Although anaerobic lagoons are used globally for livestock waste treatment, their detailed microbial cycling ofN is only beginning to become understood. Within this cycling, nitrification can be performed by organisms that produce the enzyme ammonia monooxygenase. For denitrification, the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide can be catalyzed by two forms of nitrite reductases, and N,O can be reduced by nitrous oxide reductase encoded by the gene nosZ The objectives of this investigation were to (i) quantify the abundance of the amoA, nirK, nirS, and nosZ genes; (ii) evaluate the influence of environmental conditions on their abundances; and (iii) evaluate their abundance relative to denitrification enzyme activity (DEA). Samples were analyzed via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and collected from eight typical, commercial anaerobic, swine wastewater lagoons located in the Carolinas. The four genes assayed in this study were present in all eight lagoons. Their abundances relative to total bacterial populations were 0.04% (amoA), 1.33% (nirS), 5.29% (nirK), and 0.27% (nosZ). When compared with lagoon chemical characteristics, amoA and nirK correlated with several measured variables. Neither nirS nor nosZ correlated with any measured environmental variables. Although no gene measured in this study correlated with actual or potential DEA, nosZ copy numbers did correlate with the disparity between actual and potential DEA. Phylogenetic analysis ofnosZdid not reveal any correlations to DEA rates. As with other investigations, analyses of these genes provide useful insight while revealing the underlying greater complexity of N cycling within swine waste lagoons.


The aim of this thesis is to understand the decision-making processes concerning ice-breaking along the coast of Norrland, with the specific aim to analyse the activities of regional interest groups in the Norrland region and government agents at different administrative levels at the key stages of the decision-making processes: initiation, drafting and decision-making. The thesis also explores how institutional factors at different administrative levels affected the agents that were involved at those stages of the decision-making processes. As navigation along the northern Swedish coast must negotiate winter conditions which causes ports to freeze over, the government ice-breaking service functions as an instrument to compensate the export firms in Norrland for these constrains. Year-round navigation in the north Swedish coastal waters was achieved through a series of decision-making processes that took place during the period from 1940 to 1975. These decision-making processes are important to study since ice-breaking was an integrated component of the expanding heavy basic industries in Norrland and thereby for the rapidly growing exports during the 1950s and 1960s. This period is the decisive point in the economic history of the Norrland region regarding how the natural resources should be exploited and how exports should be advanced. This study concludes that the decision-making processes were initiated by government agents at different administrative levels. Official investigatory commissions were set up at several occasions to deal with issues related to the government ice-breaker service by the ministries responsible for ice-breaker policy. It is also demonstrated that the decision-making processes concerning ice-breaker investments were initiated by the government boards that were responsible for the operation of the ice-breaker service. In this respect, the study concludes that the government activities during the initiation stages should not be confused as a sign of regional interest group passivity on these issues. The activities of the interest groups during the initiation stages were primarily intended to draw attention to the problems caused by winter to regional shipping, in order to put the issue on the political agenda. As the decision-making processes proceeded into the drafting stages, the participation from regional interest groups was much more significant as the government offered interest groups forums and procedures for structural consulting through various organisational arrangements. The regional interest groups that participated in those arrangements were industrial firms in the heavy basic industries sector. In those cases other regional interest groups participated, they would promote the interests of those firms. As a result, the final drafts from committees and government bodies included arguments that favoured an expansion of ice-breaking to promote the growth of the heavy basic industries in the Norrland region. The analysis of the decision-making stages suggests that a combination of institutional factors at different administrative levels contributed to the outcome of the decision-making processes. One result is that the general aims of macro policy such as trade policy, growth policy and regional development policy were favourable towards an expansion of the government ice-breaker service, which would benefit the export industries in the Norrland region. Another result is that the sectoral organization within the government maritime bodies contributed significantly to the outcome of the decision-making processes. Large-scale planning and operational experimentation was allowed to take place within the ice-breaker service, which convinced the government that ice-breaking and winter navigation was a feasible transport alternative (A). http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-22980.


Gramineae do not meet the needs of ruminants in the tropics, and their marked seasonal production causes disadvantages in animal production; in addition, high fiber levels and low protein content result in a higher production of greenhouse gases (GHG). For this reason, this study intended to supplement the diet by adding different foliage levels of tropical trees with the objective of evaluating the effect of incorporating 15, 30, and 45% of Moringa oleifera, Leucaena leucocephala or Guazuma ulmifolia on a diet based on Cynodon nlemfuensis grass during ruminal fermentation in vitro. The methodology consisted of ten treatments with different inclusion percentages of three different trees; the chemical composition, in vitro ruminal fermentation, dry matter degradation (IVDMD), pH, volatile fatty acid concentration (VFAs), biogas production and emission of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were determined. Data were analyzed through a completely randomized design. The chemical composition of the diets showed differences (P 0.05); VFA concentration was different (P < 0.05), the diet with 45% of Moringa oleifera had the best VFA concentration; however, the total biogas production and CH4 and CO2 concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in the diet with 45% Leucaena leucocephala. In conclusion, the addition of 45% of Leucaena leucochephala to the diet improved chemical composition without affecting the VFA concentration and producing less CH4 and CO2 (18 and 24%, respectively).


IntroductionType 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune condition characterised by hyperglycaemia, caused by the destruction of insulin producing β-cells in the pancreas. Previous epidemiological population level studies of T1DM and its complications have typically used recorded T1DM diagnoses to determine diabetes status and define cohorts.
Objectives and ApproachThe objective was to identify all persons with T1DM in Wales from Primary (~70\% population coverage) and Secondary Care (100% coverage) data held in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank. People with a coded T1DM diagnosis (using Read codes in Primary Care data and International Classification of Disease (ICD10) codes in Secondary Care data), plus either insulin prescribed shortly after diagnosis or a hospital admission for diabetic ketoacidosis were identified as having T1DM. A sub-group of this SAIL e-cohort were validated using a register of persons diagnosed with T1DM in Wales under 15 years old (Brecon cohort).
Results18,285 people had a T1DM diagnosis and 10,539 had more T1DM than type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diagnoses. 6,375 persons were identified with T1DM in Primary Care data using our criteria, with a median diagnosis age of 19.2 years (interquartile range 11.0, 35.5). 47.5\% were diagnosed under 18 years of age. 39.6% of people with a T1DM diagnosis did not have T1DM using our criteria. False positive and negative rates of 4.8% and 4.5% respectively were achieved by comparing persons in the SAIL e-cohort against the Brecon cohort. Clinician estimated false positive and negative rates were 1.4% and 3.9% respectively. The prevalence of T1DM in Wales in 2016 was 0.37% or 11,049 people.
Conclusion/ImplicationsOur criteria for identifying people with T1DM was more reliable than using diagnosis codes alone, allowing for a more accurate, efficient and reproducible means of identifying individuals with T1DM for researchers utilising the SAIL databank, and other national health repositories.


Antitrust authorities often consider parallel pricing and market share stability to be clues of illegal collusion. To analyze whether this inference is correct, I develop a model of price competition with differentiated products in which demand and costs vary over time. In many cases parallel pricing does not distinguish between a competitive and a collusive outcome. However, in some cases perfect parallel pricing is compatible only with a competitive equilibrium, and therefore provides some evidence that firms did not collude. I also show that the competitive equilibrium is characterized by a higher market share stability than a collusive equilibrium.


Debates  about  the  value  of  applying  corrective  feedback in language teaching and learning has  been  prominent  in  the recent  years by respecting the past, understanding the current values, proofs and directions and finding new perspectives to change the future of corrective feedback (CF). The purpose of this article is to examine how CF found its way through the history of its development from 1950s to the new millennium and to present a review of CF in English language teaching.  A close look at the history of CF helps teachers and researchers become familiar with different views about the CF and change their methodological perspectives on CF and try to apply the research findings to language pedagogy. The article concludes with some general suggestions about standard ways of receiving feedback by students, the development of CF through complex systems, and the development of CF for specific purposes.


Bicycles that share the road with intelligent vehicles present particular challenges for automated perception systems. Bicycle detection is important because bicycles share the road with vehicles and can move at comparable speeds in urban environments. From a computer vision standpoint, bicycle detection is challenging as bicycle's appearance can change dramatically between viewpoints and a person riding on the bicycle is a non-rigid object. In this paper, we present a vision-based framework to detect and track bicycles that takes into account these issues. A mixture model of multiple viewpoints is defined and trained via a Support Vector Machine (SVM) to detect bicycles under a variety of circumstances. Each component of the model uses a part-based representation and known geometric context is used to improve overall detection efficiency. An extended Kalman filter (EKF) is used to estimate the position and velocity of the bicycle in vehicle coordinates. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach through a series of experiments run on video data of moving bicycles captured from a vehicle-mounted camera


There are two million single parents in the UK, more than nine out of ten of whom are mothers. Despite greater family fluidity and diversity, lone mothers remain materially disadvantaged and subject to derogatory stereotyping.

Media representations, public policy and existing research have tended to focus on young mothers or lone mothers in deprived areas. This study therefore responds to a gap in knowledge by taking a comparative approach in investigating subjective experiences of stigma among lone mothers in a more diverse range of circumstances. This thesis documents qualitative research involving 26 lone mothers in two locations in the North of England, which have contrasting socio-economic profiles. It considers the relative significance of agential and structural factors, particularly social class, in their subjective perceptions of, and responses to, stigma.

