Background: Few studies have examined associations of geographically proximal cigarette prices with within-person changes in smoking outcomes or assessed interactions between cigarette prices and smoking bans. Methods: We linked neighborhood cigarette prices (inflation-adjusted) at chain supermarkets and drug stores and bar/restaurant smoking ban policies to cohort participants (632 smokers from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, 2001–2012, baseline mean age 58 years) using geocoded retailer and participant addresses. We used fixed-effects models to investigate associations of within-person changes in price and ban exposures with within-person changes in five smoking outcomes: current smoking, heavy (≥10 cigarettes) smoking, cessation, relapse, and intensity (average number of cigarettes smoked per day, natural log transformed). We assessed intensity associations among all smokers, and heavy (≥10 cigarettes per day) and light (<10) baseline smokers. Finally, we tested interactions between cigarette price and bans. Results: A $1 increase in price was associated with a 3% reduction in risk of current smoking (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]: 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.93, 1.0), a 7% reduction in risk of heavy smoking (aRR: 0.93; CI = 0.87, 0.99), a 20% increase in risk of smoking cessation (aRR: 1.2; CI = 0.99, 1.4), and a 35% reduction in the average number of cigarettes smoked per day by heavy baseline smokers (ratio of geometric means: 0.65; CI = 0.45, 0.93). We found no association between smoking bans and outcomes, and no evidence that price effects were modified by the presence of bans. Conclusions: Results underscore the importance of local prices, but not hospitality smoking bans, in influencing older adults' smoking behaviors.


The introduction of relay station (RS) nodes is a key feature in next generation wireless networks such as 3GPP's long term evolution advanced (LTE-Advanced), or the forthcoming IEEE 802.16j WiMAX standard. This paper presents, using game theory, a novel approach for the formation of the tree architecture that connects the RSs and their serving base station in the uplink of the next generation wireless multi-hop systems. Unlike existing literature which mainly focused on performance analysis, we propose a distributed algorithm for studying the structure and dynamics of the network. We formulate a network formation game among the RSs whereby each RS aims to maximize a cross-layer utility function that takes into account the benefit from cooperative transmission, in terms of reduced bit error rate, and the costs in terms of the delay due to multi-hop transmission. For forming the tree structure, a distributed myopic algorithm is devised. Using the proposed algorithm, each RS can individually select the path that connects it to the BS through other RSs while optimizing its utility. We show the convergence of the algorithm into a Nash tree network, and we study how the RSs can adapt the network's topology to environmental changes such as mobility or the deployment of new mobile stations. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm presents significant gains in terms of average utility per mobile station which is at least 17.1% better relatively to the case with no RSs and reaches up to 40.3% improvement compared to a nearest neighbor algorithm (for a network with 10 RSs). The results also show that the average number of hops does not exceed 3 even for a network with up to 25 RSs.


This study considers batch scheduling problem in the multi hybrid cell manufacturing system (MHCMS) taking into account worker resources. This problem consists of determining sequence of batches, finding the starting time of each batch, and assigning workers to the batches in accordance with some pre-determined objectives. Due to a lack of studies on the batch scheduling problem in the MHCMS, a binary integer linear goal programming mathematical model is developed for bi-objective batch scheduling problem in this study. The formulated model is difficult to solve for large sized problem instances. To solve the model, we develop an efficient heuristic method called the Hybrid Cells Batch Scheduling (HCBS) heuristic. The proposed HCBS heuristic permits integrating batch scheduling and employee (worker) timetabling. Furthermore, we construct upper and lower bounds for the average flow time and the total number of workers. For evaluation of the performance of the heuristic, computational experiments are performed on generated test instances based on real production data. Results of the experiments show that the suggested heuristic method is capable of solving large sized problem instances in a reasonable amount of CPU time. © 2016 PEI, University of Maribor. All rights reserved.


A Qualitative Study Comparing Proposals Used to Evaluate Airport Concessionaires by Raymond J. Kayal, Sr. MBA, University of Miami, 1982 BBA, University of Miami, 1960 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2016 Abstract This qualitative case study was used to examine the Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation process used by airports for selecting concessions business operators, including retail and duty-free gift shops, restaurants, newsstands, and public parking. The case consisted of 42 purposefully selected RFPs from 35 airports representing 92% of all U.S. commercial airline passenger traffic compared against guidelines found in Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 54. A problem occurs when evaluation outcomes are challenged because of perceptions of bias, and formal protests and legal claims create delays that disproportionately affect small and minority-owned businesses. The purpose of this study was to compare RFP documents for congruence and influences of concessionaire evaluation ratings. Qualitative data analysis, qualitative content analysis, and interpretive coding were used to explain socioeconomic factors inferred from the documents. Gaps existed in available literature for the effect of airport size, governance type, and evaluator motivation on the RFP process. Study findings showed weighted evaluation criteria inconsistencies with the guidelines, evidence of innate governance system influences, government-operated airport RFP preference of revenue generation measures and socioeconomic attachments,This qualitative case study was used to examine the Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation process used by airports for selecting concessions business operators, including retail and duty-free gift shops, restaurants, newsstands, and public parking. The case consisted of 42 purposefully selected RFPs from 35 airports representing 92% of all U.S. commercial airline passenger traffic compared against guidelines found in Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 54. A problem occurs when evaluation outcomes are challenged because of perceptions of bias, and formal protests and legal claims create delays that disproportionately affect small and minority-owned businesses. The purpose of this study was to compare RFP documents for congruence and influences of concessionaire evaluation ratings. Qualitative data analysis, qualitative content analysis, and interpretive coding were used to explain socioeconomic factors inferred from the documents. Gaps existed in available literature for the effect of airport size, governance type, and evaluator motivation on the RFP process. Study findings showed weighted evaluation criteria inconsistencies with the guidelines, evidence of innate governance system influences, government-operated airport RFP preference of revenue generation measures and socioeconomic attachments, independent authority operated preferences for command and control measures, and potential for the use of standardized core evaluation criteria. By challenging the premise of a bias-free government procurement process, positive social change was achievable through this study's reinforcement of federally qualified small and minority business expansion initiatives promoting open participation and fair competition in concessions opportunities at U.S. commercial passenger airports. A Qualitative Study Comparing Proposals Used to Evaluate Airport Concessionaires by Raymond J. Kayal, Sr. MBA, University of Miami, 1982 BBA, University of Miami, 1960 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management


The Family Health Database offers international coverage dating back to 1988 for an enormous range of public health subjects from sports injuries to eye care to pandemics to nutrition, and more.


Ohio University Press, United States, 2007. Paperback. Condition: New. annotated ed. Language: English . Brand New Book. The most striking feature of British colonialism in the twentieth century was the confidence it expressed in the use of science and expertise, especially when joined with the new bureaucratic capacities of the state, to develop natural and human resources of the empire. Triumph of the Expert is a history of British colonial doctrine and its contribution to the emergence of rural development and environmental policies in the late colonial and postcolonial period. Joseph Morgan Hodge examines the way that development as a framework of ideas and institutional practices emerged out of the strategic engagement between science and the state at the climax of the British Empire. Hodge looks intently at the structural constraints, bureaucratic fissures, and contradictory imperatives that beset and ultimately overwhelmed the late colonial development mission in sub-Saharan Africa, south and southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Triumph of the Expert seeks to understand the quandaries that led up to the important transformation in British imperial thought and practice and the intellectual and administrative legacies it left behind.


In 2009, Honduras was affected by a military coup, where the former president Manuel Zelaya was deposed. The coup was supported by the National Congress and the Supreme Court, with the arguments that the action was a necessary act for defending and maintaining the democracy in the country. It is therefore interesting to see what type of regime that has emerged afterwards.The study is analysed by Robert Dahl´s theory about polyarchy and Joakim Ekman´s theory about hybrid regimes since Honduras shows tendencies towards both types of regimes in the present state. The study has three different perspectives regarding the empirical data to obtain a comprehensive picture as possible of what kind of regime that Honduras is considered to be today. The material consists of the national constitution to get a glimpse of the formal aspects of the political shape in the country as well as reports provided by international organizations to get the view from the outside world but the primary material is from interviews with people determined important by the positions in the Honduran civil society.The results display that Honduras has significant democratic elements; free elections and a constitution that recognizes the basic liberties, which according to Dahl meets up with the criteria of a democratic polyarchy. However, the lack of accountability for government institutions, corruption and violations against freedom of speech - where the most affected groups are journalists, human right defenders and indigenous people, indicates that Honduras have more similarities to that what Joakim Ekman refers to as a hybrid regime.


Using data from the March Current Population Survey, summary inequality measures as well as kernel density estimations, we find gains from economic growth over the 1990s business cycle (1989-2000) were more equitably distributed than over the1980s business cycle (1979-1989). The entire distribution of household size-adjusted income moved upwards in the 1990s with profound improvements for African Americans, single mothers and those living in households receiving welfare. Most gains occurred over the growth period 1993-2000. Improvements in average income and income inequity over the latter period are reminiscent of gains seen in the first three decades after World War II.


To investigate the efficacy of midazolam (Dormicum; Roche) as a paediatric premedication, 150 children, aged 6 months-5 years, were divided into three groups. All three groups spent time with the anaesthetist to allow rapport to be established. Group A received midazolam premedication, group B received oral trimeprazine, droperidol and methadone (TDM) and group C received no sedative medication. Midazolam gave the best behaviour patterns in the holding room. Behaviour at induction was the same in all three groups. The recovery times were similar in the midazolam and unsedated groups, but in the TDM group recovery was significantly delayed. Temperatures remained stable in the unsedated and midazolam groups, but decreased in the TDM group. It is concluded that midazolam is a satisfactory paediatric premedication agent.


