In many countries across the world, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are seen as a new model of sub-municipal governance to secure private capital for improving the attractiveness of a city's central spaces. Originating from North America (Canada and the United States), this model of self-taxing districts, often based on public–private partnerships, has spread to other continents, including Europe, Australia and Africa. This theme issue explores the internationalization and the contextualization of the BID model in both Northern countries (the United States, Canada, Germany and Sweden) and Southern countries (South Africa). The collection of articles focuses on key debates surrounding BIDs and presents different theoretical perspectives as well as lines of argument in relation to these debates. Relying on approaches based on political economy and local governance regimes, Foucault-inspired sociology of governance and governmentality studies or critical discourse analysis, the authors discuss the nature and significance of BIDs in relation to state restructuring and the neoliberalization of urban policies and to emergent rationalities and practices of security governance and policing arrangements. Using the recent discussions of policy transfer and 'urban policy mobilities', they look at the international circulation of the BID model and its local embeddedness, exploring the role of the global circuits of knowledge and the ways in which the model has been adopted and reshaped in different cities. Drawing a complex and differentiated picture of BIDs across continents and cities, this collection of articles emphasizes both the need for more comparative research across diverse urban experiences and contexts and the relevance of a relational perspective in urban studies that blurs the traditional lines of separation between studies of Northern and Southern cities.


The capabilities of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to integrate all necessary business functions into a single system with a shared database efficiently and effectively has persuaded organisations to adopt them. Research shows that ERP implementation in both large and small to medium enterprises has been a difficult challenge for organisations throughout the years. Despite the many advantages of ERP systems, there isn t a clear and easy way of implementing them in Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The motivation for the research is to investigate the barriers to ERP software system implementation in an SME using a case study approach, and to identify the steps to overcome these barriers and investigate the claim of ERP vendors that their ERP solutions improve the performance of their customers, the profitability and efficiency of work processes. This research identifies the barriers to ERP implementation in an SME, provides an overview of the traditional and current approaches of ERP implementation and discusses the effects of adopting an ERP system on the company s overall performance. The research uses a mix of methods including case study research and action research. Un-structured interviews and semi structured interviews approaches with negotiation and change management techniques were also used in order to generate knowledge concerning the problems at the case study.
The case study has determined reasons for failed implementations, unlike previous research which suggests education level impact upon the implementation of the ERP system, the study demonstrates that an insufficient education level is not a necessary condition for resistance to change. It has also been shown in this research that high level management can have a direct influence on the ERP implementation in SMEs. This research suggests that SMEs need to standardize processes into business routines which will influence the introduction of a different knowledge store that helps the development of the new system; however employee s resistance to change, lack of trust of the new system and lack of knowledge has limited the implementation process by increasing mistakes and duplication of data. The ERP system has been evaluated by the end users at the case study organisation, and the results suggests that the implementation of an ERP system has improved the overall business and has increased the performance, the profitability and the efficiency of work processes. This research adds to the overall knowledge of ERP implementation in SMEs by deriving a better understanding of the problem in the body of knowledge and identifying the barriers to ERP implementation in SMEs. It provides recommendations that have been tested in the case study organisation for overcoming ERP implementation barriers in SMEs, and a financial model of the implementation costs and benefits. Finally, the recommendations presented in this thesis and suggested areas for further research set out the potential way forward to advance knowledge in this area.


There have been few comparative harvest system studies to provide a basis to understand the performance and chip quality of harvest systems used in eucalypt plantations. The study compared the CTL – cut-to-length method at the stump, WTM – whole tree method where trees were processed to logs at roadside, IFC-DDC – infield chipping using a debark/ delimb/chipper, IFC-F/C – infield chipping using a separate flail and chipper harvest systems on a single site in south-west Western Australia. The WTM and IFC-F/C harvest systems were the most productive. The productivity of the CTL and IFC-DDC harvest systems was about 25% less than that of the other harvest systems. The CTL harvest system produced wood at the highest cost resulting from it having a large number of machines without a correspondingly high productivity level. However, the CTL harvest system has advantages over the other systems through retaining evenly distributed logging residues, low machinery impact on the site and flexibility to add or subtract machines as conditions change. Two limitations of this study were that the harvest systems were only compared at a single mean tree size and operator performance differences may have influenced harvest system productivity. Previous studies have found that the balance of machines in a harvest system can change with changes in mean tree size. This is an area where further research is required. Wood chip samples from three of the four harvest systems did not meet the company chip specifications. However, the deviations from the specifications were minor.;


Benedict Arnold stands as one of the most vilified figures in American history. Stories of his treason have so come to define him that his name, like that of Judas, is virtually synonymous with treason. Yet Arnold was one of the most heroic and remarkable men of his time, indeed in all of American history. A brilliant military leader of uncommon bravery, Arnold dedicated himself to the Revolutionary cause, sacrificing family life, health, and financial well-being for a conflict that left him physically crippled, sullied by false accusations, and profoundly alienated from the American cause of liberty. By viewing Arnold's life backward through the prism of his treason, we invariably succumb to the demonizations that arose only after his abandonment of the rebel forces. We thereby overlook his critical role as one of the influential actors in the American Revolution. Distinguished historian James Kirby Martin's landmark biography, the result of a decade's labor, stands as an invaluable antidote to this historical distortion. Careful not to endow the Revolutionary generation with mythical proportions of virtue, Martin shows how self-serving, venal behavior was just as common in the Revolutionary era as in our own time. Arnold, a deeply committed patriot, suffered acutely because of his lack of political savvy in dealing with those who attacked his honor and reputation. Tracing Arnold's life, from his difficult childhood through his grueling winter trek across the howling Maine wilderness, his valiant defense of Lake Champlain, and his crucial role in the Quebec and Saratoga campaigns, Martin has given us an entirely new perspective on this dramatic and exceptional life, set against the tumultuous background of the American Revolution.


Most new students experience school to university transition as challenging. Students from backgrounds with little or no experience of higher education are most vulnerable in this transition, and most at risk of academic failure. Emotion appears implicated in the differential way in which first-generation students and students with family familiarity of university experience the transition. This article draws on the voices of first-year dental and oral hygiene students at a South African dental faculty regarding university transition experiences. It draws on the construct of capital and Archer's [(2002). Realism and the problem of agency. Journal of Critical Realism Alethia, 5(1), 11–20] understanding of 'competing concerns' to examine how emotion shapes students' experiences of university transition and how they position themselves with regard to these experiences. The article explicates the ways in which emotional commentary and classed locations intersect, exploring the extent to which this intersection shapes young people's framing of their concerns of 'being a student' and 'becoming a dentist'. The article identifies aspects of the university's material and cultural environments which shape students' emotional responses and which consequently are implicated in the perpetuation of class-based differential life chances.


The Law Commission of India has submitted the 228th Report on "Need for Legislation to Regulate Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinics as Well as Rights and Obligations of Parties to a Surrogacy." There has been a major change in Indian surrogacy laws. India is now the only country in the world to legalise commercial surrogacy. Unlike in other countries, including the UK, USA and France, in India the surrogacy agreements between the two parties will be legally enforceable. The new law will protect all parties - the genetic parents, surrogate mother and the child. The new Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill & Rules, 2008, states that the surrogate mother can receive monetary compensation for carrying the child in addition to health-care and treatment expenses during pregnancy. But the surrogate mother has to relinquish all parental rights over the child once the amount is transferred and birth certificates will be in the name of genetic parents. The age-limit for a surrogate mother is between 21-45 years. Single parents can also have children using a surrogate mother. This article discusses various aspect regarding surrogacy and its constitutional validity in India. It questions whether right to reproduction is a constitutional right or not. The article also endeavors to draw a comparison between various nations regarding their policy and take on surrogacy.


Abstract. Surface snow density is an important variable for the surface mass balance and energy budget. It evolves according to meteorological conditions, in particular snowfall, wind and temperature, but the physical processes governing atmospheric influence on snow are not fully understood. A reason is that no systematic observation is available on a continent scale. Here, we use the passive microwave observations from AMSR-E satellite to retrieve the surface snow density at Dome C in the East Antarctic Plateau. The retrieval method is based on the difference of surface reflections between horizontally- and vertically-polarised brightness temperatures at 37 GHz, highlighted by the computation of the polarisation ratio, which is related to surface snow density. The relationship has been obtained with a microwave emission radiative transfer model (DMRT-ML). The retrieved density, representative of the topmost 3 centimetres of the snowpack, compares well with in situ measurements. The difference between mean in situ measurements and mean retrieved density is 26.2 kg m−3, which is within typical in situ measurement uncertainties. We apply the retrieval method to derive the time series over the period 2002–2011. The results show a marked and persistent pluri-annual decrease of about 10 kg m−3 yr−1, in addition to atmosphere-related seasonal, weekly and daily density variations. This trend is confirmed by independent active microwave observations from ENVISAT and QuickSCAT satellites though the link to the density is more difficult to establish. However, no related pluri-annual changes in meteorological conditions has been found to explain such trend in snow density. Further work concern the extension of the method at the continent scale.