Theoretically, this study draws on feminist critiques of normative family and citizenship models, a critical realist perspective on agency/structure interplay and a feminist Bourdieusian approach to class analysis. These theoretical influences are brought together in a bespoke conceptual framework that seeks to explore stigmatisation of lone motherhood in terms of women's subjective mediation of gendered and classed de-legitimation. This thesis thus introduces the notion of 'subjective social legitimacy' (SSL) as an analytical tool. Importantly, SSL aims to examine women's accounts in a holistic way that recognises degrees of stigma, rather than assuming or reinforcing stigma.

Analysis of data from semi-structured interviews revealed the principal factors affecting women's SSL to be: their age; their personal relationship history; whether they were employed or on benefits; reproductive norms in their local area; their level of extended family support; and social connections with people in the 'same situation'. Some women were positioned more favourably than others to mitigate stigma through their access to cultural, economic and social capital.

The women's accounts demonstrate agential behaviour in negotiating stigma as well as responding to practical challenges. Analysis of case dynamics identified 'modes' of SSL among participants which could be deemed 'negative', 'positive', 'defensive', 'performative' or 'transformative'. Women in what might be objectively considered the most stigmatised situations did not automatically display 'negative' SSL. The theme of 'judgement' emerged inductively from interviews and using SSL helped understand women's agential response to stigma in terms of 'what matters' to them personally. This thesis includes case studies which illustrate how a process of 'judgement of judgement' can be pivotal to participants' rejection, resistance or absorption of stigma.

This research offers an empirical contribution to knowledge through its comparative approach involving mothers in a deprived and a more affluent location; a conceptual contribution through development of SSL; and a methodological contribution through exposition of evaluative judgement as a mechanism in agential mediation of stigma.


The origin of the vacuole membrane surrounding the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is not known. Although unique secretory organelles, the rhoptries, discharge during invasion of the host cell and may contribute to the formation of this parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM), no direct evidence for this hypothesis exists. Using a novel approach we have determined that parasite-encoded proteins are present in the PVM, exposed to the host cell cytoplasm. In infected cells incubated with streptolysin-O or low concentrations of digitonin, the host cell plasma membrane was selectively permeabilized without significantly affecting the integrity of the PVM. Antisera prepared against whole parasites or a parasite fraction enriched in rhoptries and dense granules reacted with the PVM in these permeabilized cells, indicating that parasite-encoded antigens were exposed on the cytoplasmic side of the PVM. Parasite antigens responsible for this staining of the PVM were identified by fractionating total parasite proteins by SDS-PAGE and velocity sedimentation, and then affinity purifying "fraction-specific" antibodies from the crude antisera. Proteins responsible for the PVM- staining, identified with fraction-specific antibodies, cofractionated with known rhoptry proteins. The gene encoding one of the rhoptry proteins, ROP 2, was cloned and sequenced, predicting and integral membrane protein. Antibodies specific for ROP 2 reacted with the intact PVM. These results provide the first direct evidence that rhoptry contents participate in the formation of the PVM of T. gondii and suggest a possible role of ROP 2 in parasite-host cell interactions.


Abstract. Continuous measurements of surface mixed layer (SML), decoupled residual/convective layer (DRCL) and aerosol backscatter coefficient were performed within the Barcelona (Spain) boundary layer from September to October 2010 (30 days) in the framework of the SAPUSS (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies) field campaign. Two near-infrared ceilometers (Jenoptik CHM15K), vertically and horizontally probing (only vertical profiles are herein discussed), were deployed. Ceilometer-based DRCLs (1761 ± 363 m a.g.l.) averaged over the campaign duration were twice as high as the mean SML (904 ± 273 m a.g.l.). Both DRCL and SML showed a marked SML diurnal cycle. Ceilometer data were compared with potential temperature profiles measured by daily radiosounding (twice a day, midnight and midday) to interpret the boundary layer structure in the coastal urban area of Barcelona. The overall agreement ( R 2 = 0.80) between the ceilometer-retrieved and radiosounding-based SML heights ( h ) revealed overestimation of the SML by the ceilometer (Δ h =145 ± 145 m). After separating the data in accordance with different atmospheric scenarios, the lowest SML (736 ± 183 m) and DRCL (1573 ± 428 m) were recorded during warm North African (NAF) advected air mass. By contrast, higher SML and DRCL were observed during stagnant Regional (REG) (911 ± 234 m and 1769 ± 314 m, respectively) and cold Atlantic (ATL) (965 ± 222 m and 1878 ± 290 m, respectively) air masses. In addition to being the lowest, the SML during the NAF scenario frequently showed a flat upper boundary throughout the day possibly because of the strong winds from the Mediterranean Sea limiting the midday SML convective growth. The mean backscatter coefficients were calculated at two selected heights representative of middle and top SML portions, i.e. β 500 = 0.59 ± 0.45 Mm −1 sr −1 and β 800 = 0.87 ± 0.68 Mm −1 sr −1 at 500 m and 800 m a.g.l., respectively. The highest backscatter coefficients were observed during NAF (β 500 = 0.77 ± 0.57 Mm −1 sr −1 ) when compared with ATL (β 500 = 0.51 ± 0.44 Mm −1 sr −1 ) and REG (β 500 = 0.64 ± 0.39 Mm −1 sr −1 ). The relationship between the vertical change in backscatter coefficient and atmospheric stability (∂θ/∂ z ) was investigated in the first 3000 m a.g.l., aiming to study how the unstable, stable or neutral atmospheric conditions of the atmosphere alter the distribution of aerosol backscatter with height over Barcelona. A positive correlation between unstable conditions and enhanced backscatter and vice versa was found.


Enterprise resource planning systems are the IT backbone of companies in the IT markets and in all those where efficient and integrated business processes are a necessity to stay competitive. As the markets change also the IT requirements do and the need for an Enterprise resource planning system replacement rises. This article argues that business process modeling tools can be used to document and communicate changes in the operational and organizational structure related to the replacement. The suitability of a tool with typical modeling features is evaluated within a project. The findings regarding semantics, structure, documentation, and re-usability are discussed and an outlook for future research is given.


A hybrid imaging system was developed to enable the application of laser-based measurement techniques like UV laser-induced fluorescence in near-production engines with small access ports. For this task, wide-angle characteristics and high lens speed are required in combination with small engine-bound optics able to survive in harsh environmental conditions. Our approach combines a simple and robust access lens with refractive/diffractive (hybrid) imaging stages away from the engine that are customized for individual wavelength bands. We give a detailed insight into the design strategy, including the integration of diffractive optics and the performance of the system with analysis of the modulation transfer function (MTF), lens speed, and stray light. Finally, results from applications in an actual engine are shown.


This presentation reviews the history of our leadership course created at the Simon School of Business in the years 2004-2008. The course is co-authored by Werner Erhard, Michael Jensen, Steve Zaffron and Kari Granger. The intellectual and pedagogical development of the course continues to the present time.Dean Mark Zupan, who created the opportunity for us to develop this course at the Simon School of Business, invited us to review the history and the present state of this revolutionary course whose promise to participants is the following: "If you do what we ask of you, you will leave this course being a leader and exercising leadership effectively as your natural self-expression."We review the theory and structure of the course titled: "Being A Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological and Phenomenological Model". The course is based on an ontological model of leader and leadership that provides direct access to the actual nature of being when one is 'on the court', real-time, being a leader, and opens up and reveals the source of one's actions when one is 'on the court', real-time, exercising leadership. The phenomenological methodology of the course provides direct access to the actual as-lived in the moment, on-the-court experience of being a leader and exercising leadership effectively.We gave the first presentation of this material at the Simon School of Business "Sands Lecture" on February 5, 2014 and later to the Simon School NYC Conference – "The Global Marketplace: Rising To the Challenges of Regulation, Disruption and International Competition", May 8, 2014, Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.


The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) imbalances and dysfunctions can lead to a group of different affections named temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Elderly with TMDs are experiencing severe phenomena due to instability centric relationship, craniomandibular malrelations, hypotonia, edentation and general chronic diseases. The aim of our study is to investigate the efficiency of the pharmacologic treatment followed by prosthetic-aesthetic and gnathological treatment in elderly patients. This prospective study is based on data obtained from 96 patients, aged 65-74, 67 female and 29 male. The data was analyzed by correlating the independent variables with the dependent ones and the prevalence of TMDs. Study results revealed a high prevalence of TMDs (27.35%). The prevalence of TMJ pain (81.25%) and depressive manifestations were high (47.92%). After the pharmacologic medication, in association with prosthetic-aesthetic and gnathological treatment, the prevalence of depressive manifestations decreased (at 32.29%). In conclusion, the pharmacologic medication followed by prosthetic-aesthetic and gnathological treatment determine improved outcomes in elderly patients with TMDs not only in terms of pain and neuropsychiatric manifestations, but also clinically, i.e., at TMJ function level and in all the facial and oral aspects.


