The detection of pathogens plays a crucial role in clinical applications. In recent years, conjugated polymers are favorable in chemical and biological detections due to their remarkable light harvesting and optical signal amplification characteristics. However, most of the conjugated polymers exhibit cytotoxicity due to their rigid and hydrophobic backbone. To circumvent these deficiencies, one promising strategy is to develop a non-conjugated polymer with fluorescence, low-toxic and water-soluble characteristics. In this paper, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a novel water-soluble non-conjugated polymer (P1) containing chromophores with groups of quaternary ammonium cations in the side-chains and non-conjugated linkers of oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG), the capability of which would not only increase the flexibility and hydrophilicity of the main-chain, but also reduce nonspecific adsorption to proteins and cell surfaces of microbial pathogens. Thus, through the balance between pendent groups of quaternary ammonium cations and OEG linkers, self-luminous P1 molecules could realize visual optical discrimination and detection of three kinds of microbial pathogens rapidly and simply by using a fluorescence microscope.


The United States is the world's largest producer of blueberries and the world's second largest producer of maple syrup. Maine is the nation's leading producer of wild blueberries, harvesting 82.6 million pounds of wild blueberries. Similarly, the New England region represents roughly 75% of the total U.S. production of maple syrup. These plants play a vital role in New England's economy and are commonly consumed; however, these plants benefit more than the economy. The secondary metabolites of these plants are both antioxidants, and also anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral agents. Blueberries are commonly consumed and have been investigated exhaustively. On the other hand, the roots and stems of the blueberry bush have not been investigated for their phytochemicals. Similarly, our laboratory has investigated two of the most common species tapped for their sap of the maple (Acer) genus. Another species of the maple family that produces sap is the Norway maple tree (Acer platanoides). Investigating the phytochemicals from these plants can revolutionize many industries.


The growth of university-industry research relationships in biotechnology has raised questions concerning their effects, both positive and negative, on universities. A survey of over 1200 faculty members at 40 major universities in the United States reveals that biotechnology researchers with industrial support publish at higher rates, patent more frequently, participate in more administrative and professional activities and earn more than colleagues without such support. At the same time, faculty with industry funds are much more likely than other biotechnology faculty to report that their research has resulted in trade secrets and that commercial considerations have influenced their choice of research projects. Although the data do not establish a causal connection between industrial support and these faculty behaviors, our findings strongly suggest that university-industry research relationships have both benefits and risks for academic institutions. The challenge for universities is to find ways to manage these relationships that will preserve the benefits while minimizing the risks.


Arsenic and Populace The solubility of arsenic in groundwater aquifers is controlled by a number of hydrologic and geochemical factors. In rural communities that rely on groundwater for drinking water, the risk from exposure may pose a public health threat, especially when groundwater pumping can increase arsenic solubility. In an effort to provide a focused assessment of risk to arsenic exposure from groundwater, Rodríguez-Lado et al. (p. 866; see the Perspective by Michael) constructed a geostatistical model that incorporates a number of factors that control arsenic solubility across China. Most of the risk centers in a few provinces—Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shandong, and Jiangsu—but the total population exposed to arsenic levels above 10 micrograms per liter could be upwards of 19 million people. A predictive map of arsenic in Chinese groundwater aquifers reveals a potential health risk to 19.6 million people. [Also see Perspective by Michael] Arsenic-contaminated groundwater used for drinking in China is a health threat that was first recognized in the 1960s. However, because of the sheer size of the country, millions of groundwater wells remain to be tested in order to determine the magnitude of the problem. We developed a statistical risk model that classifies safe and unsafe areas with respect to geogenic arsenic contamination in China, using the threshold of 10 micrograms per liter, the World Health Organization guideline and current Chinese standard for drinking water. We estimate that 19.6 million people are at risk of being affected by the consumption of arsenic-contaminated groundwater. Although the results must be confirmed with additional field measurements, our risk model identifies numerous arsenic-affected areas and highlights the potential magnitude of this health threat in China.


Experiments were conducted with in vitro-produced bovine embryos to determine whether 1) increased culture temperatures (i.e., heat shock) adversely affected embryonic development, 2) embryos become more resistant to heat shock as they advance in development, and 3) selective antioxidant molecules alleviate heat shock effects on embryonic development. Development of 2-cell embryos to > or = 16-cell stage on d 5 after in vitro fertilization was not affected by a heat shock of 40 degrees C for 3 h, but 41 or 42 degrees C for 3 h decreased (P = .004) development. In a separate experiment, development of 2-cell embryos was decreased (P = .01) by exposure to 41 degrees C for 3 h but not for 1 h. In contrast, development of morulae to blastocysts was not affected by heat shock of 41 degrees C for 1 or 3 h. Medium supplementation with 50 nM glutathione or 50 mM taurine before heat shock did not reduce the effects of heat shock (41 degrees C for 3 h) on 2-cell embryos. Likewise, addition of glutathione ester, a more membrane-permeable analog of glutathione, did not protect 2-cell embryos from heat shock. In conclusion, early bovine embryos are susceptible to disruption in development caused by heat shock. As embryos progress in development, they acquire resistance to heat shock. Glutathione, taurine, and glutathione ester were not effective in alleviating the effects of heat shock on development of 2-cell embryos. Consequently, molecules have yet to be identified that can protect early-stage bovine embryos from the adverse effects of heat shock.


In the article the equations have been worked making it possible to model the motion of freerunning grain mixture flow on a flat sloping vibrating sieve within the framework of shallow water theory. Free-running grain mixture is considered as a heterogeneous system consisting of two phases, one of which represents solid particles and the other one gas. The mixture is brought into a state of fluidity by means of high-frequency vibration imposition. Coefficients of internal and external friction and dynamic-viscosity decrease by exponential law as the fluctuation intensity is increased. When considering grain mixture dynamics, the following assumptions are put forward: we ignore the air presence in space between particles, we consider the density of particles to be constant, the free-running mixture is similar to Newtonian liquid. The basic system of equations of grain mixture dynamics is due to the laws of continuum mechanics. The equation of continuity is issued from the law of conservation of mass, and the dynamic equations are issued from the law of variation of momentum. The stress tensor equals to the sum of the equilibrium tensor and the dissipative tensor. The equilibrium part of the stress tensor is represented by the spherical tensor, which is found to conform to Pascal law for liquids, and the dissipative part, which is responsible for viscous force effect and defined by Navier-Stokes law. Boundary conditions on the surfaces (restricting the capacity of the free-running grain mixture) have been researched. The distributions of apparent density and velocity field are assigned at the inlet and outlet flow sections of the mixture. The normal velocity component of the grain mixture on the side frames and on the sieve becomes zero, which meets the no-fluid-loss condition of the medium through the frame. Beyond that point at this time we satisfy dynamic conditions, which characterize the mixture sliding down the hard frame, motion flow resistance force is represented as average velocity linear dependence. A kinematic condition and two dynamic ones are stipulated on the free surface layer. One of the conditions states mass flow continuity across the free surface, the other one states the stress continuity while passing through the free surface. The basic premise of planned motion equations is the condition of small size of flow depth in comparison with its width. With the use of shallow water theory the basic principles of the equations of flow dynamics are simplified and for their solving a Cauchy problem can be set.


This study presents an analysis of various aspects relating to the changes in cooking vessels during the Iron Age in Philistia and the southern Levant, with particular emphasis on the morphology, manufacturing technology, and regional distribution of cooking jugs. We have combined archaeological data and petrographic analyses to evaluate the technological aspects of these vessels. It is argued that cooking jugs, while first appearing in Philistia, subsequently spread to other regions and cultures. The relationship of this process of dissemination to other factors, such as economic and social changes in the southern Levant, is discussed, and it is argued that the possible incorporation of Philistine cooking practices into the neighboring Iron Age cultures may have implications for understanding the multifaceted, if at times ambiguous, relationships between the Philistines and their neighbors.


Petroleum exploration and development industry is witnessing a rapid growth in the use of swelling elastomers. They are being used in new applications aimed at enhanced oil recovery through slimming of well design, zonal isolation, water shutoff, etc. Initially developed as a problem-solving strategy (for repair of damaged or deteriorating wells), swelling elastomers are now targeting major savings in cost and time through reduction in borehole diameter, reduced casing clearance, cementless completions, etc. Due to material and geometric nonlinearity, modeling and simulation of swelling elastomer applications becomes quite complex.In this work, finite element simulation has been carried out to study swelling elastomer seal performance in downhole petroleum applications using the software ABAQUS. A hyperelastic model (that most closely resembles swelling elastomer behavior) is used for simulation of seal behavior. A series of experiments have been designed and performed to determine necessary material properties of a water-swelling elastomer as it gradually swells when exposed to saline water of two different concentrations at 50°C (to emulate field conditions of medium-depth oil wells). A large number of simulations are carried out to investigate sealing behavior against water salinity and swelling time. Sealing pressure at the contact surface between elastomer and formation (or outer casing) is studied for variations in seal length, seal thickness, compression ratio, water salinity, and swelling period. Results show that seal contact pressure increases with amount of swelling, seal length, and compression ratio; higher salinity environment results in lower sealing pressure; and more contact pressure is generated in the case of rock formation as compared to steel outer casing.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


Metabarcoding provides unparalleled information of overall ecosystem ecology and diversity, from occurrence to relative abundances, from micro‐ to macro‐organisms, including cryptic species and larval stages that would otherwise be impossible to identify. PCR is still the most cost‐effective and routinely used method to extract information from environmental samples coupled with high‐throughput sequencing (HTS). Nichols et al. ( ) metabarcoded nine soil environmental samples from Alaska and six mixtures of synthetic oligonucleotides, using a short fragment of the chloroplast trnL gene. The authors tested the effect of PCR replicates, different polymerase mixes and amplicon GC content on diversity estimates. Results show that occurrence data was not biased for any of the parameters tested and only insufficient PCR replicates could impair the detection of rare taxa. For abundance data, polymerases were found to differentially bias estimates of the relative amplicon abundances and this depended on GC content.


