This paper is concerned with the distributed finite-horizon filtering problem for a class of time-varying systems over lossy sensor networks. The time-varying system (target plant) is subject to randomly varying nonlinearities (RVNs) caused by environmental circumstances. The lossy sensor network suffers from quantization errors and successive packet dropouts that are described in a unified framework. Two mutually independent sets of Bernoulli distributed white sequences are introduced to govern the random occurrences of the RVNs and successive packet dropouts. Through available output measurements from not only the individual sensor but also its neighboring sensors according to the given topology, a sufficient condition is established for the desired distributed finite-horizon filter to ensure that the prescribed average filtering performance constraint is satisfied. The solution of the distributed filter gains is characterized by solving a set of recursive linear matrix inequalities. A simulation example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed filtering scheme.


This paper is about a puzzle to be solved in three programming paradigms: logic, functional and imperative. It can be considered as a case study of algorithm inversion, since we start with logic algorithm, that answers the question "Is balancing M times sufficient for detecting a single fake in a set of coins?", and finishes with imperative algorithm, that effectively computes the minimal number of balancing that is sufficient for detection the fake. Functional paradigm is used for developing an intermediate functional algorithm that also computes the minimal number of balancing, but inefficiently, while the efficient imperative algorithm is a "lazy memoization" of the functional one.


The autoimmune thyroid diseases [Graves' and Hashimoto's diseases (GD and HT)] develop in genetically susceptible individuals, but the genes responsible for this susceptibility remain unknown. To identify such genes, we have been testing candidate genes and chromosomal regions using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. We recently reported evidence for the first locus linked to GD (GD-1) on chromosome 14q31 in a small group of families. We have now extended these studies and analyzed 53 multiplex families with GD and/or HT (323 individuals). Chromosome 14 was screened using 16 microsatellite markers spanning the entire chromosome. Three additional markers located inside candidate genes on chromosome 14 were also studied. Microsatellite markers were amplified using fluorescent-labeled primers and separated on an ABI-310 genetic analyzer. The data were analyzed using LIPED software for two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) score analysis and GeneHunter software for multipoint linkage analysis. No linkage of any marker was found to HT or autoimmune thyroid diseases (GD+HT). The previously identified GD-1 locus on 14q31 continued to show evidence of linkage to GD in this much larger set of families. The maximum LOD score was 2.1 obtained for marker D14S81 (theta=0.01), assuming a recessive mode of inheritance and a penetrance of 0.3. Multipoint analysis yielded a maximum LOD score of 2.5 between markers D14S81 and D14S1054. There was no evidence for heterogeneity in our sample. These data again suggest the presence of a major Graves' disease susceptibilitygene (GD-1) on chromosome 14q31. This locus is close to the recently identified multinodular goiter-1 locus.


Secondary inorganic aerosol, most notably ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate, is an important contributor to ambient particulate mass and provides a means for long range transport of acidifying components. The modelling of the formation and fate of these components is challenging. Especially, the formation of the semi-volatile ammonium nitrate is strongly dependent on ambient conditions and the precursor concentrations. For the first time an hourly artefact free data set from the MARGA instrument is available for the period of a full year (1 August 2007 to 1 August 2008) at Cabauw, the Netherlands. This data set is used to verify the results of the LOTOS-EUROS model. The comparison showed that the model underestimates the SIA levels. Closer inspection revealed that base line values appear well estimated for ammonium and sulphate and that the underestimation predominantly takes place at the peak concentrations. For nitrate the variability towards high concentrations is much better captured, however, a systematic relative underestimation was found. The model is able to reproduce many features of the intra-day variability observed for SIA. Although the model captures the seasonal and average diurnal variation of the SIA components, the modelled variability for the nitrate precursor gas nitric acid is much too large. It was found that the thermodynamic equilibrium module produces a too stable ammonium nitrate in winter and during night time in summer, whereas during the daytime in summer it is too unstable. We recommend to improve the model by verification of the equilibrium module, inclusion of coarse mode nitrate and to address the processes concerning SIA formation combined with a detailed analysis of the data set at hand. The benefit of the hourly data with both particulate and gas phase concentrations is illustrated and a continuation of these measurements may prove to be very useful in future model evaluation and improvement studies. Based on our findings we propose to implement a monitoring strategy using three levels of detail within the Netherlands. © 2011 Author(s).


Courses at the Master's level in automatic control and signal processing cover mathematical theories and algorithms for control, estimation, and filtering. However, giving students practical experience in how to use these algorithms is also an important part of these courses. A goal is that the students should not only be able to understand and derive these algorithms, but also be able to apply them to real-life technical problems. The latter is achieved by assigning more time to the laboratory tutorials and designing them in such a way that the exercises are open for interpretation; an example of this would be giving the students more freedom to decide how to acquire the data needed to solve the given exercises. The students are asked to hand in a laboratory report in which they describe how they solved the exercises. This paper presents a double-blind peer-review process for laboratory reports, introduced at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University, Sweden. A survey was administered to students, and the results are summarized in this paper. Also discussed are the teachers' experiences of peer review and of how students perform later in their education in writing their Master's theses.


In this work, we present the design of an integrated photonic-crystal polarization beam splitter (PC-PBS) and a low-loss photonic-crystal 60 degrees waveguide bend. Firstly, the modal properties of the PC-PBS and the mechanism of the low-loss waveguide bend are investigated by the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, and then the integration of the two devices is studied. It shows that, although the individual devices perform well separately, the performance of the integrated circuit is poor due to the multi-mode property of the PC-PBS. By introducing deformed airhole structures, a single-mode PC-PBS is proposed, which significantly enhance the performance of the circuit with the extinction ratios remaining above 20 dB for both transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) polarizations. Both the specific result and the general idea of integration design are promising in the photonic crystal integrated circuits in the future.


The Strategic Differentiation-Integration Effort (SD-IE) hypothesis predicts regulation by life history speed (K) of the magnitudes of the correlations among its components, such that individuals with slower life history strategies exhibit life history traits that are less correlated with each other than individuals with faster life history strategies. This conative differentiation among high-K individuals is proposed to arise due to the elevated social competition in stable, predictable environments faced by these individuals and to facilitate mutualistic rather than antagonistic social interaction strategies via social-ecological nichesplitting and domain-specific resource allocation. We tested the predictions of SD-IE regarding relations among life history traits using the Continuous Parameter Estimation Method on data from two college student convenience samples, one all-female sample (N=382) and one mixed-sex sample (N=205), as well as two nationally-representative samples of the US population, the MIDUS (National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, N=2080) and the NLSY (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, N=5082). The predicted SD-IE effects were statistically significant and in the expected negative direction among most indicators of the lower-order slow life history factors and among all indicators of the single higher-order slow life history Super-K factor.


The aim of this contribution is to explore the origins of moral behavior and its underlying moral preferences and intuitions from an evolutionary perspective. Such a perspective encompasses both the ultimate, adaptive function of morality in our own species, as well as the phylogenetic distribution of morality and its key elements across primates. First, with regard to the ultimate function, we argue that human moral preferences are best construed as adaptations to the affordances of the fundamentally interdependent hunter-gatherer lifestyle of our hominin ancestors. Second, with regard to the phylogenetic origin, we show that even though full-blown human morality is unique to humans, several of its key elements are not. Furthermore, a review of evidence from nonhuman primates regarding prosocial concern, conformity, and the potential presence of universal, biologically anchored and arbitrary cultural norms shows that these elements of morality are not distributed evenly across primate species. This suggests that they have evolved along separate evolutionary trajectories. In particular, the element of prosocial concern most likely evolved in the context of shared infant care, which can be found in humans and some New World monkeys. Strikingly, many if not all of the elements of morality found in nonhuman primates are only evident in individualistic or dyadic contexts, but not as third-party reactions by truly uninvolved bystanders. We discuss several potential explanations for the unique presence of a systematic third-party perspective in humans, but focus particularly on mentalizing ability and language. Whereas both play an important role in present day, full-blown human morality, it appears unlikely that they played a causal role for the original emergence of morality. Rather, we suggest that the most plausible scenario to date is that human morality emerged because our hominin ancestors, equipped on the one hand with large and powerful brains inherited from their ape-like ancestor, and on the other hand with strong prosocial concern as a result of cooperative breeding, could evolve into an ever more interdependent social niche.


Low molecular weight organic acids (OA), which are intermediates in the anaerobic decomposition of straw incorporated into submerged soils, have been implicated in causing toxicity to young rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. The objective of this study was to develop a method for measuring OA in soil solution in field and greenhouse studies. Three methods of soil solution sampling were evaluated: zero-tension displacement (ZTD), variable-tension centrifugation (CFG), and medium-tension suction sampling through porous tubes (PT). All solution samples were analyzed for OA by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an ion exclusion column. Use of cation exchange membrane resin strips during sample collection to sorb interfering cations improved OA recovery. Comparison between sampling methods of the OA concentration in soil solution extracted from soil amended with reagent OA was as follows: PT = CFG >> ZTD. Variables between methods that could cause artifacts in OA measurement were tested systematically: solution pH after sampling, headspace gas pressure during sampling, and sorption to sand or soil layers. No artifact effects were observed, and it was concluded that the tension methods sampled a different fraction of soil solution than the zero-tension method. Since the tension methods extracted a higher concentration of OA, they are recommended for studies comparing treatment effects on OA production. However, it was beyond the scope of this study to determine which soil solution fraction is more relevant to OA toxicity studies with rice seedlings. Between the two tension methods, PT was more convenient for repeated sampling from the same location compared to the destructive nature of centrifugation.