Objective. Microvascular damage is pivotal in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc), preceding fibrosis, and whose trigger is not still fully understood. Perivascular progenitor cells, with profibrotic activity and function, are identified by the expression of the isoform 12 of ADAM (ADAM12) and this molecule may be upregulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). The goal of this work was to evaluate whether pericytes in the skin of patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) expressed ADAM12, suggesting their potential contribution to the fibrotic process, and whether TGF-β might modulate this molecule. Methods. After ethical approval, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and fibroblasts (FB) were isolated from bone marrow and skin samples collected from 20 patients with dcSSc. ADAM12 expression was investigated in the skin and in isolated MSC and FB treated with TGF-β by immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time PCR, and western blot. Further, we silenced ADAM12 expression in both dcSSc-MSC and -FB to confirm the TGF-β modulation. Results. Pericytes and FB of dcSSc skin showed an increased expression of ADAM12 when compared with healthy control skin. TGF-β in vitro treatment induced a significant increase of ADAM12 in both SSc-MSC and -FB, with the higher levels observed in dcSSc cells. After ADAM12 silencing, the TGF-β ability to upregulate α-smooth muscle actin in both SSc-MSC and SSc-FB was inhibited. Conclusion. Our results suggest that in SSc, pericytes that transdifferentiate toward activated FB are present in the vascular tree, and TGF-β, while increasing ADAM12 expression, may modulate this transdifferentiation.


OF THE DISSERTATION Implications of a Fully Nonlocal Implementation of the Dispersive Optical Model by MohammadHossein Mahzoon Doctor of Philosophy in Physics Washington University in St. Louis, 2015 Professor Willem H. Dickhoff, Chairperson A fully nonlocal treatment for the dispersive optical model (DOM) is implemented for both the real and imaginary part of the self-energy inspired by ab initio theoretical calculations of this quantity. By means of the dispersion relation between the real and imaginary part of the optical potential a link between the energy domain of nuclear reactions and nuclear structure is established. The relevant scattering data for neutrons and protons on Ca are described with the same quality as was accomplished with previous local versions of the DOM. The solution of the Dyson equation at positive and negative energies is generated with a complete treatment of the nonlocality of the potentials. The resulting propagator has been utilized to explain and predict relevant quantities of the ground-state of the Ca nucleus. In particular the charge density, spectral strength and particle number can, for the first time, be accurately described. Moreover, due to the introduction of nonlocality in the imaginary part of the self-energy it is also possible to describe high-momentum protons and the contribution of the two-body interaction to the ground-state energy. The calculation of the spectral density at positive energies allows for the determination of the spectral strength of mostly occupied single-particle orbits in the continuum. Consistency of the resulting xiii LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES depletion numbers with the corresponding occupation numbers is studied and compared to ab initio calculations for these quantities. Starting from the Ca self-energy, an extension to the Ca nucleus is implemented focusing on the N − Z dependence of the nucleon selfenergy. Neutron scattering data can be described with even better quality than previous local DOM calculations. The scattering properties for protons are of similar excellent quality as for previous local results. From the solution of the Dyson equation for neutrons it is possible to calculate the neutron distribution of this nucleus allowing for the determination of the neutron skin which is relevant for the physics of neutron stars. The resulting value is larger than most calculations previously reported including an ab initio one. An argument supporting a large neutron skin is provided by analyzing proton elastic scattering data on both Ca and Ca.


There are possibilities to reduce the fuel consumption in trucks using hybrid technology. New components are added when hybridizing a vehicle, and these need to be monitored due to safety and legislative demands. Diagnosis aspects due to hybridization of the powertrain are investigated using a model of a long haulage truck. Such aspects are for example that there are more mode switches in the hybrid powertrain compared to a conventional vehicle, and there is a freedom in choosing operating points of the components in the powertrain via the energy management and still fulfill the torque request of the driver. To investigate the influence of energy management and sensor configuration on the performance of the diagnosis system, three diagnosis systems on vehicle level are designed and implemented. The systems are based on different sensor configurations; one with a fairly typical sensor configuration, one with the same number of sensors but in model sense placed more closely to the components to be monitored, and one with the minimal number of sensors to ideally achieve full fault isolability. It is found that there is a connection between the design of the energy management and the diagnosis systems, and that this connection is of special relevance when the model used in the diagnosis is valid only for some operating modes of the powertrain. In consistency based diagnosis it is investigated if there exists a solution to a set of equations with analytical redundancy, where the redundancy is obtained using measurements. The selection of sets of equations to be included in the diagnosis and how and in what order the unknown variables are to be computed affect the diagnosis performance. A simplified vehicle model is used to exemplify how an algebraic loop can be avoided for one computational sequence of the unknowns, but can not be avoided for a different computational sequence given the same overdetermined set of model equations. A vehicle level diagnosis system is designed using a systematic method to obtain unique residuals and that no signal is differentiated. The performance of the designed system is evaluated in a simulation study, and compared to a diagnosis system based on the same sets of equations, but where the residual generators are selected ad hoc. The results of the comparison are positive, which reinforces the idea of considering the properties of the residual generators in a systematic way. A diagnosis system using a map based model of the electric machine is designed. The benefits of using map based models are that it is easy to construct the models if measurements are available, and that such models in general are accurate. As a consequence of the structure of the model, full fault isolability is not possible to achieve using only the model for fault free behavior of the machine. To achieve full fault isolability, fault models are added to the diagnosis system using a model with a different model structure. The system isolates the faults, even though the induced faults are small in the simulation study, and the size of the faults are accurately estimated using observers.


Whereas schools are the most common educational settings worldwide, learning and personal growth can take place in other contexts outside the school system. One of these significant contexts is leisure. Characterized by relative freedom, fewer social constraints than other life domains, self-determination and intrinsic motivation, leisure has been identified as a major context for youth development. This paper presents a study on adolescents' choice and pursuit of their most important and interesting leisure activity. The Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure (SLIM) was distributed to 832 senior secondary school students from 10 secondary schools of different academic banding and geographically distributed around Hong Kong. In completing the questionnaire, students were asked to nominate leisure activity that they regard as most important and interesting. Data analysis revealed the popularity of sports and performance and fine arts activities in such nominations. Reasons for participation were mainly psychological. There were gender and school differences in relation to the activity choice and its underlying reasons. Difference were also found between students' who scored high and those scoring low on the SLIM across gender, school banding, activity types, frequency and duration of activity participation, and reasons for activity choice. Results of the study revealed the existence of serious leisure among adolescents in Hong Kong and highlighted its potential for creating a lasting change in young people's development. Implications are drawn for leisure education in schools and for expanding the studies on adolescents' meaning making of their casual and serious leisure pursuits across different sociocultural settings.


High densities of introduced herbivores can damage sensitive ecosystems, increase the risk of extinction of native biota, and host and spread disease. An essential step in managing large 'feral' animal populations is to quantify how they use habitats so that management interventions, such as culling, can be targeted to reduce densities and to minimize migration into areas from which animals have been removed. An effective method to quantify animal movements is by measuring landscape-scale genetic population structure. We describe the genetic population structure of one of Australia's more destructive introduced mammals - the Asian swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). We collected 524 skin samples from buffalo across their range in the Northern Territory of Australia. Allelic diversity in the Northern Territory population was low compared to those reported from populations in their native Asian habitats. The Australian population is tentatively made of three subpopulations; Melville Island, Eastern Arnhem and Central-Western Arnhem populations. The Melville Island population is represented by a single cluster, while the Eastern Arnhem population has three clusters and the Central-Western Arnhem population seven clusters. We found some support for isolation by distance across all the sampled populations, but little evidence for this relationship when comparing the two well-mixed mainland meta-populations. Despite their small founder populations and limited genetic variation, the persistence of buffalo in Australia has likely been aided by release from high predation, parasitism and disease typical of their native habitats. © 2012 The Authors. Austral Ecology © 2012 Ecological Society of Australia.


Sanitation is a very personal and private matter, inextricably linked to human dignity. At the same time, sanitation has an important public health dimension. In this regard, sanitation is not only about an individual's right to have access to a toilet or latrine. Inadequate sanitation leads to contamination of the environment, of public spaces and water bodies through feces and wastewater and therefore has a negative impact on public health and the life and well-being of everyone in the community, affecting their human rights to health, life, food, and a healthy environment. This multitude of rights concerned makes sanitation complex to understand and address through the lens of human rights.The Article provides background on the lack of access to sanitation faced by billions of people and highlights, in particular, inequalities in access to sanitation. It discusses how sanitation has long been, and continues to be, a neglected issue and how it is slowly gaining more and more attention, including in the context of human rights. The Article traces the steps that led to the political recognition of the human right to sanitation, and then discusses the legal status of the right to sanitation: is sanitation a "new" human right? Or has it rather been an implicit component of existing human rights guarantees that has only recently started receiving increasing attention? The Article argues that sanitation has a legal basis in existing human rights law and is best understood as a distinct human right (also distinct from the human right to water) as a component of the human right to an adequate standard of living. It provides clarification on the definition and specification of the right to sanitation through the criteria of availability, accessibility, affordability, quality and hygiene, and acceptability.Finally, the Article discusses the complexity of realizing the right to sanitation and related human rights combining the aspects of individual dignity and public health. It acknowledges that sanitation is largely a matter of individual responsibility, but argues that states have a significant role to play in creating the environment that enables individuals to practice adequate sanitation as well as in ensuring public health.


The rich array of publications covering music in New York City during the second two decades of the twentieth century provides a compelling account of the reception of ultra-modern music. Newspapers, arts periodicals, and, especially, monthly and weekly music magazines offer tantalizing insight into how music lovers perceived new and challenging music. Before the Great War connections to German musical traditions were strong, and ultra-modern music was mostly imported. During the war ties to Germany were largely severed and ultra-modern music was silenced. After 1918 a more egalitarian and international attitude emerged. The reception of Schoenberg's music in New York City between 1910 and 1923 illustrates the evolution of this new attitude.