It is frequently observed that fraud has a greater economic impact on society than any other category of crime. Arguing that both research and practitioner frameworks in auditing and forensic accounting have tended to adopt an individualizing perspective predicated primarily on solo offending, this article adopts an inductive approach to consider why individuals co-offend in fraud. It reports the results of a set of interviews with 37 individuals convicted of a range of frauds including financial statement fraud, insider trading, credit card fraud, money laundering, and asset misappropriation. In each instance, the fraud was perpetrated by a group of two or more co-offenders. Based on inductive, exploratory case coding, we find that reasons for co-offending vary according to the type of bond that exists between co-offenders. Two dimensions of fraudulent co-offending are identified—the primary beneficiary of the fraud and the nature of group attachment—to derive three distinct archetypes of bonds between co-offenders: (1) individual-serving functional bonds, (2) organization-serving functional bonds, and (3) affective bonds. Key elements of each archetype as well as their impact on the decision to co-offend are examined. Our findings suggest that the social nature of fraud is not merely an incidental feature of the crime but is instead a potential key to understanding its etiology and some of its distinctive features. They also support the need for diagnostic tools to move beyond individualistic analyses of fraud toward a broader, group-sensitive assessment of fraud risk.


Supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) was chosen as Generation IV reactor concept in Canada to utilize Canada's expertise and technical capabilities from past research and designs. The conceptual design of Canadian SCWR has a core outlet temperature of 650 C at 25 MPa and a peak cladding temperature as high as 800 C. Corrosion/oxidation resistance is an important factor in material selections and also coating considerations. Most of the reported supercritical water (SCW) test data have been obtained at temperatures up to 700 C as no autoclave exists that can operate above 700 C at supercritical pressures and temperatures. Superheated steam (SHS) is used as a surrogate fluid to SCW in this study to evaluate two coating materials, FeCrAlY and NiCrAl, at 800 C. The results showed that the FeCrAlY became discolored rapidly while NiCrAl still maintained some metallic sheen after 600 h. The weight change results suggest that more oxide formation took place on FeCrAlY than NiCrAl. In particular, grain boundary oxide (Al2O3) formed on FeCrAlY surface upon exposure to steam after 300 h. Further exposure caused more intragranular Al2O3 to form, in addition to magnetite formation on the grain boundary regions. For NiCrAl samples, NiO formed after steam exposure for 300 h. Spinel and (Cr,Al)2O3 were also found after 300 h along with very limited amount of Al2O3. After 600 h, Al2O3 became well developed on NiCrAl and the coverage of spinel and Cr2O3 on the surface reduced.


Purpose: To determine the clinical features and risk factors of presumed ocular toxoplasmosis (POT) in patients affected with the condition at Irrua, Nigeria. Methods: The study included 69 patients with POT, and 69 age and sex matched subjects who served as the control group. Data was obtained using interviewer administered questionnaires. Examination included measurement of visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), slit lamp examination, gonioscopy and dilated fundus examination. Results: Mean age of cases and control subjects was 57.16 ± 18.69 and 56.09 ± 16.01 years respectively. The peak age group in patients with POT was 60 years and above. The most common presenting complaint was blurred vision occurring in 100% of cases. Drinking unfiltered water in 58 (84.1%) patients was the most common risk factor. Other risk factors included post cataract surgery status in 32 (46.4%) subjects, ingestion of poorly cooked meat in 30 (43.5%) cases and exposure to cats in 9 (13.0%) patients. All risk factors were more common in POT patients (P < 0.05). Out of 69 patients, 62 (89.9%) had unilateral while 7 (10.1%) had bilateral involvement. Out of 76 eyes with uveitis, 53 (69.7%) were blind. Active disease was significantly more common with increasing age (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with POT were rather old and some risk factors were modifiable, therefore health education for preventing the transmission of toxoplasmosis and provision of sanitary water may help reduce the incidence of ocular toxoplasmosis.


The formation of root lateral organ formation typically requires the de novo generation of a primordium, initiated at the site of local auxin accumulation. Legume roots are a particularly interesting example in this respect, as they can give rise to both lateral roots and root nodules. The initiation of the latter primordium is much less understood. Using computer simulations we start with an unbiased comparison of different mechanisms that a priori seemed capable of producing local auxin accumulation. These mechanisms all produce different characteristic signatures, of which a reduction of auxin efflux best matches the morphology of nodule primordia. This leads to the prediction that root nodule positions would not be affected by root curvature - contrary to lateral root primordia that are initiated by increased influx - which we experimentally confirmed. We further investigate how changes in the in silico root segment affect the induction and shape of local auxin maxima and discuss the functional implications of these findings with respect to nodule type and bounding the developmental zone where nodulation takes place.


After many years of research, award-winning historian Hugh Thomas portrays, in a balanced account, the complete history of the slave trade. Beginning with the first Portuguese slaving expeditions, he describes and analyzes the rise of one of the largest and most elaborate maritime and commercial ventures in all of history. Between 1492 and 1870, approximately eleven million black slaves were carried from Africa to the Americas to work on plantations, in mines, or as servants in houses. "The Slave Trade" is alive with villains and heroes and illuminated by eyewitness accounts. Hugh Thomas's achievement is not only to present a compelling history of the time but to answer as well such controversial questions as who the traders were, the extent of the profits, and why so many African rulers and peoples willingly collaborated. Thomas also movingly describes such accounts as are available from the slaves themselves.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of sustained cardiac arrhythmia, with age being a significant risk factor. Inside the pulmonary veins a sheath of cardiomyocytes called pulmonary vein sleeve cells (PVCs) can be found. PVCs can cause atrial fibrillation by generating spontaneous increases in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and ectopic electrical activity. Ultrastructural changes during atrial fibrillation have been described in atrial cardiomyocytes. Besides an increase in the number of glycogen granules, the reported changes include a greater variability in the number and size of mitochondria. However, the published data are inconsistent; some studies reported an increase of mitochondrial number and size in AF models, whereas other studies reported a decrease. So far, no studies have been performed to investigate changes in the mitochondrial structure occurring in PVCs. Since age is a significant risk factor for the development of AF we expected that the ultrastructure and/or number of mitochondria in PVCs would change with age. Here, we describe the results of a comparative ultrastructural study of pulmonary vein sleeve cells, atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes from 3 and 24 month-old mice.

PVCs were isolated from mouse lung slices after agarose-inflation of the lungs. Atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes were prepared from wedge-shaped sections of mouse hearts. We counted the number, and measured the size, of mitochondria in 25


Exemplary faculty–student mentorships in graduate school are defined by several salient mentor functions and numerous benefits for student protégés. Over time, helpful mentorships are increasingly defined by mutuality, reciprocity and professional collegiality; mentors often become increasingly partisan advocates for their protégés. Few scholars have addressed the potential incompatibility between the mentor's collegial, advocacy, and evaluative roles. This article addresses the apparent tension between a mentor's inclinations toward mutuality and advocacy and his or her ethical obligation to objectively evaluate student performance and serve as gatekeeper on behalf of the profession. The author offers several recommendations to administrators and faculty members in academe aimed at minimizing negative outcomes caused by mentor role tension.


Abstract. A new comprehensive data collection by Damboldt and Suessmann (2012a) with monthly foF2 and M(3000)F2 median values is an excellent basis for the derivation of long-term trends in the ionospheric F2 region. Ionospheric trends have been derived only for stations with data series of at least 22 years (124 stations with foF2 data and 113 stations with M(3000)F2 data) using a twofold regression analysis depending on solar and geomagnetic activity. Three main results have been derived: Firstly, it could be shown that the solar 10.7 cm radio flux F10.7 is a better index for the description of the solar activity than the relative solar sunspot number R as well as the solar EUV proxy E10.7. Secondly, the global mean foF2 and hmF2 trends derived for the interval between 1948 and 2006 are in surprisingly good agreement with model calculations of an increasing atmospheric greenhouse effect (Rishbeth and Roble, 1992). Thirdly, during the years 2007 until 2009, the hmF2 values and to a smaller amount the foF2 values strongly decrease. The reason for this effect is a reduction of the thermospheric density and ionization due to a markedly reduced solar EUV irradiation and extremely small geomagnetic activity during the solar cycle 23/24 minimum.


Calbon N is specially intended for use as a calcium enrichment for food and food supplements. Calbon N, a natural ossein hydroxy-apatite, has excellent properties to prevent a deficiency of calcium in a diet. It contains all ingredients that are necessary for healthy bones. Calbon N has a high calcium level (32%), a high phosphorus level (14%) and contains protein (10%). Why calcium and phosphorus


Inertial orientation tracking systems commonly use three types of sensors: accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes. The angular rate signal is used to obtain a dead reckoning estimate, whereas the gravitational and local magnetic field measures allow us to apply a correction and to obtain a drift-free result. Considering the present market of inertial MEMS sensors, the current consumption of gyroscopes represents a major part of the power budget of wireless inertial sensor nodes, which should be minimized given the mobility of the application. This paper introduces an orientation tracking algorithm, based on an unscented Kalman filter, that does not require angular rate data for tracking human movements up to 450 °/s , which is a reasonable value for many applications. Since accelerometers measure other accelerations beside gravity and magnetometers are prone to magnetic disturbances, adaptive techniques are applied in order to reduce the influence on the estimations. The performance of the system is quantitatively analyzed and compared to an estimator that includes angular rate information.