The high amount of steel bar reinforcement in beam-column joints causes congestion problem. Here, king cross steel profile, as an alternative to shear reinforcement in the joint of reinforced concrete beam-column, is proposed. This is achieved by simplifying the assembly of king cross steel profile implants at beam-column joints as a shear reinforcement, which could be expected to replace the transversal reinforcement and enhance the joint shear strength. Two sets of interior beam-column joint subassemblies with stirrup reinforcement (SJ) and with king cross steel profile reinforcement (KCJ) as the shear reinforcement in the joint were studied. The experimental result concluded that the average peak load of SJ specimen was higher than that of KCJ. However, KCJ had good performance and contributed to the shear strength of the joint. The performance and contribution of KCJ can be seen from the load carrying capacity above 6.7% in the positive direction and below 24.91% in the negative direction compared with SJ. The pattern of the crack occurred showed a severe failure in the joint panel of KCJ. In this study, the width of the web was twice that of the flange, but in future studies, the width should be enlarged until it sufficiently fills the entire joint section and the width of the web is about six times of the flange. This web enlargement and flange reduction were performed by considering the area of a cross-section of the king cross profile and the requirement of shear capacity of the joint installed. It was done to increase the shear strength of the interior beam-column joint subassemblies with KCJ.


Biofuels & Atmospheric Chemistry: What can a global model tell us about our future decisions? Rachel Pike Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge Biomass energy is the oldest form of energy harnessed by humans. Currently, processed biofuels, which are derived from biomass, are being pursued as a possible route to decarbonize the transport sector—a particularly difficult task for both technological and sociological reasons. In this thesis I explore the impacts that large scale biofuel use could have on atmospheric chemistry. I review the current state of biofuels politically and technologically, focusing on ethanol and biodiesel. I discuss the salient features of tropospheric chemistry and in particular the oxidation of isoprene, an important biogenic volatile organic compound. I examine the impact that including isoprene oxidation has in a new chemistry-climate computer model, UKCA; the response of ozone turns out to depend on local chemical conditions. To evaluate the global model, I use data from the OP3 field campaign in Malaysia and compare it with output from the model chemical mechanism. The mechanism is able to reproduce NOx and ozone measurements well, though is more sensitive to representations of physical rather than chemical processes. I also perform a simple sensitivity study which examines crop changes in the region of Southeast Asia. In the final two chapters, I turn to two distinct phases of the biofuel life cycle. I characterize a potential future atmosphere through an ozone attribution study, then examine the impact of future cropland expansion (phase I of a biofuel life cycle) on tropospheric chemistry. I find that land use change has a large impact on ozone, and that it is more acute than another perturbation (CO2 suppression) to isoprene emissions. I then move to phase III of the life cycle—combustion—and look at the sensitivity of the model chemistry to surface transport emissions from biofuels as a replacement for conventional fuels. I find that biodiesel reduces surface ozone, while ethanol increases it, and that the response has both a linear and nonlinear component.


Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis appears during the adolescent growth spurt, a time when children are growing rapidly. In many cases the abnormal spinal curve is stable, although in some children the curve is progressive (meaning it becomes more severe over time). For unknown reasons, severe and progressive curves occur more frequently in girls than in boys. However, mild spinal curvature is equally common in girls and boys.


The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD, C/EBPδ) is a transcription factor that modulates many biological processes including cell differentiation, motility, growth arrest, proliferation, and cell death. The diversity of C/EBPδ's functions depends in part on the cell type and cellular context and can have opposing outcomes. For example, C/EBPδ promotes inflammatory signaling, but it can also inhibit pro-inflammatory pathways, and in a mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis, C/EBPδ reduces tumor incidence but promotes tumor metastasis. This review highlights the multifaceted nature of C/EBPδ's functions, with an emphasis on pathways that are relevant for cancer and inflammation, and illustrates how C/EBPδ emerged from the shadow of its family members as a fascinating "jack of all trades." Our current knowledge on C/EBPδ indicates that, rather than being essential for a specific cellular process, C/EBPδ helps to interpret a variety of cues in a cell-type and context-dependent manner, to adjust cellular functions to specific situations. Therefore, insights into the roles and mechanisms of C/EBPδ signaling can lead to a better understanding of how the integration of different signaling pathways dictates normal and pathological cell functions and physiology.


Background & Aim : The birth of mentally retarded children in families causes stress and creates problems especially for mothers. Positive parenting is one of the educational methods doe parents which are recommended for mothers who have children with behavioral and emotional disorders. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of positive parenting program in parental stress and self-efficacy of mothers and behavioral problems of students with educable mental retardation. Methods : In this empirical study, 30 mothers of boy students with mental retardation were selected through multistage random sampling and were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received positive parenting Program (Triple-P) of Sanders (1993) during 8 weeks. The data collection tools were parental stress questionnaire, Parental Self Agency Measure and the Child Behavior Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using multivariate covariance and univariate covariance. Results : The study results showed that Triple-P has an impact on behavioral problems of students and parental stress as well as on the self-efficacy of mothers with educable mentally retarded children. (P˂0.001, F=38.712, coefficient Wilks' Lambda= 0.119, size effect=0.881). Conclusion : Triple-P is effective on parental stress and self-efficacy of mothers and also behavioral problems of educable mentally retarded children. Thus, the designing and implementation of educational sessions is recommended for parents.


The block-localized wave function method is useful to provide insights on chemical bonding and intermolecular interactions through energy decomposition analysis. The method relies on block localization of molecular orbitals (MOs) by constraining the orbitals to basis functions within given blocks. Here, a generalized block-localized orbital (GBLO) method is described to allow both physically localized and delocalized MOs to be constrained in orbital-block definitions. Consequently, GBLO optimization can be conveniently tailored by imposing specific constraints. The GBLO method is illustrated by three examples: (1) constrained polarization response orbitals through dipole and quadrupole perturbation in a water dimer complex, (2) the ground and first excited-state potential energy curves of ethene about its C-C bond rotation, and (3) excitation energies of double electron excited states. Multistate density functional theory is used to determine the energies of the adiabatic ground and excited states using a minimal active space (MAS) comprising specifically charge-constrained and excited determinant configurations that are variationally optimized by the GBLO method. We find that the GBLO expansion that includes delocalized MOs in configurational blocks significantly reduces computational errors in comparison with physical block localization, and the computed ground- and excited-state energies are in good accordance with experiments and results obtained from multireference configuration interaction calculations.


A five-parent half diallel mating design was utilized to determine the potential for the simultaneous improvement in yield, fiber quality, and yarn strength in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). In addition, fiber traits were measured by standard laboratory instrumentation (SLI) and high volume instrumentation (HVI) to compare their usefulness to breeders in population improvement. The 10 FI populations plus the parental lines were grown in a randomized complete-block design in 1983 at two locations each with a different soil type at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, SC. Significant general combining ability (GCA), which may approximate additive genetic effects, was detected for 2.5 and 50% fiber span length (SLI measurement), uniformity (SLI measurement), yarn strength, yield, and lint percentage. Therefore, progress from early generation selection could be expected in these populations. There were no significant GCA effects for any of the HVI fiber measurements, and it was concluded that HVI is not as useful to breeders in detecting small genetic differences as HVI is to the textile industry for which it was developed. There was some evidence of nonadditive genetic effects for some of the fiber traits by a general test of heterosis, although it was not detected by the test for specific combining ability. No single parent exhibited high GCA effects for yield and all fiber traits, thus simultaneous improvement in multiple fiber traits and yield probably will require intermating of several parental lines. However, simultaneous improvements in yield and yarn strength could be expected from crosses with PD 3249 and SC-1, thus providing further evidence of the breakup of unfavorable linkages.


Terrestrial sequestration has the potential to contribute to national and global greenhouse gas management strategies. However, spatial and temporal variability in sequestration potential and in the implementation of sequestering technologies introduces serious questions about how to resolve uncertainties and raise the credibility of terrestrial sequestration. Carbon flux in terrestrial ecosystems without land use change generally is less than one ton CO 2 e/ha and driven primarily by precipitation. Land use and management changes are relatively common and are driven by economics and social considerations both in the private and public sectors. Implementing a credible greenhouse gas management program that integrates terrestrial sequestration along with other sources and sinks requires a systematic approach to identify and quantitatively monitor changes in the drivers of terrestrial sequestration. A credible terrestrial sequestration monitoring program will require close attention to integrating direct measurement of soils and vegetation, statistically valid scaling, remote sensing, and computer modeling. Predicting changes at a level of confidence useful to policy development will also require an understanding of how land owners and managers respond to private sector price signals and government conservation initiatives.


This paper presents a study of kinematic axisymmetric mean-field dynamo models for the case of meridional circulation with a deep-seated stagnation point and a strong return flow at the bottom of the convection zone. This kind of circulation follows from mean-field models of the angular momentum balance in the solar convection zone. The dynamo models include turbulent sources of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field production due to kinetic helicity and a combined effect due to the Coriolis force and large-scale electric current. In these models the toroidal magnetic field, which is responsible for sunspot production, is concentrated at the bottom of the convection zone and is transported to low-latitude regions by a meridional flow. The meridional component of the poloidal field is also concentrated at the bottom of the convection zone, while the radial component is concentrated in near-polar regions. We show that it is possible for this type of meridional circulation to construct kinematic dynamo models that resemble in some aspects the sunspot magnetic activity cycle. However, in the near-equatorial regions the phase relation between the toroidal and poloidal components disagrees with observations. We also show that the period of the magnetic cycle may not always monotonically decrease with the increase of the meridional flow speed. Thus, for further progress it is important to determine the structure of the meridional circulation, which is one of the critical properties, from helioseismology observations.