A database of global, cloud-free, atmospheric radiosounding profiles was compiled with the aim of simulating radiometric measurements from satellite-borne sensors in the thermal infrared. The objective of the simulation was to use Terra/Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Envisat/Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) data to generate split-window (SW) and dual-angle (DA) algorithms for the retrieval of land surface temperature (LST). The database contains 382 radiosounding profiles acquired from land surfaces, with an almost uniform distribution of precipitable water between 0 and 5.5 cm. Radiative transfer calculations were performed with the MODTRAN 4 code for six different viewing angles between 0 and 65. The resulting radiance spectra were integrated with the response filter functions of MODIS bands 31 and 32 and AATSR channels at 11 and 12 μm. Using the simulation database, SW algorithms adapted for MODIS and AATSR data, and DA algorithms for AATSR data were developed. Both types of algorithms are quadratic in the brightness temperature difference, and depend explicitly on the land surface emissivity. These SW and DA algorithms were validated with actual ground measurements of LST collected concurrently with MODIS and AATSR observations in a large, flat and thermally homogeneous area of rice crops located close to the city of Valencia, Spain. The results were not bias and had a standard deviation of around ± 0.5 K for SW algorithms at the nadir of both sensors; the SW algorithm used in the forward view resulted in a bias of 0.5 K and a standard deviation of ± 0.8 K. The least accurate results were obtained in the DA algorithms with a bias close to -2.0 K and a standard deviation of almost ± 1.0 K.


Abstract. In this paper, some experiments with the Quanergy M8 scanning LIDAR system are related. The distance measurement obtained with the Quanergy M8 can be influenced by different factors. Moreover, measurement errors can originate from different sources. The environment in which the measurements are performed has an influence (temperature, light, humidity, etc.). Errors can also arise from the system itself. Then, it is necessary to determine the influence of these parameters on the quality of the distance measurements. For this purpose different studies are presented and analyzed. First, we studied the temporal stability of the sensor by analyzing observations during time. Secondly, the assessment of the distance measurement quality has been conducted. The aim of this step is to detect systematic errors in measurements regarding the range. Differents series of measurements have been conducted : at different range and in diffrent conditions (indoor and outdoor). Finally, we studied the consistency between the differents beam of the LIDAR.


If you would like to contribute to Sibbaldia please send a summary of the content of your proposed paper to email@example.com . Papers and short notes on the cultivation, conservation, research, botany (but not taxonomic botany), history, landscaping, legislation, management and curation of plants and landscapes in botanic and other gardens will be considered. All papers and short notes are accepted on the understanding that they have not have been accepted for publication or be under consideration elsewhere and that they will be subject to editing. All papers will be reviewed by independent reviewers. Authors are required to agree to the Creative Commons Copyright Notice in the online submission process. Authors for whom English is not their first language should have their papers checked by a fluent English speaker before submission. The suitability for inclusion of the paper in Sibbaldia rests with the Editor. A pdf of the paper and a copy of the final printed format will be supplied to authors free of charge.


The relationship between tumour size, malignancy grade and dense mammographic parenchymal patterns was evaluated by using a nested case-control design with 875 breast cancer cases and 2 601 matched controls. Wolfe's classification was used to assess mammographic parenchymal patterns. The dense P2/DY mammographic parenchymal patterns were significantly associated with invasive ductal grade 3 carcinoma (OR = 2.03; 95% CI 1.13-3.62; p = 0.016). Stratified by tumour size, we found that the odds ratio for grade 3 invasive ductal NOS breast cancer measuring 15-19 mm associated with P2/DY mammographic parenchymal patterns was 3.46 (95% CI 1.12-10.68). For tumours larger than 30 mm, the odds ratio was 10.09 (95% CI 1.27-79.93). The highest risk of grade 3 cancers being in tumours measuring 30 mm + may be due to dedifferentiation of missed cancers, but there is some excess even in the < 20 mm tumours, suggesting an increased risk in association with dense mammographic patterns of some aggressive cancers which are grade 3 at inception. Our results are consistent with the model that breast cancer is a progressive disease, whose development can be arrested by screening, and that the point at which individual tumour progression is stopped is crucial for prognosis not simply in terms of stage of disease, but also of histological grade.


In July 2010, the People's Republic of China took the unprecedented step of implementing detailed, concrete rules on the handling of illegally obtained evidence. This reform was not prompted by a shift in political power, nor was it the result of an independent push from the judiciary. Rather, sixty years into the continuous leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the highest ranks in government appear to recognize that endorsing an exclusionary rule can serve their interests in maintaining power. This Article argues that the PRC Government is adding a new chapter to the international diffusion of exclusionary rules as an authoritarian government that is harnessing the rule to bolster its legitimacy. Often touted as a means of enhancing "judicial integrity," the exclusionary rule in China is better viewed as holistically addressing "governmental integrity." After situating reforms in China within the comparative criminal procedure literature by examining developments in the United States, Germany, Russia, and Taiwan, this Article turns to China and fills a gap in English-language scholarship, which until now has discussed the exclusionary rule almost entirely in the European and Commonwealth contexts. It analyzes how a confluence of domestic pressures complemented by international influences facilitated reforms in China and argues that, at present, the exclusionary rule appears more symbolic than revolutionary. In order for the new reforms to function as more than a mere symbolic integrity-enhancing device, assertive actors in the criminal justice system must gain a toehold and gradually move the rule from the realm of gloss to substance.


This paper presents a numerical study of the flow of a thin liquid film past a circular cylinder. It is investigated in the framework of the lubrication approximation and the corresponding governing equations, formulated in a weak form, are solved in the FEMLAB environment. The effect of the diameter of the circular cylinder on the shape of the free surface is explored and potentially useful correlations derived.


To test the hypotheses of modern human origin in East Asia, we sampled 12,127 male individuals from 163 populations and typed for three Y chromosome biallelic markers (YAP, M89, and M130). All the individuals carried a mutation at one of the three sites. These three mutations (YAP+, M89T, and M130T) coalesce to another mutation (M168T), which originated in Africa about 35,000 to 89,000 years ago. Therefore, the data do not support even a minimal in situ hominid contribution in the origin of anatomically modern humans in East Asia.


Today more and more attention is given to collective movement of dynamic nodes, called flocking. The main problem is how to control the nodes to behave as a group and make them move together to destinations (and moreover complete some tasks such as sensing, transporting, etc.). Currently there are many works, which attempt to solve the flocking problem, but very few of them are suitable for real world use. This is because most of the algorithms are overlooking crucial physical limitations or the used model is not detailed enough. In this paper we survey the existing flocking algorithms, including a review of the most important requirements for real application scenarios.


More in return is a master thesis exploring how we can use the upcoming GDPR law as a possible design opportunity. This diploma can be considered holistic and exploratory, where we dive into a number of topics such as the GDPR law, personal data, data trading, business, and ethics. Because we have worked in a broadly manner with a designerly approach, we believe this has contributed to valuable findings and analyzes in an otherwise unknown field.The focus of this diploma lies in using these findings and analyzes to design opportunities, rather than designing hi-fi, pixel perfect prototypes. Context In our process, we begin by looking at several opportunities the GDPR law can create across different topics. Eventually we scope the project to the context of personal data-trading. Personal data has a great value. In the data trading business enormous amounts of data is being traded every second between giant corporations. This is a trade idividuals are excluded from, even though the data is produced by- and about them. Aim The goal of this diploma is to shed a light on the possibility of enabling individuals to manage their personal data. By designing ManagingData, a proposal for how individuals can control the economical trading of their own data, we hope to create discussion around the ownership of personal data.


This paper presents the measurements of $\pi^{\pm}$, $\rm{K}^{\pm}$, $\rm{p}$ and $\bar{\rm{p}}$ transverse momentum ($p_{\rm{T}}$) spectra as a function of charged-particle multiplicity density in proton-proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. Such study allows us to isolate the center-of-mass energy dependence of light-flavour particle production. The measurements reported here cover a $p_{\rm{T}}$ range from 0.1 GeV/$c$ to 20 GeV/$c$ and are done in the rapidity interval $|y|<0.5$. The $p_{\rm{T}}$-differential particle ratios exhibit an evolution with multiplicity, similar to that observed in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV, which is qualitatively described by some of the hydrodynamical and pQCD-inspired models discussed in this paper. Furthermore, the $p_{\rm{T}}$-integrated hadron-to-pion yield ratios measured in pp collisions at two different center-of-mass energies are consistent when compared at similar multiplicities. This also extends to strange and multi-strange hadrons, suggesting that, at LHC energies, particle hadrochemistry scales with particle multiplicity the same way under different collision energies and colliding systems.


Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MnB) was responsible for two independent meningococcal disease outbreaks at universities in the USA during 2013. The first at University A in New Jersey included nine confirmed cases reported between March 2013 and March 2014. The second outbreak occurred at University B in California, with four confirmed cases during November 2013. The public health response to these outbreaks included the approval and deployment of a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine that was not yet licensed in the USA. This study investigated the use of whole-genome sequencing(WGS) to examine the genetic profile of the disease-causing outbreak isolates at each university. Comparative WGS revealed differences in evolutionary patterns between the two disease outbreaks. The University A outbreak isolates were very closely related, with differences primarily attributed to single nucleotide polymorphisms/insertion-deletion (SNP/indel) events. In contrast, the University B outbreak isolates segregated into two phylogenetic clades, differing in large part due to recombination events covering extensive regions (>30 kb) of the genome including virulence factors. This high-resolution comparison of two meningococcal disease outbreaks further demonstrates the genetic complexity of meningococcal bacteria as related to evolution and disease virulence.