ABSTRACT Purpose: In sport, assessments are routinely administered to give an indication of performance. Assessing a skill requires external factors to dictate how and when the action is performed, highlighting the need for skill assessments to closely replicate the perception-action couplings experienced in football game play. Therefore, this study investigated if the Footbonaut is a valid and reliable football-specific skill assessment tool. Methods: Footbonaut performance scores from 152 male players from U12 to U23 representing a professional German Bundesliga club during the 2016/2017 season were analysed. Results: Pearson correlations (r) and coefficient of variation (CV) for the correct number of passes in a target (CV = 7.5–11.1; r = 0.48; p < 0.001), the speed at which they completed each trial (CV = 2.6–5.1; r = 0.70; p < 0.001), and a computer-generated point score (CV = 7.4–12.3; r = 0.77; p < 0.001) demonstrated acceptable test–retest reliability. Moreover, a MANOVA revealed a strong multivariate effect of age group on speed and accuracy combined (F = 7.80, p < 0.001, ES = 0.28), demonstrating the Footbonaut's construct validity. Conclusion: The results in this study demonstrated that the Footbonaut is a valid and reliable assessment of football-specific skill.


Activation of several growth factor receptors leads to the production of H2O2 in cells. To identify what signal pathways are involved in eliciting H2O2 production, Bae et al. studied platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) that were deficient in activating specific intracellular signaling pathways. Only the PDGFR mutant that could not activate phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase (PI-3K) was unable to elicit H2O2 production. Also the intrinsic kinase activity of the PDGFR was demonstrated to be essential for H2O2 production. Expression of a membrane-targeted form of the PI-3K catalytic subunit (p110-CAAX) led to H2O2 production, indicating that plasma membrane recruitment may contribute to PI-3K-dependent H2O2 formation. H2O2 production was also dependent on the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rac, as expression of a dominant negative Rac mutant blocked the PI-3K signal that activates, presumably, NADPH oxidase, the generator of cellular H2O2. Bae, Y.S., Sung, J.-Y., Kim, O.-S., Kim, Y.J., Hur, K.C., Kazlauskas, A., and Rhee, S.G. (2000) Platelet-derived growth factor-induced H2O2 production requires the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. J. Biol. Chem. 275: 10527-10531. [Abstract] [Full Text]


All have thus far considered the Constitutional Convention's record on intellectual property puzzling and uninformatively short. This Article revisits that conventional wisdom. Using various methods of analysis, including a statistical hypotheses test, it solves historical puzzles that have long accompanied the events at the Convention leading to the framing of the IP Clause, and shows that hitherto neglected portions of the Framers' debates are relevant to interpreting it. Its findings shed light on four unsettled questions of constitutional interpretation: they provide qualified support for the constitutionality of business method patents, patents for products of nature, and copyright protection for unoriginal factual compilations, and suggest that the IP Clause should be read as one unit rather than two distinct and independent powers for copyrights and patents.


In this work, the capability of voice quality parameters to discriminate among different expressive speech styles is analyzed. To that effect, the data distribution of these parameters, directly measured from the acoustic speech signal, is used to train a Linear Discriminant Analysis that conducts an automatic classification. As a result, the most relevant voice quality patterns for discriminating expressive speech styles are obtained for a diphone and triphone Spanish speech corpus with five expressive speaking styles: neutral, happy, sad, sensual and aggressive.


An important requirement for accurate modeling of field‐scale unsaturated transport using local‐scale parameters is a method to account for multiscale heterogeneity and the connectivity of the facies that control flow. A series of infiltration tests were conducted at the Hanford Site along a 60‐m‐long transect, instrumented at 1‐m intervals to measure water content (θ) and capillary pressure head (h) to quantify the spatial correlation structure of hydraulic properties and assess connectivity of the facies. Hydraulic parameters including the pore connectivity–tortuosity tensor (Li) were inversely estimated using the Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (STOMP) numerical simulator coupled with the parameter estimation code, UCODE. Results show that six of eight parameters required for a modified van Genuchten–Mualem model could be inversely estimated using θ measured during transient infiltration from a surface line source and approximated prior information. Soils show evidence of saturation‐dependent anisotropy that was well described with the connectivity tensor. Variability of the vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ksv, was larger than the horizontal, Ksh The autocorrelation ranges for Ksh, Ksv, the inverse of the air‐entry value, α, and the horizontal connectivity, Lh, were between 2.4 and 4.6 m, whereas the van Genuchten shape parameter, n, and saturated water content, θs, showed no autocorrelation. Accurate upscaling of hydraulic properties requires the correct assessment of the connectivity of facies.


In this study, soybean koji was first fermented with Aspergillus awamori, a starter organism commonly used for the fermentation of sake, at 25, 30 or 35℃ for a period of 1~5 days. Antioxidant activity, including DPPH radical-scavenging effect and Fe(superscript 2+)-chelating ability, and total phenolic content of the methanol extract of these fermented soybean koji as well as mycelial propagation of starter organism were compared. Results revealed that fermented for a same period of 3 days, the DPPH radical-scavenging effect exerted by the 30℃-koji extract was the highest showing 2.5~3.5 folds of that fermented at 25 or 35℃. The Fe(superscript 2+)-chelating ability exerted by the 30℃-koji extract was also found to be 3.6~3.8 times higher than those fermented at other temperatures. Furthermore, it was also noted that increasing or decreasing cultivation time from 3 days resulted in a decreased antioxidant activity of the koji extract. Cultivation temperature and length were also observed to affect the mycelial propagation and the total phenolic content of the koji extract. Maximum mycelial propagation of A. awamori was achieved after cultivation at 30℃ for 3 days. Finally, the highest phenolic content noted in 30℃-koji extract was closely correlated to the highest antioxidant activity observed.


In an enterprise environment, business information, such as project proposals and product discussions, is dynamic and often embedded in documents and document activities (e.g, emails, Web pages and office documents). Because this information is essential to business processes, corporate employees need an effective means to retrieve it. Some commercial products, including Google Desktop, provide keyword searches for finding some of this information. However, this approach is not always effective as successful keyword searches can be difficult to construct, and even the best queries may fail to find some important materials. In this paper, we present Taste (Temporal Activities and Story TElling), an interactive visual analytics system that enhances the enterprise employee's capabilities in searching and sharing diverse and dynamic business information. Taste was designed, after interviews with corporate employees, to follow their information retrieval cues and help them manage, review and share the business information embedded in their document activities. Results of our lab and field studies validate that Taste provides employees the confidence and necessary features to more efficiently and effectively retrieve business information from their documents and activities.


PURPOSE
Frequent review of CT scanner protocols has been recognized as an important component to any CT quality control (QC) program, yet manual review is extremely labor-intensive and prone to human errors. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a software system to automatically monitor protocols on our CT scanners.

METHODS
A software system written in Matlab (MathWorks) and Excel Visual Basic (Microsoft) was developed to automatically check scanner CT protocols and notify designated users of changes on a weekly basis. The development team included medical physicists and lead technologists. Abdomen and pelvis protocols were monitored between December 2012 and February 2013 on two representative CT scanners for adult and pediatric, single-and dual-energy protocols. A total of 78 and 89 protocols were monitored on scanners 1 and 2, respectively. The overall workflow and number of errors identified were evaluated.

RESULTS
During the 2+ months monitoring period, 89 scanning protocols were modified on scanner 1, of which 20 were identified to be inappropriate (22%). 40 protocols were modified on scanner 2, of which 5 were identified to be inappropriate (13%). While the most frequent inappropriate modification was to the series description, errors were also found in changes to mAs, kernel, and reconstruction direction, increment and slice width.

CONCLUSION
In routine clinical practice, CT protocols were found to be changed quite frequently. Thus, an automated protocol QC program is essential to ensure protocol accuracy and consistency. Use of access controls to limit the number of users able to modify protocols may help reduce the number of changes, but does not guarantee the accuracy of changes by authorized users. We successfully developed and implemented a software system to automatically monitor CT protocols that can be easily applied to a wide range of practices with negligible impact on workload.