Abstract. A terrain sketch map can effectively describe the terrain features and spatial pattern of a landscape, which are sketched with lines by a geographer after recognizing, analyzing and summarizing the features of a terrain scene to present his/her understanding of a landscape (Bao 1956, Chen 1958, Liu 1988). Compared with a digital elevation model (DEM) scene map, a terrain sketch map, as a scientific abstraction and expression of geomorphological features from the perspective view, is characterized by conciseness and profoundness to show the intrinsic features of a landscape. With the rapid development of computer visualization and digital terrain analysis methods, computer-assisted terrain sketches based on DEM may be automatically generated, depending on geographic cognition theory and the sketch description method. Previous research has generated terrain scene maps based on DEM data and has produced various styles of terrain maps, i.e. oil painting, ink painting, pen and pencil sketch maps (Visvalingam et al. 1998, Whelan et al. 2003, Way et al. 2006, Bhattacharjee et al. 2008). However, those computer-drawn sketch maps have focused on the artistic effect rather than depicting terrain features and landform structures. Moreover, the area used for sketch mapping in those researches was relatively small, and visual hierarchy was not considered. Thus, those maps differ considerably from hand-drawn sketch maps by geographers or geologists. Therefore, this paper aims to generate terrain sketch map which can express terrain features as well as artistic effect. In this study, one loess ridge-hill area (Wuqi) in the loess plateau of China was selected by considering the typicality of the geomorphic types and the availability of data. The 5 m resolution DEM data was obtained from the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, with an area of 102 km2. Three aspects as terrain features, visual hierarchy and feature generalization were considered in this paper. Firstly, the typical terrain features must be presented in the sketch map. The loess shoulder line, bank gully lines and surface flow lines in loess landform area were extracted (Yang et al. 2017, Yang et al. 2018). Then based on the Bresenham algorithm (Bresenham 1965), the visual outlines in perspective view were generated. Secondly, the visual hierarchy is considered in this study. In a terrain sketch map, more topographically-detailed information is described in the near view, whereas only the approximate outlines and less topographical information are displayed in the distant view. Therefore, a self-adapted visual hierarchy division method was proposed. The scenes are visually divided into three levels, i.e. near view, medium view and distant view. Different numbers and types of terrain features are assigned to each visual level to obtain the effect of clear near and blurred distant views. Thirdly, in complexity terrain area, the scene will not only look staggered and messy, but will also affect topographic recognition even only visual outlines are displayed in distant view. Therefore a method of combining DEM and visual watershed generalization was proposed to simplify the visual outlines in distant view. Finally, the terrain sketch map is assessed and verified through a questionnaire survey which includes three specialist experts, seven graduate students and twelve undergraduate students with knowledge in geomorphology or geography. The result show that the important feature lines added to the terrain sketch map could effectively help to recognize the typical landform characteristics in the loess plateau of China. The severity of soil erosion by gullies are obviuosly presented (Fig.1d) comparing to the sketch mapping with only visual outlines (Fig1b). The map look messy and unsigtly if all the terrain feature lines were put into the map (Fig.1c). By considering the law of air perspective, the visual hierarchy was divided and the visual outlines in the distant view was generalized, thereby realizing the characteristics of a terrain sketch map clear in near view and blurred in distant view (Fig.1d). It also showed from the questionnaire that DEM resolution influence the performance of our method especially with coarse resolution DEM. The experts suggested that filter noise in near view and generalisation in distant view can be further improved.


Equivariance is a nice property to have as it produces much more parameter efficient neural architectures and preserves the structure of the input through the feature mapping. Even though some combinations of transformations might never appear (e.g. an upright face with a horizontal nose), current equivariant architectures consider the set of all possible transformations in a transformation group when learning feature representations. Contrarily, the human visual system is able to attend to the set of relevant transformations occurring in the environment and utilizes this information to assist and improve object recognition. Based on this observation, we modify conventional equivariant feature mappings such that they are able to attend to the set of co-occurring transformations in data and generalize this notion to act on groups consisting of multiple symmetries. We show that our proposed co-attentive equivariant neural networks consistently outperform conventional rotation equivariant and rotation & reflection equivariant neural networks on rotated MNIST and CIFAR-10.


The primary goal of this paper is to raise awareness regarding legal loopholes and enabling technologies, which facilitate acts of cyber crime. In perusing these avenues of inquiry, the author seeks to identify systemic impediments which obstruct police investigations, prosecutions, and digital forensics interrogations. Existing academic research on this topic has tended to highlight theoretical perspectives when attempting to explain technology aided crime, rather than presenting practical insights from those actually tasked with working cyber crime cases. The author offers a grounded, pragmatic approach based on the in-depth experience gained serving with police task-forces, government agencies, private sector, and international organizations. The secondary objective of this research encourages policy makers to reevaluate strategies for combating the ubiquitous and evolving threat posed by cyber- criminality. Research in this paper has been guided by the firsthand global accounts (via the author's core involvement in the preparation of the Comprehensive Study on Cybercrime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013) and is keenly focused on core issues of concern, as voiced by the international community. Further, a fictional case study is used as a vehicle to stimulate thinking and exemplify key points of reference. In this way, the author invites the reader to contemplate the reality of a cyber crime inquiry and the practical limits of the criminal justice process.


Thyroid hormones are important for normal bone growth and development in postnatal life. However, little is known about the role of thyroid hormones in the control of bone development in the fetus. Using computed tomography and mechanical testing, the structure and strength of metatarsal bones were measured in sheep fetuses in which thyroid hormone levels were altered by thyroidectomy or adrenalectomy. In intact fetuses, plasma concentrations of total calcium and the degradation products of C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen increased between 100 and 144 days of gestation (term 145±2 days), in association with various indices of bone growth and development. Thyroid hormone deficiency induced by thyroidectomy at 105-110 days of gestation caused growth retardation of the fetus and significant changes in metatarsal bone structure and strength when analyzed at both 130 and 144 days of gestation. In hypothyroid fetuses, trabecular bone was stronger with thicker, more closely spaced trabeculae, despite lower bone mineral density. Plasma osteocalcin was reduced by fetal thyroidectomy. Removal of the fetal adrenal gland at 115-120 days of gestation, and prevention of the prepartum rises in cortisol and triiodothyronine, had no effect on bodyweight, limb lengths, metatarsal bone structure or strength, or circulating markers of bone metabolism in the fetuses studied near term. This study demonstrates that hypothyroidism in utero has significant effects on the structure and strength of bone, with different consequences for cortical and trabecular bone.


Article based on an extended abstract published in the GCAGS Transactions (see footnote reference below), which is available as part of the entire 2016 GCAGS Transactions volume via the GCAGS Bookstore at the Bureau of Economic Geology (www.beg.utexas.edu) or as an individual document via AAPG Datapages, Inc. (www.datapages.com), and delivered as an oral presentation at the 66th Annual GCAGS Convention and 63rd Annual GCSSEPM Meeting in Corpus Christi, Texas, September 18–20, 2016.


Many Asian countries have been beneficiaries of quota abolition for textile and clothing sector since 2005. After the implementation of the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC) in December 2004, member countries of World Trade Organization (WTO) have quota-free trade except People's Republic of China (PRC). It was expected that Pakistan will be beneficiaries in textile and clothing due to expected superior export performance in this sector. Therefore, this study aims estimating revealed comparative advantage (RCA) of textile and clothing sector of Pakistan at HS-2digit level and SITC-3 digit level. It reveals Pakistan has comparative advantage in textile sector and low comparative advantage in clothing sector. Further, it analyzes RCA of textile and clothing sector during the period of pre and post quota and concludes that comparative advantage of Pakistan in textile and clothing sector has been declined during 2011-12.


AbstractGas bubbles are highly efficient reflectors of sound and are therefore useful as contrast agents for diagnostic ultrasound. In general, in order to pass through the pulmonary circulation and provide contrast for the systemic circulation the gas bubbles must be of defined diameter and stabilized by a coating material. Our group has developed gas bubbles which are stabilized within lipid bilayers. These bubbles may be formed with stable size and gas content. In vivo studies in rabbit and porcine models show sustained ventricular enhancement, increased arterial doppler signal following intravenous injection and myocardial perfusion enhancement following injection into the aortic root of pigs. Preliminary toxicity studies suggest that the therapeutic index (LD50 dose divided by imaging dose) is greater than 400 to 1. For therapy, these agents may be used to increase the capture of ultrasonic energy for hyperthermia to augment local tissue heating. An exciting new class of agents based upon gas fIIIed ...


For multi-channel noise reduction algorithms like the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer, or the multi-channel Wiener filter, an estimate of the noise correlation matrix is needed. For its estimation, it is often proposed in the literature to use a voice activity detector (VAD). However, using a VAD the estimated matrix can only be updated in speech absence. As a result, during speech presence the noise correlation matrix estimate does not follow changing noise fields with an appropriate accuracy. This effect is further increased, as in nonstationary noise voice activity detection is a rather difficult task, and false-alarms are likely to occur. In this paper, we present and analyze an algorithm that estimates the noise correlation matrix without using a VAD. This algorithm is based on measuring the correlation of the noisy input and a noise reference which can be obtained, e.g., by steering a null towards the target source. When applied in combination with an MVDR beamformer, it is shown that the proposed noise correlation matrix estimate results in a more accurate beamformer response, a larger signal-to-noise ratio improvement and a larger instrumentally predicted speech intelligibility when compared to competing algorithms such as the generalized sidelobe canceler, a VAD-based MVDR beamformer, and an MVDR based on the noisy correlation matrix.