Web crawlers have been developed for several malicious purposes like downloading server data without permission from website administrator. Armored stealthy crawlers are evolving against new anti-crawler mechanisms in the arms race between the crawler developers and crawler defenders. In this thesis, we develop a new anti-crawler mechanism called PathMarker to detect and constrain crawlers that crawl content of servers stealthily and persistently. The basic idea is to add a marker to each web page URL and then encrypt the URL and marker. By using the URL path and user information contained in the marker as the new features of our detection modules, we could accurately detect stealthy crawlers even most distributed crawlers at the earliest stage. Besides effectively detecting crawlers, PathMarker can also dramatically suppress the efficiency of crawlers before they are detected by misleading the crawlers visiting same page's URL with different markers. We deploy our approach on a forum website to collect normal users' data. The evaluation results show that PathMarker can quickly capture all 12 open-source and in-house crawlers, plus two external crawlers (i.e., Googlebots and Yahoo Slurp).


Purpose In this study, a double emulsion method for complexing plasmids with stearyl poly-ethylenimine (stPEI) as the core to form human serum albumin (HSA) (plasmid/stPEI/HSA) nanoparticles (NPs) was developed for gene delivery by non-covalently binding onto plasmid/stPEI/HSA nanoparticles with CRISPR/Cas9 or siRNA, which disrupts or silences the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) for immunotherapy. Materials and methods Chemically synthesized stearyl-polyethyenimine (stPEI)/plasmids/HSA nanoparticles were maded by double emulsion method. They were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscope and also evaluated by in vitro study on CT 26 cells. Results stPEI was synthesized by an N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)–N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) reaction, and we found that the degree of substitution was ~1.0 when the ratio of PEI to stearic acid was 1:7 in the reaction. Then, two sgRNA sequences were selected and evaluated for their ability to knock out PD-L1 by decreasing its expression by about 20%. Based on the trend of particle size/zeta potential values as a function of ratio, F25P1 containing 25 μg of plasmid/stPEI/HSA NPs noncovalently bound to 1 μg plasmids via charge–charge interactions was found to be optimal. Its particle size was about 202.7±4.5 nm, and zeta potential was 12.60±0.15 mV. In an in vitro study, these NPs showed little cytotoxicity but high cellular uptake. Moreover, they revealed the potential for transfection and PD-L1 knockout in an in vitro cell model. Furthermore, F25P1S0.5 containing 25 μg of plasmid/stPEI/HSA NPs noncovalently bound to 1 μg of plasmids and 0.5 μg siRNA was prepared to simultaneously deliver plasmids and siRNA. An in vitro study demonstrated that the siRNA did not interfere with the transfection of plasmids and showed a high-transfection efficiency with a synergistic effect on inhibition of PD-L1 expression by 21.95%. Conclusion The plasmids/stPEI/HSA NPs could be a promising tool for gene delivery and improved immunotherapy.


The implementation of the European Commission Services Directive initiated the modernization process of services markets within the European Union. The objective was to guarantee the creation of a single market by ensuring the freedom of establishment and circulation. The transposition of the Directive in Spain triggered an initial wave of reforms in the Spanish legal system. A second package of reforms is currently underway, following recommendations by the EC, IMF and OECD, which highlight the relative lack of competition in Spain's services as one of the major imbalances in its economy, alongside the public deficit and unemployment. Both the implemented and planned reforms represent a major step forward. Nevertheless, the government has recently announced modifications to the draft bill of the Professional Services and Associations Law, which is expected to soon be submitted for parliamentary debate and approval. Taking into consideration modifications already introduced, together with anticipated further changes, it will be important to maintain the main points of the draft bill and to introduce a deeper review of the legal framework for professional services, of the professional associations themselves, and for the activities that are subject to compulsory membership within a professional association. Spain's territorial map of professional associations must too be redrawn.


ABSTRACT Increasing young children's vocabulary remains one of the most challenging areas of early literacy instruction. Progress has been made in identifying techniques that, while often complex, work to implement routinely. This study examines the effects of an easy-to-implement technique, say-tell-do-play (STDP), that integrates proven "active ingredients" of direct instruction embedded in shared book reading and structured play on preschoolers' word awareness and word meaning. Effectiveness of the technique was tested with 18 preschoolers enrolled in a university-based child care setting. Children were pretested on vocabulary selected from two topic studies spanning 8 weeks. In the first period, half were instructed using the technique with play and the other half without play. Midstudy, they were tested, and the play feature was swapped for the second period. Children were then posttested and tested again after 2 months. Results indicate implementing the technique with play made a difference in children's word awareness (recognition), but not for children's understandings of word meanings. The study corroborates research that shows the benefits of intentional, direct instruction for helping children learn new words.


Academic performance of students from most of the public schools in Nepal is not satisfactory. However, there are a few public schools consistently performing well despite similar students' and teachers' backgrounds, infrastructure and resources. This study explored how principals' understandings and practices of their leadership role may have influenced students' learning. For this study five higher performing and five lower performing schools from Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) were chosen. In-depth interviews and separate focus group discussions were conducted with the principals. Findings were analyzed under six dimensions of effective school leadership identified from the literature: (a) vision building and goal setting, (b) crafting positive school culture, (c) supporting teachers and students, (d) developing leadership among staff, (e) managing resources, and (f) leading for continuous improvement. All principals identified challenges in their work, but the principals from lower performing schools identified more challenges. Principals from higher performing schools typically provided more comprehensive accounts of their roles as school leaders.


Congenital constriction band syndrome (CCBS) is a group of infantile limbs defects that caused by compression of amniotic wreckages. Those clinical defects have vast varieties and could have direct impact on child development of fine and/or gross motor ability. This report will review several references for the etiology and clinical presentation of congenital constriction band syndrome. We also presented three cases that suffered from different patterns of limb defects. Low temperature temporary prostheses were designed respectively for each child at infantile stage. Rehabilitation training programs were provided for prosthesis usage and facilitation of normal development. Early application of prostheses for congenital amputated infants is indicated to enhance body image development and decrease psychological rejection of prosthesis. Due to the rapid growth of children, using low temperature thermoplastics as the materials of prostheses is preferred. Because it is easily to fit and cheaper. The details of the temporary prostheses fitting were also presented for each case as clinical reference.


PET reveals spatially heterogeneous rifampin brain penetration, which decreases rapidly with treatment during tuberculous meningitis. TB on the brain Children and immunodeficient individuals are especially prone to tuberculosis infections in the brain, causing tuberculous meningitis. Tucker et al. used a rabbit model of tuberculous meningitis and PET imaging to better understand drug distribution. They found that despite sufficient drug concentration in the plasma, rifampin was not penetrating the TB lesions in the brain. These findings were reflected in the imaging of a human patient with tuberculous meningitis. Pharmacokinetic modeling revealed that dosing in pediatric patients would likely need to be adjusted to allow for sufficient rifampin penetration into affected brain areas. Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a devastating form of tuberculosis (TB), and key TB antimicrobials, including rifampin, have restricted brain penetration. A lack of reliable data on intralesional drug biodistribution in infected tissues has limited pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling efforts to optimize TBM treatments. Current methods to measure intralesional drug distribution rely on tissue resection, which is difficult in humans and generally limited to a single time point even in animals. In this study, we developed a multidrug treatment model in rabbits with experimentally induced TBM and performed serial noninvasive dynamic 11C-rifampin positron emission tomography (PET) over 6 weeks. Area under the curve brain/plasma ratios were calculated using PET and correlated with postmortem mass spectrometry. We demonstrate that rifampin penetration into infected brain lesions is limited, spatially heterogeneous, and decreases rapidly as early as 2 weeks into treatment. Moreover, rifampin concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid did not correlate well with those in the brain lesions. First-in-human 11C-rifampin PET performed in a patient with TBM confirmed these findings. PK modeling predicted that rifampin doses (≥30 mg/kg) were required to achieve adequate intralesional concentrations in young children with TBM. These data demonstrate the proof of concept of PET as a clinically translatable tool to noninvasively measure intralesional antimicrobial distribution in infected tissues.


This paper analyzes benefits and key project success factors from sixty enterprise system implementations discussed by senior implementation-project managers in some of the world's largest corporations at the June 2003 Sapphire conference. The contributions of this paper are (1) insight into the nature of the benefits that organizations achieved from their investments in enterprise systems, ranked by frequency with which they were mentioned, (2) the lessons senior managers have learnt as they implemented the software, again ranked by frequency with which they were mentioned, and (3) the preliminary model explaining how key success factors influence benefits from ES use.