Performing an effective literature search to obtain the best available evidence is the basis of any evidence-based discipline, in particular evidence-based medicine. However, with a vast and growing volume of published research available, searching the literature can be challenging. Even when journals are indexed in electronic databases, it can be difficult to identify all relevant studies without an effective search strategy. It is also important to search unpublished literature to reduce publication bias, which occurs from a tendency for authors and journals to preferentially publish statistically significant studies. This article is intended for clinicians and researchers who are approaching the field of evidence synthesis and would like to perform a literature search. It aims to provide advice on how to develop the search protocol and the strategy to identify the most relevant evidence for a given research or clinical question. It will also focus on how to search not only the published but also the unpublished literature using a number of online resources. LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Understand the purpose of conducting a literature search and its integral part of the literature review process
 • Become aware of the range of sources that are available, including electronic databases of published data and trial registries to identify unpublished data
 • Understand how to develop a search strategy and apply appropriate search terms to interrogate electronic databases or trial registries
 DECLARATION OF INTEREST None.


markdownabstract___Background:___ Hardcore smokers have little to no intention to quit smoking. These 'hardcore smokers' are hard to reach by current tobacco control measures, and are particularly vulnerable to death and disease. In our multi-study research project, we developed and tested an online intervention that involves hardcore smokers in tobacco control.

___Methods and results:___ In study 1, we found that the prevalence of hardcore smoking in the Dutch general population decreased from 12.2% in 2001 to 8.2% in 2012. In study 2, we conducted 11 focus groups among current and former hardcore smokers, and distinguished 6 themes in the pros and cons of smoking and quitting: Finance, Health, Intrapersonal Processes, Social Environment, Physical Environment, and Food and Weight. In study 3, we used a latent profile analysis of survey data to find 3 subgroups among hardcore smokers: receptive, ambivalent and resistant hardcore smokers. In study 4, we experimentally validated a self-affirmation manipulation for hardcore smokers. In study 5, we experimentally tested an online, tailored intervention for hardcore smokers. This intervention contains a self-affirmation manipulation and multiple elements that use motivational interviewing techniques to tackle dysfunctional beliefs about smoking. The intervention increased hardcore smokers' receptivity to information about smoking cessation.

___Conclusions:___ Hardcore smokers are a special group of smokers that require special attention in tobacco control. Contrary to common perception, they are not completely unwilling to quit and could be involved in tobacco control.


These selections from the many writings of Thomas Sowell over a period of a half century cover social, economic, cultural, legal, educational, and political issues. The sources range from Dr. Sowell's letters, books, newspaper columns, and articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines. The topics range from late-talking children to "tax cuts for the rich," baseball, race, war, the role of judges, medical care, and the rhetoric of politicians. These topics are dealt with by sometimes drawing on history, sometimes drawing on economics, and sometimes drawing on a sense of humor.


Spatial patterns of bed material entrainment by floods were documented at seven gravel bars using arrays of metal washers (bed tags) placed in the streambed. The observed patterns were used to test a general stochastic model that bed material entrainment is a spatially independent, random process where the probability of entrainment is uniform over a gravel bar and a function of the peak dimensionless shear stress τ0* of the flood. The fraction of tags missing from a gravel bar during a flood, or partial entrainment, had an approximately normal distribution with respect to τ0* with a mean value (50% of the tags entrained) of 0.085 and standard deviation of 0.022 (root‐mean‐square error of 0.09). Variation in partial entrainment for a given τ0* demonstrated the effects of flow conditioning on bed strength, with lower values of partial entrainment after intermediate magnitude floods (0.065 < τ0*< 0.08) than after higher magnitude floods. Although the probability of bed material entrainment was approximately uniform over a gravel bar during individual floods and independent from flood to flood, regions of preferential stability and instability emerged at some bars over the course of a wet season. Deviations from spatially uniform and independent bed material entrainment were most pronounced for reaches with varied flow and in consecutive floods with small to intermediate magnitudes.


Durban born novelist, essayist, and academic, Imraan Coovadia has been described by Jane Rosenthal as "turning into a national treasure as a novelist" (Coovadia 2012a: cover). Despite winning numerous prizes including the Sunday Times Fiction Prize and University of Johannesburg Prize for High Low In-between (2009), and the M-Net Literary Award for The Institute for Taxi Poetry (2012), there has been little extended scholarly focus on his works. This thesis focuses primarily on The Wedding (2001), Green-Eyed Thieves (2006), High Low In-between 2009), and The Institute for Taxi Poetry (2012), with brief remarks, in the conclusion, on the recently-published fifth novel Tales of the Metric System (2014). I argue that Coovadia, while being a South African Indian author, eschews romanticising nostalgia that has come to typify much South African Indian authored fictions. In doing so, he looks beyond archetypal depictions of Indian experience in South Africa, opting for a more global and cosmopolitan approach to his works. My study examines how Coovadia, in his novels, is able to look simultaneously both directly at and beyond the South African cultural milieu, creating fictions that are punctuated by cosmopolitan places and people while retaining local specificity. Using selected theories of space, place, and identity, I suggest that the novels under discussion reflect an era of globalisation, interconnectedness, and hybridity through the construction of cosmopolitan literary cities and the hybrid identities that inhabit them. In doing so, I find that Coovadia writes beyond what Mphahlele has termed the 'tyranny of place' (Web2), creating literary spaces that are porous and offer potential for (re)definition, personal growth and fulfilment, and cultural newness. In this way, I argue that his works can be tentatively labelled as post-transitional texts that strive to craft connections rather than to construct self-isolating communities and characters seen in South African texts such as Richard Rive's Buckingham Palace, District Six (1986), Aziz Hassim's The Lotus People (2003), and Phyllis Naidoo's Footprints in Grey Street (2002). Coovadia's status as a posttransitional author would group him with a younger generation of South African global imaginaries – like Lauren Beukes (Moxyland [2008], Zoo City [2010], The Shining Girls [2013], and Broken Monsters [2014]) and Phaswane Mpe (Welcome to Our Hillbrow [2001]) – that situate South Africa, along with its unstable and protracted political transition, within a complex global network characterised by global exchange of information, items, people, and cultures.


Abstract : Next-generation networks are expected to support a wide variety of services. Some services such as video, voice, and plant control traffic have explicit timing requirements on a per-message basis rather than on the average. In this paper we develop a general model of reservation-based dual-link networks to support real-time communication. We examine the desirable properties of this network and the difficulties in achieving these properties. We then introduce the concept of coherence and develop a theory of coherent dual-link networks. We show that a coherent dual-link network can be analyzed as though it is a centralized system. We then discuss practical considerations in implementing a dual-link network, and implications of this work to address problems observed in the IEEE 802.6 metropolitan area network standard.


The multiple changepoint model has been considered in a wide range of statistical modelling, as it increases the flexibility to simple statistical applications. The main purpose of the thesis enables the Bayesian inference from such models by using the idea of particle filters. Compared to the existed methodology such as RJMCMC of Green (1995), the attraction of our particle filter is its simplicity and efficiency. We propose an on-line algorithm for exact filtering for a class of multiple changepoint problems. This class of models satisfy an important conditional independence property. This algorithm enables simulation from the true joint posterior distribution of the number and position of the changepoints for a class of changepoint models. The computational cost of this exact algorithm is quadratic in the number of observations. We further show how resampling ideas from particle filters can be used to reduce the computational cost to linear in the number of observations, at the expense of introducing small errors; and propose two new, optimum resampling algorithms for this problem. In practice, large computational savings can be obtained whilst introducing negligible error. We demonstrate how the resulting particle filter is practicable for segmentation of human GC content. We then generalise our method to models where the conditional independence property does not hold. In particular we consider models with dependence of the parameters across neighbouring segments. Examples of such models are those with unknown hyper-parameters, and piecewise polynomial regression models which assume continuity of the regression function. The particle filter we propose is based on a simple approximation to the filtering recursion. We show that the error introduced by the approximation can be small. We demonstrate our method on the problem of Bayesian curve fitting. The novelty of our model is that we fit a piecewise polynomial function and allow for both discontinuity and continuity at changepoints. This method is compared to existing Bayesian curve fitting method, and applied to the analysis of well-log data.


This paper contributes to the ongoing debate about multi-method approaches to studying social phenomena; in this contribution e-government is the social phenomenon of interest. A set of advantages and challenges to multi-method approaches are introduced and then used to frame a case analysis. Two case studies involving multi-method approaches to e-government research are presented to illustrate strategies for responding to implementation challenges in both large-scale and small-scale projects. The case discussion provides new insight into how the challenges to multi-method approaches can be managed.


This paper proposes a nonlinear regression structure comprising a wavelet network and a linear term. The introduction of the linear term is aimed at providing a more parsimonious interpolation in high-dimensional spaces when the modelling samples are sparse. A constructive procedure for building such structures, termed linear-wavelet networks, is described. For illustration, the proposed procedure is employed in the framework of dynamic system identification. In an example involving a simulated fermentation process, it is shown that a linear-wavelet network yields a smaller approximation error when compared with a wavelet network with the same number of regressors. The proposed technique is also applied to the identification of a pressure plant from experimental data. In this case, the results show that the introduction of wavelets considerably improves the prediction ability of a linear model. Standard errors on the estimated model coefficients are also calculated to assess the numerical conditioning of the identification process.