Original field research data requires information about the positional accuracy of objects located in the field, expecially when analysed in the context of GIS. We present the results of a case study assessing the spatial accuracy of vegetation sampling data. The positional accuracy of a research grid consisting of adjacent squares of 20mx20m set up using a large scale orthophoto (1:2000) used for vegetation studies was assessed using surveying techniques. To study the absolute positional accuracy of the setup, the exact locations of a large part of these squares were determined using surveying techniques. The mean positional error was 5.2m (span 0.9-9.1m) for pegs located in the corners of the squares. The size of the individual squares ranged from 64% to 133% of the planned size of 400m2. The average (horizontal) distance of the true locations (n=335) was exactly as planned (20.0±2.1m). The minimum distance was 14.8m and the maximum distance was 25.4m. The mean horizontal angle in the corners of the plots was 89.9±3.3° (span 77.4-102.3°) (n=615). Overall, 67.4% of the whole area was in accordance to the GIS database, 32.6% was falsely attributed to wrong sampling squares. The influence on vegetation classification statistics was small (maximum of 0.58%). Even with the aid of relatively sophisticated instruments such as orthophotos, the positional accuracy in the original study was low, resulting in differences in plot area of over 200%. Nevertheless, the influence on the results of a single study are moderate. By contrast, these errors are of high concern in areas of intense interdisciplinary research such as national parks. It is thus recommended that for a focus research area as the site under investigation, surveying techniques should be implemented to enable long-term research and to minimize the risk of incorrect research results due to inaccurate spatial data.


We undertook an economic valuation of mangrove forests in Balochistan province of Pakistan drawing on primary data from a survey of 80 households depending on mangrove forests. It was found that the direct value of mangroves was USD 1,287 per hectare, while the total value for the village was calculated to be USD 4,419,935. We found that rich households made more absolute use of the mangrove products and services and the poor made more relative use. Any decrease in the quality of this ecosystem would expose the poor to the worst effects of poverty. We argue that investments in mangrove conservation under comanagement regime in this region of Pakistan make ecological and economic sense.


Anthropogenic land use is an established driver of biodiversity loss. The complexity and far-reaching consequences of land-use effects needs broad and intensive research. Besides small-scale studies, which are important to focus upon habitats, large-scale studies are essential to fully examine global implications of anthropogenic land-use.
The present study comprises both small- and large-scale investigations aiming to understand the impacts of land-use intensity on herbivorous insects in grassland ecosystems. The goal of the study was to understand the effects of intensified land-use on 1) whole communities, 2) single species, and 3) to understand the direct effects of resource-fertilization on herbivores.
The first and second research chapters examine the effects of compound land-use intensity and its three management types fertilization, mowing and grazing on Orthoptera, and Auchenorrhyncha (plant- and leafhoppers) community as well as single-species responses. Both groups are important insect-herbivores covering two major feeding guilds: leaf chewers (Orthoptera) and sap suckers (Auchenorrhyncha). To cover a broad gradient of land-use intensity defined by fertilization, mowing and grazing intensity, 150 grassland sites have been sampled. The studies were part of the Biodiversity Exploratories: a German-wide long-term project investigating land-use effects on biodiversity and ecosystems.
In chapter I, the effects of land-use intensity on diversity and abundance of Orthoptera were evaluated. In addition to my own intensive sampling in 2014, the data of a six-years sampling period (2008 – 2013) has been considered. We found diversity declines of Orthoptera with increasing compound land-use intensity, fertilization, mowing and grazing intensity. Abundance declined with increased mowing and grazing intensity, but was not affected by compound land-use and fertilization. The longer the time period after the last mowing date, the higher were diversity and abundance. Additionally we calculated a land-use niche for each Orthoptera species, which reflects the main occurrence of this species along the land-use gradient and gives insight into its susceptibility to land use. Comparing the species distribution with an expected distribution based on a randomization approach, we characterized 'losers' and 'winners' of high land-use intensity. The niche model detected half of the species as losers of intensive land-use and only three winners. Fertilization was the most detrimental management type on the species level, as we found no winners and many losers, followed by mowing and grazing.
In chapter II we examined land-use effects on α- and β-diversity of Auchenorrhyncha communities. While α-diversity comprises species richness of the sites, β-diversity describes the differences in community composition between sites. In our study we sampled 140 grassland sites by collecting Auchenorrhyncha of five randomly chosen plots of 1 m2 each within the sites. This sampling method allowed us to both gather density/m2 and obtain five different communities within the sites. The latter enabled us to describe land-use effects on β-diversity within the sites by comparing the differences in community composition and species turnover among the five plots. We found decreasing β-diversity with increasing compound land-use intensity, that is, communities within sites become more homogenous with increasing land-use. Species richness as well as density of Auchenorrhyncha declined with compound land-use, fertilization and mowing intensity and were not affected by grazing. We also considered the species-specific view on the community with the above-described niche-model and found a high proportion of species being losers of high compound land-use intensity. Zooming into the management types, Auchenorrhyncha were, on the species level, mostly impaired by mowing, followed by fertilization and grazing intensity. Correspondingly, we found that dietary specialists decreased and generalists increased with increasing land-use intensity.
Chapter III presents direct fertilization-mediated resource-effects on grasshopper preference and performance. The study was conducted in the laboratory and the botanical garden where we grew orchardgrass with four different fertilization treatments. To simulate strong fertilization we applied N and NPK fertilizer (both with high nitrogen amount); weak fertilization was simulated with manure-fertilized grass; unfertilized grass was grown as control. In a choice experiment, we provided grasshoppers of different ages and species with each N, NPK and unfertilized grass. We found that the grasshoppers generally preferred highly fertilized grass, however, there were differences between nymphs and adults and between the species. In an additional no-choice experiment, we aimed to understand food and nutrient utilization of grasshoppers that had each only one of the four fertilization-treatments as food plant. We analysed performance, N and C content of grasshopper biomass and faeces. Grasshoppers of the different treatments did not differ in survival or consumption, but N- and NPK grasshoppers had increased N-concentration in their body mass, even though plant N-concentration did not differ between the treatments.
In summary, this thesis confirms the harmfulness of anthropogenic land-use on biodiversity. Both important representatives of the feeding guilds 'leaf chewers' and 'sap suckers' of insect-herbivores revealed diversity declines with an increase of land-use intensity. A few winning species replace a majority of losers of high land-use intensity and communities thus become more homogenous within managed sites. The harmfulness of fertilization that was demonstrated in chapter I and II might be rather mediated by indirect effects, such as loss of micro habitats, changes in micro climate and loss of food-plant species, than by direct resource-effects, as no fertilization-mediated differences in survival or consumption in the feeding experiments of chapter III were found. Loss of Auchenorrhyncha species is very likely mediated by loss of plant-diversity, as this group contains many dietary specialists. Loss of Orthoptera species is potentially caused by physical damage through agricultural machines and changes in vegetation and microhabitat structure. Annual changes in land-use intensity, a trend to moderate management and protection of surrounding habitats, could help to save our native grassland diversity. This thesis reveals the opportunity to gain a broad insight into the complex and various effects of land-use on biodiversity by giving attention to different levels of an ecosystem.


Background: Royal Jelly (RJ) has been verified to possess abundant pharmacological properties. RJ produced from special nectar blooms shows various functions. In this work, the immunomodulatory response of camellia RJ on a 4T1 murine breast cancer model is discussed.
Methods: BALB/c female mice were divided into four groups. Group M was fed with water. Group RJ 0.5 and Group RJ 1.5 were treated with RJ (0.5, 1.5 g/kg body weight per day, respectively). Group CP was fed with water and injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg body weight) every other day starting from the 8th day of tumour inoculation. The mice were kept for 42 days. The 4T1 tumour cell suspension was subcutaneously injected into the right mammary fat pads of each mouse, when the mice were administered orally on the 15th day.
Results: Camellia RJ had no obvious effect on the levels of body weight in the 4T1-bearing mice, but it slightly inhibited growth of 4T1 breast cancer cells in vivo. The result shows that RJ (0.5 g/kg) had a significant immunomodulatory effect on the 4T1-bearing mice, which was reflected in serum by the augmentation of Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-a), Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the reduction of interleukin-6 (IL-6). At the same time, IL-10 production in spleen lymphocytes was also significantly reduced, which also reduced the Th2 response. And histopathological examinations with RJ were more effective.
Conclusion: The results confirm that RJ can improve immunity in 4T1-bearing mice, and the effect of RJ on the mice immunity would be associated with its antitumor effect of RJ.


The study deals with the key psychodidactic topic – the optimization of mediation in educative process using the knowledge on intelligence, cognition and processing of information in the form of mental representations. In the presented study, the optimization strategy is mental mapping applied to educative processes in primary education in the field of language and communication and nature and society. The subject of the study is to identify the impact of mental mapping strategy on pupils' learning performance. The learning performance is operationalised at the factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge level and the study design is based on a pedagogical experiment. The results of the study indicate that the pupils reach higher level of learning performance when the mental mapping strategy is applied in educative process.