This paper reports the study of kaizen as practised in a selection of Japanese companies. After discussing the general understanding of kaizen and proposing a clear definition, the paper describes the methodology of the study, and presents findings from the research, taking Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) as a base model and comparing this with the data from other companies. The development of kaizen activity in NSC is presented together with a description of the current nature of kaizen, which is compared with other firms in the steel and automotive industries to assess uniformity. The paper concludes that kaizen evolves uniquely within each organisation, following changes to the organisation's business environment. Detailed implementations vary considerably between organisations, but all rely on kaizen to achieve targets as an integral element in the operations management system. This yields insights into kaizen's sustainability, and points to its vulnerability to external economic conditions.


"The purpose of this paper is to develop a transaction-based hotel property (real estate) price index for the UK (HPPI). Transaction-based indices overcome reliability problems of appraisalbased indices because actual transaction values are used as opposed to subjective appraised values. Additionally, unlike appraisal-based methods, this indexing method accounts for the heterogeneity of hotel properties thus allowing ""like-with-like"" comparisons (i.e. they are constant quality indices). Information on 500 hotel transactions in the UK that took place in the period between 1996 and 2004 is obtained from the UK Hotel Property Transactions Database (HPTD). The database is developed and maintained at the Caledonian Business School. HPTD data were collected from multiple sources, including public sources, and interviews with different consultancies, valuation and brokerage firms. This initial data has been augmented with data mining of other databases (e.g. tourist boards, individual property and hotel association registers and websites, specialised hotel databases, and governmental sources), content analysis of different sources and surveys with property owners. Property data include information about property names, sale prices, time of sale, location, buyers and sellers and their agents, and physical characteristics of the property. The data will permit a hedonic regression analysis to produce an overall value index for the UK. Analysis will be pool-based, only one multiple regression is estimated for the entire properties, and year dummies will be introduced in the model which will be utilised to develop the index. Explanatory variables used in the regression will include number of rooms at time of sale, property age in years, meeting and banquet facilities, ownership form of sellers, affiliation with major lodging chain, market-segment, regional dummies, golf, tennis, number of pools, food & beverage outlets, location, economic data, time of sale, etc. Results are interpreted and cross-validated using evidence and different views from the literature. Potential of HPPI in enhancing investment decision is discussed. Finally, a future research agenda is proposed. "


In her path-breaking essays on political Hebraism, Professor Fania Oz-Salzberger identifies John Locke as belonging to the class of "moral economists" whose reading of the Hebrew Bible as a historical and political text caused him to argue for the hungry man's "right to surplusage"1 This means that even though Locke championed the idea that man's labor entitles him to unlimited acquisition of material possessions, God remains the ultimate owner of all property and as such the right to life of another overrules the right to property of the laborer. The aim of this paper is to expand on Oz-Salzberger's theory and show how and why Locke anchored his thinking on property-limitation and charity exclusively on the Hebrew Bible. 17th Century Biblicism Martin Luther's theological revolution in the 16th century unsettled governmental authority as well. Until then the Protestant Reformation monarchies mainly drew their ultimate authority from the Catholic Church in Rome, but Protestantism left kings in search of a new source of authority to legitimize their rule. Rulers such as England's James I and Charles I sought to justify their absolute and arbitrary Royalist control through the use of scripture, as did their parliamentarian and Puritan opponents.2 Political theorists of the time who came to the defense of both sides in the debate also leaned on Old and New Testament sources, as well as on the writings of Greek and Roman philosophers and later day Christian theologians. John Locke's (1632-1704) most important political writing, his Two Treatises of Government (1689), is unique because it circumvents the New Testament and instead relies almost exclusively on the Hebrew Bible in order to establish his political theory. What makes Locke's use of the Hebrew Bible particularly interesting is the fact that the Two Treatises is not a defense of the old order but rather a magnum opus of classical liberalism in which concepts such as equality, freedom, individual rights, consensual government and the right of revolution are celebrated. Modern Scholarship on Locke's Biblicism However inadvertent, it would be deceptive to create the impression that Lockean scholarship is of one mind with regard to his Old Testamentism, as quite the opposite is the case. A vociferous academic debate raged during the latter half of the 20th century between the Straussian and Cambridgean schools of thought with regard to the true nature of Locke's political writing. The former, led by Leo Strauss (1899-1973), proffered that Locke followed Hobbessian atheism and referred to the Bible exclusively with obscurantist intent. Only the savants of the generation who could decipher Locke's esoteric writing were his real intended authence, according to Strauss, because only they could understand Locke's intent to dethrone God and establish human government purely on the basis of human reason.3 Using newly exposed and critically edited Lockean texts the Cambridge school led by John Dunn and John W. Yolton fired back at the Straussians, arguing that Locke was a pious Christian and meant every Biblical reference as it appeared. Cambridge did not deny the existence of esotericism in political writing but decried its application where it did not belong, Locke being the case in point. Practically this meant that Locke was no Hobbessian atheist, but it also meant that Lockean thinking was to be understood exclusively in the context of the events of the 17th century making him totally irrelevant for modernity.4 As a result of this academic donnybrook and the problems both sides present, a third school has surfaced over the past two decades which accepts Locke's religiosity but rejects the Cambridgean attribution of irrelevancy at the same time. This school, led by scholars of Locke such as Ian Harris, Jeremy Waldron, Kim Ian Parker, and Greg Forster,5 have formulated an eclectic reading of Locke which neutralizes most of the difficulties in the Straussian and Cambridge readings but are still plagued by one unnerving question: Why did Locke make such minimal and wholly ornamental usage of the New Testament (Christ is not even mentioned once) in his Two Treatises while copious resourcing (over eighty times in the First Treatise and over twenty times in the Second) is made from the Old Testament? …


Pairing-Based Cryptography is receiving steadily more attention from industry, mainly
because of the increasing interest in Identity-Based protocols. Although there are plenty of
applications, efficiently implementing the pairing functions is often difficult as it requires
more knowledge than previous cryptographic primitives. The author presents a tool for
automatically generating optimized code for the pairing functions which can be used in the
construction of such cryptographic protocols.
In the following pages I present my work done on the construction of pairing function
code, its optimizations and how their construction can be automated to ease the work of the
protocol implementer.
Based on the user requirements and the security level, the created cryptographic compiler
chooses and constructs the appropriate elliptic curve. It identifies the supported pairing
function: the Tate, ate, R-ate or pairing lattice/optimal pairing, and its optimized parameters.
Using artificial intelligence algorithms, it generates optimized code for the final exponentiation
and for hashing a point to the required group using the parametrisation of the
chosen family of curves.
Support for several multi-precision libraries has been incorporated: Magma, MIRACL
and RELIC are already included, but more are possible.


The studies' purpose was to investigate mood/emotional well-being in people with dementia living in their ordinary homes where they are most commonly cared for by their relatives, with special focus on the relationships between mood and stage of dementia, functional dependency and receiving support from a next of kin in daily personal care, and finally, the association between family caregivers feelings of burden, self-reported health, and mood of the patient. Baseline survey from a small longitudinal study, the Dementia in Blekinge Study (DIBS). 64 persons (53 % female) with a suspected or diagnosed dementia disease and 58 family caregivers (68 % female) participated. Data was collected by dementia nurses during a house call. Measurements used were: Mini Mental test and Clocktest (cognitive functioning); Berger scale (grade of dementia); Patient Mood Assessment Scale (mood-emotional well-being); ADL-staircase (dependency in activities); COPE index (career support, health and well-being). The results showed that a person with a moderate dementia who was dependent on help from others for personal care, was more often reported to have a bad mood. 28 % of the informal caregivers giving regular support answered that they quite often, or almost always, experienced it as a burden. There was a significant correlation between age and feeling burdened. Patient's children acting as caregivers more often reported themselves as feeling burdened by the role. Correlation between next of kin's feelings of burden, and patient's mood and emotional reactions, was weak.