Photo acoustic drug delivery is a technique for localized drug delivery by laser-induced hydrodynamic pressure following cavitation bubble expansion and collapse. Photoacoustic drug delivery was investigated on gelatin-based thrombus models with planar and cylindrical geometries by use of one microsecond laser pulses. Solutions of a hydrophobic dye in mineral oil permitted monitoring of delivered colored oil into clear gelatin-based thrombus models. Cavitation bubble development and photoacoustic drug delivery were visualized with flash photography. This study demonstrated that cavitation is the governing mechanism for photoacoustic drug delivery, and the deepest penetration of colored oil in gels followed the bubble collapse. Spatial distribution measurements revealed that colored oil could be driven a few millimeters into the gels in both axial and radial directions, and the penetration was less than 500 µm when the gelatin structure was not fractured.


Understanding the source of wine volatile compounds and the mechanisms that influence their formation through grape growing, winemaking and storage is essential for wine businesses when developing strategies to produce wines with specific sensory attributes that appeal to target markets. The objective of this research was to develop a greater understanding of the environmental influences that drive flavour formation in grapes and translate this information into awareness of the limitations of site and region in producing wines to specification. A novel analytical method was developed utilising headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for the analysis of wine volatiles by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The analytical technique was able to resolve and identify a substantially larger number of volatile compounds than current single dimensional GC-MS methodologies. While developing this method it became clear that there was a need to develop a greater understanding of wine matrix effects on SPME-based analyses of volatile compounds found in grape juices and wines of which ethanol and glucose had the greatest effect. Furthermore, the impact of shipping conditions in relation to wine composition and sensory characteristics was investigated to ensure sample integrity across the experiments. The HS-SPME GC × GC-TOFMS methodology was applied in conjunction with descriptive sensory analysis to field studies exploring the effects of site, viticultural management, and winemaking on wine composition and sensory characteristics. This study identified that site was a major influence on Cabernet Sauvignon wine composition and sensory characteristics leading to an extensive study exploring the composition and sensory attributes of a number of commercially produced Cabernet Sauvignon wines from ten wine growing regions of Australia. The results of the studies have enabled the integration of sensory and chemical data Australian Cabernet Sauvignon wines which has revealed potential chemical markers of sensory attributes and compositional characters that are associated with Australian wine regions.


Political researchers have identified several factors that are critical to understanding the way in which individuals evaluate political candidates. Much of this research focuses on non-physical characteristics: issue positions (e.g., the War in Iraq or abortion), party affiliation, and background information about the candidate (e.g., prior political experience, education, etc.). A growing body of research considers the role of physical appearance in candidate evaluation, but this research has not focused on candidate weight. This is surprising given the extensive research in psychology demonstrating that obese individuals are evaluated negatively and attributed negative trait characteristics in several contexts including education and employment. The purpose of the present study was to assess the degree and nature of obesity bias against political candidates using both subjective (self-report) and objective (startle eye blink) assessment methods. To do so, we manipulated the obesity and gender of hypothetical candidates both descriptively and by morphing the photographs of the candidates. We then examined the effect of this manipulation on subjective and objective measures of candidate affect.


During recent years, the interest in using heterogeneous computing architecture in industrial applications has increased dramatically. These architectures provide the computational power that makes them attractive for many industrial applications. However, most of these existing heterogeneous architectures suffer from the following limitations: difficulties of heterogeneous parallel programming and high communication cost between the computing units. To overcome these disadvantages, several leading hardware manufacturers have formed the HSA Foundation to develop a new hardware architecture: Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA). In this paper, we investigate the suitability of using HSA for real-time embedded systems. A preliminary experimental study has been conducted to measure massive computing power and timing predictability of HSA.


Sink rates of integrated weight longlines (lines with 50 g.m–1 lead integrated into two strands of the ground line – IW-50 lines) were measured during commercial fi shing operations using two methods: electronic time depth recorders (TDRs) and pieces of string of known length wrapped around empty plastic bottles (bottle method). Sink rates measured to 2 m with bottles averaged 0.23 ± 0.07 m.s–1 compared to 0.17 ± 0.03 m.s–1 recorded by TDRs. This difference was not statistically signifi cant (t12 = –0.181, P = 0.859). When the target depth was 15 m, sink rates measured using the bottle method (0.20 ± 0.02 m.s–1) were signifi cantly slower than those measured by TDRs (0.24 ± 0.03 m.s–1, t10 = –3.851, P = 0.003). Measuring sink rates to 15 m proved diffi cult with bottles because they were too far behind the vessel, i.e. out of the observer's sight, when they reached the target depth. Bottles had a high failure rate (60%) due to string becoming entangled during line setting, or bottles vanishing from sight behind waves or in congregations of seabirds before the target depth was reached. No TDRs were lost during the trial. Bottle tests were most useful, depending on sea state and weather conditions, for measuring sink rates to shallow depths when instant readings were required. TDRs can be used to measure sink rates to depths of more than 2 m down to the seabed. A major advantage of the TDRs is the archival nature of the data collected.


This paper analyzes the professional ethical knowledge of teachers in the use of technologies by teachers in training. Based on the disciplinary pedagogical technological knowledge (TPACK) model, it is intended to measure the correct inclusion of technologies in the classroom. For this, a descriptive exploratory methodological design study was carried out. The instruments used have been the Likert scale questionnaire and the personal interview, organized into four dimensions in which the self-perception of professional ethical knowledge, ethical knowledge of technology, pedagogical technological ethical knowledge and disciplinary technological ethical knowledge of the future teachers. The questionnaire has been applied to a sample of 1.051 trainee teachers from a European university in the context of COVID-19 and 822 students participated in the interview.
The results show the scarce training in professional ethical knowledge of teachers in training and the importance of addressing this knowledge in the 21st century, a post-pandemic context. Another of the conclusions is the need to include the ethical component in the TPACK model to achieve a correct and ethical use of digital resources in the classroom.


Tangible tabletop systems have been extensively proven to be able to enhance participation and engagement as well as enable many exciting activities, particularly in the education domain. However, it remains unclear as to whether students really benefit from using them for tasks that require a high level of reflection. Moreover, most existing tangible tabletops are designed as stand-alone systems or devices. Increasingly, this design assumption is no longer sufficient, especially in realistic learning settings. Due to the technological evolution in schools, multiple activities, resources, and constraints in the classroom ecosystem are now involved in the learning process. The way teachers manage technology-enhanced classrooms and the involved activities and constraints in real-time, also known as classroom orchestration, is a crucial aspect for the materialization of reflection and learning. This thesis aims to explore how educational tangible tabletop systems affect reflection, how reflection and orchestration are related, and how we can support reflection and orchestration to improve learning. It presents the design, implementation, and evaluations of three tangible tabletop systems – the DockLamp, the TinkerLamp, and the TinkerLamp 2.0 – in different learning contexts. Our experience with these systems, both inside and outside of the laboratory, results in an insightful understanding of the impacts of tangible tabletops on learning and the conditions for their effective use as well as deployment. These findings can be beneficial to the researchers and designers of learning environments using tangible tabletop and similar interfaces.


Sharīʿah governance is peculiarly exclusive and unique to Islamic systems of financial management. While affirming the need for sound and efficient Sharīʿah governance as a crucial part of corporate governance in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs), it has nevertheless been found that little has been written on the subject. In view of the scarcity of literature and specific studies in this area, this study aims to explore the state of Sharīʿah governance practices in IFIs, particularly in Malaysia, GCC countries (Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) and the UK, as these countries present distinctive models and approaches towards Sharīʿah governance in diverse legal environments. This study explores and analyses the extent of Sharīʿah governance practices by highlighting seven main areas of Sharīʿah governance: (i) Sharīʿah governance approaches; (ii) regulatory frameworks and by-laws; (iii) roles of Sharīʿah boards; (iv) attributes of Sharīʿah boards in terms of independence, competence, transparency and confidentiality; (v) operational procedures; (vi) Sharīʿah board assessment; and (vii) disclosure practice.

Since the availability of data and information on Sharīʿah governance practices is very limited, a detailed questionnaire was generated for the sourcing of primary data from IFIs. As part of the qualitative research strategy, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Sharīʿah scholars, specifically to explore their perceptions on selected Sharīʿah governance issues. In addition, the content analysis approach was used in extracting and analysing the data and factual input derived from information and resources on IFIs' websites, exchange websites, annual reports and financial statements. The findings in this study interestingly reveal that there are shortcomings and weaknesses in the present practice of Sharīʿah governance in all seven core areas mentioned above. Based on the empirical analysis extracted from the research findings, the study finally offers and formulates some policy recommendations for the purpose of enhancing and improving the present Sharīʿah governance system.