This paper reports results from a three-player variant of the ultimatum game in which the Proposer can delegate to a third party his decision regarding how to share his endowment with a Responder with a standard veto right. However, the Responder cannot verify whether the delegation is effective or the third party merely plays a "scapegoat" role while the decision is made by the Proposer himself. In this imperfect information setting, the Proposer can send an unverifiable message declaring his delegation strategy. The most interesting strategy is "false delegation", in which the Proposer makes the decision but claims to have delegated it. In our sample, the recourse to false delegation is significant, and a significant number of potential Delegates accept serving in the scapegoat role. However, there are many honest Proposers, and 20% of all Delegates will refuse to be the accomplices of a dishonest Proposer. Responders tend to more readily accept poor offers in a setup that permits lying about delegation; the acceptance rate of the poor offer is the highest when Delegates can refuse the scapegoat role.


The joint application of different molecular marker systems, such as microsatellites, SNPs and mtDNA sequences, in concert with computationally intensive model-based techniques, is allowing the development of an increasingly complex picture of human genetic history. With >1,100 million Han and 55 officially recognized minority populations accounting for another 100+ million people, PR China represents an example of such complexity. For this study, DNA samples from the majority Han, seven official minorities in north, south, west and central China, the Hui, Miao, Yao, Tibetans, Boan, Dongxiang and Salar, and one unofficial minority, the Kuchong, were collected. The samples were analysed with autosomal, Y-chromosome and mtDNA markers that had differing mutation behaviours, and the resultant molecular data then compared with known historical, archaeological and demographic information. Strong evidence for the temporal stratification of human migration in China was established from the molecular data, spanning the first human migrations into East Asia to recent historical migrations along the Silk Road. Data on internal population structure can be added to this evidence using computationally intensive model-based techniques, thus allowing researchers to include the influence of factors such as endogamy when considering the effect of population stratification in future human genetic studies.


The absorption, excitation, and ultrabroadband near-infrared luminescence spectra of Bismuth were investigated in H2-annealed and γ-irradiated Bi:α-BaB2O4(α-BBO) single crystals, respectively. Energy-level diagrams of the near-infrared luminescent centers were fixed. The electronic transition energies of near-infrared active centers are basically consistent with the multiplets of free Bi+ ions. The minor difference of the energy-level diagrams of Bi+ ions in H2-annealed and γ-irradiated Bi:α-BaB2O4 crystals can be ascribed to the difference of the local lattice environments. The involved physical and chemical processes were discussed. The effect of Ar-, air-annealing and electron-irradiation on Bi:α-BaB2O4 crystal were also investigated.


Nitric oxide (NO) regulates the function of perivascular cells (pericytes), including hepatic stellate cells (HSC), mainly by activating cGMP and cGMP-dependent kinase (PKG) via NO/cGMP paracrine signaling. Although PKG is implicated in integrin-mediated cell adhesion to extracellular matrix, whether or how PKG signaling regulates the assembly of focal adhesion complexes (FA) and migration of HSC is not known. With the help of complementary molecular and cell biological approaches, we demonstrate here that activation of PKG signaling in HSC inhibits vascular tubulogenesis, migration/chemotaxis, and assembly of mature FA plaques, as assessed by vascular tubulogenesis assays and immunofluorescence localization of FA markers such as vinculin and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP). To determine whether PKG inhibits FA assembly by phosphorylation of VASP at Ser-157, Ser-239, and Thr-278, we mutated these putative phosphorylation sites to alanine (VASP3A, phosphoresistant mutant) or aspartic acid (VASP3D, phosphomimetic), respectively. Data generated from these two mutants suggest that the effect of PKG on FA is independent of these three phosphorylation sites. In contrast, activation of PKG inhibits the activity of small GTPase Rac1 and its association with the effector protein IQGAP1. Moreover, PKG activation inhibits the formation of a trimeric protein complex containing Rac1, IQGAP1, and VASP. Finally, we found that expression of a constitutively active Rac1 mutant abolishes the inhibitory effects of PKG on FA formation. In summary, our data suggest that activation of PKG signaling in pericytes inhibits FA formation by inhibiting Rac1.


Cascade-style approaches to implementing ensemble classifiers can deliver significant speed-ups at test time. While highly effective, they remain challenging to tune and their overall performance depends on the availability of large validation sets to estimate rejection thresholds. These characteristics are often prohibitive and thus limit their applicability. We introduce an alternative approach to speeding-up classifier evaluation which overcomes these limitations. It involves maintaining a probability estimate of the class label at each intermediary response and stopping when the corresponding uncertainty becomes small enough. As a result, the evaluation terminates early based on the sequence of responses observed. Furthermore, it does so independently of the type of ensemble classifier used or the way it was trained. We show through extensive experimentation that our method provides 2 to 10 fold speed-ups, over existing state-of-the-art methods, at almost no loss in accuracy on a number of object classification tasks.


The National Evaluation Policy landscape in Africa: A comparison The demand for National Evaluation Policies (NEPs) has gained traction in Africa as more countries acknowledge the value of evaluation in enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in public and development management. As these countries implement developmental programmes and projects they require appropriate and effective monitoring and evaluation systems to measure performance, assess impact and draw lessons for future programmes and projects. Similarly, the Sustainable Development Goals call for country-led systems to measure effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, sustainability, and the impact of development interventions.


Learning to detect content-independent transformations from data is one of the central problems in biological and artificial intelligence. An example of such problem is unsupervised learning of a visual motion detector from pairs of consecutive video frames. Rao and Ruderman formulated this problem in terms of learning infinitesimal transformation operators (Lie group generators) via minimizing image reconstruction error. Unfortunately, it is difficult to map their model onto a biologically plausible neural network (NN) with local learning rules. Here we propose a biologically plausible model of motion detection. We also adopt the transformation-operator approach but, instead of reconstruction-error minimization, start with a similarity-preserving objective function. An online algorithm that optimizes such an objective function naturally maps onto an NN with biologically plausible learning rules. The trained NN recapitulates major features of the well-studied motion detector in the fly. In particular, it is consistent with the experimental observation that local motion detectors combine information from at least three adjacent pixels, something that contradicts the celebrated Hassenstein-Reichardt model.


System-level diagnosis aims at the identification of faulty units in a system by the analysis of the system syndrome, that is, the outcomes of a set of interunit tests. For any given syndrome, it is possible to produce a correct (although possibly incomplete) diagnosis of the system if the number of faults is below a syndrome-dependent bound and the degree of diagnosis completeness, that is, the number of correctly diagnosed units, is also dependent on the actual syndrome sigma. The worst-case diagnosis completeness is a syndrome-independent bound that represents the minimum number of units that the diagnosis algorithm correctly diagnoses for any syndrome. This paper provides a lower bound to the worst-case diagnosis completeness for regular graphs for which vertex- isoperimetric inequalities are known and it shows how this bound can be applied to toroidal grids. These results prove a previous hypothesis about the influence of two topological parameters of the diagnostic graph, that is, the bisection width and the diameter, on the degree of diagnosis completeness.


The chapter gives an overview of recent developments within participation and electoral research, and discusses the current state of affairs with regard to data provision and access. It concludes with several recommendations: (a) to tag a small number of key political variables as constant elements of the future question programmes of both the ALLBUS and the GSOEP, thereby creating substantial amounts of synergy at little marginal cost; (b) to establish a National Election Study in Germany by providing the current GLES project (which is funded by the DFG to study the 2009, 2013 and 2017 national elections) with a constant logistic and methodological support infrastructure by GESIS, and on the long run by providing a regular follow-up study to this project with a stable basis of reliable public funding and a firm institutional embedding, preferably by including it into the remit of GESIS; (c) to adapt the data services of the statistical offices in several respects more closely to the data requirements of participation and electoral research; (d) to establish a formal obligation for public agencies to submit survey data collected under their auspices in due time to the public domain for purposes of secondary analysis.


Before landfall in the Philippines, Supertyphoon Haiyan in 2013 experienced a period of rapid intensification (RI) with the maximum wind speed increasing by 31 m s−1 in 24 h. A 2-km horizontal resolution full-physics cloud-resolving model is used to study the RI of Haiyan. To aid in the diagnosis of RI, we employ a dynamic efficiency factor (DEF), which is based on axisymmetric gradient wind vortex theory. The DEF measures the efficacy of convective heating at any point in generating kinetic energy. The DEF is large in the presence of strong baroclinicity near the eyewall. The simulated tropical cyclone (TC) becomes more symmetric and resembles the observations of Haiyan during the RI period. Our results highlight the nonlinear feedback process in which deep convection becomes collocated with the large DEF area near the eyewall. With the intensity increase, the eyewall convection results in significant subsidence warming at the edge of the eye rather than at the center of the eye. The overall eye warming enhances the baroclinicity near the eyewall and the system DEF in the eye-core region is increased by 33% before and after the RI onset. The vortex intensity increase during the RI period also leads to large unbalanced radial inflow in the boundary layer. The large radial inflow causes the deep convection to occur in the region of large inertial stability inside the radius of maximum wind. The deep convection further efficiently intensifies the TC. Our simulation emphasizes the importance of model resolution in simulating the internal nonlinear processes of RI.