The Moyal and Voros formulations of non-commutative quantum field theory have been a point of controversy in the recent past. Here we address this issue in the context of non-commutative non-relativistic quantum mechanics. In particular, we show that the two formulations simply correspond to two different representations associated with two different choices of basis on the quantum Hilbert space. From a mathematical perspective, the two formulations are therefore completely equivalent, but we also argue that only the Voros formulation admits a consistent physical interpretation. These considerations are elucidated by considering the free-particle transition amplitude in the two representations.


In this dissertation, I investigated the deposition and fate of atmospheric mercury (Hg) to forested landscapes of the Adirondack region in Upstate New York. Despite the fact that forests are the dominant land cover in North America, there has been relatively little research on the deposition, transport, and fate of Hg within forested ecosystems. The objective of this dissertation was to quantify pathways of Hg deposition in forested sites in the Adirondack Park and to examine spatial and geographic patterns of Hg deposition and fate. The research for this dissertation was conducted in three phases. In Phase One, I compared and contrasted Hg deposition processes and Hg soil pools in a deciduous hardwood plot and a coniferous plot for 2009 and 2010 at Huntington Wildlife Forest. Mercury deposition due to litterfall was similar between the two stands, but total Hg deposition was greater in the coniferous plot due to larger fluxes of throughfall Hg. Soil evasion losses of Hg were significantly higher in the hardwood plot. Despite the fact that Hg deposition was greater and evasion losses were lower, soil Hg pools in the conifer plot were smaller than in the hardwood plot. The loss mechanism of Hg in the conifer stand is not clear. Annual variability in climate conditions was substantial between 2009 and 2010, and changes in Hg deposition quantities appear to be related to variation in temperature and precipitation quantity. In Phase Two of this dissertation, I evaluated the effects of elevation and landscape position on atmospheric Hg deposition. Two transects were established along the eastern and western sides of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The 24 sample sites ranged from approximately 450-1450 m above sea level and covered three distinct forest types: deciduous/hardwood forest, spruce/fir conifer forest, and stunted growth alpine/fir forest. Throughfall Hg inputs and Hg accumulation in organic soils were greater in the spruce/fir and alpine areas than the deciduous forest areas. Estimates of cloud water Hg deposition demonstrate that cloud water is an important contributor to total Hg fluxes in alpine environments. Total Hg deposition was correlated to Hg concentrations in organic soil layers. Variation in both physical orographic effects and biological forest types appear to drive Hg deposition processes along this mountainous elevation gradient. In Phase Three of this study, I evaluated spatial patterns of Hg deposition by collecting canopy foliage and organic soils from 45 different plots across the Adirondack Park. The results showed species-specific differences in foliar uptake of Hg with the lowest concentrations found in first-year growth conifer needles and the highest concentrations found in black cherry (Prunus serotina). Latitude and longitude were negatively correlated with Hg concentrations in foliage and humus layer soils, while elevation was positively correlated with Hg concentrations in foliage and humus layer soils. Elemental analysis of foliage and soil also showed strong, positive correlations between Hg concentrations and nitrogen concentrations in foliage and soil. The spatial patterns of Hg deposition within the Adirondack Park are similar to patterns found for other atmospheric contaminants that originate largely from combustion sources, such as nitrogen and sulfur. DEPOSITION AND FATE OF ATMOSPHERIC MERCURY IN FORESTED LANDSCAPES OF THE ADIRONDACK PARK, NEW YORK By Bradley D. Blackwell B.S., Lubbock Christian University, 2003 M.S., Texas Christian University, 2008 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering in the Graduate School of Syracuse University


In this report the decorrelation of a speckle pattern created by the transmission of laser light through a stable tissue phantom with a scattering fluid flowing through a tube inside is discussed.
After the introduction, theory is developed and adapted from literature in chapter 2 to describe this process. This is done along three lines.
First, in section 2.1, an equation based on one-dimensional diffusion theory to calculate the amount of transmitted light that went through the tube in the sample is derived and discussed. As is shown in section 2.2, with this equation, the normalized autocorrelation function of the speckle pattern can be expressed in terms of the geometrical parameters of the sample and the intermediate scattering function as follows:
where is the radius of the tube, is the radius of the illuminated area, is an instrumental factor ranging between 0 and 1 and is the intermediate scattering function. Two existing models are adapted in section 2.3 to find an expression for the intermediate scattering function . One is generally used in Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) and includes both Brownian and translational movement. The other is based on Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy (DWS) and incorporates only Brownian motion. These models, which result in very distinctive autocorrelation functions, are compared and discussed in this same section.
As a third and more basic theoretical approach, laminar flow of a fluid in a tube was considered in section 2.4. An equation was derived for the time scale of decorrelation effects caused by translation of the fluid:
where is the wavelength of the light used and Q is the discharge. Though this equation gives no predictions about the shape or half times of the autocorrelation function, it gives an upper limit of the time scales on which decorrelation caused by translational motion of the fluid can take place. A final conclusion and discussion of the theoretical chapter 2 is given in section 2.5.
Chapter 3 covers the experimental aspects of this research. In section 3.1, the predictions coming from the different models are discussed. Apart from the fact that the shapes of the autocorrelation functions from the LDF and DWS model differ, the time scales also differ a lot: for a 2.2 mm diameter tube, half times are in the range of 10-8 s for the LDF model, and in the range of 10-5 s for the DWS model. Meanwhile, the tube flow considerations give an upper limit to the time scales of decorrelation caused by fluid motion in the range of 10-4 s for the discharges considered in this report (excluding Q = 0).
Section 3.2 explains the setup used in the experiments and gives relevant specifications (material parameters, camera specifications etc.). The experimental results are shown and discussed in the following section, 3.3. The experiments were done on two Delrin slabs, one with a 2.2 mm and the


Retail environments are critical transmission points for Listeria
monocytogenes to humans. Past
studies have shown L. monocytogenes contamination varies widely across
retail environments. L. monocytogenes can transmit among environmental
surfaces and subsequently from environment to food via cross-contamination. Modified
SSOPs (sanitation standard operating procedures) have been shown to have limited
impact on reducing L. monocytogenes prevalence in retail deli
environments. Food safety culture and climate, such as beliefs, values, and
hygiene behaviors, have been identified as factors impacting food safety
performance and microbial outputs. Handwashing and its compliance are among the
most prominent personal hygiene aspects subjected to investigation in the past
decade, illustrating hygiene behavior as a risk factor and an important
consideration to ensure food safety. Additionally, effective management and
well-designed infrastructure, such as vertical and lateral communication,
employees' training, accountability, and equipment designed to prevent
cross-contamination, have also been described as critical contributors to a sustainable
food safety program. However, given such a deadly foodborne pathogen as L.
monocytogenes, the correlation between food safety culture and its prevalence
remains unknown. We hypothesized that
there was a relationship among food safety culture management, infrastructure,
and L. monocytogenes prevalence at retail. Our goal is to identify additional risk
factors on L. monocytogenes control, develop feasible recommendations, and
direct resources to enhance food safety.

In the present dissertation, we developed and implemented a
predictive risk model, along with employee- and management-implemented SSOPs,
in 50 deli establishments across six U.S. states to evaluate and control L.
monocytogenes contamination risk and prevalence (Chapter 2). The predictive
risk model, based on logistic regression, uses five environmental sites to
predict L. monocytogenes prevalence in the entire deli environment. It identified
13 high-risk stores, seven of which were confirmed during subsequent monthly
sampling. We found that deep clean intervention reduced L. monocytogenes prevalence
on non-food contact surfaces both immediately after the intervention and during
follow-up, with marginal significance (αadj=0.0125). The employee-
and management-implemented deep clean can control L. monocytogenes
prevalence in retail delis; the predictive risk model, though conservative,
will require further validations and can be useful for surveillance purposes.

Complementary to the above study, we tackled the L.
monocytogenes challenge via food safety culture and climate approach
(Chapter 3). Concurrently to the monthly environmental sampling, we distributed
food safety culture and climate survey to the 50 stores, with one manager and
up to five associates from each establishment, over a 12-month period and
overlapped with before, after, and follow-up deep clean. We found that stores
with lower L. monocytogenes contamination risk had better food safety
culture, including greater sense of commitment to food safety program (padj=0.0317)
and more complete training (padj=0.0117). Deep clean improved
managers' (padj=0.0243) and associates' (padj=0.0057)
commitment to food safety. This study indicates that food safety culture and
climate are crucial component in building a viable, sustainable food safety
program.

Another survey tool was used to evaluate infrastructure
designs, management strategies, and sanitation practices in relation to L.
monocytogenes control in retail produce environments (Chapter 4). We
distributed the survey to 30 retail produce departments across seven U.S.
states. Hand hygiene, minimizing cross-contamination, and maximizing equipment
cleanability were the most prominent factors in L. monocytogenes
control.


OBJECTIVES
A variety of mechanical processes can result in antemortem dental chipping. In this study, chipping data in the teeth of Homo naledi are compared with those of other pertinent dental samples to give insight into their etiology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Permanent teeth with complete crowns evidencing occlusal wear were examined macroscopically. The location, number, and severity of fractures were recorded and compared to those found in samples of two other South African fossil hominin species and in samples of nonhuman primates (n = 3) and recent humans (n = 7).

RESULTS
With 44% of teeth affected, H. naledi exhibits far higher rates of chipping than the other fossil hominin samples. Specifically, 50% of posterior teeth and 31% of anterior teeth display at least one chip. The maxillary teeth are more affected than the mandibular teeth (45% vs 43%, respectively), 73% of molar chipping occurs on interproximal surfaces, and right teeth are more often affected than left teeth (50% vs 38%).