This paper discusses participant-oriented uses of adverbs and tries to motivate their conceptual flexibility within a framework largely inspired by Langacker's Cognitive Grammar. Usually, at least two types of participant-oriented adverb are identified, manner and transparent adverbs. It is argued here that they define a network where both a schema and a prototype can be recognized and that the difference between manner and transparent adverbs results from a difference in vantage point. Transparent adverbs, which code either cause or result, imply an internal vantage point while manner adverbs imply an external vantage point. The prototype is identified with those (manner) adverbs which involve some (external) evaluation of the clausal event on the part of the conceptualizer. The schema is regarded as merely coding temporal coextension between the verbal event and the property hinted at by the adjectival base of the adverb. Finally, the relation between participant-oriented adverbs, on the one hand, and depictive adjectives and resultative adverbs is also briefly addressed.


The authors develop a general methodology to analyze crosstalk effects that are likely to cause errors in deep submicron high-speed circuits. They focus on crosstalk due to capacitive coupling between a pair of lines. Closed form equations are derived that quantify the severity of these effects and describe qualitatively the dependence of these effects on the values of circuit parameters, the rise/fall times of the input transitions, and the skew between the transitions. For noise propagation, they present a new way for predicting the output waveform produced by an inverter due to a nonsquare wave pulse at its input. To expedite the computation of the response of a logic gate to an input pulse, the authors have developed a novel way of modeling such gates by an equivalent inverter. The results of their analysis provide conditions that must be satisfied by a sequence of vectors used for validation of designs as well as post-manufacturing testing of devices in the presence of significant crosstalk. They present data to demonstrate accuracy of their results, including example runs of a test generator that uses these results.


A variety of tools have been developed for the comprehensive assessment of the environmental performance of buildings and they are currently being used in different stages of the building design, construction and operation process. But each existing tool was derived for a specific context, an anticipated target audience and with a desired role in creating positive change. This session will examine and discuss the current and future roles of building environmental assessment tools and cover issues such their use by different stakeholders, comparisons of different tools, etc., accommodating current and emerging environmental and sustainability issues, etc).


The contribution of powerful numerical calculation methods in the design procedure of electrical actuators is usually restricted to the analysis of structures with known geometric dimensions. This paper describes a computer-aided design tool with a multiphysics design methodology starting from datasheet specifications. It is operational from the first design phases due to the association of analytical and numerical approaches that are performed by the coupling of two software tools. The analytical study associates a coupled electromagnetic-thermal model with a gradient optimization algorithm and provides a quick first solution. This solution is then optimized, according to other criteria, by a further numerical study that is based on a finite-element model that is linked to a simplex algorithm. The vibratory behavior of the obtained solution is finally studied using modal analysis. This methodology is applied to design a permanent-magnet synchronous machine.


Recent attempts to capture system safety have focused on the term 'safety culture', indicating a shift in emphasis from individual and directly accident–related factors to organisational and 'latent' factors related to safety. Based on the socio–technical systems approach, an extension of existing models of safety culture is suggested, termed Total Safety Management in accordance with current models of quality assurance, stressing the importance of defining the primary task of a production system in terms of quantity, quality and safety of production. This concept includes not only characteristics directly related to safety, such as safety guidelines, training programmes, operating procedures etc., but also characteristics of job and organisational design that can be assumed to have an indirect effect on safety as they influence the degree of control over variances and disturbances by the operators in the production process. Investigations in four chemical companies and one transportation company, comprising observations in production units, interviews with various company experts in the fields of safety, production, and engineering, questionnaire responses of more than 600 respondents in a wide spectrum of production areas, professional fields and hierarchical levels, as well as the analysis of company documents including incident statistics, served to study relationships between safety, work organisation and technology use. Findings providing some first indications of the usefulness of the Total Safety Management model and practical implications of the results are discussed.


It has been argued that norms of occupational health have weakened with diversification in the sex industry. We explore this issue in walk-in flats in London, focusing on relationships between managers (maids) and sex workers. Today, most maids are local and most sex workers are 'migrants'. We collected data on 117 maids and sex workers, and carried out intensive fieldwork with seven maids and 17 sex workers. Managers take prime responsibility for educating and inducting new workers. Authoritarian management has been considered bad for health both in these walk-in flats and in the '100 per cent condom use programme' criticized by sex workers' projects. Yet, we found that maids acted as friends and managers, which helped settle new sex workers. Over time, however, migrants were more affected by issues of isolation and exploitation than local workers. Alternative models of health promotion such as peer education must be seen in a wider legal context where the lack of rights makes it difficult to appeal against exploitation, or to become mobile.


The aim of this study was to discover the differences on attitudes of Greek Physical Education students towards the subject of computers, in comparison with their involvement in physical activities (PA). The sample consisted of 165 freshmen students, 93 males and 72 females. They completed the "Computer Attitude Scale" questionnaire (Selwyn, 1997) of 21 items which consist four factors (affect, perceived usefulness, perceived control and behavioural) Additionally, each student received a diary where s/he should write down his/her daily physical activities (Samouel & Lee, 2001) for 26 days. The diary was related to the computer usage and the occupation with physical activity. The results indicated gender differences on two factors, "affect" and "perceived usefulness". No gender differences were indicated on PA. The students spent more of their free time on computer usage than doing a PA. Overall, the study supported previous results on gender differences and indicated that students turn into computer usage rather than enjoying other activities.


Social tagging is a new way to share and categorize online content that enables users to express their thoughts, perceptions, and feelings with respect to diverse concepts. In social tagging, content is connected through user-generated keywords—"tags"—and is readily searchable through these tags. The rich associative information that social tagging provides marketers new opportunities to infer brand associative networks. This article investigates how the information contained in social tags can act as a proxy measure for brand performance and can predict the financial valuation of a firm. Using data collected from a social tagging and bookmarking website, Delicious, the authors examine social tagging data for 44 firms across 14 markets. After controlling for accounting metrics, media citations, and other user-generated content, they find that social tag–based brand management metrics capturing brand familiarity, favorability of associations, and competitive overlaps of brand associations can explain unanticipated stock returns. In addition, they find that in managing brand equity, it is more important for strong brands to enhance category dominance, whereas it is more critical for weak brands to enhance connectedness. These findings suggest a new way for practitioners to track, measure, and manage intangible brand equity; proactively improve brand performance; and influence a firm's financial performance.


The δ 18 O difference between shallow- and deep-living planktonic foraminifera is a proxy for the stratification of surface waters. In Holocene sediments from the Atlantic this difference increases from about 0‰ in subpolar regions to ∼3‰ in the tropics. The δ 18 O values of the shallow dwellers Globigerinoides sacculifer and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma mainly reflect surface-water conditions. The calcification depth of the deep-living species Globorotalia truncatulinoides (right-coiling) is affected by the stratification of the water column. In the subtropics, shell formation of G. truncatulinoides (right-coiling) begins in weakly stratified surface waters. In the tropics, the initial shell is secreted below the mixed layer. This hydrographically induced difference in calcification depth allows the use of the isotopic difference between G. truncatulinoides and the shallow species as a proxy for the stratification of surface waters. The Δδ 18 O between G. truncatulinoides and G. sacculifer from tropical gravity Core GeoB 1523-1 was significantly lower during isotope stage 2. This suggests that the glacial temperature stratification of western equatorial Atlantic surface waters was significantly reduced relative to the Holocene.


My reading of David Napier's article foregrounds or highlights (1) a key scientific "discovery" or observation; (2) the history of shifting high level metaphors as key new biological mechanisms are apprehended; (3) three key contemporary problems in immunological biology identified by Napier (transplantation, tumor immunology, autoimmune diseases); and (4) the ways in which popular culture takes up new scientific terminologies as folk "philosophemes" or cultural components for apprehending sociocultural change. In this sequencing, I remain in the anthropological tradition recognized by Polish bacteriologist, virologist, and immunologist Ludwik Fleck (1962) in his 1935 nowcanonical text on changing explanations for syphilis, and how the Wasserman test became the stabilizing diagnostic. Fleck positioned himself between the Durkheimians and the logical positivists (pragmatists). He argued "no epistemology without history," and that every good diagnostician understood that the warfare metaphor for illness (self–nonself in Napier's terms) was not how biology works and cannot explain why some infected people fall ill and others do not. Emily Martin (2004) made a similar argument, shifting attention also the circuits of how understandings and metaphors circulate among general clinicians, specialists, the media, and patients. Among the problems of communication is not just the failure to unpack metaphors, but allowing metaphors to function as premature closure of explanation.


Daniel Gilman, the first president of Johns Hopkins University, was looking for a way that his new research university could compete with the scientific powerhouses of Europe. He came up with the novel idea of offering $500 fellowships to a select group of 20 graduates interested in "further studies … of literature or science." Among that first class of 1876 were four men with doctoral degrees—in effect, the first postdocs. A 1946 history of Hopkins boasts that "probably no expenditure of $10,000 in American education has ever had so large and so enduring a return on investment."