While e-business has been playing an increasingly role in facilitating firms to conduct businesses, there is a dearth of research examing the antecedcents and outcomes of e-business use in the entrepreneurial small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Drawing upon the technology-organizationenvironment (TOE) framework and resource-based view (RBV) of the firm theory, we develop, theorize, and test an integrated theoretical model to evaluate the antecedents and consequences of ebusiness use in the fast growth SMEs context. We propose that IT resources, strategic IT alignment, market orientation, managerial perception of industry environments, and business partnerships are the key antecedents enabling fast growth SMEs to use e-business, and thus help these companies to achieve and sustain e-business value in turbulent environments. Structural equation modeling is employed to test our theoretical conceptualization on a cohort of 310 Australian fast-growth SMEs across different industrial sectors. The results confirm our conceptualization, highlighting the prominent role of IT, strategic planning, culture, managerial skills, and business partnerships in SME success. Our study provides initial empirical evidence to understand the relationship between IT and entrepreneurial SME performance. These findings have important implications for research and business practices.


The main research focus of this thesis is on the development of the next generation of solid lubricants for high temperature forming of steel. These lubricants are based on ceramic nanoparticles which are more resistant to temperature and oxidation than traditional lubricants. Nowadays, the most common products are aqueous suspensions of graphite, molybdenum disulfide or polytetrafluoroethylene (TeflonTM). Nevertheless, some problems are associated to their use, for instance pitting corrosion on the steel surface caused by partial decomposition of the lubricants at high temperature, and, more in general, a dirty working environment.
Advanced inorganic solid lubricants were developed to overcome these problems. The performance of solid lubricants in forging processes is correlated with their plastic behavior. This means that when a force is applied, needed to shape the metal piece, the lubricants should absorb part of the force, transforming it into a physical deformation or a chemical change. The role of the lubricant is to decrease the necessary forces to form the metal pieces, protection of the metal surface, and/or participation in the process of releasing the piece from the mold.
It is straightforward to think that the plasticity (softness) of solid lubricants originates from naturally soft networks. At first glance, a common lubrication mechanism can be inferred from the mechanical behavior of the different materials. The plastic deformability of the networks seems to be connected to the ease of dislocation propagation in the network. In this thesis, this property was explored by studying three different classes of materials: (1) soft structured networks, i.e. layered oxides; (2) soft atomic networks, i.e. bismuth metal and (3) soft amorphous networks, i.e. organosilicas. Control over the synthesis and chemical modification is an important factor to obtain materials that can be part of the new generation of solid lubricants. Some of the tested materials were able to outperform graphite in terms of a decrease of friction force. The results of this research are the input for the achievement of the next generation of solid lubricants for high temperature applications.


Vasectomy intends to provide permanent contraception by interrupting the vas deferentia via one of several methods. The no-scalpel vasectomy aims to render male sterilisation more acceptable to patients. It is faster and associated with fewer complications. Complications are uncommon, but do exist, most often pain, bleeding, bruising, and infection. Vasectomy is increasingly carried out within a primary care setting. One GP at Marple Cottage Surgery has been performing vasectomies for 5 years.This study aims to ascertain whether vasectomy standards can be achieved within a primary care setting.Electronic patient records and semen analysis data were accessed for procedures performed between April 2013–April 2018, to calculate the failure and complication rates. This was compared to guidelines from relevant advisory bodies.In total 910 vasectomies were performed over the period: 5.3% were associated with a complication; 2.0% intraoperative bleeding, 1.5% pain, 0.8% haematoma, 0.7% syncope, and 0.2% infection. Two-thirds (67.3%) of patients provided a semen sample for analysis. The occlusive failure rate was 0.4% and the contraceptive failure rate is 0%.Complication rates were low, achieving or exceeding the standards in all domains. The occlusive failure rate is within the <1% American Urological Association acceptable standard and the current contraceptive failure rate is 0%. This is for further analysis with a larger sample size. We are confident that the high standard of vasectomy care can be achieved as the service migrates into primary care.


Composite films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and single- as well as multi-walled carbon nanotubes are demonstrated to offer a competitive thermoelectric performance. The power factor significantly exceeds values obtained with either constituent alone provided that the conjugated polymer is sufficiently p-doped. The use of single-walled carbon nanotubes consistently results in a higher electrical conductivity with a maximum value above 103 S cm−1 and thus gives rise to a power factor of 25 ± 6 μW m−1 K−2 for a filler content of only 8 wt% and a maximum 95 ± 12 μW m−1 K−2 for 42–81 wt%. Moreover, a carbon nanotube content of 8–10 wt% does not compromise the low bulk thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix, which promises a high figure of merit of at least ZT > 10−2 at room-temperature. All samples are cast on plastic substrates, emphasising their suitability for large-area, flexible thermoelectric applications.


A comparison of accepted nutritional advice with actual American dietary practice suggests that many people fail to eat well in spite of well-documented health consequences. Popular culture often labels the worst offenders as lacking in "self-control," and many blame the aggressive advertising campaigns of the fast-food and snack-food industries for manipulating consumers into poor diets, but these conclusions are not easily reconciled with a neoclassical approach to economic decision theory. This essay considers the consumer's "diet problem" in light of emerging evidence from a number of behavioral sciences. In particular, it is argued that human evolution in the distant past resulted in an elegant solution to this problem (of search for a suitable diet in an uncertain environment), which any neoclassical economist would recognize. In modern environments, however, the signals that formerly provided information in the consumer's search problem are subject to manipulation by food-producing firms. Confirmation by molecular biologists that many human responses to these signals are firmly encoded in our genes suggests a need to re-evaluate the welfare economics of the food industry.


Objectives : Previous studies investigating factors contributing to kayak performance have employed sophisticated physiological measures, and the use of specialised dynamometers, to simulate the kayak stroke. Such measures do not have general utility, and the aim of this study was to identify tests that could be performed in the field, in order to predict kayak performance. Methods : The following variables were measured on 23 competitive endurance kayakers, who provided written informed consent : Arm crank VO2 peak; 1 minute dips; armspan; modified sit-and-reach; grip strength; body mass; height. These were selected on the basis of their being identified as possibly contributing to performance, and on their applicability in terms of on-site testing. The dependent variable for analysis was a 7 km race, performed one week after the field tests. Results : Using multiple regression forward stepwise selection, relative VO2 peak (arm crank) was the only significant predictor (p=0.006, r=0.81), with dips (p=0.153) and armspan (p=0.133) being next in terms of hierarchical contribution. For race performance and VO2 peak, 65.8% of the variance in one measure was explained by the variance in the other. Utilising VO2 peak, with race performance as the dependent variable, the following regression equation was generated : Time=46.315-0.22 (VO2 Peak). Conclusion: Whilst several factors influence endurance kayak performance, in the context of novice talent identification it is concluded that a VO2 peak test that is relatively sport specific (Arm Crank), has applicability and utility.
(S. African J. for Research in Sport, Physical Ed. and Recreation: 2002 24 (2): 45-54)


ABSTRACTPM2.5, TSP, and the pollutant gases over Urumqi, an inland city near the Asian dust source region in north-western China, were measured for an entire year from March, 2008 to February, 2009. The chemical compositions of all these samples with daily visibilities were investigated for the sources and formation mechanisms of aerosol and the relationship of the optical property with various components in aerosols. The sources of the air pollutants that caused severe haze in Urumqi were clarified. It was found that the concentrations of SO42–, Cl–, NH4+, and Na+ in PM2.5 in the heating period were more than 9 times of those in the non-heating period. The concentrations of total water soluble inorganic ions (TWSII) in PM2.5 and TSP in the heating period were 7.5 and 5.5 times of those in the non-heating period. The enrichment factors of the pollution elements, e.g., S, Cd, As, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Na in PM2.5 in the heating period were 3–13 times of those in the non-heating period. The formation mechanism of the severe haze and the micro-mechanism of the visibility reduction in Urumqi in the heating period, especially in winter, were quantitatively revealed. SNA (the three secondary inorganic ions, SO42–, NO3–, and NH4+), organic matter (OM), and chloride (Cl–) in PM2.5 were the three main components to cause aerosol extinction in Urumqi. The contributions of SNA, OM, and Cl– to aerosol extinction, i.e., to visibility reduction, were 57%, 20%, and 12% during the heating period from October 15 to April 15, and 67%, 17%, and 12% in winter, respectively. It was evident that the major source of the air pollutants that caused severe haze in Urumqi was from coal combustion, for most of these ions and pollution elements in aerosols were emitted from coal burning. The control of the quality and quantity of coal burning is the key to improve the air quality and the atmospheric visibility in Urumqi.


