An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a graphical record of ongoing electrical activity produced by firing of neurons of the human brain due to internal and/or external stimuli. Feature extraction and classification of the EEG signals are used for diagnosis the epileptic seizure (i.e., physical changes in behaviour that occur due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain). Classification of Ictal (i.e., seizure period) and Interictal (i.e., interval between seizures) EEG signals is very important for the treatment and precaution of an epileptic patient. However, the classification accuracy of Ictal and Interictal EEG signals is not at satisfactory level due to their non-abruptness phenomenon using the existing seizure and non-seizure classification methods. Moreover, the features of Ictal and Interictal signals are not consistence in different locations for an epileptic period. In this paper we present new approaches for features extraction of Ictal and Interictal using various transformations such as discrete cosine transformation (DCT), DCT-discrete wavelet transformation, and singular value decomposition. The least square support vector machine is applied on the features for classifications. Results demonstrate that our proposed methods outperform the existing state-of-the-art method in terms of classification accuracy for the large benchmark dataset in different brain locations.


Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) are excited at the interface between a thin gold film and air via the illumination of nanoslits etched into the film. The coupling efficiency to the two propagation directions away from the slits is determined by leakage radiation microscopy, when the angle of incidence of the pump beam is changed from 0° to 20°. We find that preferential coupling of SPPs into one direction can be achieved for non-normal incidence in the case of single slits and slit pairs. The proportion of SPP excited into one direction can be in excess of 90%. We further provide a simple model of the process, and directly compare the performances of the two approaches.


Neuromorphic engineering takes inspiration from biology to design brain-like systems that are extremely low-power, fault-tolerant, and capable of adaptation to complex environments. The design of these artificial nervous systems involves both the development of neuromorphic hardware devices and the development neuromorphic simulation tools. In this paper, we describe a simulation environment that can be used to design, construct, and run spiking neural networks (SNNs) quickly and efficiently using graphics processing units (GPUs). We then explain how the design of the simulation environment utilizes the parallel processing power of GPUs to simulate large-scale SNNs and describe recent modeling experiments performed using the simulator. Finally, we present an automated parameter tuning framework that utilizes the simulation environment and evolutionary algorithms to tune SNNs. We believe the simulation environment and associated parameter tuning framework presented here can accelerate the development of neuromorphic software and hardware applications by making the design, construction, and tuning of SNNs an easier task.


The results from the RATIFY trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00651261; CALGB 10603) showed that midostaurin combined with standard chemotherapy significantly improved outcomes in patients with FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), compared with placebo. In this post hoc subgroup analysis from the trial, we evaluated the impact of midostaurin in 163 patients with FLT3-tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations. At a median follow-up of 60.7 months (95% CI, 55.0-70.8), the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was significantly higher in patients treated with midostaurin than in those treated with placebo (45.2% vs 30.1%; P = .044). A trend toward improved disease-free survival was also observed with midostaurin (67.3% vs 53.4%; P = .089), whereas overall survival (OS) was similar in the 2 groups. Patients with AML and NPM1mut/FLT3-TKDmut or core binding factor (CBF)-rearranged/FLT3-TKDmut genotypes had significantly prolonged OS with or without censoring at hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), compared with NPM1WT/CBF-negative AMLs. The multivariable model for OS and EFS adjusted for allogeneic HCT in first complete remission as a time-dependent covariable, revealed NPM1 mutations and CBF rearrangements as significant favorable factors. These data show that NPM1 mutations or CBF rearrangements identify favorable prognostic groups in patients with FLT3-TKD AMLs, independent of other factors, also in the context of midostaurin treatment.


The presence of an uptake mechanism for uracil in procyclic forms of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei brucei was investigated. Uptake of [3H]uracil at 22 degrees C was rapid and saturable and appeared to be mediated by a single high-affinity transporter, designated U1, with an apparent Km of 0.46 +/- 0.09 microM and a Vmax of 0.65 +/- 0.08 pmol x (10(7) cells)(-1) x s(-1). [3H]Uracil uptake was not inhibited by a broad range of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleobases (concentrations up to 1 mM), with the exception of uridine, which acted as an apparent weak inhibitor (Ki value of 48 +/- 15 microM). Similarly, most chemical analogues of uracil, such as 5-chlorouracil, 3-deazauracil, and 2-thiouracil, had little or no affinity for the U1 carrier. Only 5-fluorouracil was found to be a relatively potent inhibitor of uracil uptake (Ki = 3.2 +/- 0.4 microM). Transport of uracil was independent of extracellular sodium and potassium gradients, as replacement of NaCl in the assay buffer by N-methyl-D-glucamine, KCl, LiCl, CsCl, or RbCl did not affect initial rates of transport. However, the proton ionophore carbonyl cyanide chlorophenylhydrazone inhibited up to 70% of [3H]uracil flux. These data show that uracil uptake in T. b. brucei procyclics is mediated by a single high-affinity transporter with high substrate selectivity and are consistent with a nucleobase-H+-symporter model for this carrier.


