understanding, and appreciation Of diversity. While the criteria vary from state to state, each mandates coursework in multicultural education as a requirement for teacher credentialing (Evans, Torrey, & Newton, 1997). While vast literature exists on multicultural issues, little focus has been directed toward evaluating these training programs (Neville, et al, 1996). Additionally, the components and formats of these programs and whether the focus is on similarities or differences has been questioned (Ho, 1995) and whether in-depth knowledge of each racial/ethnic group is required (Cheatham, 1994). Ridley and colleagues view training in multicultural counseling as critical, thus extending the emphasis from teachers to counselors within schools. While some researchers outline training models (Ridley, Mendoza, & Kanitz, 1994; and Sue, 1991), others have focused on evaluating training effectiveness (D'Andrea et al., 1991). The basis for this study is grounded in current literature from the fields of education, counseling, and related multicultural studies which examine awareness, knowledge and skills. The courses are designed to meet specific objectives as mandated by a state requirement. These are: understand the contributions and lifestyles of various racial, cultural, and economic groups in our society; recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, prejudices, and discrimination; create environments which contribute to the positive self-image of persons and to positive interpersonal relations; respect human diversity and personal rights; and develop multicultural, gender fair, disability sensitive, inclusive approaches. This study specifically examines whether elements of multicultural courses result in subsequent positive changes in awareness, knowledge and skills for those being trained to address diverse student populations. Method Participants Individuals participating in this research provided informed consent and were free to withdraw from the research at any time with no penalty. The students were not involved in any other multicultural courses. The surveys were completed and placed in one large envelope after the instructor had exited the room. …


Confusion network decoding has proven to be one of the most successful approaches to machine translation system combination. The hypothesis alignment algorithm is a crucial part of building the confusion networks and many alternatives have been proposed in the literature. This paper describes a systematic comparison of five well known hypothesis alignment algorithms for MT system combination via confusion network decoding. Controlled experiments using identical pre-processing, decoding, and weight tuning methods on standard system combination evaluation sets are presented. Translation quality is assessed using case insensitive BLEU scores and bootstrapping is used to establish statistical significance of the score differences. All aligners yield significant BLEU score gains over the best individual system included in the combination. Incremental indirect hidden Markov model and a novel incremental inversion transduction grammar with flexible matching consistently yield the best translation quality, though keeping all things equal, the differences between aligners are relatively small.


OBJECT
To assess the relative risk of infective endocarditis associated with various procedures and the protective efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis by a case-control study.

BACKGROUND
Recommendations for the prevention of infective endocarditis are based on the hypothesis of a relationship between procedures and infective endocarditis which is supported by anecdotal reports and data from experimental models.

METHODS
Cases met the Von Reyn's diagnostic criteria modified with echocardiographic and macroscopic findings Controls were recruited from cardiology or medicinal wards. Cases (n = 171) and controls were matched as regards sex, age and underlying cardiac condition. They were requested to indicate all the medical, surgical or dental procedures within the previous 3 months. Among potential confounding factors, infectious episodes and skin wounds in the previous 3 months were reported. Antibiotic prophylaxis administration was documented for type, dosage, duration and administration schedule.

RESULTS
Cases significantly more frequently than controls had undergone at least one procedure (matched odds ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 2.53). Dental procedures considered as a whole were not associated with an increased risk, although scaling and root canal treatment showed a trend towards a higher risk of infective endocarditis (P = 0.065). Among non-dental procedures, only surgery appeared to be at risk (matched odds ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 22). Considering all procedures, the risk of infective endocarditis increased significantly with the number of procedures. While general co-morbid conditions did not differ between the two groups, cases significantly more frequently than controls had experienced an infectious episode or a skin wound. In multivariate analysis, only infectious episodes and skin wounds significantly increased the risk of infective endocarditis. Scaling was the only independent risk factor for viridans streptococcal infective endocarditis. The 46% protective efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS
Procedures do increase the risk of infective endocarditis. The interpretation of the apparent low risk associated with dental procedures may be as a result of the current practice of antibiotic prophylaxis. Our data suggest that surgery should be more clearly mentioned in future guidelines, and reemphasize that a rigorous treatment of any focal infection in cardiac patients is mandatory. From the efficacy rate of antibiotic prophylaxis,it can be estimated that the overall incidence of infective endocarditis might be reduced by 5 to 10% in France by appropriate use of antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac patients.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current farm economic downturn and credit restructuring by comparing it with the 1920s and 1980s farm crises from both economic and regulatory perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper closely compares critical economic and regulatory aspects of the current farm downturn with two previous farm crises in the 1920s and 1980s, and equally importantly, the golden eras that occurred before them. This study compares key aggregate statistics in land value, agricultural credit, lending regulations, and also evaluates the situations and impacts on individual farmer households by using three representative case studies.