The main topics discussed in this thesis are supersymmetric low-energy effective theories and metastability conditions in generic non-renormalizable models with global and local supersymmetry. In the first part we discuss the conditions under which the low-energy expansion in space-time derivatives preserves supersymmetry implying that heavy multiplets can be more efficiently integrated out directly at the superfield level. These conditions translate into the requirements that also fermions and auxiliary fields should be small compared to the heavy mass scale. They apply not only to the matter sector, but also to the gravitational one if present, and imply in that case that the gravitino mass should be small. We finally give a simple prescription to integrate out heavy chiral and vector superfields consisting respectively in imposing stationarity of the superpotential and of the Kahler potential; the procedure holds in the same form both for global and local supersymmetry. In the second part we study general criteria for the existence of metastable vacua which break global supersymmetry in models with local gauge symmetries. In particular we present a strategy to define an absolute upper bound on the mass of the lightest scalar field which depends on the geometrical properties of the Kahler target manifold. This bound can be saturated by properly tuning the superpotential and its positivity therefore represents a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of metastable vacua. It is derived by looking at the subspace of all those directions in field space for which an arbitrary supersymmetric mass term is not allowed and scalar masses are controlled by supersymmetry-breaking splitting effects. This subspace includes not only the direction of supersymmetry breaking, but also the directions of gauge symmetry breaking and the lightest scalar is in general a linear combination of fields spanning all these directions. Our purpose is to show that the largest value for the lightest mass is in general achieved when the lightest scalar is a combination of the Goldstone and the Goldstino partners. We conclude by computing the effects induced by the integration of heavy multiplets on the light masses. In particular we focus on the sGoldstino partners and we show that heavy chiral multiplets induce a negative level-repulsion effect that tends to compromise vacuum stability, whereas heavy vector multiplets in general induce a positive-definite contribution. Our results find application in the context of string-inspired supergravity models, where metastability conditions can be used to discriminate among different compactification scenarios and supersymmetric effective theories can be used to face the problem of moduli stabilization.


The occurrence of discoloured water at the tap is one of the most frequent reasons for customers to complain. Water discolouration arises from the re-suspension of loose deposits (LD) that accumulate in drinking water pipes, due to velocity increase. Because of its typical brownish/reddish colour, discoloured water is traditionally perceived as a consequence of cast-iron pipe corrosion, even in networks devoid of cast-iron pipes. Current approaches for LD sampling imply the use of high flow velocities within the range of those used for pipe self-cleaning (0.40 m/s) and/or pipe cleaning (1.50 m/s). Although useful for quantitative identification of critical zones and diagnosis of LD accumulation, the application of such high-velocities as routine methodologies for LD sampling may be difficult to perform on the field and provide samples with materials other than discolouration causing LD. In this study, sampling velocities from 0.02 to 0.52 m/s yielded relatively large samples (up to 2 g dry weight), thus allowing for extensive qualitative LD analysis and testing. Sample representativeness was analysed through the characterisation of LD key-constituents total iron (Fe t ) and volatile solids (VS). Turbidity decay trends showed the flocculent behaviour of discolouration causing LD.


The Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) required extensive changes to Australian copyright law. This paper assesses the impact of these changes one decade on. It considers, first, whether the costs and/or benefits predicted in 2004 have eventuated, finding clear evidence that AUSFTA has undesirably constrained domestic copyright policy, but no clear evidence either of the feared financial costs to society, or, importantly, the touted benefits to copyright owners. The most significant impact of AUSFTA's copyright provisions, however, appears to have been on Australia's copyright trade policy. Pre-AUSFTA, Australia promoted multilateral standards and mostly sought to comply with, but not exceed, international IP standards. Post-AUSFTA, Australia has pursued an approach akin to that of the US: endorsing international copyright rules that are significantly stronger, and more detailed. The paper queries whether this shift has been in Australia's national interest, and raises interesting questions of path-dependence in policymaking and trade negotiations that warrant more, and broader attention in the literature.


Background: Synthetic bio-inert materials are currently used as an alternative to autogenous bone graft. Calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) and Beta tri-calcium phosphate (β-TCP), which belong to the calcium phosphate ceramics group, are biocompatible and osteo-conductive. The purpose of this study is to analyse the use of HA and β-TCP in their ceramic forms as a bone graft substitute in filling bone voids after curettage of benign bone tumors. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients in the age range of 3.5-55 years (mean 14.3 years) having benign bone tumors with bone defects were filled with bone graft substitute following curettage. In 20 patients bone defects were filled with block/granules of HA ceramic and in four with β-TCP. Fibular strut graft was packed with HA in four patients. The patients were followed up for an average of 18 months (range 12-36 months). Results: The functional status of the patients at follow-up was evaluated and compared with preoperative functional status. Early incorporation of graft substitutes became evident radiologically between 6 and 10 weeks (Stage I). Complete incorporation (Stage III) was observed in an average of nine months (6-18 months). Clinical healing was observed before radiological healing. The average time taken to return to preoperative function was 14 weeks. There was no recurrence of lesion or growth retardation. Conclusion: Calcium hydroxyapatite and β-TCP are excellent bone graft substitutes for autogenous bone graft in filling voids after curettage of benign bone tumors.


The goal of this field review was to provide information to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) regarding previous and ongoing fish habitat improvement projects in central Idaho. On July 14, 1992, the review team met at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area office near Ketchum, Idaho, for a slide presentation illustrating several habitat projects during their construction phases. Following the slide presentation, the review team inspected fish habitat projects that have been implemented in the last several years in the Stanley Basin and adjacent valleys. At each site the habitat project was described to the field team and a brief period for project inspection followed. The review team visited approximately a dozen sites on the Challis, Sawtooth, and Boise National Forests over a period of approximately two and a half days. There are two objectives of this review namely to summarize observations for specific field sites and to provide overview commentary regarding the BPA habitat improvement program in central Idaho.


Celiac trunk aneurysm is a rare finding. Most patients are symptomatic at the time of diagnosis but occasionally such aneurysms are detected incidentally during diagnostic imaging for other diseases. Since the anomaly was first described in 1745(1) fewer than 180 cases have been reported in the international medical literature.(2) Atherosclerotic aneurysms of the celiac artery (CAAs) comprise approximately 4–6% of all visceral aneurysms.(3–4) Early surgical intervention has reduced the rupture rate to 7% in recent years.(5) Early recognition and intervention are crucial because the operative mortality rate associated with ruptured celiac artery aneurysms is around 40%.(6) There are no absolute size criteria associated with significant rates of CAA rupture, but 2 cm appears to warrant intervention in most series.(7–8) Surgical reconstruction, surgical ligation, intraluminal embolization, thrombin injection and endovascular grafting have all been reported with success/9"11) We present a case of a 6.9 cm symptomatic celiac artery aneurysm treated successfully with endovascular stenting.


Tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world and is rich in polyphenolic compounds collectively known as the tea flavonoids. Tea flavonoids possess antioxidant properties in vitro and have been proposed as key protective dietary components, reducing risk of coronary heart disease and some cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of different preparation methods on the antioxidant properties of green and black tea. Antioxidant potentials of tea infusates were assessed using an assay based upon the reduction of ferric chloride linked to a chromophore. Green tea, black leaf tea and black tea in tea bags were infused with water at 90°C for time periods ranging from 0.25 to 15 min. Green tea infusates possessed approximately 2.5-fold greater antioxidant capacity than both types of black tea infusates. Both green and black teas released significant levels of antioxidants into the hot water within 2 min of infusion. Preparation of teas across a range of temperatures between 20 and 90°C revealed that although antioxidants were liberated from the leaves into the water in cooler infusions, increasing the temperature could increase antioxidant potential by 4 to 9.5-fold. Black tea prepared using tea bags had significantly lower antioxidant capacity than black leaf tea at temperatures between 20 and 70°C, suggesting that tea bag materials may prevent some extraction of flavonoids into the tea solution. The addition of milk appeared to diminish the antioxidant potential of black tea preparations. This effect was greatest where whole cow's milk was used and appeared to be primarily related to the fat content of the added milk. These experiments have considered the effects of commonly used domestic methods of preparation on the in vitro antioxidant potential of tea. It is concluded that maximum antioxidant capacity and hence maximal health benefit may be derived from green tea or from black leaf tea prepared by infusion with water at 90°C for up to 2 min and taken with the addition of either fat-free milk, or without milk addition. Further studies are required to assess the antioxidant actions of tea flavonoids in vivo.


Aims To engage with high risk groups to identify knowledge and awareness of oral cancer signs and symptoms and the factors likely to contribute to improved screening uptake. Methods Focus group discussions were undertaken with 18 males; 40+ years of age; smokers and/or drinkers (15+ cigarettes per day and/or 15+ units of alcohol per week), irregular dental attenders living in economically deprived areas of Teesside. Results There was a striking reported lack of knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and its signs and symptoms among the participants. When oral/mouth cancer leaflets produced by Cancer Research UK were presented to the participants, they claimed that they would seek help on noticing such a condition. There was a preference to seek help from their general practitioner rather than their dentist due to perceptions that a dentist is 'inaccessible' on a physical and psychological level, costly, a 'tooth specialist' not a 'mouth specialist', and also not able to prescribe medication and make referrals to specialists. Interestingly, none of the 18 participants who were offered a free oral cancer examination at a dental practice took up this offer. Conclusions The uptake of oral cancer screening may be improved by increasing knowledge of the existence and signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Other factors that may increase uptake are increased awareness of the role of dentists in diagnosing oral cancer, promotion of oral cancer screening by health professionals during routine health checks, and the use of a "health" screening setting as opposed to a "dental" setting for such checks.