Abstract Miocene pelitic sedimentary rocks from six wells in the Sava Depression (sub-basin in the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin System) were investigated in order to determine the degrees of diagenetic alteration. Qualitative and semiquantitative mineral compositions of samples and the content of smectite in illite-smectite (I-S) were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Vitrinite reflectance and thermal alteration index (TAI) were measured in order to estimate the palaeotemperatures. Carbonate minerals, clay minerals and quartz are the main constituents of the pelitic sediments. Feldspars (albite), pyrite, opal-CT and hematite are present as minor constituents in some rocks. The mineral composition of the rocks, apart from previously known differences caused by various depositional environments and clastic material provenance, is dependent on the degree of diagenetic processes. At elevated temperatures and large burial depths the minerals formed by alteration processes or precipitated at the surface; smectite, kaolinite and calcite were gradually replaced by minerals formed by diagenetic processes, i.e. by illite-smectite, illite, chlorite, Ca-excess dolomite/ankerite and albite. Based on XRD data for smectite, I-S and illite, three stages of diagenetic development have been established. The early stage was characteristic of samples at depths <1.8 km containing smectite, I-S of the random R0 type and detrital illite. The middle stage begins with the appearance of the ordered R1 type of I-S at the depths >1.8 km and temperature above 80℃. At depths >4.6 km with corresponding temperatures >190℃, the late stage began, characterized by the presence of R>1 I-S with <10% smectite.


The MNT1 gene of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is involved in O-glycosylation of cell wall and secreted proteins and is important for adherence of C. albicans to host surfaces and for virulence. Here we describe the molecular analysis of CaMNT2, a second member of the MNT1-like gene family in C. albicans. Mnt2p also functions in O-glycosylation. Mnt1p and Mnt2p encode partially redundant α-1,2-mannosyltransferases that catalyze the addition of the second and third mannose residues in an O-linked mannose pentamer. Deletion of both copies of MNT1 and MNT2 resulted in reduction in the level of in vitro mannosyltransferase activity and truncation of O-mannan. Both the mnt2Δ and mnt1Δ single mutants were significantly reduced in adherence to human buccal epithelial cells and Matrigel-coated surfaces, indicating a role for O-glycosylated cell wall proteins or O-mannan itself in adhesion to host surfaces. The double mnt1Δmnt2Δ mutant formed aggregates of cells that appeared to be the result of abnormal cell separation. The double mutant was attenuated in virulence, underlining the importance of O-glycosylation in pathogenesis of C. albicans infections.


Security issues are critical in networked information systems, e.g., with financial information, corporate proprietary information, contractual and legal information, human resource data, medical records, etc. The paper addresses such diversity of security needs among the different information and resources connected over a secure data network. Installation of firewalls across the data network is a popular approach to providing a secure data network. However, single, individual firewalls may not provide adequate security protection to meet the users needs. The cost of super firewalls, design flaws, as well as implementation inappropriateness with such firewalls may retain security loopholes. The idea proposed is to introduce a cascade of (potentially simpler and less expensive) firewalls in the secure data network, where, between the attacker node and the attacked node, multiple firewalls are expected to provide an added degree of protection. This approach, broadly following the theme of redundancy in engineering systems' design, will increase the confidence and provide more completeness in the level of security protection by the firewalls. The cascade of (i.e., multiple) firewalls can be placed across the secure data network in many ways, not all of which are equally attractive from cost and end-to-end delay perspectives. Toward this, we present heuristics for placement of these firewalls across the different nodes and links of the network in a way that different users can have the level of security they individually need, without having to pay added hardware costs or excess network delay. Three metrics are proposed to evaluate these heuristics: cost, delay, and reduction of attacker's traffic. Performance of these heuristics is presented using simulation, along with some early analytical results. Our research also extends the firewall technology into the well-known advantages of distributed firewalls. Furthermore, the distributed firewalls can be designed to cooperate and stop an attacker's traffic closest to the attack point, thereby reducing the amount of hacker's traffic into the network.


Social networking sites, search engines, and the like all gather an enormous amount of information about individual users. The information has value to these businesses in terms of tailoring advertisements and calibrating product offerings and pricing. But what constraints does the law place upon the acquisition, storage, and use of this data? In this podcast, we will look at privacy law from a distinctly modern perspective, using recent controversies to highlight not only relevant rules but also strategic tradeoffs inherent in collecting personal information from a user community. Guests include GW Law Professor Dan Solove and Santa Clara Law's Eric Goldman. UCLA law professor Doug Lichtman hosts. (Podcast available for free in the archives at ipcolloquium.com.)


Background: Nuclear density functional theory is the only microscopical theory that can be applied throughout the entire nuclear landscape. Its key ingredient is the energy density functional. Purpose: In this work, we propose a new parametrization unedf2 of the Skyrme energy density functional. Methods: The functional optimization is carried out using the pounders optimization algorithm within the framework of the Skyrme Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. Compared to the previous parametrization unedf1, restrictions on the tensor term of the energy density have been lifted, yielding a very general form of the energy density functional up to second order in derivatives of the one-body density matrix. In order to impose constraints on all the parameters of the functional, selected data on single-particle splittings in spherical doubly-magic nuclei have been included into the experimental dataset. Results: The agreement with both bulk and spectroscopic nuclear properties achieved by the resulting unedf2 parametrization is comparable with unedf1. While there is a small improvement on single-particle spectra and binding energies of closed shell nuclei, the reproduction of fission barriers and fission isomer excitation energies has degraded. As compared to previous unedf parametrizations, the parameter confidence interval for unedf2 is narrower. In particular, our results overlap well with those obtained in previous systematic studies of the spin-orbit and tensor terms. Conclusions: unedf2 can be viewed as an all-around Skyrme EDF that performs reasonably well for both global nuclear properties and shell structure. However, after adding new data aiming to better constrain the nuclear functional, its quality has improved only marginally. These results suggest that the standard Skyrme energy density has reached its limits, and significant changes to the form of the functional are needed. © 2014 American Physical Society.


One method to reduce the energy consumption of industrial milk spray dryers is to recover waste heat from the exhaust dryer air. A significant challenge associated with this opportunity is the air contains a small amount of powder that may deposit on the face and surfaces of a recuperator. This paper introduces a novel lab based test that simulates powder deposition on a bank of parallel plate fins at exhaust dryer air conditions. The fin bank acts like the face of a typical finned tube row in a recuperator. The aim of this study is to look at how deposition on the front of fins is affected by the air conditions. Results show similar characteristics to other milk powder deposition studies that exhibit a dramatic increase in deposition once critical stickiness levels are reached. As powder deposits on the face of the fins, the pressure drop across the bank increases until eventually an asymptote occurs, at which point the rates of deposition and removal are similar. For very sticky conditions, deposition on the face of the fins can cause a rise in the pressure drop by as much as 65%. The pressure drop has also been successfully related to the percentage of open frontal area of the fins with and without deposition. Deposition inside and at the rear of the fin bank was found to be minimal.


The accelerated history of an art world preoccupied with whatever is "newer than the new", or as Germano Celant writes, "more present than the present", demands a consolidation of contemporary art and related theory existing today. "New Art" seeks to come to terms with the changing and continually developing trends in the art world at the beginning of the 1990s. Brought together are the artists, critics and curators from Europe and the USA who have played seminal roles in inventing and discerning the most significant definitions circulating the international art scene over the last decade or so. Re-thinking concepts such as originality, invention, appropriation and innovation, this anthology, comprised of texts published in recent issues of "Art and Design", together with newly commissioned articles, established a contemporary discourse on the new. It explores key issues such as the relevance of history to art in the 1980s and 90s, the Post-Modern discourse, the appropriation of photography, language and the mass media, the effectiveness of new art in a socio-political context, the influence of contemporary philosophy, and current definitions including "Unexpressionism", "Chaos", "Alchemy", "Deconstruction" and the "Post-Avant Garde".


The morphological properties of axons, such as their branching patterns and oriented structures, are of great interest for biologists in the study of the synaptic connectivity of neurons. In these studies, researchers use triple immunofluorescent confocal microscopy to record morphological changes of neuronal processes. Three-dimensional (3D) microscopy image analysis is then required to extract morphological features of the neuronal structures. In this article, we propose a highly automated 3D centerline extraction tool to assist in this task. For this project, the most difficult part is that some axons are overlapping such that the boundaries distinguishing them are barely visible. Our approach combines a 3D dynamic programming (DP) technique and marker-controlled watershed algorithm to solve this problem. The approach consists of tracking and updating along the navigation directions of multiple axons simultaneously. The experimental results show that the proposed method can rapidly and accurately extract multiple axon centerlines and can handle complicated axon structures such as cross-over sections and overlapping objects.


In order to explain the contradictory results on the temperature dependence of the radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) in optical fiber, the temperature dependence of color center absorption was proposed as a complementary explanation. The temperature tests were conducted on the four prototype optical fibers after irradiation. During the temperature tests the RIA in the fibers at the near infrared (NIR) wavelengths was measured continuously. The temperature dependence of color center absorption was verified. The competition between the thermally color center annealing and the temperature-dependent absorption of color center was observed. The test results show that the temperature dependent absorption of the color center at NIR wavelengths is an important factor influencing the temperature dependence of RIA besides the thermally driven color center generation, conversion and annealing process.


Nat Bonacci was a valued contributor to the Melbourne University school of engineering, an enthusiast to the Catholic cause in education and healthcare, and a cherished member of the Italian-Australian community. This is his story, and a vision for how engineers might contribute to a new Australia. Nat Bonacci's life holds many secrets for how his adopted country might prosper in the uncertain times ahead.