A century and a quarter after Gilman's bold move to bolster U.S. research, the United States leads the world in scientific productivity—and in the number of postdocs, now nearing 40,000. Many would say that the two measures are closely related. Indeed, several English-speaking countries have embraced the American passion for postdocs and used their labor to build up their own research enterprises. And much of the rest of the scientific world, including Japan and many European countries, is moving quickly to set up or expand its use of postdocs in hopes of rejuvenating antiquated systems and ensuring a steady flow of new ideas.

In spite of its success, however, the postdoc system is under stress. Although most postdocs say they recognize the value of extended training beyond graduate school, many feel that their contributions to this scientific success story have not been sufficiently recognized and rewarded. They are in a kind of limbo between student and independent researcher, without the status that their peers in other professions enjoy. And it can be a long apprenticeship: In today's tight job market, it is not unusual for young scientists in some fields to do two or three stints as a postdoc before landing their first academic post. Many are frustrated and annoyed at being asked to support a system that seems increasingly unable to generate secure, well-paying jobs. They complain that employers and funders, typically universities and the federal government, don't understand the pressures they face or, worse, think that the status quo should be preserved. Their unhappiness has fueled the growth of postdoctoral associations and spurred universities to create offices and policies that address their plight.

This special report examines life as a postdoc in all its rich variety—the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the whys and wherefores. It looks at the system not only in the United States, but in Japan and Europe as well. An accompanying [Viewpoint][1] contains a report by the authors of a major study that tracked young scientists for 10 years after they earned their Ph.D. degrees, and a guest [editorial][2] examines how Japan is trying to avoid the worst aspects of the U.S. system as it adjusts to a growing pool of postdocs. We recognize, however, that there are viewpoints and experiences that are not covered. To include them, Science's Next Wave, the electronic network for young scientists, is hosting a forum on the issues raised in this special report with invited perspectives from experts in the field at [nextwave.org/feature/postdocforum.shtml][3]. We urge you to participate.

 [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.285.5433.1533
 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.285.5433.1487
 [3]: http://nextwave.org/feature/postdocforum.shtml


INTRODUCTION
Microscopic colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterised by normal or almost normal endoscopic appearance of the colon, chronic watery, non-bloody diarrhoea and distinct histological abnormalities, which identify three histological subtypes, the collagenous colitis, the lymphocytic colitis and the incomplete microscopic colitis. With ongoing uncertainties and new developments in the clinical management of microscopic colitis, there is a need for evidence-based guidelines to improve the medical care of patients suffering from this disorder.

METHODS
Guidelines were developed by members from the European Microscopic Colitis Group and United European Gastroenterology in accordance with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument. Following a systematic literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. Statements and recommendations were developed by working groups consisting of gastroenterologists, pathologists and basic scientists, and voted upon using the Delphi method.

RESULTS
These guidelines provide information on epidemiology and risk factors of microscopic colitis, as well as evidence-based statements and recommendations on diagnostic criteria and treatment options, including oral budesonide, bile acid binders, immunomodulators and biologics. Recommendations on the clinical management of microscopic colitis are provided based on evidence, expert opinion and best clinical practice.

CONCLUSION
These guidelines may support clinicians worldwide to improve the clinical management of patients with microscopic colitis.


Co‐occurring ocean warming, acidification and reduced carbonate mineral saturation have significant impacts on marine biota, especially calcifying organisms. The effects of these stressors on development and calcification in newly metamorphosed juveniles (ca. 0.5 mm test diameter) of the intertidal sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, an ecologically important species in temperate Australia, were investigated in context with present and projected future conditions. Habitat temperature and pH/pCO2 were documented to place experiments in a biologically and ecologically relevant context. These parameters fluctuated diurnally up to 10 °C and 0.45 pH units. The juveniles were exposed to three temperature (21, 23 and 25 °C) and four pH (8.1, 7.8, 7.6 and 7.4) treatments in all combinations, representing ambient sea surface conditions (21 °C, pH 8.1; pCO2 397; ΩCa 4.7; ΩAr 3.1), near‐future projected change (+2–4 °C, −0.3–0.5 pH units; pCO2 400–1820; ΩCa 5.0–1.6; ΩAr 3.3–1.1), and extreme conditions experienced at low tide (+4 °C, −0.3–0.7 pH units; pCO2 2850–2967; ΩCa 1.1–1.0; ΩAr 0.7–0.6). The lowest pH treatment (pH 7.4) was used to assess tolerance levels. Juvenile survival and test growth were resilient to current and near‐future warming and acidification. Spine development, however, was negatively affected by near‐future increased temperature (+2–4 °C) and extreme acidification (pH 7.4), with a complex interaction between stressors. Near‐future warming was the more significant stressor. Spine tips were dissolved in the pH 7.4 treatments. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature‐pH conditions in the intertidal may convey resilience to juvenile H. erythrogramma to changing ocean conditions, however, ocean warming and acidification may shift baseline intertidal temperature and pH/pCO2 to levels that exceed tolerance limits.


Liver injury effects of green tea–based products have been reported in sporadic case reports. However, no study has examined systematically such adverse effects in an unbiased manner. We examined the potential effects of a high, sustained oral dose of green tea extract (GTE) on liver injury measures in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded phase II clinical trial, which enrolled 1,075 women with the original aim to assess the effect of daily GTE consumption for 12 months on biomarkers of breast cancer risk. The current analysis examined the effect of GTE consumption on liver injury in 1,021 participants (513 in GTE and 508 in placebo arm) with normal baseline levels of liver enzymes. Among women in the GTE arm, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased by 5.4 U/L [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.6–7.1] and aspartate aminotransferase increased by 3.8 U/L (95% CI, 2.5–5.1), which were significantly higher than those among women in the placebo arm (both P < 0.001). Overall, 26 (5.1%) women in GTE developed moderate or more severe abnormalities in any liver function measure during the intervention period, yielding an OR of 7.0 (95% CI, 2.4–20.3) for developing liver function abnormalities as compared with those in the placebo arm. ALT returned to normal after dechallenge and increased again after one or more rechallenges with GTE. The rise–fall pattern of liver enzyme values following the challenge–dechallenge cycles of GTE consumption strongly implicates the effect of high-dose GTE on liver enzyme elevations. Cancer Prev Res; 10(10); 571–9. ©2017 AACR.


We consider the class of convex minimization problems, composed of a self-concordant function, such as the logdet metric, a convex data fidelity term h(.) and, a regularizing — possibly non-smooth — function g(.). This type of problems have recently attracted a great deal of interest, mainly due to their omnipresence in top-notch applications. Under this locally Lipschitz continuous gradient setting, we analyze the convergence behavior of proximal Newton schemes with the added twist of a probable presence of inexact evaluations. We prove attractive convergence rate guarantees and enhance state-of-the-art optimization schemes to accommodate such developments. Experimental results on sparse covariance estimation show the merits of our algorithm, both in terms of recovery efficiency and complexity.


Brain activity can be understood as the exploration of a dynamical landscape of activity configurations over both space and time. This dynamical landscape may be defined in terms of spontaneous transitions within a repertoire of discrete metastable states of functional connectivity (FC), which underlie different mental processes. However, it remains unclear how the brain's dynamical landscape might be changed in altered states of consciousness, such as the psychedelic state. The present study investigated changes in the brain's dynamical repertoire in an fMRI dataset of healthy participants intravenously injected with the psychedelic compound psilocybin, which is found in "magic mushrooms". We employed a data-driven approach to study brain dynamics in the psychedelic state, which focuses on the dominant FC pattern captured by the leading eigenvector of dynamic FC matrices, and enables the identification of recurrent FC patterns ("FC-states"), and their transition profiles over time. We found that a FC state closely corresponding to the fronto-parietal control system was strongly destabilized in the psychedelic state, while transitions toward a globally synchronized FC state were enhanced. These differences between brain state trajectories in normal waking consciousness and the psychedelic state suggest that the latter biases a global mode of functional integration at the expense of locally segregated activity in specific networks. These results provide a mechanistic perspective on subjective quality of the psychedelic experience, and further raise the possibility that mapping the brain's dynamical landscape may help guide pharmacological interventions in neuropsychiatric disorders.


Sales and consumption of bottled water have skyrocketed in recent years. From 1988 to 2002, the sales of bottled water globally have more than quadrupled to over 131 million cubic meters annually (BMC 2003). Bottled water sales worldwide are increasing at 10 percent per year, while the volume of fruit drinks consumed is growing less than 2 percent annually and beer and soft drink sales are growing at less than 1 percent per year (Bottled Water Web 2003). More than 50 percent of Americans drink bottled water occasionally or as their major source of drinking water—an astounding fact given the high quality and low cost of U.S. tap water. Why the great growth in bottled water sales? Bottled water typically costs a thousand times more per liter than high-quality municipal tap water. Are consumers willing to pay this price because they believe that bottled water is safer than tap water? Do they have a real taste preference for bottled water? Or is the convenience of the portable plastic bottle the major factor? Are they taken in by the images portrayed in commercials and on the bottles? The answers are consequential. We estimate that total consumer expenditures for bottled water are approximately $100 billion per year—a vast sum that both indicates consumers are willing to pay for convenient and reliable drinking water and that society has the resources to make comparable expenditures to provide far greater quantities of water for far less money by investing in reliable domestic supplies. Ironically, despite its cost, users should not assume that the purity of bottled water is adequately protected, regulated, or monitored. Even where regulations exist, bottled water plants typically receive far less scrutiny from inspectors than other food plants or municipal water systems. In many places, such as the United States, bottlers themselves do most sampling and testing, which opens the door to fraud, misreporting, and inadequate protection. Ultimately, the provision of clean water to all will not come from sales of bottled water but from effective actions of communities, governments, and municipal providers to provide a safe and reliable domestic water supply.