DISCUSSION
Results indicate that the teeth of H. naledi were exposed to acute trauma on a regular basis. Because interproximal areas are more affected than buccal and posterior teeth more than anterior, it is unlikely that nonmasticatory cultural behavior was the cause. A diet containing hard and resistant food, or contaminants such as grit, is more likely. The small chip size, and steep occlusal wear and cupped dentine on some molars are supportive of the latter possibility. This pattern of chipping suggests that H. naledi differed considerably-in terms of diet, environment, and/or specialized masticatory processing-relative to other African fossil hominins.


Consciousness-raising seems to be a major indicator for educational policy and formation of a mature society. Therefore, the aim of this article is to reveal the meaning of consciousness-raising in a theoretical context. Accordingly, the goals of the research are formulated as such: to analyze the variety of concepts of consciousness-raising and to discuss its main assumptions and factors. Several conclusions have been singled out after analysis of philosophical, pedagogical and psychological scientific literature. First, the ambiguous concept of consciousness-raising is associated with knowledge about reality, the ability to monitor, understand, responsibly analyze ourselves, the surrounding environment, our own beliefs, values; also to analyze the meanings and outcomes of our behaviour. Usually consciousness is identified with the ability to think critically: to bracket existing knowledge and awareness, be able to sort out facts and opinions, analyze and interpret reality problems and ambiguities, critically question the assumptions of social phenomena, and using our own experience to promote both transformations of perceptions and take active steps in changing reality, reforming society and seeking emancipation. Second, consciousness manifests through self-reflection, transformation of values and alteration of an unsatisfying social environment. It overwhelms everlasting personal spiritual and social growth with the ultimate aim to develop a mature personality. Consciousness covers all spheres of human life (starting with self-directed learning and self-realization of professional activities, moving on to relationships with family, friends, and ultimately the public) and is connected with self-building and selfmanagement. Third, self-directed learning is very important in consciousness-raising and is an integral part of the educational process. The need for consciousness-raising occurs only when a person is unsatisfied with the current situation and seeks change. Major factors of consciousness-raising are excluded, such as specific area (condition, context, or circumstances) lack of information on particular social issue and opportunity for discussion and reflection.


: A probabilistic safety analysis methodology based on Bayesian network model is presented, in which all the elements encountered when travelling along a railway line, such as terrain, infrastructure, tunnels, viaducts, light signals, speed limit signs, curves, switches, rolling stock, and any other element related to its safety are reproduced. Especial attention is given to human error and modelling the driver behaviour variables and their time evolution. The conditional probabilities of variables given their parents are given by means of closed formulas, which facilitate the software implementation of the proposed models. The model provides a probabilistic safety assessment of the line such that its most critical elements can be identified and sorted by importance. This permits improving the line safety and optimizing the maintenance program by concentrating on the most critical elements. To reduce the complexity of the problem, a method is given that divides the Bayesian network into small parts such that the complexity of the problem becomes linear in the number of items. In addition, when an accident occurs, a backward inference process allows us to identify the causes of incidents. The case of the real Palencia–Santander and Vitoria-Zaragoza lines together with some other simple examples are used to illustrate the advantages of the proposed methodology.


An all-optical switch using saturable absorption that accompanies refractive-index change such as in graphene films is proposed. The switching conditions are theoret‐ ically derived for arbitrary values of absorption and refractive-index change. It is found that switching can be performed by weaker control light when the refractive-index change is accompanied in saturable absorption. Switching conditions for various combinations of absorption and refractive-index change are confirmed by FD-BPM simulation. As an experimental demonstration of saturable absorption in graphene, we discuss measured nonlinear absorption in a graphene-loaded wave‐ guide. The saturable absorption and refractive-index change through vertically placed multilayered graphene sheets are also discussed based on reported experimental results.


In recent years, real-world studies (RWS) are gaining increasing interests, because they can generate more realistic and generalizable results than randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT). In 2017, we published a RCT in 741 early childhood care and education providers (CCPs). It is the Phase I of our iLookOut for Child Abuse project (iLookOut), an online, interactive learning module about reporting suspected child maltreatment. That study demonstrated that in a RCT setting, the iLookOut is efficient at improving CCPs' knowledge of and attitudes towards child maltreatment reporting. However, the generalizability of that RCT's results in a RWS setting remains unknown. To address this question, we design and conduct this large RWS in 11,065 CCPs, which is the Phase II of the iLookOut. We hypothesize replication of the earlier RCT findings, i.e., the iLookOut can improve CCPs' knowledge of and attitudes toward child maltreatment reporting in a real world setting. In addition, this RWS also explores whether demographic factors affect CCPs' performance. Results of this RWS confirmed the generalizability of the previous RCT's results in a real world setting. It yielded similar effect sizes for knowledge and attitudes as were found in the earlier RCT. Cohen's d for knowledge improvement was 0.95 in that RCT, 0.96 in this RWS; Cohen's d for attitude improvement was 0.98 in that RCT, 0.80 in this RWS. Also, we found several significant differences in knowledge and attitude improvement with regard to age, race, education, and employment status. In conclusion, iLookOut improves knowledge and attitudes of CCPs about child maltreatment prevention and reporting in a real-world setting. The generalizability of the initial RCT findings to this RWS provides strong evidence that the iLookout will be effective in other real world settings. It can be a useful model for other interventions aimed at preventing child maltreatment. Clinical trial registration for the original RCT: NCT02225301 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier)


This article identifies the theoretical and practical limits of postmodern skepticism about objective, transcultural standards in law and morals. Stanley Fish tells us that moral issues are intelligible only within the "paradigms or communities that give them their local and changeable shape." This is one formulation of antifoundationalism, which rejects the idea of a transcultural moral reality that binds all people. Antifoundationalists see value judgments as contingent cultural products that cannot be objectively true. But can we do anything with this thesis in practice? Postmodern pragmatists like Richard Rorty and Joan Williams believe that we can; they say we would benefit by understanding our moral principles as no more than cultural preferences. This Article takes issue with that approach and provides a series of pragmatic counter-arguments in favor of objectivist moral and legal discourse. By investigating the relationship between the anti-foundationalist claim and the universal human rights claim, this Article demonstrates that (a) the thesis that our moral commitments are produced through a contingent historical process can never tell us what commitments we should have; (b) to formulate such commitments, we require an objectivist language of evaluation, one which is not confined to diagnosing the play of cultural and psychological forces but which stands apart from them; and (c) in law and morals this objectivist discourse expresses the distinctions we experience as morally sensitive beings, including the difference between the fair and illegitimate uses of power. A truly pragmatic view would recognize that objective moral claims are not a way we stake out a metaphysical position, but the way we inhabit and describe a nuanced normative world. These are pragmatic arguments which show that anti-foundationalist theory is so divorced from the human experience of agency and choice that we cannot utilize it in practice. In the final section, the Article offers some affirmative reasons to believe that the universal human rights claim states a transcultural moral truth.


"Use and Throw" policy adoption by users and manufacturers, lack of awareness and poor intermingled management practices, innovations and industrialisation has led to generation of Ewaste which in coming years will be a considerable component Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). One of the major contributors of Ewaste is engineering institutes due to mandatory provision of different facilities according to norms after IT and electronics sector. Engineering Institutes are being funded for development under different schemes for which the major purchase is of electronic gadgets. The quantity of Ewaste as per AICTE norms is calculated theoretically and practically which comes out to be 0.334 tonnes / year for 7 years life cycle and 0.262 tonnes / year till the obsolescence of 2009 at institutes. If followed the norms of AICTE, the generation rate of E –waste can be kept still to minimum as compared to present rate of generation in future. This paper gives study of quantity calculation of Ewaste generated theoretically and practically in one of the reputed Engineering Institutes which will further led to suggestion of optimisation for E – waste generated. This study will further be extended suitable management of Ewaste through a mathematical model for Engineering Institutes.


We experimentally study the factors that limit the span in frequency combs derived from the crystalline whispering gallery mode resonators. We observe that cavity dispersion is the key property that governs the parameters of the combs resulting from cascaded four wave mixing process. Two different regimes of comb generation are observed depending on the precise cavity dispersion behavior at the pump wavelength. In addition, the comb generation efficiency is found to be affected by the crossing of modes of different families. The influence of Raman lasing and its dependence on temperature is discussed.


[1] We use atmospheric ozone density profiles between 35 and 65 km altitude derived from SCIAMACHY limb measurements to quantify the ozone changes caused by the solar proton events from 26 October to 6 November 2003, known as the "Halloween storm." Detailed maps and daily resolved time series up to 5 weeks after the first event are compared with the results from a chemistry, transport, and photolysis model of the middle atmosphere that includes NOx and HOx production due to energetic particle precipitation. The general features of the ozone loss are captured by the model fairly well. A strong ozone depletion of more than 50% even deep into the stratosphere is observed at high geomagnetic latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas the observed ozone depletion in the more sunlit Southern Hemisphere is much weaker. Reasons for these interhemispheric differences are given. Two regimes can be distinguished, one above about 50 km dominated by HOx (H, OH, HO2) driven ozone loss, one below about 50 km, dominated by NOx (NO, NO2) driven ozone loss. The regimes display a different temporal evolution of ozone depletion and recovery. We observe for the first time an establishment of two contemporaneous maxima of ozone depletion at different altitudes, which solely can be explained by these regimes.