Fetal malnutrition is an important risk factor for both early and late neonatal outcome and adult diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence and characteristics of fetal malnutrition and its impacts on early neonatal morbidity and mortality in preterm infants by using the clinical assessment of nutritional status score (CANSCORE). Preterm infants whose gestational ages were between 28-34 weeks were included in the study. Detailed prenatal and natal history, anthropometric measurements, and intrauterine growth status were defined, and CANSCORE was applied to all infants. Infants were separated into two groups according to total score as malnourished (total score < 25) and well nourished (total score > or = 25). Early and late neonatal morbidities, which were observed during the clinical progress, were noted in all infants. A total of 93 preterm infants were enrolled in the study. The incidence of fetal malnutrition was 54.8% (n = 51) in all infants. The incidences of maternal hypertension and preeclampsia, oligohydramnios and disturbed umbilical artery Doppler flow in the prenatal period and the incidences of neonatal hypoglycemia, polycythemia, feeding intolerance, and necrotizing enterocolitis in the postnatal period were significantly higher in preterm infants with fetal malnutrition. Fetal malnutrition contributes significantly to many early and late neonatal morbidities in preterm infants, and it should be identified in every preterm infant in the first days of life for predicting neonatal outcome, even though they are appropriately grown.


The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently considering a rulemaking petition requesting that the Commission shorten the ten-day window, established by Section 13(d) of the Williams Act, within which investors must publicly disclose purchases of a five percent or greater stake in public companies. In this Article, we provide the first systematic empirical evidence on these disclosures and find that several of the petition's factual premises are not consistent with the evidence.Our analysis is based on about 2,000 filings by activist hedge funds during the period of 1994–2007. We find that the data are inconsistent with the petition's key claim that changes in market practices and technologies have operated over time to increase the magnitude of pre-disclosure accumulations, making existing rules "obsolete" and therefore requiring the petition's proposed "modernization." The median stake that these investors disclose in their 13(d) filings has remained stable throughout the 17-year period that we study, and regression analysis does not identify changes over time in the stake disclosed by investors. We also find that:* A substantial majority of 13(d) filings are actually made by investors other than activist hedge funds, and these investors often use a substantial part of the ten-day window before disclosing their stake.* A significant proportion of poison pills have low thresholds of 15% or less, so that management can use 13(d) disclosures to adopt low-trigger pills to prevent any further stock accumulations by activists — a fact that any tightening of the SEC's rules in this area should take into account.* Even when activists wait the full ten days to disclose their stakes, their purchases seem to be disproportionately concentrated on the day they cross the threshold and the next day; thus, the practical difference in pre-disclosure accumulations between the existing regime and the rules in jurisdictions with shorter disclosure windows is likely much smaller than the petition assumes.* About ten percent of 13(d) filings seem to be made after the ten-day window has expired; the SEC may therefore want to consider tightening the enforcement of existing rules before examining the proposed acceleration of the deadline.Our analysis provides new empirical evidence that should inform the SEC's consideration of this subject — and a foundation on which subsequent empirical and policy analysis can build.


Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potentially valuable resource to mining companies, the environment and community, if appropriate water quality can be achieved. However, the water is often of low pH with high dissolved metal concentrations. In Western Australia coal pit lakes are acidic (pH 3-5) but with low concentrations of sulfate and metals. Low sulfate concentrations prevent microbial sulfate reduction from reducing acidity in these lakes. However, stimulation of primary production and associated alkalinity generating processes may provide a cost effective and sustainable solution to the acidity problems. A field-scale experiment (with control) involving the treatment of in-situ macrocosms (~600 m 3 ) in a small south-west, Western Australian coal mine lake with municipal mulch and phosphorus additions to enhance primary production was undertaken between June 2003 and June 2004. One macrocosm was treated with P additions, another with mulch, a third with mulch and P, and the untreated lake formed the control. Physico-chemical and algal (chlorophyll a) sampling of the macrocosms and lake occurred at monthly intervals. The decomposition of mulch reduced nitrogen concentrations in the macrocosms to very low levels and necessitated supplementation with urea fertilizer. Phosphorus concentrations dropped rapidly after addition as it became bound to iron, organic matter and sediment. Although there was virtually no difference between treatments and control for most physico-chemical parameters measured (including pH), a PCA of the data showed that the addition of mulch sent the macrocosms on a different trajectory to the control. This difference was reflected in observations of increased abundance and diversity of biofilms and macroinvertebrates within the treated macrocosms. In conclusion, the addition of mulch and phosphorus alone was not sufficient to increase the pH of Collie mine lakes, although it does provide a number of benefits for biota in the water. We therefore recommend that liming be used to increase pH, followed by organic matter and nutrient additions to stimulate primary production.


Across survey organizations around the world, there is increasing pressure to augment survey data with administrative data. In many settings, obtaining informed consent from respondents is required before administrative data can be linked. A key question is whether respondents understand the linkage consent request and if consent is correlated with respondent understanding. In the present study, we investigate these issues in separate telephone and Web surveys, where respondents were presented with follow-up knowledge questions to assess their understanding of the linkage consent request. Overall, we find that understanding of the linkage request is relatively high among respondents who consent to linkage and rather poor among those who do not consent, with some variation in the understanding of specific aspects of the linkage request, including data protection. Additional correlates of understanding were also identified, including demographic characteristics, privacy attitudes, and the framing and placement of the linkage consent questions. Practical implications of these results are provided along with suggestions for future research.


Data on household consumption provided by the European Comparison Project for 1999 are used to estimate the parameters of the cross-country Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) for two aggregates food and non-food. The estimates are highly significant. AIDS specified with parameter estimates is used for assessing food demand in 2010. Four alternative price trends are considered, each assuming 2% real per capita income growth p.a. in Western Europe and 4% in 12 EU accession countries (ACs). Food consumption will be rising 2.6% p.a. in ACs, and the ACs' share in all-Europe food consumption will increase from 13.6% (1999) to 16-17% (2010).


To compare the stability features of a supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) design with that of a typical boiling water reactor (BWR), a stability analysis model for a typical BWR has been developed in addition to an already-developed model for the SCWR as presented in a companion paper. The homogenous equilibrium two-phase flow model, which is adequate at high pressures, is applied to the BWR stability analysis. The reactor core is simulated by three channels according to the radial power distribution and the inlet orifice coefficients. Similar to the SCWR model, the neutronic kinetic equation is expanded based on λ modes (reactivity modes). The model is evaluated based on the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station stability test data, and the results agree well with the experiment. The SCWR is found to be less sensitive to the coolant density neutronic reactivity coefficient than the typical BWR, since most of the neutronic moderation function is provided by the water rods, where the density variation is either zero (if the water rods are insulated) or small (if the water rods are not insulated). The BWR is found to be less sensitive to changes in power level than the SCWR but has the same sensitivity level to the flow rate as the SCWR. A stability envelope that combines the single-channel and in-phase stability modes is developed. The decay ratios for the SCWR together with those for the typical BWR and the new Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor at nominal operational conditions are shown in the map. The stability sensitivity to operating conditions is also shown in the map, by increasing the power to 120% of nominal value and decreasing the flow rate to 80% of nominal value. It is found that the SCWR is more sensitive to the single-channel stability compared to the core-wide in-phase stability for all cases.


Abstract : The Air Force can save thousands of dollars by reducing the number of blade hours on the CH-47 through finding an optimal mixture of CH-47s and C-130s to conduct current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ultimately these savings will relieve maintenance operations for the CH-47 and lengthen the lifespan of the CH-47 airframe. Moreover, incorporating C-130s into the operations will reduce cargo transit time from supply depots. This study looks at the involvement of the C-130 in CH-47 airlift operations to reduce CH-47 usage and increase supply efficiency. The research focus is narrowed to current airlift operations in Afghanistan and Iraq in the CENTCOM theater of operation. A mathematical representation of current CH-47 operations augmented with C-130s is the foundation of this research. Particularly, these operations in CENTCOM's area of operations are formulated as linear transportation problems using network mathematics. The uniqueness this research offers entails modified scenarios of the transportation problem solved as an optimization model. AMC requires additional constraints to be augmented with the basic transportation linear model that pushes this application in new areas. In addition, the uncommon layout of supply depots to the specified receiving airfields in Afghanistan and Iraq provide an altogether new kind of transportation problem.


INTRODUCTION Difficulties with the identification of some West-Indian Belonidae and an investigation into the merits of the generic name Strongylura as against Tylosurus led to a revision of the Belonidae, the result of which is published here. As will be seen on the following pages, this revision is by no means final; many problems remain to be solved, much synonymy given here is doubtful, lack of material prevented me from investigating the possible presence of slight geographic variation in the widely distributed species; some apparently valid species are left out altogether (I listed their names on p. 5) because no material has been available, and other names remain doubtful as it has not been possible to examine the type specimens. There is also the possibility that in a few instances I have too recklessly united species — or at least geographically representative forms — which in future may be found to be valid subspecies. Nobody can be more aware of all these shortcomings than I am, but I had to consider the fact that I was leaving Leiden, and rather than run the risk that the notes hitherto assembled would never be published, I chose to present them even in an incomplete form. Considering the great confusion the nomenclature and systematics of the Belonidae are in at the moment, I believe that these notes, however preliminary they may be, will be useful to students of the group. The Belonidae form a well-defined natural group consisting (as my investigations show) of not over about 30 species. Because of its smallness one is inclined to wonder if this group really deserves family status. Though for the moment I follow an authority as Berg (1940, 1955) in considering