As a life source water is the reason why majority of world's largest cities developed in the area where they are now and it is an aesthetic reason that influence many people and landscape architects. Although, how children experience many types of urban open spaces have been identified in the literature, evidence-based research knowledge was extremely limited about water experiences of children in urban open spaces. The purpose of this paper is to explore what makes water features in different urban open spaces attractive to children and what opportunities or constraints influence children's ability to experience such environments. This research has adopted subject triangulation methodology and focuses on three research subjects; children, parents and professionals who designed and manages those spaces, which are three dimension of water play provision. Study suggest some striking results about children's use of water features, parental controls and allowance, and professionals' consideration.


Rats maintained for 12 weeks on diets moderately or more severely deficient in magnesium showed significant elevations in arterial blood pressure compared to control animals. Examination of the mesenteric microcirculation in situ revealed that dietary magnesium deficiency resulted in reduced capillary, postcapillary, and venular blood flow concomitant with reduced terminal arteriolar, precapillary sphincter, and venular lumen sizes. The greater the degree of dietary magnesium deficiency the greater the reductions in microvascular lumen sizes. These findings may provide a rationale for the etiology, as well as treatment, of some forms of hypertensive vascular disease.


Science-based guidelines for thinning in southern bottomland hardwood stands are inadequate. To address this need, we established a series of thinning studies based on stand density management in hardwood stands on minor streambottom sites across the South. In the third study in this series, four thinning treatments were applied to a poletimber-sized, red oak-sweetgum (Quercus spp.-Liquidambar styraciflua) stand in southeastern Arkansas in September 1999: (1) unthinned control; (2) light thinning to 70 to75 percent residual stocking; (3) heavy thinning to 50 to 55 percent residual stocking; and (4) B-line thinning to the recommended residual stocking for bottomland hardwoods. By the end of the ninth year after treatment, thinning had improved stand-level basal area growth but with no differences among the three levels of thinning in the rate of growth. Thinning also had increased diameter growth of residual trees, especially red oaks, but the magnitude of diameter growth response by red oaks did not differ among the three levels of thinning. The increased diameter growth of residual trees accelerated the rate of stand development through rapid increases in the number of red oak sawtimber trees per acre and rapid increases in quadratic mean diameter. The number of epicormic branches on the butt log was high and did not differ statistically among treatments.


The advent of the digital age and the wide diffusion of copyrighted works over the Internet have brought about a drastic challenge to the pre-existing rules and legal standards governing the exchange of information. This article points out one of the ways the development of these new technologies has altered the boundaries of copyright, specifically by enabling copyright holders to strategically expand the scope of protection through a strategic use of Digital Rights Management (hereinafter, DRM). After a brief account of the qualities of these technologies and their contribution to the development of online markets for copyrighted works, the article warns against the common practice of using DRM as a tool to stretch the legal protection conferred by IP law.It surveys the approach taken by US courts in dealing with specific cases of abuse of DRM in the copyright context, advancing some considerations also on the pro-competitive benefit that may derive from these practices, and thus the different outcome that would result from an application of a purely antitrust-focused judicial scrutiny to the same situation. It then identifies some potential improvements of the current legal rules governing misuse of DRM, and recommends a two-fold approach to the assessment of the legality of such practices. In the final chapter, a legal test where antitrust analysis and IP principles are intermingled is proposed to facilitate this complex assessment.


Abstract. Although water use has been increasing day by day depending on fast population increase, urbanization and industrialization in the world, potential of usable water resources remains stable. On the other side, expansion of agricultural activities, industrialization, urbanization, global warming and climate change create a big pressure on current water resources. Therefore, management of water resources is one of the most significant problems of today that is required to be solved and ''Integrated Basin Management'' has gained importance in the world in terms of decreasing environmental problems by more efficiently using current water resources. In order to achieve integrated basin management, it is needed to determine basin boundaries with sufficient accuracy and precision and encode them systematically. In various analyses to be done on the basis of basin, topographic parameters are also needed such as shape factor, bifurcation ratio, drainage frequency, drainage density, length of the main flow path, harmonic slope, average slope, time of concentration, hypsometric curve and maximum elevation difference. Nowadays, basin boundaries are obtained with digital elevation models in geographical information systems. However, tools developed for topographic parameters are not available. In this study, programs were written in Python programming language for afore-mentioned topographic parameters and each turned into a geographical information system tool. Therefore, a significant contribution has been made to the subject by completing the deficiency in the geographical information system devoted to the topographic parameters that are needed in almost every analyses concerning to the hydrology.


OF THESIS IDENTIFYING HOT-SPOTS OF FECAL CONTAMINATION IN THE ROYAL SPRINGS KARSTSHED The City of Georgetown, Kentucky relies on a vast karst spring network as a drinking water source. This karst feature has several inputs from sinkholes and streams in the Cane Run Watershed: a watershed associated with a variety of land uses in the recharge area. The recharge area encompasses the area from North Lexington to Georgetown and is composed of urban, suburban, agricultural and industrial usage. A serious water quality issue exists with respect to the impact of fecal contamination within the spring recharge area. Identification of fecal contamination is quantified by microbial indicators adapted from surface water applications: fecal load (E. coli), fecal source (two human-host specific Bacteroides DNA markers) and fecal age (AC/TC ratio). These three criteria are used in a categorical Microbial Source Tracking (MST) model to assign a Sanitary Category Value (SCV) between 0 and 3 for each sample location. Low SCVs ( 1.5) are associated with high values of fecal load, low fecal age and detectable concentration of human-specific markers. SCV measured during dry weather conditions are indicative of potentially leaking human sewers. Due to retention and conservation of fecal load (E. coli) and age (AC/TC) microbial indicators in the karstic environment, ambiguous SCV model results cannot pinpoint, with statistical confidence, fecal sources in a karstic environment. Human-host specific genetic markers (HF183 and HuBac) were also detected at all sample sites above limits of detection, indicating steady inflow of fecal material during all sample events. By adding a flow multiplier and expressing HF183 and HuBac values as a load, it was strongly indicated that a human fecal source was entering the groundwater conduit and impacting Royal Spring independent from other upstream fecal sources. Interpretation of these trends, while strongly indicated, cannot be supported with statistical evidence.


In adolescents and young adults, acute consequences like injuries account for a substantial proportion of alcohol-related harm, especially in risky single-occasion (RSO) drinkers. The primary aim of the study was to characterize different drinking profiles in RSO drinkers according to drinking locations and their relationship to negative, alcohol-related consequences. The sample consisted of 2746 young men from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors who had reported drinking six or more drinks on a single-occasion at least monthly over the preceding 12 months. Principal component analysis on the frequency and amount of drinking at 11 different locations was conducted, and 2 distinguishable components emerged: a non-party-dimension (loading high on theater/cinema, sport clubs, other clubs/societies, restaurants, and sport events) and a party-dimension (loading high on someone else's home, pubs/bars, discos/nightclubs, outdoor public places, special events, and home). Differential impacts of drinking location profiles were observed on severe negative alcohol-related consequences (SAC). Relative to those classified as low or intermediate in both dimensions, no significant difference experiencing SAC was found among those who were classified as high in the non-party-dimension only. However, those who were classified as high in the party-dimension alone or in both dimensions were more likely to experience SAC. These differential effects remained after adjusting for alcohol consumption (volume and risky single-occasion drinking), personality traits, and peer-influence [adjusted OR = 0.83 (0.68–1.02), 1.57 (1.27–1.96), and 1.72 (1.23–2.41), respectively], indicating independent effects of drinking location on SAC. The inclusion of sociodemographic factors did not alter this association. The fact that this cluster of party-dimension locations seems to predispose young men to experiencing SAC has important implications for alcohol control policies.


In honor cultures, maintaining a positive moral reputation (e.g., being known as an honest person) is highly important, whereas in dignity cultures, self-respect (e.g., competence and success) is strongly emphasized. Depending on their cultural background, people respond differently to threats to these two dimensions of honor. In two studies, we examined the effects of morality-focused and competence-focused threats on people's goal pursuit in two honor cultures (Turkey, Southern United States, and Latinx) and in a dignity culture (Northern United States). In Study 1, Turkish participants were more likely to reject a highly qualified person as a partner in a future task if that person threatened their morality (vs. no-threat), even though this meant letting go of the goal of winning an award. Participants from the U.S. honor and dignity groups, however, were equally likely to choose the people who gave them threatening and neutral feedback. In Study 2, Turkish and U.S. honor participants were more likely to persist in a subsequent goal after receiving a morality threat (vs. no-threat), whereas U.S. dignity participants were more likely to persist in a subsequent goal after receiving a competence threat (vs. no-threat). These results show that people's responses to honor threats are influenced by the dominant values of their culture and by the tools that are available to them to potentially restore their reputation (e.g., punishing the offender vs. working hard on a different task). This research can have implications for multicultural contexts in which people can have conflicting goals such as diverse work environments.