Findings

The authors argue that there are at least three economic and regulatory reasons why the current farm downturn is unlikely to slide into a sudden collapse of the agricultural markets: strong, real income; growth in the 2000s, historically low interest rates; and more prudent agricultural lending practices. The current farm downturn is more likely a liquidity and working capital problem, as opposed to a solvency and balance sheet problem for the overall agricultural sector. The authors argue that the trajectory of the current farm downturn will likely be a gradual, drawn-out one like that of the 1920s farm crisis, as opposed to a sudden collapse as in the 1980s farm crisis.

Originality/value

The review provides empirical evidence for cautious optimism of the future trajectory of the current downturn, and argues that the current downturn is much more similar to the 1920s pattern than the 1980s crisis.


Progression of the difficulty of agility exercises in sport is often achieved by changing the stability of the support surface via graded sensorimotor training devices. However, little is known about the challenge imposed to postural equilibrium by these graded devices. This study quantified the instability provided by four sensorimotor training devices typically used to enhance athletic performance; three progressively unstable balance pads (ST1–3) and an oscillatory platform (PM). Twenty-five (13 female, 12 male) young adults (age, 26 ± 3 yr; height, 1.76 ± 0.10 m; and weight, 69 ± 12 kg), completed seven unipedal balance conditions involving stable and progressively unstable surfaces that involved four sensorimotor training devices (ST1-3, PM) and their combination (PM-ST1, PM-ST2). An inertial sensor, mounted over the lumbar spine, was used to monitor Centre of Mass (COM) displacement in each condition. Potential differences in COM displacement between conditions were assessed using a mixed-model analysis of variance. COM displacement differed between training devices; with a progressive, though non-linear, increase in COM displacement from the most (ST1) to the least (ST3) stable balance pad. However, there was no significant difference in COM displacement between the least stable balance pad (ST3) and the oscillatory platform used in isolation (PM) or in combination with balance pads (PM-ST1, PM-ST2). These novel findings have important practical implications for the design of progressive sensorimotor training programs in sport.


In as far as Critical Emancipatory Qualitative Research is concerned, unlike in other forms of both qualitative and quantitative research, the issues of quality, role and function refer to the same process. Thus while this paper reflects on what constitutes quality in critical emancipatory qualitative research (CEQR), it at the same time refers to its role and function.lbrg In order to concretize this reflection, the paper focuses on and draws examples from three CEQR works, namely one DEd thesis, evaluations of one MEd dissertation and reviews for publication of the joint paper we presented with a colleague to a conference in Oxford in 1999. These three research works provide bases for describing what constitutes CEQR and quality thereof. The position we are supporting is the one that sees quality in CEQR as grounded on research's social usefulness, on its relevance to the experienced needs of the people, on being able to respect methodological principles while being true to that which is personal and particular. Seeing quality this way clearly departs from understanding research as being about trustworthiness, or objectivity, or universalizing of findings, or neutrality or pursuance of science for its own sake.
The narrative in the paper proceeds by juxtaposing CEQR against other forms of research so as to explain clearly how quality is multiple and different depending on the paradigm one operates from within. For example, we interrogate quality of the mentioned DEd thesis by looking at whether it would have been possible to research and make the same rich findings as one did using CEQR, had the paradigm and methodology been different. We also look at one successful dissertation of one of our three MEd students who graduated in April 2001 against the background of evaluation reports of the external examiners who assessed him. This exercise assists us in reflecting on what constitutes quality in CEQR. Finally we interrogate the Oxford paper mentioned to above and refer to the views of reviewers who were assigned the task of commenting upon it when it was submitted for publication.
As we move towards the conclusion, we seem to be drawn to the understanding that when it comes to typically human activities like education, better research is the one that privileges social usefulness rather than objectivity. Better research is the one that goes all the way to the depth of meaning construction in pursuance of finding out what makes humans 'tick'. This is not the case for quantification that may provide broad patterns, but it is the case for quality that elicits and exhumes the buried depths of human understanding that do not necessarily generalize or universalize. This exercise has led us to come to the conclusion that research, especially CEQR, is about being truly human as a researcher rather than about reliability or validity per se. Just like quality or the truth, knowledge that research in general creates is multiple and inherently about relations of power especially where humans are involved. CEQR enables the researched in particular, the research community and the researchers in general to ask difficult questions about who controls research, in whose interest are certain kinds of knowledge produced, and so on. We are led to the findings that no other research enables the researched to use and recognize their voices better than CEQR. The question of quality in research therefore is whether it is an appropriate exercise to enable the researched to speak on their own behalf, in their own terms or just to enable the researchers to pursue knowledge for its own sake. The data in this paper convince us of the importance of the former.