How species arise is a fundamental question in biology. Species can be defined as populations of interbreeding individuals that are reproductively isolated from other such populations. Therefore, understanding how reproductive barriers evolve between populations is essential for understanding the process of speciation. Hybrid incompatibility (e.g. hybrid sterility and lethality) is a common and strong reproductive barrier in nature, but few studies have molecularly identified its genetic basis. Here we report a lethal incompatibility between two wild-isolates of the nematode Caenorhabditis nouraguensis. Hybrid inviability results from the incompatibility between a maternally inherited cytoplasmic factor from each strain and a recessive nuclear locus from the other. We have excluded the possibility that maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria cause the incompatibility by treating both strains with tetracycline and show that hybrid death is unaffected. Furthermore, cytoplasmic-nuclear incompatibility commonly occurs between other wild-isolates, indicating that this is a significant reproductive barrier within C. nouraguensis. We hypothesize that the maternally inherited cytoplasmic factor is the mitochondrial genome and that mitochondrial dysfunction underlies hybrid death. This system has the potential to shed light on the dynamics of divergent mitochondrial-nuclear coevolution and its role in promoting speciation.


CONTEXT: Systematic reviews of clinical trials need to assess the risk of attrition bias as part of its appraisal of the currently available evidence to a particular review question. PROBLEM: Notwithstanding the possible merits of different approaches to estimate the potential intervention outcomes of lost trial participants as the main reason for attrition bias, most remain arbitrary. SUGGESTED SOLUTION: Assuming a worst- and best-case scenario of intervention outcomes provides the certainty that neither lower nor higher values beyond these scenarios, respectively, are possible. Thus, worst- and best-case scenarios provide extreme outcome values that have the same probability to correspond with the true intervention outcome as any other possible scenario in between these extremes. Worst- and best-case scenarios can be calculated for dichotomous and continuous data, if the number of lost trial participants per intervention group is known. The results may then be compared to the intervention outcomes computed for participants available to follow-up and on this basis conclusions concerning attrition bias risk been drawn: i.e. risk of attrition bias may be assumed if the computed outcomes between worst- and best-case scenario and the intervention outcomes computed for participants available to follow-up differ significantly. Care needs to be taken not to accept the results of either worst- or best case-scenario as evidence for clinical considerations. They only provide evidence, if they differ significantly, for reasonable doubt concerning the validity of trial results in light of potential attrition bias risk.


Pairwise models are commonly used to describe many-species communities. In these models, a focal species receives additive fitness effects from pairwise interactions with other species in the community ("pairwise additivity assumption"), and all pairwise interactions are represented by a single canonical equation form ("universality assumption"). Here, we analyze the validity of pairwise modeling. We build mechanistic reference models for chemical-mediated interactions in microbial communities, and attempt to derive corresponding pairwise models. Even when one species affects another via a single chemical mediator, different forms of pairwise models are appropriate for consumable versus reusable mediators, with the wrong model producing qualitatively wrong predictions. For multi-mediator interactions, a canonical model becomes even less tenable. These results, combined with potential violation of the pairwise additivity assumption in communities of more than two species, suggest that although pairwise modeling can be useful, we should examine its validity before employing it.