The isolation and characterization of a strain of Pseudomonas oleovorans which epoxidates 1-octene at a rate nine times that of the original strain are described. In addition, it has been confirmed that a greater amount of the mono-epoxide product is formed from 1,7-octadiene than is formed from 1-octene. 1,7-octadiene will not support growth, but will induce the enzymes required for epoxidation.


On the Internet, images are no longer static; they have become dynamic content. Thanks to the availability of smartphones with cameras and easy-to-use editing software, images can be remixed (i.e., redacted, edited, and re-combined with other content) on-the-fly, allowing a world-wide audience to repeat the process many times. From digital art to memes, the evolution of images through time is now an important topic of study for digital humanists, social scientists, and media forensics specialists. However, because typical data sets in computer vision are composed of static content, there has been limited development of automated algorithms for analyzing remixed content. In this paper, we propose the idea of Motif Mining: the process of finding and summarizing remixed image content in large collections of unlabeled and unsorted data. For the first time, this idea is formalized and a reference implementation grounded in that formalism is introduced. We conduct experiments on three meme-style data sets, including a newly collected set associated with the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. The proposed motif mining approach is able to identify related remixed content that, when compared to similar approaches, more closely aligns with the preferences and expectations of human observers.


Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), are the primary cell to respond to injury in the brain, both in inflammation e.g. in multiple sclerosis (MS), and in trauma. Microglia can be activated in vitro by proinflammatory cytokines such as IFNgamma and TNFalpha and respond by secretion of cytokines, chemokines, proteases, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals. As MS is a putative autoimmune disease of the CNS, chemokines (chemotactic cytokines), secreted by many cell types including T cells and macrophages in MS lesions, have been postulated as key players in the orchestration of the inflammatory response by recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells.As potential mediators of microglial cell recruitment to sites of injury, the ability of microglia to migrate in response to alpha and beta chemokines was assessed. All chemokines tested demonstrated the ability to induce migration and changes in the distribution of filamentous actin in adult rat microglia and a human microglial cell line, CHME3, in vitro. This study indicates that chemokines secreted by activated T cells in the CNS may attract microglia to areas of central nervous system inflammation where they could exert their well documented effects.Proteases are also found in close proximity to MS plaques in increased amounts as agents of myelin breakdown in MS. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependant enzymes, capable of degrading extracellular matrix proteins and are known to be produced by microglia. The control of MMP activity by plasmin, as well as the balance between MMP and levels of their natural inhibitors, TIMPs, may determine lytic or anti-lytic activity in MS. The in vitro control of MMPs 2 and 9, TIMPs 1 and 2 and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) by microglia was examined in response to several chemokines using ELISA and zymography techniques. The chemokines tested were all found to significantly increase the secretion of MMPs and TIMPs by CHME3 cells after 24 hours stimulation. The chemokines, MCP1, MIP1beta and Fractalkine were also shown to increase MMP9 secretion by rat microglia with little or no effect on MMP2. Interestingly, MCP1, MIP1alpha/beta and RANTES significantly decreased the secretion of uPA by CHME3 cells which may indicate an increase in uPAR expression. These results suggest that chemokine mediated control of MMP activity in the breakdown of the blood brain barrier could allow further recruitment of immune cells into the CNS and also cause demyelination of axons by lysis of myelin basic protein.Since chemokines, as well as cytokines, are possible candidates for microglia activation, microglia were tested in their response to several chemokines by measurement of nitrite production, superoxide secretion and Fc receptor expression. The majority of the chemokines tested were able to increase superoxide and nitrite production as well as Fc receptor expression with the exception of the beta chemokine, RANTES, whereby only CHME3 cells produced a significant increase in superoxide production and Fc receptor expression above unstimulated levels suggesting a difference in chemokine receptor expression or a difference in the binding affinity and signal transduction in different cell types.The present study has led to a further understanding of the possible chemokine control of microglial migration, proteinase production and effector function in CNS diseases, as well as their well documented role in recruitment of lymphocytes. Targetting these chemokines in MS patients, with specific antibodies or use of synthetic inhibitors to block their receptors may lead to downregulation of the immune response and a decrease in the severity of the disease.


In this paper, we propose a new architecture to solve the problem of mutual exclusion in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET). The architecture is composed of two layers: (i) a middleware layer that contains a token-based distributed mutual exclusion algorithm (DMEA) and (ii) a network layer that includes two routing forwarding strategies: one to route request messages and the other to route the token message. We also propose a request ordering policy that ensures the usual mutual exclusion properties and reduces the number of hops traversed per critical section (CS) access. The paper also addresses the problem of network partitioning and unreachable nodes. The proposed mutual exclusion algorithm is further enhanced to provide fault tolerance by preventing the loss of the token and generating a new token if the token loss event occurs. The performance complexity as well as the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm experiences low number of hops per CS access.


PURPOSE
A percentage of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells in tissue and organ culture have been shown to contain cross-linked actin networks (CLANs) when exposed to dexamethasone, as have TM cultures derived from glaucomatous individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CLANs exist within TM cells in situ in tissue unmanipulated by culturing, thereby eliminating the possibility that CLANs are artifacts of culture conditions, and to determine their numbers and dimensions in normal and glaucoma TM cells.

METHODS
Twelve human donor eyes (five normal and seven with glaucoma) provided the TM tissue. Each eye was dissected, and the TM tissue was exposed either by microdissection (qualitative studies) or cryo-sectioning (quantitative analysis). The actin cytoskeleton was visualized using a high-affinity probe and viewed using confocal microscopy.

RESULTS
Qualitative examination of the microdissected tissue revealed that CLANs and CLAN-like structures were a common finding in the TM cells in every specimen, irrespective of whether they were from normal or glaucomatous eyes. CLAN size and phenotype were variable, with the same variations occurring in both normal and glaucomatous eyes. Quantitative analysis showed that there were more CLANs in glaucoma TM specimens than normal TM specimens, but this difference was not statistically significant. The mean number of CLANs/TM cell in our glaucoma tissue was estimated to be 1.03, while in the elderly normal controls it was 0.67.

CONCLUSIONS
This study showed for the first time that CLANs exist in cells of TM tissues from both normal and glaucomatous eyes that have not been manipulated by either tissue or organ culture procedures. It also provides quantitative data on CLAN prevalence in organized TM tissue, which indicates that CLANs are far more common than predicted (even from tissue culture) and there may be one in every cell in the glaucomatous TM in situ.


The novel nature of SARS-CoV-2 calls for the development of efficient de novo drug design approaches. In this study, we propose an end-to-end framework, named CogMol (Controlled Generation of Molecules), for designing new drug-like small molecules targeting novel viral proteins with high affinity and off-target selectivity. CogMol combines adaptive pre-training of a molecular SMILES Variational Autoencoder (VAE) and an efficient multi-attribute controlled sampling scheme that uses guidance from attribute predictors trained on latent features. To generate novel and optimal drug-like molecules for unseen viral targets, CogMol leverages a protein-molecule binding affinity predictor that is trained using SMILES VAE embeddings and protein sequence embeddings learned unsupervised from a large corpus. CogMol framework is applied to three SARS-CoV-2 target proteins: main protease, receptor-binding domain of the spike protein, and non-structural protein 9 replicase. The generated candidates are novel at both molecular and chemical scaffold levels when compared to the training data. CogMol also includes insilico screening for assessing toxicity of parent molecules and their metabolites with a multi-task toxicity classifier, synthetic feasibility with a chemical retrosynthesis predictor, and target structure binding with docking simulations. Docking reveals favorable binding of generated molecules to the target protein structure, where 87-95 % of high affinity molecules showed docking free energy < -6 kcal/mol. When compared to approved drugs, the majority of designed compounds show low parent molecule and metabolite toxicity and high synthetic feasibility. In summary, CogMol handles multi-constraint design of synthesizable, low-toxic, drug-like molecules with high target specificity and selectivity, and does not need target-dependent fine-tuning of the framework or target structure information.


Abstract. AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data are the primary benchmark for evaluating satellite-retrieved aerosol properties. However, despite its extensive coverage, the representativeness of the AERONET data is rarely discussed. Indeed, many studies have shown that satellite retrieval biases have a significant degree of spatial correlation that may be problematic for higher-level processes or inverse-emissions-modeling studies. To consider these issues and evaluate relative performance in regions of few surface observations, cross-comparisons between the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products of operational MODIS Collection 5.1 Dark Target (DT) and operational MODIS Collection 5.1 Deep Blue (DB) with MISR version 22 were conducted. Through such comparisons, we can observe coherent spatial features of the AOD bias while sidestepping the full analysis required for determining when or where either retrieval is more correct. We identify regions where MODIS to MISR AOD ratios were found to be above 1.4 and below 0.7. Regions where lower boundary condition uncertainty is likely to be a dominant factor include portions of Western North America, the Andes mountains, Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Central Asia. Similarly, microphysical biases may be an issue in South America, and specific parts of Southern Africa, India Asia, East Asia, and Indonesia. These results help identify high-priority locations for possible future deployments of both in situ and ground based remote sensing measurements. The Supplement includes a kml file.