The oligomerisation of acetylene by metal catalysts has been investigated as a potential route to liquid products, in the context of Gas-to-Liquid generation of petrochemicals. The catalysts trialled are known for their high activities in the polymerisation and oligomerisation of ethylene. Group III, IV and V metallocenes `Cp_2MCl_n` `(M = Sc, Y, n = 1; M = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, n = 2)`,
`Cp`\(^*\)\( _2\)`YCl*THF` and `[Cp`\(^*\)\( _2CeCl]_n\) were activated with a range of alkyl aluminium cocatalysts, `MAO` and `AlEt_xCl_(3-x)` `(x = 2,3)`, and exposed to acetylene. Diimine complexes of nickel and palladium were also trialled, as were a small range of chromium complexes, in the presence of MAO. Activities were extremely low for all of these complexes, except in the presence of AlEt3, where some light oligomers were produced (`C_4, C_6`). Further studies showed that growth occurred at `AlEt_3` itself, and that the transition metals were ineffective. Elevated temperatures and extended run times produced a complex range of oligomeric and polymeric products, some of which were identified with the use of GC-FID and GC-MS. Oligomer growth is slow, and branching is introduced at an early stage; several proposals as to the mechanism of growth were suggested. The use of hydrogen gas and high metallocene concentrations failed to provide effective chain transfer activity. This system was explored theoretically using DFT methods, which showed that dimeric aluminium species impede product growth beyond the first insertion; crystallographic evidence also supported this claim. The use of AlEtCl2 as an activator led to the copolymerisation of acetylene and aromatic solvents, and the nature of this process and the formed polymer were investigated in more detail. Bis(imino)pyridineiron(II) catalysts were trialled with acetylene, displaying high initial activity but quick deactivation. The catalyst containing 2,6-diisopropylphenyl substitution produces polyacetylene, as well as oligomers in the presence of the chain transfer agent `ZnEt_2`. The oligomer array is complex and was investigated by GC-FID and GC-MS; a mechanism is proposed for the formation of identified compounds. The use of more `ZnEt_2` generates a higher proportion of oligomer, but slows catalyst activity. Catalyst deactivation was investigated by SEM and ICP-MS, and found to be due to encapsulation within the insoluble polyacetylene. The catalyst was not able to effective co-polymerise acetylene and ethylene. The ortho-tolyl substituted catalyst primarily forms benzene from acetylene (cyclotrimer). Deuterium labelling studies suggest cyclotrimerisation via a metallocyclic mechanism, which is interrupted in the presence of the `ZnEt_2`. Hydrogen was not effective as a chain transfer agent for the iron catalysts.


This paper studies a principal-agent model where a risk-neutral principal delegates to a risk-neutral agent the decision of whether to pursue a risky project or a safe one. The return from the risky project is unknown and the agent can acquire costly unobservable information about it before taking the decision. The problem has features of moral hazard and hidden information since the acquisition of information and its content is unobservable to the principal. The optimal contract suggests that the principal should only reward the agent for outcomes that are significantly better than the safe return. It is also optimal to distort the project choice in favor of the risky one as a mechanism to induce the direct revelation of the uncertain state. In a managerial context, the findings explain why options induce better decision-making from CEOs, as well as why excessive risk taking might be optimal.


During the course of experiments involving RT-PCR to investigate the co-transcription of the pet and res operons of the bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans we observed that the mRNA of certain gene pairs can be amplified by RT-PCR in the absence of added RT- primer. We provide experimental evidence that eliminates, as explanations for the observed results, the possible global contamination of the RNA preparation by genomic DNA or by contaminating single stranded DNA or RNA fragments. We suggest that the results can be explained by self-priming of the RNA perhaps as a result of secondary structure configurations that provide a suitable 3'-terminus to prime the reverse transcriptase. This type of artifact can be recognized by carrying out a control in which exogenously added RT-primers are left out of the reaction. Such a control is essential if RT-PCR is to be used to investigate and correctly identify operons. RT-PCR is also an important tool for the amplification of eukaryotic mRNAs and our observations may also be applicable to these systems.


Introduction: The current study aimed to determine the relationship between perceived social support and Academic self-efficacy with social adjustment. The research plan was correlational and predictive. Methods: The participants of the research were all of students of Jondishapour Medical University of Ahvaz among whom 200 students were selected randomly. The data was collected using Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS), Patrick, Hicks and Ryan Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Bell Social Adjustment Questionnaire and was analyzed using correlation coefficient, regression and statistical software program SPSS 19. Results: The results indicated that there was a positive significant relationship between perceived social support and self-efficacy with social adjustment. Furthermore, the results of simultaneous entry regression analysis showed that the predictive variables could explain 34% of social adjustment. Conclusion: According to the findings, perceived social support leads to increased mental health and social adjustment among students.


Recently, we proposed an ensemble speaker and speaking environment modeling (ESSEM) framework to characterize speaker variability and speaking environments. In contrast to multi-style training, ESSEM uses single-style training to prepare multiple sets of environment-specific acoustic models. The ensemble of these acoustic models forms a prior structure of the environment for flexible prediction of unknown environment during testing. In this study, we present methods to further improve the precision for model characterization. We first study a weighted N-best information technique to well utilize the N-best transcription hypothesis in an unsupervised adaptation manner. Next, we introduce cohort selection and environment space adaptation techniques to online improve the resolution and coverage of the prior structure. With an integration of the proposed methods, we further improve the ESSEM performance over our previous study. On the Aurora-2 task, ESSEM achieves an average word error rate (WER) of 4.64%, corresponding to a 15.64% relative WER reduction over our best baseline result (5.50% to 4.64% WER) obtained with multi-condition training.


Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most widespread diseases on the planet, and the need for new forms of treatment has become paramount. Even though there are treatments against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus mutates readily and becomes resistant to these drugs. A mutation is a slight change in the virus that allows it to evade the action of the medication. Because resistance to anti-viral drugs is pervasive, it is imperative to find new ways to treat such mutant viruses. A promising field for the treatment of HIV is the application of aptamers. Aptamers are nucleic acids that form tertiary structures, which can bind to proteins tightly and selectively. If an aptamer bound and inhibited a key enzyme in the virus, it could help prevent the spread of HIV in the human body. An important target for therapeutics has been reverse transcriptase, which is vital for viral reproduction. Although aptamers that inhibit reverse transcriptase (RT) activity have already been isolated, these are against wild type HIV, or most common form of the virus. Thus, it is important to select for alternative aptamers that will inhibit other drug resistant forms of the virus. The Stanford University HIV drug resistant database lists twelve common drug resistant HIV variants with mutant forms of RT. The object of this study was to select a few aptamers that inhibited the activity of mutant clone 3 RT from the aforementioned database. Aptamers were found not only to prevent enzymatic action of RT, but also bound to other regions of the protein itself. This led to the testing of innovative techniques within the realm of aptamers by creating complexes that link two aptamers together, which can bind more tightly to the enzyme because there are more contact points between the aptamers and protein target. These findings also open the door to improving current aptamer microarray assay technology. Microarrays utilize aptamers that are placed on slides to detect the presence of a certain protein. The improvement comes from using aptamers, instead of antibodies (another molecule that binds to proteins) as the signal molecule for the test. Thus, aptamers can be used for both therapeutic and detection means against HIV.


Abstract The present work purports to draw the links between two strands of literature: the vast literature on homeownership access across ethnic/migratory groups, and the emerging literature on inter-generational differences in ownership and their implications for wealth inequalities. It examines the case of Hong Kong, where homes are unbelievably expensive irrespective of the large public housing sector, and where recent immigrants from mainland China constitute a quasi-ethnic group even though the great majority of the local populations are Chinese nationals. The study draws upon the micro-data files of the 1996, 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2016 population censuses, and situates the analysis on the changing housing market dynamics and immigration scenes since the eve of the 1997 handover. The findings reveal a significant drop in homeownership among younger generations in recent years, and the drop is more pronounced for recent migrants from the mainland. The latter also suffer from increasing inaccessibility to public housing, rented or owned.


Following the great success of Machine Learning (ML), especially Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), in many research domains in 2010s, several ML-based approaches were proposed for detection in large inverse linear problems, e.g., massive MIMO systems. The main motivation behind is that the complexity of Maximum A-Posteriori (MAP) detection grows exponentially with system dimensions. Instead of using DNNs, essentially being a black-box, we take a slightly different approach and introduce a probabilistic Continuous relaxation of disCrete variables to MAP detection. Enabling close approximation and continuous optimization, we derive an iterative detection algorithm: Concrete MAP Detection (CMD). Furthermore, extending CMD by the idea of deep unfolding into CMDNet, we allow for (online) optimization of a small number of parameters to different working points while limiting complexity. In contrast to recent DNN-based approaches, we select the optimization criterion and output of CMDNet based on information theory and are thus able to learn approximate probabilities of the individual optimal detector. This is crucial for soft decoding in today's communication systems. Numerical simulation results in MIMO systems reveal CMDNet to feature a promising accuracy complexity trade-off compared to State of the Art. Notably, we demonstrate CMDNet's soft outputs to be reliable for decoders.


Domestic geese can reduce the amount of food intake when brooding. Because of the reduction in food intake, the total number of microorganisms in the gut is also reduced. Will this affect the goose's thinking and make the goose stop brooding and eat food? We hypothesize that gut microbiota affects the brain through a brain–gut peptide and further regulates the breeding behavior of geese. In this study, we evaluated the microbiome related to the goose and transcription groups of brooding and egg production periods. The changes and differences in gut microbiota and gene expression of female geese in different reproduction periods were analyzed, and the possible interaction between them was explored. The results showed that the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium with a growth-promoting effect in the cecum was higher in the egg production group than in the brooding group. Microbial metabolic pathways with significant differences between the two groups were also enriched in the secondary functional groups with different gut microbiota metabolism. The downregulated genes in the egg production group were mainly related to energy metabolism, such as ATP synthesis-related genes. These results suggest that the brooding group's gut microbiota can make relevant changes according to the reproduction stage of the goose. Since the amount of food taken in is reduced, it can promote the decomposition of the host's fat. Simultaneously, insulin is also used to deliver messages to the brain; it is necessary to end the brooding behavior at an appropriate time and for eating to start.