Modeling of the ecological niche of vegetal species is useful for understanding the species-environment relationship, for prediction of responses to climate changes and for correct reforestation programs and establishment of plantation's recommendation. The objective of this work was to establish a model for the distribution of four tree species (Casearia sylvestris, Copaifera langsdorffii, Croton floribundus and Tapirira guianensis), widely used in reforestation projects in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between environmental characteristics and the occurrence of species and tested the performance of Random Forest and Artificial Neural Networks as modeling methods. These methods were evaluated by their overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Kappa, true skill statistic and the area under the receiver operating curve. The results showed the species Casearia sylvestris, Copaifera langsdorffii and Tapirira guianensis widely occurring in the state of Minas Gerais, including a broad range of environmental variables. Croton floribundus had restricted occurrence in the southern state, showing narrow environmental variation. The resulting algorithms demonstrated greater performance when modeling restricted geographic and environmental species, as well as species occurring with high prevalence in data. The algorithm Random Forest performed better for distribution modeling of all species, although the results varied for each metric and species. The maps generated had acceptable metrics and are supported by and ecological information obtained from other sources, constituting a useful tool to understand the ecology and biogeography of the target species.


Charge transport in pentacene thin films is investigated using terahertz electromodulation spectroscopy. Although the material is highly polycrystalline, a hole mobility of about 20 cm2/Vs is found, which exceeds the mobility obtained in DC measurements by orders of magnitude. The high AC mobility results from a motion of charge carriers, which is not hindered by grain boundaries. An upper limit of mh*≈0.8 me is deduced for the conductivity effective mass of holes in pentacene.


Background: Manual reduction or traditional steel plate fixation is commonly used for repair of proximal humerus factures in older patients, making these injuries prone to fracture malunion because of poor stability. While open reduction with steel plate fixation has a better outcome than closed reduction, the stability of internal fixation is still less than satisfactory. Therefore, we hypothesize that use of a locking compression plate will provide better stability and that biocompatibility will potentiate fracture healing and shoulder function recovery in older patients with proximal humerus fractures. This hypothesis is based on the fact that minimally invasive treatment with locking compression plates has presented good clinical results in terms of fixation stability, bone healing, and functional recovery. Methods/Design: This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial will be completed at the Department of Joint Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in China. Eighty-two older patients with proximal humerus fractures will be enrolled and equivalently assigned to two groups. In the test group, patients will undergo closed reduction via a lateral approach to the shoulder followed by locking compression plate fixation using a minimally invasive technique, and those in the control group will be subjected to closed reduction via a lateral approach to the shoulder followed by conventional steel plate fixation using a minimally invasive technique. All patients will be followed up for 6 months. The primary outcome will be recovery of shoulder function as indicated by clinical outcome scores according to the Neer classification system for proximal humeral fractures 6 months after surgery. The secondary outcomes will include the operation time; intraoperative blood loss; postoperative hospital stay; fracture healing time; clinical outcome scores according to the Neer classification system 0.5, 1, and 3 months after surgery; Visual Analogue Scale scores 1 and 3 days and 1 and 2 weeks after surgery to assess pain; scores of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery to assess quality of life; and X-ray examinations 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery to assess fracture healing. Discussion: This study protocol represents an attempt to objectively choose appropriate methods for internal fixation of proximal humerus fractures in older patients by comparing locking compression plate with conventional steel plate fixation to improve shoulder function. Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT02784522. Ethics: This study acquired written approval from the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in China (approval No. QHY1005D); this study will be performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, formulated by the World Medical Association. Informed consent: Written informed consent will be obtained prior to involvement in the clinical trial.


A proposed system lets users directly control simulated self-propelled characters. Users drag a mouse to guide the character, while a physics simulation determines the motion. On the basis of the user input, the system computes an actuator command that causes the character to follow the user's intention as closely as possible while respecting the underlying physics. This direct control can be more intuitive than methods such as controlling character joints to track a given joint trajectory or using keyframes, especially when physically plausible dynamic motions are desired. With the system, users have created realistic motions of various kinds of characters, including rigid characters, characters with deformable bodies and rigid skeletons, and self-locomoting characters whose bodies form closed loops. The Web extras are screen-captured demos of algorithms for creating dynamic motions on various kinds of characters, and the resulting character animations. You can also view the videos on YouTube here: Part 1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD891Qub8kU; Part 2, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tqUDijvzZc.


Empirical research on linguistic relativity faces three methodological challenges. First, it must identify and characterize a language contrast where the semantic structures of different languages produce distinct referential interpretations. Second, on the basis of those language patterns it must articulate specific cognitive entailments or predictions and then assess for evidence of their presence in cognitive activity. And third, it must establish the influence or shaping role of language on the cognitive patterns by using an array of strategic assessments that make competing accounts of the cognitive patterns unlikely. This chapter reviews these challenges, outlines strategies available to address them, and provides examples of each. The examples are all drawn from research on patterns of number marking.