Antibiotic resistance arising from the selective pressure generated by excessive/inappropriate antibiotic use in human and veterinary practices poses major challenges to the management of infection, particularly with the scarcity of new antibacterial drugs. For this reason, there is considerable interest in developing strategies to counteract multidrug microbial resistance either as an independent pharmaceutical entity or as an adjunct to existing treatment regimes.
Cyclooygenase (COX) metabolises phospholipase A2-liberated arachidonic acid to PGH2, which serves as a substrate for down-stream synthases to generate prostaglandins and thromboxane A2. Two isoforms of COX exist with constitutively expressed COX 1 suggested to make PGs to aid physiological processes while COX 2 is inducible at sites of inflammation believed to generate pathophysiological PGs. During inflammation in response to infection, PGs of the E/D series elevate cAMP by activating EP2/EP4 or DP1 receptors, respectively. Elevating cAMP inhibits two pivotal steps in NADPH oxidase-mediated bacterial killing, namely the phosphorylation as well as the translocation of the cytosolic p47phox subunit to cell membrane. Moreover, by signaling through EP2/4 PGE2 inhibits FcyR-mediated phagocytosis. As non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) classically inhibit PG synthesis, it is not surprising that NSAlDs are increasingly recognised to facilitate leukocyte killing of bacteria. That notwithstanding, properties of COX 1 versus COX 2 inhibitors is unknown as is their respective roles in PG synthesis, cAMP expression and therefore cytokine balance during infection in both mouse and humans.
Moreover, it is not known whether NSAlDs interfere with antibiotic-mediated bacterial killing. Finally, it is unknown whether priming the innate response by PG inhibition would enhance leukocyte killing of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by overcoming strategies drug-resistant bacteria have developed to parry antibiotic efficacy.
To investigate this, we carried out a series or experiments in mouse and in humans finding that COX 1 is the predominant isoform active in PG synthesis during infection and that prophylactic as well as therapeutic inhibition of both COX isoforms
kills bacteria to an equivalent extent by increasing phagocytic uptake and reactive oxygen intermediate-mediated killing. Moreover, we report that inhibition of PGs synthesis and signaling enhances bacterial killing in humans; that NSAlDs do not interfere with the mode of action of antibiotics but exert an additive effect when used in combination with penicillin, for instance. Finally, we show that priming the innate immune system with NSAIDs bypasses antibiotic resistance and kills drug-resistant bacteria. These data underlie the importance of lipid mediators in host responses to infection, the potential of inhibitors of PG signaling pathways as adjunctive therapies, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance.


As the visual complexity of computer generated scenes continues to increase, the use of classical modeling primitives as display primitives becomes less appealing. Customization of display algorithms, the conflict between object order and image order rendering and the reduced usefulness of object coherence in the presence of extreme complexity are all contributing factors. This paper proposes to decouple the modeling geometry from the rendering process by introducing the notion of points as a universal meta-primitive. We first demonstrate that a discrete array of points arbitrarily displaced in space using a tabular array of perturbations can be rendered as a continuous three-dimensional surface. This solves the longstanding problem of producing correct silhouette edges for bump mapped textures. We then demonstrate that a wide class of geometrically defined objects, including both flat and curved surfaces, can be converted into points. The conversion can proceed in object order, facilitating the display of procedurally defined objects. The rendering algorithm is simple and requires no coherence in order to be efficient. It will also be shown that the points may be rendered in random order, leading to several interesting and unexpected applications of the technique.


The aim was to evaluate seven evacuation support surfaces. These included the conventional spinal board, two designs of vacuum stretcher, a prototype support surface which was a combination of both principles, and three conventional stretchers. Interface pressures were evaluated in four healthy volunteers. The sacral and thoracic interface pressures were measured. Mean sacral readings were: spinal board 233.5 mm Hg, old vacuum stretcher 139 mm Hg, new design 94.8 mm Hg, prototype board 119.5 mm Hg, York Two stretcher 46 mm Hg, Army stretcher 61 mm Hg, and the PVC and aluminium stretcher 66 mm Hg. Thoracic pressure readings were: spinal board 82.9 mm Hg, old design vacuum stretcher 58 mm Hg, new design 37.8 mm Hg, prototype board 53.7 mm Hg, York two 21 mm Hg, army stretcher 35.4 mm Hg, and PVC stretcher 38.5 mm Hg. Analysis of variance showed both distributions to be highly significant (P < 0.001). The spinal board has several deficiencies, including lack of support for the lumbar lordosis. It should not be the preferred surface for the transfer of patients with spinal injuries.


Here we present the first four dimensional (time and three dimensional space resolved) experiment on a strongly deformed geological material. Results show that even complicated microstructures with large continuous and discontinuous changes in crystallographic orientation can be resolved quantitatively. The details that can be resolved are unprecedented and therefore the presented technique promises to become influential in a wide range of geoscientific investigations. Grain and subgrain scale processes are fundamental to mineral deformation and associated Earth Dynamics, and time resolved observation of these processes is vital for establishing an in‐depth understanding of the latter. However, until recently, in situ experiments were restricted to observations of two dimensional surfaces. We compared experimental results from two dynamic, in situ annealing experiments on a single halite crystal; a 2D experiment conducted inside the scanning electron microscope and a 3D X‐ray diffraction experiment. This allowed us to evaluate the possible effects of the free surface on grain and subgrain processes. The extent to which surface effects cause experimental artifacts in 2D studies has long been questioned. Our study shows that, although the nature of recovery processes are the same, the area swept by subgrain boundaries is up to 5 times larger in the volume than observed on the surface. We suggest this discrepancy is due to enhanced drag force on subgrain boundaries by thermal surface grooving. Our results show that while it is problematic to derive absolute mobilities from 2D experiments, derived relative mobilities between boundaries with different misorientation angles can be used.


In cassava, the major component are starch (60%). This component can be converted into a high value product, such a reducing sugar and oligosaccharides. Starch conversion can be done by de-polymerization using a hydrothermal process. The effect of reaction time in hydrothermal process in reducing sugar production was studied in this research. Cassava starch suspension (1:20 (w/v)) was pre-mixing with heating at 60°C and 45 minutes. Then proceed with the hydrothermal process at 100°C and 100 bar in various reaction time (15-120 minutes). The solid product were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Anthrone analysis (starch). And liquid products were analyzed by DNS analysis to calculate concentration of reducing sugars. From SEM analysis showed hydrothermal process was attacked the garnules surface deeply and also the inner grannules parts. And concentration of reducing sugars was increase by increasing hydrothermal time.


The current paper presents the first attempt to recreate the origin of shungite carbon at microscopic level basing on knowledge accumulated by graphene science. The main idea of our approach is that different efficacy of chemical transformation of primarily generated graphene flakes (aromatic lamellae in geological literature), subjected to oxidation/reduction reactions in aqueous environment, lays the foundation of the difference in graphite and shungite derivation under natural conditions. Low-efficient reactions in the case of graphite do not prevent from the formation of large graphite layers while high-efficient oxidation/reduction transforms the initial graphene flakes into those of reduced graphene oxide of ~1nm in size. Multistage aggregation of these basic structural units, attributed to graphene quantum dots of shungite, leads to the fractal structure of shungite carbon thus exhibiting it as a new allotrope of natural carbon. The suggested microscopic view has finds a reliable confirmation when analyzing the available empirical data.


The Effect of Compliance Changes on Delivered Tidal Volumes and Amplitude in an Adult Patient Ventilated with High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation: A Bench Model By John A. England Clinical concerns exist regarding the delivered tidal volume (Vt) during highfrequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). HFOV is increasingly being used as a lung protective mode of ventilation for patients with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), but caution must be utilized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of airway compliance on Vt delivered by HFOV to the adult patient. Method: An in vitro model was used to simulate an adult passive patient with ARDS, using a high fidelity breathing simulator (ASL 5000, IngMar Medical). The simulation included independent lung ventilation with a fixed resistance and adjustable compliance for each lung. Compliances of 10, 15, 20 and 25 ml/cmH2O were used and resistance (Raw) was fixed at 15 cm H2O/L/s. The ventilator SensorMedics 3100B (Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio) was set to a fixed power setting of 6.0, insp-% of 33%, bias flow =30 L/min, and 50% oxygen and Hz of 5.0 (n=5) for each compliance setting. Mean airway pressure (mPaw) and amplitude (AMP) varied as the compliance changes were made. Approximately 250 breaths were recorded at each compliance setting and the data was collected via the host computer and transferred to a log to be analyzed by SPSS v. 10. Data Analysis: The data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 10 to determine the statistical significance of the delivered Vt with different compliances, different AMP and a fixed power setting. A probability of (p < 0.05) was accepted as statistically significant. Results: The average delivered Vt with each compliance was 124.181 mL (range of 116.4276 mL and 132.6637 mL) and average AMP of 84.85 cm/H2O (range 82.0 cm/H2O and 88.0801 cm/H2O) n=5. There was an inverse relationship between Vt and AMP at a fixed power of 6.0. As compliance improved Vt increased and there was a corresponding decrease in AMP. The one-way ANOVA test showed that there were significant differences between the delivered tidal volume and AMP at a fixed power setting. When the post hoc Bonferroni test was used the data showed significant differences between AMP achieved with each compliance change and a fixed power of 6.0. When the post hoc Bonferroni test was used the data showed significant differences between Vt delivered with each compliance change and a fixed power setting of 6.0. Conclusion: Vt is not constant during HFOV. Compliance is one determinant of Vt in adults with ARDS during HFOV. AMP and Vt are inversely related during HFOV at a fixed power setting and improving compliance. THE EFFECT OF LUNG COMPLIANCE CHANGES ON DELIVERED TIDAL VOLUME AND AMPLITUDE IN AN ADULT PATIENT VENTILATED WITH HIGH FREQUENCY OCCILATORY VENTILATION: A BENCH MODEL By John A. England A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Health Sciences in Division of Respiratory Therapy in The College of Health and Human Sciences Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 2009