Objective: Development of liposomal mucoadhesive drug delivery system, which is able to improve the bioavailability of poorly absorbed oral drugs by prolonging their gastric and intestinal residence time, through facilitating the intimate contact of the delivery system with the absorption membrane. Materials and methods: Liposomes containing model drug atenolol were prepared by the modified ethanol injection method. Liposomes containing atenolol were coated by different mucoadhesive polymers, for example, chitosan, Carbopol 974P, Eudragit L100, and Eudragit S100, to optimize the choice of coating material. The delivery systems were tested for their in vitro mucoadhesiveness. Results: Liposomes prepared by the ethanol injection method were of satisfactory size (around 100 nm, before coating). Through the coating of liposomes in the presence of unentrapped material, the entrapment efficiency for drug was increased. In vitro mucoadhesive test confirmed the mucoadhesive properties of the coated layer for all tested polymers; however, Eudragit S100-coated liposomes were superior to other coating materials. Discussion: Eudragit coating appeared to be an optimal polymer choice. These preliminary data indicate that polymer-coated mucoadhesive liposomes are able to carry sufficient amount of drug and to remain attached to the intestinal mucosa for a sufficient period of time to enable prolonged absorption of entrapped drug. Conclusion: While keeping in mind that the in vivo conditions may vary with the in vitro ones, we may recommend the system described in our work for possible oral delivery of peptides and phytochemicals.


Recent policy changes initiated by the British Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government represent a paradigm shift in the organization of higher education. In 1963, the Robbins Report on the long-term development of higher education in Britain and the principles which should inform it inaugurated mass higher education and a public university system in the UK similar to that of the California Master Plan at about the same time. The architect of the latter, Clark Kerr, called the modern university a "multiversity" for its multiple functions and roles. The announced changes to higher education in the UK derive from a radical, neo-liberal approach that now seeks to transform the multiversity into a market-based monoculture. As with all monocultures, the problem is not only the value of what is lost, but also the effective reproduction of what remains. The policies, I shall suggest, are self-defeating, but they are also deeply damaging to the university's democratic mission. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Robbins Report set out the principle that higher education should be available to all with the ability to benefit from it, and none should be dissuaded by reason of cost. The expansion of higher education had an economic rationale, but it was also promoted for its wider social and political value in contributing to culture and an inclusive democracy. In addition, universities were provided with a social mission to facilitate social mobility and to help dissolve existing status differences. This was so in three respects: first, university education would no longer be the preserve of a social elite; second, publicly funded higher education would mitigate the effects of a mixed system of private and public secondary education that provided educational advantages to those prepared and able to pay; and finally, although status differences would remain associated with particular institutions, the same undergraduate degree course would be similarly funded at all universities, so those differences would be diminished in their social effects. With the caveat that university education would be available only to those with the ability to benefit from it, higher education assumed the status of a social right. The universalization of the aspiration to higher education in subsequent decades has been a testament to the success of the Robbins principle. A recent survey of new mothers reported that 98 percent aspired that her child attend university. Of course, the opportunity to do so is restricted both by the number of places as well as social and educational disadvantages. However, the wider public's endorsement of the role and importance of higher education is significant. The British Social Attitudes Survey in 2005, for example, indicated that 70 percent felt that the value of a university education was greater than simply the prospective economic return associated with it. The basic framework of UK higher education remained relatively unchanged across the decades since Robbins, albeit with a student contribution to fees introduced in 1998. However, this remained at a flat rate across all institutions and was accompanied by continued public funding. It is this expected contribution that has now changed in much of England. There will be no public funding for the arts, humanities, and social sciences, although high-cost science and medicine courses will retain a limited public subsidy. The existing student loan system is to be extended with income-contingent loans, where students will be required to repay their loans only after reaching an earnings threshold of 21,000 pounds, with remaining debts discharged after 30 years. Universities will also be allowed to charge differential fees. Currently, these are capped at 9,000 pounds, but it is likely that, at some time in the future, the cap will be removed, so that some universities will charge higher fees (in the order of the levels currently charged to overseas students). …


GAMBL is a word expert approach to WSD in which each word expert is trained using memory based learning. Joint feature selection and algorithm parameter optimization are achieved with a genetic algorithm (GA). We use a cascaded classifier approach in which the GA optimizes local context features and the output of a separate keyword classifier (rather than also optimizing the keyword features together with the local context features). A further innovation on earlier versions of memory based WSD is the use of grammatical relation and chunk features. This paper presents the architecture of the system briefly, and discusses its performance on the English lexical sample and all words tasks in SENSEVAL-3.


A search for invisible decays of the Higgs boson produced via vector boson fusion (VBF) has been performed with 101 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV and collected by the CMS detector in 2017 and 2018. The sensitivity to the VBF production mechanism is enhanced by constructing two analysis categories, one based on missing transverse momentum, and a second based on the properties of jets. In addition to control regions with Z and W boson candidate events, a highly populated control region, based on the production of a photon in association with jets, is used to constrain the dominant irreducible background from the invisible decay of a Z boson produced in association with jets. The results of this search are combined with all previous measurements in the VBF topology, based on data collected in 2012 (at $\sqrt{s} =$ 8 TeV), 2015, and 2016, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 19.7, 2.3, and 36.3 fb$^{-1}$, respectively. The observed (expected) upper limit on the invisible branching fraction of the Higgs boson is found to be 0.18 (0.10) at the 95% confidence level, assuming the standard model production cross section. The results are also interpreted in the context of Higgs-portal models.


In this article, we focus on one of the most important statutory protections for Australian consumers in financial hardship: the right to seek a variation of a credit contract contained in s 72 of the National Credit Code. We provide a comprehensive history of this right, which has been part of Australian consumer credit law since the 1970s. Over the years, it has evolved from a very limited right to seek an extension of time to pay a debt on grounds of illness and unemployment, to a broader provision that requires credit providers to comply with a prescribed process before they can commence enforcement action against a consumer who has sought a variation to their payment arrangements. We also undertake an analysis of the evolution of this right to demonstrate that despite improved understandings of the causes of financial hardship, it continues to envisage a middle-class subject with a strong awareness of their rights, and excludes some particularly vulnerable consumers. This right is also representative of a regulatory approach that envisages a limited role for consumer credit law, and does not sufficiently address the imbalance of bargaining power between the consumer and the credit provider. We argue for the imposition of an obligation to provide a minimum range of hardship assistance directly upon credit providers, as a means of addressing this imbalance and ensuring more meaningful protection for consumers in financial hardship.


Fire, as a natural ecological disturbance factor in forest, this study located in the Marivan region, Northern Zagros forest, and western Iranian state of Kurdistan. In each burned and unburned area 30 circle sample plot (1000 m) were collected by randomized–systematic method in the 100×200 m net (in total 60 plots). In every sample plot the kind of species, number of tree, the height of coppice shoot, the diameter of coppice shoot at breast height, tree crown diameter, shrub and regeneration information (i.e. coppice and seed provenance) were recorded. In the sample plots the micro plots of 2 m by 2 m (i.e. area of 4 m) were designed and herb information was recorded then. Species diversity indexes including Shannon Wiener (H׳), Simpson (1-D) and Margaleff (R1) were used to evaluate plant diversity in each sample plot. Data analyzing was done by SPSS16 and Ecological Methodological software's. In this forest have 79 plant species, which consist of 6 trees, 4 shrubs and 69 herbaceous species. Results indicated that Compositae families have the highest number of species. Herbaceous layer in burned area has higher the unburned area, but shrub layers in the unburned area higher the burned area. T-test analysis indicated the differences between diversity indexes in the shrub and Herbaceous in the two areas were statistically significant, but differences between diversity indexes in the tree layer in the two areas not statistically significant. Herbaceous layer had the highest richness, evenness and diversity in the vegetation layer.


Background: Emergency contraception (EC) offers the last opportunity of preventing an unintended pregnancy. Aim: This study determined factors associated with knowledge and use of EC by female nursing and midwifery students in northwest Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 317 female nursing and midwifery students randomly selected in two tertiary health institutions in Northern Nigeria was conducted using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS v. 21.20. Results: Of the 317 students, 62.8% (199/317) were unmarried, 92.4% (293/317) were Muslims, and 74.4% (236/317) were of Hausa ethnicity. The mean age (standard deviation) was 22.9 (3.1) years. Knowledge of EC was nearly universal (n=299/317; 94.3%). Of the respondents 25.8% (77/317), 13.4% (40/317) and 9.4% (28/317) of the respondents' incorrectly identified menstrogen, quinine, and ampicillin, respectively as forms of EC. In addition, 24.1% (72/317) were not aware of the correct timing for the use of hormonal EC following unprotected sexual intercourse. Marital status and parity were significantly associated with knowledge of EC (P ≤ 0.05). Of those who have had unprotected and unwanted sexual intercourse (n=62, 19.6%), less than a quarter 15 (24.2%) used any device or drug to avoid getting pregnant and this was not affected by sociodemographic variables (P>0.05). Conclusion: Majority of the student nurses and midwives surveyed had adequate general knowledge of EC, but many lacked in-depth knowledge with some having misconceptions about the forms. Majority did not use it when it was indicated despite being aware of it. Periodic curricula review may address knowledge gaps among these potential change agents and role models. Keywords: Emergency contraception; Knowledge; Midwifery student; Northern Nigeria; Nursing student; Practice


We report on a questionnaire survey of audit firms and listed companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain to investigate the perceptions on the issue of auditors' independence with regard to rendering non-audit services (NAS). Our survey results of auditors and client executives support the proposition that independence is impaired if the auditor also renders non-audit services. However, most respondents from both groups indicated that NAS provided by company auditors affects the auditor independence to a limited extent only, and opine that such services should not be prohibited. Most listed companies obtain NAS from their company auditors, but the NAS fee ratio to audit fees is not high. Auditors and listed companies perceive that independence is not at all compromised or tends to be compromised to a limited extent for 15 types of NAS. The perceptions differed based on the size, non-audit fees and foreign operations for some of the NAS.