La Scala, the Bolchoi, le Palais Garnier--opera houses are mythical places that evoke dreams and creativity. For centuries, these temples of the arts have been dedicated to the creative work of Mozart, Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Nureyev, and have been designed to allow brilliant performers to display their talents amidst sumptuous costumes and sets. Created by some of the most talented architects, builders and designers of their generations, opera houses have inspired veneration from audiences for centuries, from royalty and commoners alike. Moving from Sydney to Covent Garden, from Beijing to Saint Petersburg, from Oslo to Manaus, from le Petit Trianon to New York and San Francisco, photographer Guillaume de Laubier and journalist Antoine Pecqueur explore twenty-five of the world's most beautiful opera houses. They offer us a greater understanding of their architectural role, as well as their place in history. Whether baroque, romanesque, or minimalist, opera houses bear witness to the tides of history and to the ideals of those who built them. In addition to the sweeping views of ornate auditoriums and facades, the book opens doors normally closed to the public, entering the artists' dressing rooms, rehearsal halls, scenery workshops and more, presenting a wide-ranging and compelling look into the spectacular world of the opera.


Nigeria's grid electricity supply of 5.881 GW installed capacity in the period 1994–1997 has experienced a sharp decline over the past five years to about 3 GW by 2002, even as electricity demand has grown due to population pressures, industrialization, and urban migration. Indeed the present situation is a near total collapse of the state power utility services, as total prolonged blackouts have been commonplace throughout the country in the past couple of years, and the situation may grow much worse unless significant shift in energy policy and investment takes place urgently. Diversification of energy sources to reduce the overt increasing dependence on fossil fuel generation and a shift towards renewable energy generation, particularly solar photovoltaic electricity, is a highly desirable policy shift. Among the gains would be reduced carbon emission into the environment and reduced transmission and distribution losses due to the possibility of decentralized generation and localized use of solar photovoltaic electricity. This paper examines the use of decentralized and gridconnected solar PV in building cladding as a pragmatic solution to the current power problems of Nigeria. The results of an ongoing investigation of the potential generating capacity of stand-alone and grid-connected solar PV cladding on residential and commercial buildings in Nigeria. An economic analysis of the proposed system is also considered as well as suggestions on financing. The cost of electricity from the proposed solar PV-clad buildings, calculated using an assumed 8% discount rate and a 25-year life expectancy was found to be significantly higher, in the double digits, than the present national tariff. Thus, novel financing schemes required are examined in the paper.© 2003 ASME


Natural disaster risks have increased in the last decades with hurricanes causing billions of dollars in material damages and untold human suffering and death. To reduce natural disaster impact, public relations scholars and practitioners have called for increased pre-crisis preparation. Families with children are one group severely impacted by natural disaster crisis. With only approximately one-third of families in the United States having taken disaster preparedness steps, practitioners and researchers seek new understanding and approaches to increasing family disaster preparedness. However, the research on organizational and societal preparedness remains scarce. Furthermore, public relations scholarship has neglected to target families with children as essential stakeholders for natural disaster preparedness. This study was designed to bridge both gaps in current public relations scholarship. This grounded theory study explored families' natural disaster sense-making and natural disaster preparedness levels. Twenty families participated. In each family one parent and at least one child, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years, were interviewed separately. While the 48 in-depth interviews provided the main source of data, field notes and an activation technique during the child interview enriched the data-collection process. The interview transcripts, field notes, and activation technique were analyzed inductively. During the analysis process the categories of family context, natural disaster sense-making, and natural disaster preparedness emerged. These categories connected to the core category of hurricane preparedness. The categories connected and formed a pattern, which led to the creation of the hurricane preparedness model. This model is an adaptation and extension of the extended parallel processing model (EPPM) (Witte, 1992). The analysis revealed that the family context vii influenced natural disaster sense-making and, in turn, both the family context and interpretations of natural disasters impacted the levels of preparedness a family had. Hurricane preparedness was revealed as a two-step process. All families had a basic level of preparedness at all times that increased for an acute hurricane threat. These and other findings were integrated with current literature on the EPPM, preparedness, and families with children as stakeholders.