Patients with brain function disorders due to stroke or dementia may show inability to recognize themselves in the mirror. Although the cognitive ability to recognize mirror images has been investigated in many animal species, the animal species that can be used for experimentation and the mechanisms involved in recognition remain unclear. We investigated whether mice have the ability to recognize their mirror images. Demonstrating evidence of this in mice would be useful for researching the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying this ability. We examined whether mice preferred mirrors, whether plastic tapes on their heads increased their interest, and whether mice accustomed to mirrors learnt its physical phenomenon. Mice were significantly more interested in live stranger mice than mirrors. Mice with tape on their heads spent more time before mirrors. Becoming accustomed to mirrors did not change their behaviour. Mice accustomed to mirrors had significantly increased interest in photos of themselves over those of strangers and cage-mates. These results indicated that mice visually recognized plastic tape adherent to reflected individuals. Mice accustomed to mirrors were able to discriminate between their images, cage-mates, and stranger mice. However, it is still unknown whether mice recognize that the reflected images are of themselves.


Multi-task learning has gained popularity due to the advantages it provides with respect to resource usage and performance. Nonetheless, the joint optimization of parameters with respect to multiple tasks remains an active research topic. Sub-partitioning the parameters between different tasks has proven to be an efficient way to relax the optimization constraints over the shared weights, may the partitions be disjoint or overlapping. However, one drawback of this approach is that it can weaken the inductive bias generally set up by the joint task optimization. In this work, we present a novel way to partition the parameter space without weakening the inductive bias. Specifically, we propose Maximum Roaming, a method inspired by dropout that randomly varies the parameter partitioning, while forcing them to visit as many tasks as possible at a regulated frequency, so that the network fully adapts to each update. We study the properties of our method through experiments on a variety of visual multi-task data sets. Experimental results suggest that the regularization brought by roaming has more impact on performance than usual partitioning optimization strategies. The overall method is flexible, easily applicable, provides superior regularization and consistently achieves improved performances compared to recent multi-task learning formulations.


In water quality monitoring, the complexity and abstraction of water environment data make it difficult for staff to monitor the data efficiently and intuitively. Visualization of water quality data is an important part of the monitoring and analysis of water quality. Because water quality data have geographic features, their visualization can be realized using maps, which not only provide intuitive visualization, but also reflect the relationship between water quality and geographical position. For this study, the heat map provided by Google Maps was used for water quality data visualization. However, as the amount of data increases, the computational efficiency of traditional development models cannot meet the computing task needs quickly. Effective storage, extraction and analysis of large water data sets becomes a problem that needs urgent solution. Hadoop is an open source software framework running on computer clusters that can store and process large data sets efficiently, and it was used in this study to store and process water quality data. Through reasonable analysis and experiment, an efficient and convenient information platform can be provided for water quality monitoring.


Research Background) This working paper is part of a comparative research project looking at three immigrant groups (two North African Berber groups: the Moroccan Chleuhs and the Algerian Kabyles, and the Sikh Punjabis from India) residing in two receiving countries (France and the UK). This work seeks to explain the emergence of hometown associations committed to the development of their place of origin since the early 1990s. This research draws on a previous doctoral study on Moroccan Berber immigrants in France. Since then, I have extended this research to the other two groups. This choice has been underpinned by the prospect of comparing this first group with one which displays strong similarities (the Berber Kabyles from Algeria) and another which presents distinct features (the Sikh Punjabis). The three migrations have been spurred by British and French colonisation. They are three ethnic minority groups in their origin country which have become the forerunner of the Indian and North African migration systems. However, the conditions of their settlement in the arrival countries are obviously different. The Berber groups have predominantly remained working-class groups while the Punjabis have enjoyed a better economic integration into multicultural Britain. However, despite their common cultural, religious and historical features, Algerian Kabyles turn out to be far less committed to transnational practices than their Moroccan counterpart. Conversely, Moroccans and Indians both display a high level of engagement in cross-border development projects. Relying on Mill's laws of comparison, my intent is to uncover the common factors which have led these two distinct groups to engage in similar practices. Conversely, the Kabyle/Chleuh comparison is likely to give us the possibility of highlighting the obstacles which explain why some groups form developmental hometown groups while others do not. The analysis initially rests on the structure agency approach. However, the research has been heavily influenced by the theory of communicative action of Jürgen Habermas, which offers a better framework to address the coordination of collective actions. This has led me to unravel the symbolic framework which underpins the implementation of a development project, a symbolic framework which allows migrants to use remittances as a means of expression of who they are and how they position themselves within and toward the spaces of departure and arrival. This paper is the second of three working papers addressing the different layers of structural constraints which were conducive to the implementation of collective remittances of development: the moral-practical infrastructures, the agential structures and the institutional superstructures.


Submitted in fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Applied Sciences in Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017.


This study examined the feasibility of administering GED tests using a computer based testing system with embedded accessibility tools and the impact on test scores and test-taker experience when GED tests are transitioned from paper to computer. Nineteen test centers across five states successfully installed the computer based testing program, followed the research protocol, and transmitted testing data with minimal issues, providing evidence of the feasibility of administering GED tests on computer. Two hundred and sixteen GED candidates participated in the research by completing two GED mathematics practice test forms and a survey. Participants completed the first form on paper and were randomly assigned to take the second form on computer or paper. The survey asked students to report demographic information, information about their use of computers, and their preference for using a computer to take tests. Regression analyses showed that participants were neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by taking the GED mathematics test on computer. This finding also holds true after accounting for student's reported computer use and preference for taking tests on computer.


Due to the great deal of attention given to patient's security, it is necessary to reduce non-conformities in pre-analytical phase, so the laboratories of medical bacteriology that can ensure the quality of examination results can contribute to diagnosis and prescription of treatment and patient safety. It is important that these laboratories collect and exploit statistics of the non-conformities rates which occur during pre-analytical phase in order to implement improvement plans. This study was done in a period of 10 months in a laboratory of bacteriology in a university hospital center. It aims to control the nonconformity rates of the biological samples found, show their nature and causes and to assess their criticality. Results obtained showed that overall rate of non-conformities identified in the year 2012 were 2.5% (310 samples from 12 398). 61% of the recorded errors concerned both the identification of biological samples and patient's identity. 29% was on conveyance and 10% on the quality and quantity of samples. The setting up of the corrective and preventive actions plan was done by the application of Pareto law. The adoption of the Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) approach was meant for the risks analysis linked to these dysfunctions at pre-analytic phase. Anomalies of heterogeneity during this pre-analytic phase of the studied laboratory suggest the requirement of more rigorous methodology and exploitation of the projected indicators with suitable technologies to assess non-conformity and to follow quality improvements. Finally, to improve exams quality in laboratories, an organization and a quality action plan are proposed to ensure the management and control of the nonconformities occurring during the pre-analytic phase.


We evaluate the claim that individuals exhibit a magnitude effect in their discounting behaviour, where higher discount rates are inferred from choices made with lower principals, all else being equal. If the magnitude effect is quantitatively significant, it is not appropriate to use one discount rate that is independent of the scale of the project for cost–benefit analysis and capital budgeting. Using data from a field experiment in Denmark, we find statistically significant evidence of a magnitude effect that is much smaller than is claimed. This evidence surfaces only if one controls for unobserved individual heterogeneity in the population.


This paper utilizes theory from several previous Science that do not exist in a vacuum. It is surrounded by philosophy, theology (although not always popular to recognise today) and art as a beginning. These diverse areas have undergone parallel developments and as they do so the tools and techniques to investigate and explore these areas have also progressed in parallel. Following the movement of the modern western world this paper starts with a broad comparison using science, branches of mathematics, philosophy and art, with additional comparisons with theology. Knowledge management - an often abused expression - is more than just data collection, information presentation, or simple pathways beyond this. Rather it involves the efficient juxtaposition of background information and the value adding of presentation to enhance explicit understanding in a dynamic manner.The paper explains the different approaches to knowledge management inherent in each phase, using concrete examples, and then suggests possible extrapolation of these linear progressions for future knowledge management as well as possible toolsets necessary for future understanding and expansion of the knowledge set.This paper also goes one step further than normally considered, by investigating approaches to cognition in the data management areas and human cognition requirements and advantages. As society evolves, the requirements for successful presentation of data evolve, and yet the raw data amounts can also be effectively presented in new and more compressed manners. So the total information presented can actually increase exponentially and may become easier to understand.Finally explicit modern examples are utilised to demonstrate the effect of the altered approaches through the distinct time periods and a simple juxtaposition of the technological tools available in each period are utilised to enhance the data presentations. The end results are considered and the effect that the technology may have made to the recording and use of the data and it's transmission as data, information or knowledge evaluated, and a suggested model for overall efficiency of knowledge management presented in conclusion.