A key function of trial courts is their gatekeeping responsibility, by which courts advance the truth-seeking function of the trial process. This article makes the rather unremarkable argument that the Federal Rules of Evidence rest upon a "reliability paradigm" that undergirds almost every rule of evidence. For most rules, the evidentiary foundation required for admitting evidence ensures its reliability. Courts effectively conduct gatekeeping merely by applying the rules such as the hearsay exceptions in FRE 803 and 804. For other rules, the reliability paradigm has informed the interpretation of the rules as was the case for FRE 702 in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. A general thesis of this article is that it is especially appropriate in criminal trials for courts to engage in gatekeeping for evidence shown to be fraught with reliability issues and highly prone to mislead the jury and cause a wrongful criminal conviction. This article applies the holistic interpretation of the rules of evidence seen in Daubert to eyewitness identification, the leading cause of wrongful convictions. The analysis illustrates the manner in which evidentiary reliability gatekeeping should be applied to eyewitness identifications. Numerous scientific studies and overturned convictions show that traditional trial protections such as the right to counsel and cross-examination do not suffice to prevent wrongful convictions. Jurors do not possess the specialized knowledge necessary to evaluate the reliability of eyewitness identifications properly, nor is it feasible for them to obtain this knowledge during trial. Unfortunately for the wrongly accused, identification testimony has traditionally gotten a free pass under the rules of evidence, and the Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed that due process does not provide meaningful reliability screening (ironically, citing the "protective rules of evidence" as one of the sources of regulation). The article examines a pair of recent New Jersey cases that attempt to provide more effective screening for eyewitness identification. While the cases do advocate the use of best practices by law enforcement in obtaining eyewitness identifications, the article contends that the rulings impose substantive and procedural limitations that will make the new gatekeeping regime largely ineffective. The immediacy of the erroneous identification challenge demands assertive judicial oversight. Only by fully embracing the gatekeeping role provided under rules of evidence will trial courts actually abate the leading cause of wrongful convictions in the absence of legislative reform. Daubert teaches that judicial initiative can start the process of rule revision that leads the advisory committee to make appropriate amendments. The last section of the article makes some preliminary suggestions for amendments to the FRE (and state counterparts) that would go a long way in making explicit the gatekeeping process necessary to prevent wrongful convictions caused by misidentification.


The components of house prices and several main influencing factors partially affected by the policies in the market price system were analyzed in this thesis. Then the stochastic gradient regression theory was introduced briefly. The method of the stochastic gradient regression was taken to analyze the real data of Tianjin commercial real estate sale prices in the past decade. The relativity analysis results of the factors influencing housing prices in Tianjin were shown by using stochastic gradient regression model according to the relevant data of Tianjin housing prices after 1998. The influencing degree that the main factors affected the changes of Tianjin commercial real estate prices during the recent years were explained in detail and concluded in this paper.


Koala retrovirus (KoRV)-related disease is a major suspected cause of death in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in zoos in North America. There are currently eleven zoos exhibiting koalas in North America. A mortality survey of these institutions indicated that mortalities directly related to KoRV (e.g., lymphoma, leukemia, anemia, bone marrow hypoplasia, osteochondromatosis) and mortalities suspected to be KoRV-related (e.g., immunosuppression, unusual opportunistic infections (e.g., Coccidioidomycosis), potentially other neoplasia) account for 41% of deaths. Testing of the living North American koala population for a recently reported, exogenous koala retrovirus variant (KoRV-B) identified four KoRV-B-positive individuals in a population of 54 koalas (7.4%).


We evaluated 18,014 patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at 235 centers worldwide to examine the incidence of and risk factors for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). PTLD developed in 78 recipients, with 64 cases occurring less than 1 year after transplantation. The cumulative incidence of PTLD was 1.0% +/- 0.3% at 10 years. Incidence was highest 1 to 5 months posttransplant (120 cases/10,000 patients/yr) followed by a steep decline to less than 5/10,000/yr among >/=1-year survivors. In multivariate analyses, risk of early-onset PTLD (<1 year) was strongly associated (P <.0001) with unrelated or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatched related donor (relative risk [RR] = 4.1), T-cell depletion of donor marrow (RR = 12.7), and use of antithymocyte globulin (RR = 6.4) or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (RR = 43.2) for prophylaxis or treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). There was a weaker association with the occurrence of acute GVHD grades II to IV (RR = 1.9, P =.02) and with conditioning regimens that included radiation (RR = 2.9, P =.02). Methods of T-cell depletion that selectively targeted T cells or T plus natural killer (NK) cells were associated with markedly higher risks of PTLD than methods that removed both T and B cells, such as the CAMPATH-1 monoclonal antibody or elutriation (P =.009). The only risk factor identified for late-onset PTLD was extensive chronic GVHD (RR = 4.0, P =.01). Rates of PTLD among patients with 2 or >/=3 major risk factors were 8.0% +/- 2.9% and 22% +/- 17.9%, respectively. We conclude that factors associated with altered immunity and T-cell regulatory mechanisms are predictors of both early- and late-onset PTLD.


PURPOSE
To design a cost effective phantom for commissioning tests and patient specific quality assurance in VMAT techniqueMethods: The phantom is made of PMMA with the physical density of 1.18 gm/cc. It consists of 20 numbers of 20cm diameter discs connected together in a horizontal stack, making a cylinder of length 20cm. The centers of the discs are drilled with 2.1cm hole which accommodates chamber sleeve of near 2.1cm diameter, which is made of Delrin with the physical density of 1.414gm/cc. The cylindrical geometry of the phantom is ideal for rotational therapy QA like VMAT or Rapid arc. The entire phantom is self supporting and hence no supporting bar or holders are in the path of beam geometry. The chamber sleeve itself acts as the supporting rod for these discs and it can be inserted in to the disc assembly from distance of-9cm to +10cm from the origin and hence any axial point from -9cm to +10cm with respect to isocenter can be used for point dose measurement. The other side of the chamber sleeve is filled by spacer rod for sustaining the discs in place. The films can be inserted, transversely in any XZ plane from -9cm to +10cm from the origin between the discs next to the chamber center.

RESULTS
Simultaneous irradiation for the chamber and the film is done for VMAT plans without collapsing the gantry angles to nominal angle of zero. Evaluated the results using RIT film analysis software for gamma index of 3%, 3mm. Good agreement is found with more than 95% of pixels passing 3% 3mm criteria. The point dose verification showed less than 3% variation with TPS planned dose.

CONCLUSIONS
Most of the commercial QA systems needs gantry to be collapsed to zero degree to perform QA for modern RT techniques. Especially for techniques like VMAT, collapsing gantry to zero will fail to validate the influence of gantry speed on dose delivery.


This work is motivated by the necessity to automate the discovery of structure in vast and ever-growing collection of relational data commonly represented as graphs, for example genomic networks. A novel algorithm, dubbed Graphitour, for structure induction by lossless graph compression is presented and illustrated by a clear and broadly known case of nested structure in a DNA molecule. This work extends to graphs some well established approaches to grammatical inference previously applied only to strings. The bottom-up graph compression problem is related to the maximum cardinality (non-bipartite) maximum cardinality matching problem. The algorithm accepts a variety of graph types including directed graphs and graphs with labeled nodes and arcs. The resulting structure could be used for representation and classification of graphs


Abstract. Advances in embedded systems and low-cost gas sensors are enabling a new wave of low-cost air quality monitoring tools. Our team has been engaged in the development of low-cost, wearable, air quality monitors (M-Pods) using the Arduino platform. These M-Pods house two types of sensors – commercially available metal oxide semiconductor (MOx) sensors used to measure CO, O3, NO2, and total VOCs, and NDIR sensors used to measure CO2. The MOx sensors are low in cost and show high sensitivity near ambient levels; however they display non-linear output signals and have cross-sensitivity effects. Thus, a quantification system was developed to convert the MOx sensor signals into concentrations. We conducted two types of validation studies – first, deployments at a regulatory monitoring station in Denver, Colorado, and second, a user study. In the two deployments (at the regulatory monitoring station), M-Pod concentrations were determined using collocation calibrations and laboratory calibration techniques. M-Pods were placed near regulatory monitors to derive calibration function coefficients using the regulatory monitors as the standard. The form of the calibration function was derived based on laboratory experiments. We discuss various techniques used to estimate measurement uncertainties. The deployments revealed that collocation calibrations provide more accurate concentration estimates than laboratory calibrations. During collocation calibrations, median standard errors ranged between 4.0–6.1 ppb for O3, 6.4–8.4 ppb for NO2, 0.28–0.44 ppm for CO, and 16.8 ppm for CO2. Median signal to noise (S / N) ratios for the M-Pod sensors were higher than the regulatory instruments: for NO2, 3.6 compared to 23.4; for O3, 1.4 compared to 1.6; for CO, 1.1 compared to 10.0; and for CO2, 42.2 compared to 300–500. By contrast, lab calibrations added bias and made it difficult to cover the necessary range of environmental conditions to obtain a good calibration. A separate user study was also conducted to assess uncertainty estimates and sensor variability. In this study, 9 M-Pods were calibrated via collocation multiple times over 4 weeks, and sensor drift was analyzed, with the result being a calibration function that included baseline drift. Three pairs of M-Pods were deployed, while users individually carried the other three. The user study suggested that inter-M-Pod variability between paired units was on the same order as calibration uncertainty; however, it is difficult to make conclusions about the actual personal exposure levels due to the level of user engagement. The user study provided real-world sensor drift data, showing limited CO drift (under −0.05 ppm day−1), and higher for O3 (−2.6 to 2.0 ppb day−1), NO2 (−1.56 to 0.51 ppb day−1), and CO2 (−4.2 to 3.1 ppm day−1). Overall, the user study confirmed the utility of the M-Pod as a low-cost tool to assess personal exposure.