We study competing first passage percolation on graphs generated by the configuration model. At time 0, vertex 1 and vertex 2 are infected with the type 1 and the type 2 infection, respectively, and an uninfected vertex then becomes type 1 (2) infected at rate λ1 (λ2) times the number of edges connecting it to a type 1 (2) infected neighbor. Our main result is that, if the degree distribution is a power-law with exponent τ ∈ (2, 3), then, as the number of vertices tends to infinity and with high probability, one of the infection types will occupy all but a finite number of vertices. Furthermore, which one of the infections wins is random and both infections have a positive probability of winning regardless of the values of λ1 and λ2. The picture is similar with multiple starting points for the infections.


Autoimmune hepatitis is a kind of chronic. progressive liver injury which is characterized by the presence of several kinds of circulating liver membrane autoantibodies such as anti-LSP (liver specific lipoprotein). In this study. mice autoimmune hepatitis was induced by repeated sc immunization with heterogeneic and syngeneic LSP which was prepared by ultra-centrifugation and chromatography of liver homogenates. Serum high titer anti-LSP was detected by ELISA in C57BL mice immunized with rabbit LSP after l0-15wk. Human hepatitis B vaccine 25 ng/mouse sc once a week was given with LSP to accelerate the formation of liver injuries for 4 wk. Liver histological changes revealed mainly the mononuclear cell infiltration. pericholangitis and hepatocellular piecemeal necrosis which were mimic to human chronic active hepatitis. When using of Con A and 2'-deoxyguanosine as Ts inhibitors challenged together with syngeneic LSP in C57BL and JCR mice. the degree and number of mice with liver damages increased and was observed only after 3 wk. These results suggested that clinical hepatitis B virus infection and T disfunction may potentiate liver autoimmune reactions.


Public libraries have long supported the literacy goals of public schools in their communities by providing access to printed and electronic resources that enhance learning and teaching. This article describes an ongoing collaboration between the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's BLAST outreach program and the Pittsburgh Public Schools that has positively impacted thousands of students by increasing access to library resources while also emphasizing vocabulary, text-based discussion, and writing using both fiction and informational texts. This program can serve as a model for similar community partnerships that have the potential to enrich the literacy lives of students. Reading is a Blast!• 73 READING IS A BLAST! INSIDE AN INNOVATIVE LITERACY COLLABORATION BETWEEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY


The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the 1993 Missouri Outstanding Schools Act (OSA) Foundation Funding Formula and subsequent revisions on the equity of statewide educational funding. This research considered the revenue per student per penny of property tax levy, the revenue per student, and the legislative decision to guarantee a minimum (hold harmless) payment per student to analyze whether funding for Missouri public schools was more equitable than the pre-1993 OSA formula. Specific fiscal years from 1998-99 through 2005-06 were selected for analysis. The horizontal equity statistics of coefficient of variation, federal range ratio, and McLoone Index were calculated and tracked for the selected years. These measures were applied to the data for all districts and to the data for non-hold harmless districts. The results of this study were compared to the pre-OSA (1992-93) statistics reported in the 1999 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education study. Data for all years selected compared to the pre-OSA year of 1992-93 showed improved equity for all districts and for non-hold harmless districts on both the revenue per student per penny of tax rate basis and on a revenue per student basis using the coefficient of variation and the federal range ratio. All years, except 2005-06, showed improved equity using the McLoone Index. All statistics analyzed demonstrated dramatically greater improved equity for non-hold harmless districts than for all districts.


Mice with a targeted disruption of the interferon gamma receptor gene (IFN-gamma R0/0 mice) and control wild-type mice were inoculated with the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) strain of Mycobacterium bovis. BCG infection was not lethal for wild-type mice whereas all IFN-gamma R0/0 mice died approximately 7-9 wk after inoculation. Histological examination at 2 and 6 wk after BCG inoculation showed that livers of IFN-gamma R0/0 mice had higher numbers of acid-fast bacteria than wild- type mice, especially at 6 wk. In parallel, the livers of IFN-gamma R0/0 mice showed a reduction in the formation of characteristic granulomas at 2 wk after inoculation. Injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 2 wk after BCG inoculation was significantly less lethal for IFN- gamma R0/0 mice than for wild-type mice. Reduced lethality of LPS correlated with a drastically reduced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in the IFN-gamma R0/0 mice. Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-6 levels in the serum were also significantly reduced in the IFN-gamma R0/0 mice after BCG infection and LPS challenge. The greatly reduced capacity of BCG-infected IFN-gamma R0/0 mice to produce TNF-alpha may be an important factor in their inability to resist BCG infection. These results show that the presence of a functional IFN-gamma receptor is essential for the recovery of mice from BCG infection, and that IFN-gamma is a key element in the complex process whereby BCG infection leads to the sensitization to endotoxin.


The field of bioelectrochemical system (BES) research includes a wide range of emerging technologies that utilise microbes to catalyze anodic and/or cathodic reactions within a fuel cell setup, and has developed greatly in the last 2–3 years. Although the vast majority of BESs utilise organic substrates as a fuel source (e.g. microbial fuel cells), several systems have been developed that are fuelled by light energy. In this review we focus on and contextualise a specific subset of light-harvesting BESs, which we have called biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs). BPVs utilise oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, such as microalgal and cyanobacterial species, to harvest light energy to generate current, critically, in the absence of an organic feedstock. Here we discuss the state-of-the-art for all light-harvesting BESs and present a novel classification system to illustrate how BPVs integrate into the broad fields of BES and photovoltaic research. We compare and contrast the present understanding of electron transfer pathways in systems that use heterotrophic microbes with those in cyanobacteria-based BPVs. Finally we present, for the first time, an estimate of the achievable power outputs of this emerging technology.


Despite the large variability of landforms in Montenegro, no attempts have yet been made to regionalize its geomorphology. However, Digital Elevation Models are globally availability and in recent decades we have seen a strong increase in computation possibilities to map and quantify relief. Here, we used the Geomorphon method to define and delineate the geomorphological characteristics of Montenegro, using the ASTER Digital Elevation Model with 30 m resolution. Together with a literature review and field observations, this has led to the preparation of a regional geomorphological map of Montenegro at scale 1:800,000. In total, seven geomorphological regions were recognized: Coastal Montenegro, High Karst, Inland Depression, Durmitor Flysch, Northwestern Highlands, Prokletije and the Northern Cristalline Hills. Karst landforms largely dominate the geomorphology of the country, with the occurrence of numerous dolines, uvala's, large poljes (Gradaj, Grahovo and Njegusi) and karst plateaus (Banjani, Jezerska Povrs). Limestone areas are often dissected by impressive canyons (Moraca, Cijevna, Mala Rijeka, Tara, Susica and Piva), of which the formation is thought to be parallel with that of the ria coast. The latter corresponds to large submerged river valleys that were scoured during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Besides karst features, a glacial imprint can be found in Montenegro, which is amongst the southernmost in Europe. To conclude, the Geomorphon method allowed making a rapid assessment of the country's main geomorphological characteristics, that could be further defined with existing research and field observations. Furthermore, the method also shows good potential in supporting detailed field-investigations as demonstrated here for the Njegusi polje.


This paper studies the long term consequences on workers' labour earnings of the credit crunch induced by the 2007-2008 financial crisis. We study the evolution of both employment and wages in a large sample of Italian workers followed for nine years after the start of the crisis. We rely on a unique matched bank-employer-employee administrative dataset to construct a firm-specific shock to credit supply, which identifies firms that, because of the collapse of the interbank market during the financial crisis, were unexpectedly affected by credit restrictions. We find that workers who were employed before the crisis in firms more exposed to the credit crunch experience persistent and sizable earnings losses, mainly due to a permanent drop in days worked. These effects are heterogeneous across workers, with high-type workers being more affected in the long run. Moreover, firms operating in areas with favourable labour market conditions react to the credit shock by hoarding high-type workers and displacing low-type ones. Under unfavourable labour market conditions instead, firms select to displace also high-type (and therefore more expensive) workers, even though wages do react to the slack. All in all, our results document persistent effects on the earnings distribution.