In the last years, several studies have recently evaluated the beneficial effects of red orange juice ( Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) and its active components in weight management and obesity. Moro orange is a cultivar of red orange, particularly rich in active compounds such as anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavone glycosides and ascorbic acid, which displays anti-obesity effects in in vitro and in vivo studies. In this clinical study, the effect of a Moro juice extract (Morosil w , 400mg/die) supplementation was evaluated in overweight healthy human volunteers for 12 weeks. Results showed that Moro juice extract intake was able to induce a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) after 4 weeks of treatment ( p , 0.05). Moreover, in subjects treated with Moro extract, body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference were significantly different from the placebo group ( p , 0.05). In conclusion, it could be suggested that the active compounds contained in Moro juice have a synergistic effect on fat accumulation in humans and Moro juice extract can be used in weight management and in the prevention of human obesity.


Tourism can be classified either as urban tourism or as rural tourism, and it is one of the fastest growing industries globally. Rural tourism is usually associated with rural development because it has strong linkages to rural resources; but it remains underdeveloped compared to urban tourism. This underdevelopment of rural tourism serves as a motivation for this study whose aim is to examine the factors affecting the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists especially in this digital world where Information Communication and Technology (ICTs) is pervasive. In fact, ICT has transformed the travel industry in a remarkable way. The objectives of this study were: I) to select suitable theories that can explain the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; ii) to design a conceptual model of the factors affecting the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; iii) to empirically test the planned conceptual model of the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists, and, iv) to recommend measures to be taken for the improvement of the satisfaction levels of rural tourists to the point where they can significantly contribute to the full development of rural tourism. These objectives were achieved using content analysis of existing literature on rural tourism satisfaction and through a survey of tourists from the Malealea Lodge which is located in the Mafeteng District, in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. The results of this study are the following: I) the push and pull motivation theory was selected to explain the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; ii) rural tourism demographics, their push and pull motivation, and their level of ICT adoption were hypothesized as the factors that affect tourists satisfaction with their rural tourism experiences; iii) the satisfaction of rural tourists with their rural tourism experience is affected by their occupations (demographic factor), by their level of ICT adoption, and by their pull motivation; and this satisfaction is not affected by other demographic attributes nor by the push motivation of rural tourists; iv) it is recommended that rural tourism marketing be increased in order to attract clients from other regions besides Africa and Europe and other age groups apart from young Africans which were found by xiii this study to be the biggest rural tourism clientele group, and that peace and security be maintained in rural tourism destinations as these two attributes were found to have an effect on the perceived satisfaction of rural tourism. Finally, more research should be conducted on the effect of ICT adoption on rural tourism satisfaction.


At least 5m of poorly consolidated Quaternary sediments have accumulated since the mid Holocene in the lower reaches of stream channels
that drain the flanks of the Dazzler Range. Radiocarbon assay of charcoal and wood fragments contained in the sediments indicate
deposition during the mid to late Holocene 5.2-1.8 ka. Coarse gravels in the earliest deposits are believed to have been recycled from relict
periglacial gravels in response to increased runoff and channel instability, brought about by neoglacial cooling coupled with changes in
vegetation structure and associated fire frequency. The thickness of the sediments and the presence oflarge logs in the sediments along
the lower reaches of Branchs Creek suggest at least one geomorphic event of high magnitude. Significant aggradation of finer calibre
sediments has continued during the last two millenia. Since European settlement, deep gulleys have formed in the lower reaches of alluvial
fans that flank the range, in response to land dearing for agriculture and the artificial straightening of stream channels. The earlier history
of slope instability and sediment aggradation, even under natural conditions, highlights the need for careful land management.


Background: Preoperative stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is a risk factor associated with increased postoperative complications, including stroke. The optimal timing when cardiac surgery can be safely performed after stroke is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate how cardiac surgery timing after preoperative stroke impacts postoperative outcomes.
Methods: All patients with history of stroke who subsequently underwent cardiac surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital between 2011-2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient variables were extracted from both the institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database and a statewide Indiana patient database. Medical records of each patient were also reviewed. Patients were grouped into cohorts by the timing of the preoperative stroke relative to cardiac surgery: Recent (within two weeks before surgery), Intermediate (greater than two weeks but less than six weeks before), and Remote (greater than six weeks before). Postoperative outcomes were reviewed and compared between groups.
Results: 165 patients were included in the study, with 48 in the Recent group, 27 in Intermediate, and 90 in Remote. 30-day mortality and postoperative stroke rates, respectively, for the groups without endocarditis (n=110) were: Recent – 0.0% and 28.6%, Intermediate – 0.0% and 8.3%, and Remote – 3.9% and 5.2%. The difference in postoperative stroke rate between Recent and Remote was significant (p=0.005) with patients in the Recent group estimated to be 7.3 times more likely to develop postoperative stroke in comparison to the Remote group, while the difference between Recent and Intermediate was not. Preoperative stroke due to endocarditis (n=55) was not associated with a significant increase in postoperative stroke, regardless of timing of surgery.
Conclusion: Delaying cardiac surgery for six weeks after stroke occurrence may lead to significantly reduced likelihood of postoperative stroke. The exception would be patients with preoperative stroke due to septic emboli from endocarditis, as timing of cardiac surgery does not seem to affect postoperative mortality or stroke rates in these patients.


This article examines the Terminal Operators Convention (TOC) in light of South Africa's environmental law regime. Entrenched in section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and environmental framework legislation, are environmental rights and responsibilities that may govern a terminal operator's activities, irrespective of other international environmental obligations. The article explains the role of a terminal operator and illustrates how his activities may harm the environment. The article also focuses on interpreting article 5(1) of the TOC by using some South African approaches of judicial interpretation. In particular, it considers whether under the TOC, a terminal operator could be liable for loss or damage to the environment. To facilitate this determination, a comprehensive study of the principle of remoteness, and the role it plays in determining the extent to which loss or damage can be covered, is made. In the final instance, this article examines the inadequacies of the TOC, the greatest being that it is unlikely to cover environmental loss and damage. The authors draw ideas from the TOC and other international environmental instruments, and propose that South Africa should promulgate suitable legislation that imposes rigorous liability on a terminal operator for damage caused to the environment through his/her activities.


The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a 3.5-day dietary multibuffer supplement (containing predominantly inorganic phosphate, or Pi, along with bicarbonate and carnosine, i.e., PhosFuel) on repetitive (four trials separated by 2 min rest) Wingate test (WT) performances and whole blood 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) concentrations in 10 recreationally trained road cyclists (T) and 10 normally active but untrained (UT) men. A 2-week washout period was utilized between experimental sessions. Venous blood samples were obtained via cannula once before exercise (baseline), immediately post each WT, and 3 min after the final WT (recovery). The data indicate that this supplement does not affect acid-base status with following intense anaerobic exercise and does not improve repetitive WT performance. However, the supplement does enhance post-exercise levels of 2,3-DPG and the 2,3-DPG/Hb ratio in recreationally trained cyclists while improving acute recovery of peak power in these men.


Increased patient satisfaction has become has become a serious financial issue in hospitals for two reasons: (1) unfavorable patient satisfaction ratings may prompt highcost decisions such as a new construction prompted by competition from other hospitals and (2) low satisfaction rating may affect a hospital's standing. Research indicates that the patient satisfaction scores in many emergency departments (EDs) around the world are low. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of scripting by nurses in the Emergency Department to increase patient satisfaction scores. Satisfaction scores have decreased tremendously in EDs all around the world. Improving emergency department patient satisfaction scores has been studied from several approaches, with a common theme being a lack of communication between emergency department staff and their patients. One method in particular that might help to foster better communication is the use of scripting by the nursing staff. The study design was a quantitative research study using overall patient satisfaction scores as well as well as scores from individual communication questions during the pre-scripting and post-scripting time frames to examine the use of scripting by emergency department nursing staff and its relationship to the increase in patient satisfaction scores. A retrospective, longitudinal analysis was conducted of patient satisfaction scores before and after the implementation of scripting by emergency department nursing staff. This was done to determine if there was an increase in the patient satisfaction scores. The primary focus of this study was patient satisfaction and its association with perception of care in the ED. This includes communication with patients regarding their perception of care as it relates to the process of informing patients about their specific tests and procedures. However, because no statistical analysis could be done, the null hypotheses were accepted.