In 2000, a 57-year-old man had a cerebral hemorrhage that resulted in spastic hemiparesis and global aphasia with agraphia and alexia. He received continuous speech therapy, with no significant improvement in speech performance. Three years after the event, a directed resource-orientated and music-supported training (SIPARI 1 ) was initiated that had been devel- oped especially to support speech rehabilitation for chronic nonfluent aphasia patients. The effects of this treatment on language capabilities were tested by inde- pendent and experienced investigators with the Aach- ener Aphasie Test (standardized procedure). Tests were carried out 20 months after onset of treatment in 2004, and in two follow-up studies in 2005 and 2008. After the first treatment period of 20 months, the patient showed clinically significant improvements in spontaneous speech as well as in the token test (a measure to evaluate severity of aphasia), repetition, and naming. The first follow-up study in 2005 as well as the last assessment in 2008 revealed further clinically significant improvements in speech perfor- mance. At the time of this writing, the patient is able to talk in everyday situations and to participate verbally in social life. The fact that he regained confidence and enjoyment in using speech has improved his own quality of life and that of his family and friends considerably.


In today's world, writing is an essential skill. At school, writing is often used to gauge students' understanding of content material as well as to promote the learning of it. Students with learning disabilities (LD) and those at risk for writing difficulties experience considerable difficulty with almost every aspect of writing. The field of LD is developing a reasonable foundation of knowledge about what and how students with LD and those at risk for LD write. The articles in this series contribute to our growing knowledge of how students with LD struggle with the writing process and can benefit from evidence-based practices, beginning in elementary school and continuing into college. The purpose of this article is to introduce the special series on writing and writing difficulties. Three of the articles are included in this issue, and the two remaining articles will appear in the next issue. This introduction provides readers with the rationale for the series, the purpose of each article, and a brief overview of each contribution.


In selecting the type of maintenance or rehabilitation (M&R) activity to apply to highway pavement sections, engineers rely on several items of information. Foremost among these is the effectiveness of the various M&R activities in slowing pavement deterioration and improving its condition. A number of researchers have sought to quantify the effectiveness of M&R activities by developing separate models of pavement deterioration for each type of M&R activity. Often, the results of such analyses have not been satisfactory. For example, some researchers have reported models with poor fits to data or counterintuitive signs of important variable coefficients. These results may be due to the fact that the sample used for model estimation was self-selected. The observations used to analyze the effectiveness of a certain M&R activity are not representative of the population of highway pavement sections, because these observations consist mainly of sections for which that particular activity was believed to be most effective. This paper presents a structured econometric approach for estimating the effectiveness of pavement M&R activities. This approach consists of a discrete model describing the choice of M&R activity by the highway agency, and a set of continuous models representing pavement response, with one equation for each activity. This model system accounts for the self-selected nature of the sample, and consequently obtains consistent model parameter estimates. A case study that demonstrates the applicability and value of the methodology is presented. The data set used for model estimation was provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation.


Most explanations of health risks are presented as "fear appeals," messages that attempt to arouse fear to modify personal behavior. The central goal of this research is to assess fear appeal performance in online news while examining several research-design issues. Looking at digital news content as fear appeals will expand the scope of research into a new area, and more effective measurement and induction will avoid some common pitfalls. An online experiment produced data indicating that perceived threat and efficacy relationships developed as expected in online news and that improvements in research-design artifacts strongly affect observed variable relationships. Fear appeal and efficacy messages included in digital media content seem to be effective means to altering individual behavioral intentions.


Dikova, B., E. Balacheva and B. Atanassova, 2017. Study of tolerance to tomato spotted wilt virus in tomato genotypes with anthocyanins content. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 23 (1): 102–106 Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the ten most widespread plant viruses in the world that causes diseases strongly affecting plant development and yield. The objective of the study was to determine the tolerance to TSWV of four tomato genotypes differing in anthocyanins content in their leaves and stems. The percentage of symptomless healthy plants among the four genotypes varied as follows: Keti (AA1) – control – 21% symptomless healthy plants; line St 993 x Keti (AA7) – 5% symptomless healthy plants, AA10 (VK1 x Keti) – 31% symptomless healthy plants and AA12 (VK1 x Keti) – 25% symptomless healthy plants. It is important to note that line AA10 was characterized by high productivity and tolerance to environmental conditions. No correlation was detected between the high content of anthocyanins in plant tissue and the high tolerance to TSWV.


The yield reduction in four soyabean, Glycine max (L.) (Merrill) (Leguminosae), cultivars, Duiker, Gazelle, Roan and SCSI, was measured in relation to different levels of artificial defoliation. Defoliation was induced manually, either as a single defoliation or sequentially over three different growth stages. At maturity, the yields of each cultivar at each defoliation treatment were obtained, and the reduction in yield compared to the undefoliated controls were converted to a percentage. Linear regressions of the percentage yield and percentage defoliation were fitted. The reduction in yield was influenced by cultivars, levels of defoliation, and the number of defoliations. The most critical growth stage for defoliation was the seed development stage, but differences in yield due to defoliation at the different growth stages were small and not significant. SCSI was the most resistant to defoliation, while Duiker was the most susceptible to single defoliations. Economic threshold levels were determined for the different soyabean cultivars based on the data that had a statistically significant linear relationship between percentage yield and defoliation. Based on three insecticides and two application methods, the economic thresholds were determined at the flowering stage for Duiker, at the pod development stage for Duiker and Roan and at the seed development stage for the Duiker, Gazelle, Roan and SCSI cultivars. In general, the estimated economic thresholds for the semiloopers ranged from 45 to 145 per metre of row, depending on the cultivar, insecticide and method of insecticide application. These thresholds equate to between two and seven semiloopers per plant.


Various strategies have been proposed to date in order to mitigate the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, such as the separation, storage, and utilization of this gas. Among the available technologies, the electrochemical valorisation of CO2 appears to be an innovative technology, in which electrical energy is supplied to establish a potential between two electrodes, allowing CO2 to be transformed into value-added chemicals under mild conditions. It provides a method to recycle CO2 (in a carbon neutral cycle) and, at the same time, a way to chemically store the excess of renewable energy from intermittent sources, thus reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Among the useful products that can be obtained, methanol is particularly interesting as a platform chemical, and it has gained renewed and growing attention in the research community. Accomplishments to date in the electroreduction of CO2 to methanol have been encouraging, although substantial advances are still needed for it to become a profitable technology able to shift society to renewable energy sources. This review presents a unified discussion of the significant work that has been published in the field of electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol. It emphasizes the aspects related to process design at different levels: cathode materials, reaction media, design of electrochemical cells, as well as working conditions. It then extends the discussion to the important conclusions from different electrocatalytic routes, and recommendations for future directions to develop a catalytic system that will convert CO2 to methanol at high process efficiencies.


Studying the economic profitability provides information concerning the efficiency of the patrimony management and the corresponding remuneration of the invested capital. Therefore, the analysis of the economic profitability rates is an instrument of appreciating the economic performance of companies, also of their competitiveness, and it is useful in substantiating the decisions of investors, managers, creditors and of the other user categories. This paper presents and illustrates within a suitable case study, the significance of the economic profitability rate in accordance with its expression under the material aspect or of the patrimony financing sources, also depending on the activity cycle whose efficiency is analysed. Additional information related to the companies' increasing capacities of economic performance can be obtained by studying the factors that influence the level and evolution of the economic profitability rate using some economic-financial analysis models.


Moral boundaries are often conceptualized as an expression of an individual's identity or belief system. However, social forces greatly influence how and when consumers activate moral boundaries. Utilizing a dramaturgical perspective, this article shows that the activation of moral boundaries is largely determined by an individual's position in the market (role), the discourse he or she is expected to perform (scripts), and the individuals with whom he or she is interacting (audience). This article makes four contributions to our understanding of ethical consumption and boundary theory: (1) it provides a counterbalance to theories that imply moral boundaries are an expression of an individual's belief system; (2) it demonstrates the permeability of moral boundaries; (3) it shows that strong moral boundaries can, but rarely do, lead to the formation of social boundaries; and (4) it reinforces the notion that boundary research needs to include naturalistic data looking at how people activate boundaries in their everyday lives. These findings are based on participant observation and interviews with 102 consumers, activists, store owners, and managers of Fair Trade coffee and handicraft retail stores.


"Why doesn't my baby sleep better?" weary parents ask. "How can we get more sleep?" There are as many answers to these questions as there are babies and families, says Dr Avi Sadeh in this helpful and reassuring (some may say indispensable) book. Based on his years of research with sleep-disturbed babies and their sleep-deprived parents, Dr Sadeh suggests a wide variety of practical solutions to babies' and young children's sleep problems. Other experts may recommend one strict approach to changing a baby's sleep habits, but a single remedy fails to take into account a baby's uniqueness and the dynamics of his or her family, Dr Sadeh contends. He helps parents first to understand the natural sleep patterns of babies, and then to consider their own family's situation and needs. In an accessible style designed to ease anxious parents' worries, Dr Sadeh describes the various sleep problems of early childhood, outlines treatment possibilities, and details the pros and cons of each of these choices. This book will appeal not only to sleepless parents seeking relief but also to those who are curious about the most recent findings in children's sleep research. Dr Sadeh addresses a full range of questions: What is the importance of sleep to a baby? How do babies in different cultures sleep? How is sleep related to development? What causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? How do babies calm themselves? What are the advantages and disadvantages of communal sleeping? With up-to-date answers to these questions and more, Dr Sadeh offers parents and professionals all the information they need to help babies and their families to sleep better.