Developing an approach that delivers improved environmental performance for metal cycles is the aim of this thesis. Integral to the sustainable use of metals is the need to reduce environmental impacts associated with the mining, refining and recycling activities that supply metal to the economy. Currently, the links between the location and duration of these activities, their resultant impacts and the responsible parties are poorly characterised. Consequently, the changes to technology infrastructure and material flow patterns that are required to achieve sustainable metal cycles remain unclear to both industry and government actors. To address this problem, a holistic two-part methodology is developed. Firstly, a reference schema is developed to address the complexity of structuring analyses of the material chain at different geographical and time scales. The schema identifies actors and system variables at each scale of analysis and guides the level of information detail and performance indicators to be used in material chain characterisation. Material chain characterisation involves modelling material and energy flows for current activities as a series of connected nodes and linking these flows to resultant environmental impacts. The approach identifies the material chain activity responsible for each environmental impact and makes trade-offs between impacts explicit. Sensitivity analysis of the models identifies the key variables that enhance performance. The influence of actors over these variables is assessed to target areas for improvement. This first part of the methodology is illustrated using case studies that assess the current performance of copper material chain configurations at different geographical scales within the reference schema. The analysis of global material and energy flows indicates that the majority of environmental burden in the copper material chain is attributable to primary refining of metal from ore. Modelling of the dominant primary refining technologies using regionspecific information for ore grade, technology mix and energy mix reveals that the total environmental impact differs by factors of 2–10 between world regions. The study of refined copper imports to Europe from various regions outside of Europe reveals that lower global warming impacts are achieved at the expense of increased local impacts from the producing regions. Overall, only limited improvements are possible without investing in new technology infrastructure. Evaluation of an innovative copper refining technology finds that collaboration with clean energy suppliers reduces global warming impacts more than changing process design parameters. To better assess the local impacts that are directly controllable by the technology operator, a new indicator incorporating the stability of solid waste is developed. In the second part of the methodology, the link established between actors, their control over key system variables and resultant impacts is used to design preferred future configurations for the material chain. Dynamic models are developed to evaluate transition paths towards preferred futures for individual and collaborative action by industry in the context of externally changing variables (for example, increasing demand for copper and declining available ore grades). Both new copper technology infrastructure and new material flow patterns are assessed in transitions toward preferred futures for a case study of the United States. The improvements resulting from the introduction of new primary refining technology by individual actors are negated by increasing impacts from declining copper ore grades over time. Achieving a combined reduction in local and global environmental impacts requires collaboration between industry actors to immediately increase the recycling of secondary scrap. Significantly, this methodology links actor decisions with their impacts across scales to prompt accountability for current performance and guide useful collaborations between actors. The methodology then delivers a comprehensive assessment of the scale and timing of required interventions to achieve more sustainable metal cycles.


The Indian IT industries sector facing the challenge of tremendous growth in the present days, retaining the best workforce to sustain organizational growth and competitiveness had become strategically important. This paper makes an attempt to study the opinion of the employees working in IT Industries in Bangalore with respect to various issues and factors influencing talent retention in these organizations. The study has revealed that variables like those of Conflicts avoided among employees, Company rules and regulation made to benefit the employees, Employee Satisfaction in Working Conditions; Ergonomics to work were identified to be important retention variables preferred by respondents. Respondent demographic variables such as age had significant association with retention dimensions such as organizational image and supervisory support. Similarly marital status had significant association with working conditions and welfare as retention dimensions. On the other hand, the retention variable like Performance appraisals and stay motivated, Incentives, perks cash prizes with annual income level of the respondents. People working in IT industries in Bangalore have expressed their dissatisfaction on the training and development opportunities and working hours in their organizations.


The making of models to encode knowledge is an intrinsic feature of human cognitive life. Signs, texts, codes, and various other representational forms are the direct outcomes of innate model-making systems. This book presents a methodological framework, developed from the field of biosemiotics, for studying semiotic phenomena as modeling processes. It presents a descriptive system for uniting semiotics and biology so that the "modeling instinct" can be studied in terms of its manifestations in various species. The book is written in an accessible textbook style, and can thus be used as a manual by both professional semioticians and students taking courses in semiotics, biology, and the communication sciences. It is composed in such a way that a broad readership can appreciate the fascinating research going on in a relatively unknown area of interdisciplinary study.


The virion basic phosphoprotein (BPP), UL32, of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a 149-kDa tegument protein that represents about 15% of the virion protein mass and is modified by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). O-GlcNAc has been postulated to mediate subunit-subunit interaction in many different types of intracellular protein complexes, while BPP may play a role in viral assembly and/or envelopment. This report describes the identification of the major O-GlcNAc attachment sites on the HCMV (AD169) BPP. Because the amount of BPP isolated from infectious virions was insufficient to determine the site(s) of glycosylation, the full-length protein has been characterized following overexpression in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. The recombinant protein (rBPP) was electrophoretically (by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and immunologically (by Western immunoassaying) indistinguishable from the BPP isolated from HCMV virions. In addition, the rBPP was modified by O-GlcNAc, and a comparison of the tryptic glycopeptides from the rBPP and native virion BPP indicated that their O-GlcNAc sites are the same. Furthermore, the major sites of O-GlcNAc attachment to the rBPP were mapped on high-performance liquid chromatography-purified glycopeptides by gas phase microsequencing, manual Edman degradation, and electrospray-mass spectrometry. The results demonstrate that the major sites of O-GlcNAc attachment to the BPP are Ser-921 and Ser-952. Identification of these sites will now enable mutagenesis studies to determine the influence of O-GlcNAc on the intracellular location, protein-protein interaction, and biological function of BPP. Finally, the fidelity of the addition of O-GlcNAc to rBPP in insect cells compared with native virion BPP is documented to demonstrate the possible general applicability of the baculovirus expression system to study O-GlcNAc on other low-abundance proteins.


In this paper, Richard A. Epstein, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, explains how there are substantial gains to be made from countries getting 'easy' policy decisions correct. Societies collapse and become impoverished when they do not accept the basic principles of freedom to contract and competition. Even in the developed world these principles have not been accepted in key areas such as agricultural and labour markets. Significant welfare gains could be achieved from liberalisation in both areas. Epstein explains how liberal economists, politicians and civil servants often spend much time discussing 'difficult' cases. While these issues may be important to particular groups in society, the implications of getting 'difficult' cases wrong is not serious. Thus policy-makers and their advisers, Epstein says, would do well to concentrate on the 'easy' cases. In his study, Professor Epstein uses evidence and analysis derived from the disciplines of both law and economics. Professor Geoffrey E. Wood provides a commentary that elucidates Epstein's argument and shows how it can be further applied to policy issues relevant to the UK.


WIPO's latest World Intellectual Property Report (WIPR) explores the role of IP at the nexus of innovation and economic growth, focusing on the impact of breakthrough innovations. Extraordinary technological breakthroughs over the last 300 years have touched almost every aspect of human activity and transformed the world's economies. The 2015 report shows how three historical breakthrough innovations – airplanes, antibiotics and semiconductors – fueled new business activity. It examines three current technologies with breakthrough potential: 3D printing, nanotechnology and robotics. And it considers the future outlook for innovation-driven growth.Classification-JEL:


Numerous challenging transformations take place in nature with high efficiency within confined and compartmented environments. This has inspired scientists to develop spatially micro- and nanoreactors by 'bottom-up' approaches in order to improve different processes in comparison to solution, in terms of kinetics, selectivity or processability. In this respect, investigation of photophysical and photochemical processes in soft gel materials has recently emerged as a new and promising research field oriented towards expanding their applications in important areas such as photovoltaics, photocatalysis and phototherapy. Herein, we summarize the few examples dealing with intragel photo-induced physical and chemical processes involving embedded reactants that do not participate in the assembly of the gel network.


1. Kidney weight was analysed for Japanese and New Zealanders of European origin who had died sudden deaths. 2. Kidney weight was relatively greater in Japanese than in New Zealanders. 3. Kidney weight was closely related to body surface area and weight and less closely to height and body mass index. 4. As kidney function is related to kidney size and thus in turn to body size it is advisable to take account of body size in analyses of sodium intake and excretion in relation to blood pressure.


Open Culture Data started as a grassroot movement at the end of 2011, with the aim to open up data in the cultural sector and stimulate (creative) re-use. In this context, we organised a hackathon, which resulted in the creation of 13 Open Culture Data apps. After this successful first half year, a solid network of cultural heritage professionals, copyright and open data experts and developers was formed. In April 2012, an Open Culture Data masterclass started in which 17 institutions got practical, technical and legal advice on how to open data for re-use. Furthermore, we organised an app competition and three hackathons, in which developers were stimulated to re-use Open Cultural Datasets in new and innovative ways. These activities resulted in 27 more apps and 34 open datasets. In this paper we share lessons-learned that will inform heritage institutions with real-life quantitative and qualitative experiences, best practices and guidelines from their peers for opening up data and the ways in which this data is reused. Since the open culture data field is still relatively young, this is highly relevant information needed to stimulate others to join the open data movement. To this end, we are already taking steps to cross the borders and let Europe know about the initiative, on both a practical and a policy level.


Being established in 2004, Gunung Merbabu National Park (GMNP) is one among several new national parks in Indonesia.  Ecotourism activities in this area have not been properly developed by Perum Perhutani (as the past management authority) although the area is very potential to be developed as an ecotourism site for activities such as nature interpretation, apart from camping and hiking which are already carried out.  With the change of the area's status into a national park, the opportunity of ecotourism development is increased as the area is presently managed by a management authority named Gunung Merbabu National Park Office.  As a part of ecotourism, nature interpretation is very important in connecting visitors to natural resources, which is one of the urgent services of GMNP.  The objective of this research is to develop interpretation planning of various nature tracks in the park, based on the tracks' resources and users' demands. The Query Builder tool was employed in the selection of the user-oriented nature interpretation tracks.  The synthesis of tracks' resources and users' demand resulted in 8 tracks, e.g.  Selo–Puncak, Tekelan–Puncak, Selo II, Selo III, Tekelan IV, TWA–Krinjingan Waterfall, TWA–Watu Tadah Waterfal, and TWA–"Dufan".