Although the prediction of the future price is known to be hard due to the strong randomness inherent in the price fluctuation, intra-day price movements are expected to be predicted by reading out the patterns observed in tick-wise price motions. Our first task on this line of thought is to identify the set of effective variables suitable for studying the problem. We have first constructed a price prediction generator that computes the best prediction by reading the data tick by tick. We report in this article the effect of the adaptive choice of the best combination of technical indicators out of ten popular indicators, and also the result of using a set of novel dimensionless dynamical indicators constructed from the local values of derivatives and the second derivatives of the price times series. We have obtained a good performance of nearly 70 percent of correctly predicted direction of motion at 10 ticks ahead of the prediction time by means of adaptive choice of the technical indicators, and even better performance in the second attempt of using the two dimensionless dynamical indicators.


The promotion of consumer protection and competition is essential for the well functioning of the energy sector. Consumers need to make informed choices and a well functioning market should enable them to choose between various energy suppliers and offers. Despite retail competition has been supported by a gradual reform in many countries, most customers are not actively participating in the energy markets. The European Commission and UE National Regulatory Authorities support the development of the energy sector by promoting competition as well as consumer protection. Moreover, the Energy Community and the Association of Mediterranean Regulators for Electricity and Natural Gas operate to establish a common frame and a well functioning energy market. Thanks to the above mentioned entities, the best regulatory models are shared for the benefit of customers and to deal with numerous areas of concern, such as the lack of incentives for new suppliers to enter the market, the unfair terms and asymmetries affecting consumers in a negative way and the need of measures to ensure the supply to vulnerable customers. The purpose of the present paper is to provide an overview of international cooperation in the field of consumer protection in the energy sector and of the way private law tools (regulated contract terms or mandatory quality standards, for example) may be used to overcome inequalities in bargaining power and to ban unfair practices which distort competition and harm consumers. The paper will be also focusing on the Italian retail energy market as a case study.


From London to New York, Ewan and Charley chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America. But as the miles slipped beneath the tyres of their big BMWs, their troubles started. Exhaustion, injury and accidents tested their strength. Treacherous roads, unpredictable weather and turbulent politics challenged their stamina. They were chased by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, courted by men with very large guns in the Ukraine, hassled by the police, and given bulls' testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads. And yet despite all these obstacles they managed to ride more than twenty thousand miles in four months, changing their lives forever in the process. As they travelled they documented their trip, taking photographs, and writing diaries by the campfire. Long Way Round is the result of their adventures - a fascinating, frank and highly entertaining travel book about two friends riding round the world together and, against all the odds, realising their dream.


Climate change is a major source of concern in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and migration is often understood as one of several strategies used by households to respond to changes in climate and environmental conditions, including extreme weather events. This study focuses on the link between climate change and migration. Most micro-level studies measure climate change either by the incidences of extreme weather events or by variation in temperature or rainfall. A few studies have found that formal and informal institutions as well as policies also affect migration. Institutions that make government more responsive to households (for example through public spending) discourage both international and domestic migration in the aftermath of extreme weather events. Migration is often an option of last resort after vulnerable rural populations attempting to cope with new and challenging circumstances have exhausted other options such as eating less, selling assets, or removing children from school. This study is based in large part on new data collected in 2011 in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, and the Republic of Yemen. The surveys were administered by in-country partners to a randomly selected set of 800 households per country. It is also important to emphasize that neither the household survey results nor the findings from the qualitative focus groups are meant to be representative of the five countries in which the work was carried, since only a few areas were surveyed in each country. This report is organized as follows: section one gives synthesis. Section two discusses household perceptions about climate change and extreme weather events. Section three focuses on migration as a coping mechanisms and income diversification strategy. Section four examines other coping and adaptation strategies. Section five discusses perceptions about government and community programs.


The Spanish olive oil sector is the world leader in terms of olive oil production. This sector primarily comprises companies in the social economy, especially cooperatives, which account for more than 75% of production. The emergence of second-tier cooperatives has enabled the implementation of one of the recurring recommendations by scholars, namely enhancing the commercialization of olive oil through greater concentration and integration of supply. This improved commercialization is made possible in part by the greater capacity of these companies to invest in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and human capital specialized in managing these ICTs. The use of the Internet gives these companies access to a market of unparalleled dimensions. In light of this situation, this study examines the factors that explain a higher level of online sales activity by these firms. To do so, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is used. The results show that age, size, the management's ICT training, social network activity, and outsourced ICT management are associated with greater online sales of olive oil by second-tier cooperatives.


(Extracted from British Fashion Design 1998)

This Reader brings together the exciting and innovative work that has appeared in the last 10 years in the growing field of cultural economy. Brings together exciting and innovative work from the last ten years in the emerging field of cultural economy. Contains a substantial introduction by the editors on the main strands and history of the cultural economy approach. Shows how the pursuit of prosperity always involves multiple and hybrid orderings that cannot be reduced to either the terms culture or economy. Shows that thinking about cultural economy is both a substantive task and a valuable contribution to knowledge. Material is organised around different links in the value chain.


Under-representation of women in engineering is of concern as the decreasing supply of qualified engineers continues to plague the nation's advancement. Understanding what factors influence choices of engineering disciplines has the potential for altering education to accommodate a more diverse student body that can be successful in engineering. University statistics reflect that the Architectural Engineering program at this school is comprised of 35% women, while the other engineering programs attract at best 20% women and at worst 5% women. The Architectural Engineering program at this university is in fact one of the most intense structural engineering programs in the country requiring 203 quarter units to complete and upper division courses in integrated design of buildings using concrete, steel, wood and masonry along with seismic design of buildings. The department is however housed in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design rather than the College of Engineering. This overall research study explores the learning styles of different engineering disciplines and the learning styles preferred by students who select these disciplines as academic majors and careers. The work in progress centers on surveys of students in engineering programs at this university. A preliminary survey of women in the ARCE department was administered to discover why these women personally chose ARCE as a major, why they persist in the major, and why they think women are so largely represented in the major. A more detailed survey will follow from this work which specifically investigates the three components of the integrated learning style taxonomy – motivation, engagement and learning processes of both women and men in the ARCE department. Future work will investigate other engineering disciplines that represent maximum differential in representation of women from that of ARCE at this university as well as engineering programs at other universities.


Statistical classification techniques for natural-language call routing systems have matured to the point where it is possible to distinguish between several hundreds of semantic categories with an accuracy that is sufficient for commercial deployments. For category sets of this size, the problem of maintaining consistency among manually tagged utterances becomes limiting, as lack of consistency in the training data will degrade performance of the classifier. It is thus essential that the set of categories be structured in a way that alleviates this problem, and enables consistency to be preserved as the domain keeps changing. In this paper, we describe our experiences of using a two-level multi-slot semantics as a way of meeting this problem. Furthermore, we explore the ramifications of the approach with respect to classification, evaluation and dialogue design for call routing systems.


The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of organizational project management in delivering project value and from a project manager's perspective is the framework delivering project success. The world of project management has changed over the last twenty years to meet the changing demands required by organizations, who are applying leaner operation models with fewer resources, risk adverse, project constraints and restricted budgets to deliver projects. Consequently the need for management within organisations is to focus on choosing the right projects to add business value, benefits and return on investment is more important now than ever before.

There are three themes to be addressed. The first theme is what are the success factors required in the project life cycle phases to deliver the project objectives, The second theme is the value of organizational project management is a strategy execution model in improving project success rates (Portfolio, Programme, Project Management alignment).The third theme is academic and industry research confirms that there is still a high level of project failures across all industry sectors (Average success rates are at 30% while failure rates are at 70% according to Project Management Institute Studies and Standish Reports).The research selected was a qualitative approach in using semi structured interviews in order to answer the research themes. The processes involved interviewing five project managers who have over ten years experience each and are working in a range of industries. The interviews were done on one to one basis, carried out at neutral venues, a series of questions were asked based on the three themes and the interview process was 20 to 30minutes duration.

The findings highlighted key issues in relation to value of organizational project management; the value of organizational project management applied to projects is poorly understood by senior executives, poor application of business strategies aligned to project selection, project success factors are subjective and open to misinterpretation by stakeholders, the triple constraints of time, cost and quality are no longer suitable for the today's business environment and organizations who have developed project management standards, practices and processes over the years, have greater project success rates.


Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. In animals, intraperitoneal administration of LPS, stimulates innate immunity and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. LPS provides an inflammatory stimulus that activates the neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems resulting in a set of responses termed sickness behavior. The purpose of this protocol is to describe step-by-step the preparation and procedure of application of intraperitoneal injection of LPS in rats, as a guide for those researchers that want to use this assay to mount an inflammatory response. LPS intraperitoneal challenge in rats has been widely used to evaluate anti-inflammatory reagents and to address basic scientific questions.


Distinct mechanisms may underlie the lower vaccine response in older individuals. For flu vaccines, age matters Development of a broad flu vaccine has been hampered by lack of clear insight into protective mechanisms across individuals to seasonal vaccines. Avey et al. perform a systems-level analysis on multiple influenza vaccination cohorts spanning distinct geographical locations and vaccination seasons and identify prevaccination predictive transcriptional signatures of influenza vaccination responses. They validated nine genes and three gene cohorts that associated with magnitude of antibody response in an independent cohort. However, these signatures were specific to young individuals and had an inverse correlation in older individuals. These data may help to predict antibody response to influenza vaccination, as well as provide insights into the distinct mechanism governing immune responses in young and older individuals. Annual influenza vaccinations are currently recommended for all individuals 6 months and older. Antibodies induced by vaccination are an important mechanism of protection against infection. Despite the overall public health success of influenza vaccination, many individuals fail to induce a substantial antibody response. Systems-level immune profiling studies have discerned associations between transcriptional and cell subset signatures with the success of antibody responses. However, existing signatures have relied on small cohorts and have not been validated in large independent studies. We leveraged multiple influenza vaccination cohorts spanning distinct geographical locations and seasons from the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC) and the Center for Human Immunology (CHI) to identify baseline (i.e., before vaccination) predictive transcriptional signatures of influenza vaccination responses. Our multicohort analysis of HIPC data identified nine genes (RAB24, GRB2, DPP3, ACTB, MVP, DPP7, ARPC4, PLEKHB2, and ARRB1) and three gene modules that were significantly associated with the magnitude of the antibody response, and these associations were validated in the independent CHI cohort. These signatures were specific to young individuals, suggesting that distinct mechanisms underlie the lower vaccine response in older individuals. We found an inverse correlation between the effect size of signatures in young and older individuals. Although the presence of an inflammatory gene signature, for example, was associated with better antibody responses in young individuals, it was associated with worse responses in older individuals. These results point to the prospect of predicting antibody responses before vaccination and provide insights into the biological mechanisms underlying successful vaccination responses.


Partial least squares (PLS) and principle component regression (PCR) multivariate calibration methods were applied to the simultaneous determination of carbidopa and levodopa using kinetic data from novel potentiometry methods. These methods were based on the rate of chloride ion production in the reaction of carbidopa and levodopa with N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) which was monitored by a chloride ion-selective electrode. The experimental data shows suitability of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) to be used as detectors not only for the direct determination of chloride ion but also for simultaneous kinetic-potentiometric analysis using chemometric methods. These methods are based on the differences observed in the production rate of chloride ions. The results show that simultaneous determination of carbidopa and levodopa can be performed in their concentration ranges of 1.0-14.0 and 0.5-25.0 μg/mL, respectively. The total relative standard errors for applying PCR and PLS methods to 9 synthetic samples in the concentration range of 2.0-13.0 μg/mL for carbidopa and 1.0-18.0 μg/mL for levodopa were 4.81 and 4.29, respectively. The effects of certain additives used as excipients upon the reaction rate were determined to assess selectivity of the method. Both methods (PLS and PCR) were validated using a set of synthetic sample mixtures and then were successfully applied to the determination of carbidopa and levodopa in several commercially available mixture formulations. The recoveries were satisfactory and comparable to those obtained by applying the reference Pharmacopoeia method of high performance liquid chromatography.


This research adopts a qualitative approach with a study case methodology. Data collection is done through personal interviews with informants, who are the head of branch, marketing staffs, administration staffs and clients of Pegadaian branch Blauran, Surabaya. Secondary data is also collected from documents pertinent to risk mitigation in Islamic Pawnshop (Pegadaian). The technique of analysis employed in this research is the Pattern-Matching technique accompanied with the narration of results of the interviews Results from this research suggest that the mitigation of funding risks have not been optimized in Islamic Pawnshop (Pegadaian). The risk mitigation process has only been formalities done without evaluation in order to comply with the standard procedures. Thus said, funding risks in Islamic pawnshop have not yet been optimally mitigated.


The Copyright Act of 1976 is due for a major revision in the 21st century, in order to keep pace with the advances in digital technologies. This Article offers a new alternative for copyright reform: tax law. Using the tax system as a way to modernize our copyright system offers several advantages. Most important, tax law can fix problems in our copyright system without violating the Berne Convention or TRIPS Agreement, and without requiring amendment to either treaty. Tax law can also be used to incentivize the copyright industries to adopt new, innovative approaches to copyright in ways that voluntary reforms like Creative Commons cannot. The tax approach has the added benefit of offering, beyond the "one size fits all" approach, greater tailoring of copyrights by both industries and individuals – which may, in turn, lead to greater efficiency.


Institute of Medicine reports have identified gaps in health care professionals' knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care, recommending improved education. Our purpose was to develop and administer a Web-based survey to identify the educational needs of multidisciplinary health care professionals who provide this care in Connecticut to inform educational initiatives. We developed an 80-item survey and recruited participants through the Internet and in person. Descriptive and correlational statistics were calculated on 602 surveys. Disciplines reported greater agreement on items related to their routine tasks. Reported needs included dealing with cultural and spiritual matters and having supportive resources at work. Focus groups confirmed results that are consistent with National Consensus Project guidelines for quality palliative care and indicate the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium modules for education.


Antibiotic resistance can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and healthcare expenditures. The study is designed to observe the challenges of antibiotic consumption, related costs, and their resistance pattern in critically ill patients. The study was conducted in ICU from July 2016 to December 2016, at Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital. The demographic data, antibiotic sensitivity report, the administration of different classes of antibiotics as well as individual drugs and their costs were recorded. In 216 patients, meropenem was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic followed by levofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Meropenem with one or more class of antibiotics had the higher cost (BDT 1,985 and BDT 2,800 per day per patient). Though the cephalosporins are the initial choice as the safest, cheaper antibiotics in developed countries, high rate of resistance was observed in this ICU. The overall sterilization and strict control of nosocomial infections may play a vital role in overcoming the challenges. Use of local antibiogram, narrow-spectrum antibiotics, infectious disease specialist consultation, and restricted authorization to prescribe antibiotics can effectively shift the antibiotic sensitivity and minimize the cost in ICU stay.


Litigation against the Trump Administration has proliferated rapidly since the inauguration. As cases challenging executive actions, such as the "travel ban," multiply in federal courts around the country, an important procedural question has so far not been considered — Should these sets of cases be consolidated in a single court under the Multidistrict Litigation Act? Multidistrict litigation, or MDL, has become one of the most prominent parts of federal litigation and offers substantial benefits by coordinating litigation pending in geographically dispersed federal courts. Arguably, those benefits would also accrue if "public law" cases were given MDL treatment. There also are some underappreciated strategic reasons why both plaintiffs and the government might want to invoke the MDL process in these cases — and we suspect that, sooner rather than later, one of these parties might give MDL a try.
In this Essay, we argue that although the MDL statute would allow for consolidation of these public law cases, there are prudential reasons why the judges in charge of MDL should stay their hands. In our view, these cases rarely achieve the efficiencies of most MDLs, and there is value to these cases undergoing scrutiny in multiple trial and appellate courts before they percolate upward to Supreme Court review. Moreover, consolidation of these cases would raise the political profile of the MDL process and thus might politicize the MDL itself as well as the selection of its judges. This politicization could undermine MDL's primary role in mass tort litigation — and, indeed, it risks harming the national tort system more generally.


Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the five human hepatitis viruses that replicate in and cause inflammation of the liver. HAV is transmitted through a faecal–oral route and has a unique life cycle in that it is shed as naked virions into the faeces but circulates in an enveloped form in the blood. In addition, the virus has several unique mechanisms to evade detection by the host immune system. The majority of HAV infections are self-limited and asymptomatic, but severe forms sometimes occur, particularly in the elderly. HAV has only one serotype, and persons infected with HAV usually develop lifelong immunity. Incidence rates of HAV infections have been greatly reduced owing to improved sanitation and the use of very successful vaccines.

Key Concepts

The hepatitis A virus is transmitted via the faecal–oral route and is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide.
HAV only infects humans and non-human primates, although HAV-like viruses infect a range of animal species.
HAV infection is extraordinary 'stealthy', and the virus has multiple mechanisms to evade the host immune response.
HAV is shed as naked virions in the faeces but circulates as quasi-enveloped virions in the blood.
Hepatitis A vaccine is one of the most successful vaccines ever developed, providing lifelong protection when given either pre-exposure or post-exposure.

Keywords:

picornavirus;
hepatovirus;
jaundice;
faecal–oral transmission;
liver disease;
vaccine


In the ensemble-based four dimensional variational assimilation method (SVD-En4DVar), a singular value decomposition (SVD) technique is used to select the leading eigenvectors and the analysis variables are expressed as the orthogonal bases expansion of the eigenvectors. The experiments with a two-dimensional shallow-water equation model and simulated observations show that the truncation error and rejection of observed signals due to the reduced-dimensional reconstruction of the analysis variable are the major factors that damage the analysis when the ensemble size is not large enough. However, a larger-sized ensemble is a daunting computational burden. Experiments with a shallow-water equation model also show that the forecast error covariances remain relatively constant over time. For that reason, we propose an approach that increases the members of the forecast ensemble while reducing the update frequency of the forecast error covariance in order to increase analysis accuracy and to reduce the computational cost. A series of experiments were conducted with the shallow-water equation model to test the efficiency of this approach. The experimental results indicate that this approach is promising. Further experiments with the WRF model show that this approach is also suitable for the real atmospheric data assimilation problem, but the update frequency of the forecast error covariances should not be too low.