The article analyzes the Supreme Court's decision in M.L.B. v. S.L.J., 519 U.S. 102 (1996), which held that where a state provides an appeal from a judgment terminating parental rights, it must, under the due process and equal protection clauses provide indigent appellants with a transcript if a transcript is necessary to review the decision. In doing so, it questions the framework used to analyze parental rights termination decisions. Specifically, it questions the sharp line drawn between cases concerning termination of parental rights (in which parents have certain constitutional protections) and cases concerning child custody (in which parents lack those constitutional protections), noting that for indigent parents, an unfavorable decision on child custody can operate as a decision terminating parental rights. It questions the application of the concept of 'risk of error' in parental rights termination jurisprudence because the parental unfitness standard itself, as the Supreme Court has recognized, is so vague. Requiring 'clear and convincing evidence' of parental unfitness, as the Supreme Court's earlier Santosky v. Kramer decision (455 U.S. 745 (1982)) requires, therefore does not add clarity. Moreover, given the vagueness of the standard and the breadth of the parens patriae power, the idea of an equal contest of opposed interests is puzzling and inconsistent. The article questions the Court's failure to find any significance in the fact that this was a stepparent adoption case rather than a narrow termination of parental rights case. Finally, the article addresses the problematic continuing invisibility of children in the Supreme Court's parental rights termination jurisprudence.


OBJECTIVE
To determine current practice patterns for screening for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) toxicity by Texas ophthalmologists.

METHODS
A survey was sent to all comprehensive ophthalmologists and retina specialists in the state of Texas. Questions included need for baseline examinations, frequency of followup, tests used to monitor for toxicity, and influences on monitoring regimen.

RESULTS
Two hundred ninety of 577 surveys were returned correctly completed (response rate = 50.3%). Two hundred fifty-seven respondents (88.6%) felt a baseline examination was necessary prior to beginning HCQ therapy, and 223 (76.9%) followed patients every 6 months during HCQ therapy. Visual acuity, slit lamp examination, and dilated fundus examination were performed on almost all patients, and about three-quarters of respondents also checked visual fields and color vision. While 183 ophthalmologists (63.1%) used the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates to check color vision, there was no consensus on the preferred visual field test. One hundred twenty-two respondents (42.1%) stated they had diagnosed a patient with HCQ ocular toxicity.

CONCLUSION
Most ophthalmologists in Texas continue to perform baseline examinations and follow HCQ patients semiannually for the development of ocular toxicity despite recent recommendations questioning the need for such close followup. The majority check visual acuity, perform slit lamp and dilated fundus examinations, and test color vision and visual fields, although there is no consensus on the preferred method to test visual fields.


Fewster develops the theory of lexical monosemy, in a systemic-functional linguistic framework, and disputes concensus readings of κτίσις as nature in Romans 8.


This paper describes a project for integrating a medical and diagnostic information system in a medical facility. At the moment, making effective and timely decisions in diagnosis and treatment is most important. Integration of systems has significantly improved the efficiency of decision-making by updating data. The unified information space allowed to increase the objectivity of diagnostics and increase the reliability of the information system. A critical factor in making a decision is the stage at which the disease is detected, as well as a description of what types of medical care are important for analysis. In addition, the need to synchronize on the basis of the detailed information for operational planning and routing of patients. Integration of solutions will increase the speed of passing examinations and the speed of making a final diagnosis. Thanks to the implemented solution, it became possible to increase the speed and improve the quality of services provided. The ability to synchronize activity planning based on effective diagnostics is essential.


Especially small and medium size enterprises need to have joint efforts to tackle the on-going changes in their business environment. Information and communication Technologies enable the increase of collaboration between enterprises. In this paper, the specific problem to be solved is the collaborative calculation of the Materials Requirement Plan (MRP). The MRP is solved through the design of a heuristic algorithm based on the Least Unit Cost (LUC) technique, and is validated in the automotive industry. In this paper the collaboration is enhanced through iterations when first and second tier companies in the supply chain of the automotive industry exchange information on their demand and production plans. The proposed algorithm is part of the optimisation module developed in the Cloud Collaborative Manufacturing Networks (C2NET) project. The data needed to solve are extracted from the existing legacy systems of the companies and mapped with the C2NET data structure. In future, C2NET will provide several algorithms to solve planning problems within manufacturing industries as well as other sectors.


Sustainable strategies such as green roofs have been implemented as stormwater management tools to mitigate disturbance of the hydrologic cycle resulting from urbanization. Green roofs, also referred to as vegetated roofs, can improve the urban landscape by reducing heat island effects, providing ecosystem services, and facilitating the retention and treatment of stormwater. Green roofs have received particular attention because they do not require acquisition and development of land and represent an application of biomimicry in design and construction. In this paper, we evaluate the effects of precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), antecedent dry period (ADP), and seasonal variation on the run‐off quantity and distribution of an extensive, sedum covered, green roof on a commercial building in Syracuse, NY, USA. The green roof greatly facilitated retention of precipitation events without significant changes over the 4‐year study. The green roof retained on average 95.9 ± 3.6% (6.5 ± 5.6 mm) per rainfall event, with a range from 75% to 99.6% (33.2 to 3.3 mm). However, as precipitation quantity increased, the retention of water decreased. This high water retention capacity was the result of the combined effects of ET, stormwater storage (plants, growth media, and stormwater retention layer), and limited surface run‐off from the roof deck due to variation in the sloping of the green roof and the tapered insulation to the deck drains. The water retention capacity of the green roof did not change significantly between growing and nongrowing seasons. Slightly greater precipitation during the growing season coincided with increased ET. Average potential ET during the growing season was approximately 3 times greater than during the nongrowing season. The hydrologic performance of the green roof was not significantly impacted by an ADP greater than 2 days.


Cancer exhibits adaptive features typical of complex systems, like resilience and robust- ness to environmental challenges through the emergent co-evolution of its components. These events promote carcinogenesis through dynamic interactions among numerous components and subsystems, including the immune system. During the past decade, our research group has provided substantial evidence that the peptide GK-1 has important immunomodulatory properties. In elderly mice, GK-1 acts as a potent adjuvant of the influenza vaccine through a mechanism that involves the activation of antigen-present - ing cells (APCs) and an increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemo kines (IFN-γ, TNFα, CCL2). To date, there is solid evidence supporting the antitumoral properties of GK-1 in murine cancer models. First, a lower occurrence and smaller size of spontaneous bronchiolar adenomas were found in elderly GK-1-treated mice compared to paired untreated mice. In two independent studies, GK-1 treatment reduced tumor growth and increased mouse survival in a murine model of melanoma and breast tumor. In the former model, a synergy between GK-1 and anti-PD-L1 treatment was observed, while in the latter, GK-1 alone controlled the metastatic burden. The effective activation of APCs induced by GK-1, restoring the antitumor-specific immunity, may underlie some of its antineoplastic effects.


Abstract. In many fields today, it is necessary that a team has to do operational planning for a precise geographical location. Examples for this are staff work, the preparation of surveillance tasks at major events or state visits and sensor deployment planning for military and civil reconnaissance. For these purposes, Fraunhofer IOSB is developing the Digital Map Table (DigLT). When making important decisions, it is often helpful or even necessary to assess a situation on site. An augmented reality (AR) solution could be useful for this assessment. For the visualization of markers at specific geographical coordinates in augmented reality, a smartphone has to be aware of its position relative to the world. It is using the sensor data of the camera and inertial measurement unit (IMU) for AR while determining its absolute location and direction with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and its magnetic compass. To validate the positional accuracy of AR markers, we investigated the current state of the art and existing solutions. A prototype application has been developed and connected to the DigLT. With this application, it is possible to place markers at geographical coordinates that will show up at the correct location in augmented reality at anyplace in the world. Additionally, a function was implemented that lets the user select a point from the environment in augmented reality, whose geographical coordinates are sent to the DigLT. The accuracy and practicality of the placement of markers were examined using geodetic reference points. As a result, we can conclude that it is possible to mark larger objects like a car or a house, but the accuracy mainly depends on the internal compass, which causes a rotational error that increases with the distance to the target.


Six storm events were monitored during the winter season extended from October 2012 to April 2013 to investigate the stormwater runoff pollutant concentrations on urban and rural sites in the Amman-Zarqa basin. The average pollutant concentrations of stormwater runoff were significantly different from the urban and rural site. The results showed that the urban site generated stormwater runoff with the highest concentrations of organic pollutants COD and BOD5 (1685 mg/L and 91 mg/L) and dissolved heavy metals Zn, Cu, Pb and Mn (0.106 mg/L, 0.033 mg/L, 0.02 mg/L and 0.189 mg/L respectively). This is mainly due to the high traffic volume at urban site compared with the rural site. While the rural site generated the highest concentrations of total suspended solids TSS (6029 mg/L), nutrients T-N and T-P (31.2 mg/L and 34.3 mg/L) and fecal bacteria TCC, TFCC and E.coli (4.06E+07, 8.00E+05 and 1.31E+05 MPN/100ml, respectively) carried by the stormwater runoff. This is reflecting the presence of anthropogenic pollution sources such as using chemical and nature fertilizers in a rural site. A key constituent of runoff quality (COD, TSS, TKN, T-P, Zn and Pb) from both urban and rural sites are considered very high compared to those reported in other countries. This study has provided a better understanding of the concentrations and sources of stormwater runoff pollutants generated from urban and rural site which is posing a serious threat to water bodies within the Amman-Zarqa basin. Therefore, best management practices and proper land management measures should be taken to minimize the impacts of stormwater runoff.