This article aims to identify the current discussion on green growth, and focuses on the role of public finance in promoting a transition towards green growth. Terms such as "green economy" and "green growth" have become popular in international policy discourse as ways of describing recent efforts to improve the environmental performance of the economy. In this article, the definitions offered by several international institutions are compared and some commonalities are identified. The rationale behind green growth can be explained within the framework of the growth theory. Investment is indispensable to the practical promotion of green growth activities. Using Vietnam as a case study, we identify the critical factors for encouraging and enabling green investment. However, further theoretical background should be developed. In particular, pricing on environmental goods and services is a critical challenge for both the theoretical and the practical development of green growth. Further theoretical and practical study on green growth may improve the discussion on the growth theory as well as the development of policies that promote investment in green growth. To deepen the discussion, further case studies need to be collected and analyzed.


Located at the crossroads of scientific and legal logic, the issue of how to establish causal connection is a perennial question in medical liability law. The authors use French law and certain examples of Canadian law to shed light on a number of fundamental issues related to causation. In particular, the effects of a physician's duty to inform and the theories of "equivalence of conditions" and "adequate causation" point to the emergence of a compensation philosophy that plays out outside the usual methods of proof. Causation bears the imprint of the tension between two objectives: compensating victims and repairing an actual, proven harm, which is all the more difficult to prove in instances of harm that are challenging to evaluate. Moreover, the flexibility associated with proof of causation seems to favour the acceptance, in medical liability law, of new counts of harm, which would otherwise rely on a simple odds ratio (loss of opportunity) in the best-case scenario, or on unverifiable assumptions in all other cases (lack of preparation).


The spin-gap evolution upon Ca doping in Sr14-xCaxCu24O41 was systematically investigated using inelastic neutron scattering. We discover that the singlet-triplet spin-gap excitation survives in this series with x up to 13, indicating the singlet dimer ground state in these compounds. This observation corrects the previous speculation that the spin gap collapses at x similar to 13 by the NMR technique. The strong intensity modulation along Q(H) in x = 0 gradually evolves into a Q-independent feature in x > 11. This could be attributed to the localized Cu moment magnetism developing into an itinerant magnetism with increasing x. It is a surprise that the spin gap persists in the normal state of this spin-ladder system with metallic behavior, which evidences the possibility of magnetically mediated carrier pairing mechanism in a two-leg spin-ladder lattice.


A case of a patient now aged 75 years is reported on whom a triangular local resection of a gastric ulcer was performed in 1923, a total hysterectomy for carcinoma corporis was performed in 1933, and in 1940 a sleeve type of partial gastrectomy was performed for a recurrent, nonmalignant, perpetrating, callous gastric ulcer. Comment is made on the patient's very helpful religious faith and bearing before and after her grave ordeals.


This paper attempts to evaluate the information content of money for the forecast of inflation, output, investment and consumption in the euro zone. It considers M1 and M3; a number of modifications to these aggregates is also proposed to enhance their forecast performance. The evaluation employs Granger-causality tests, stability tests and historical out-of-sample forecasts. On balance the information content of money appears to be rather limited. An improvement of the forecast is confined to the real variables and to the second half of the nineties. For the first half of the nineties the forecast performance of money is generally poor.


During the 90's, Serbia went through a difficult political and economic changes, which caused a radical decrease in the number of tourists, especially foreigners, as well as a negative perception of Serbia on the global tourist market. After 2000, with political and economic stabilization, Serbia enhanced opportunities for targeting tourists from European tourism market. Despite of its efforts, Serbia has been unable to consistently achieve its goals, which is reflected in the low income from tourism and a small share on the international tourism market. One of the consequences of this scenario might be attributed to Serbia's unfavorable image in the mind of world travelers. This study was conducted with the purpose of analyzing the relationship between destination image of Serbia, overall satisfaction of foreign visitors and their destination loyalty. The survey examines the image held by tourists who visited Serbia during 2007. The data is analyzed qualitatively. The research is applied to event, urban and cruising tourism, as the most attractive forms of tourist movements for foreign visitors.


1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 3Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, Belém, Brazil. The functioning of Amazonian rain forest ecosystems during drought has become a scientific focal point because of associated risks to forest integrity and climate. We review current understanding of drought impacts on Amazon rain forests by summarising the results from two throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiments in old-growth rain forests at Caxiuanã and Tapajós National Forest Reserves, and an irrigation experiment in secondary forest, near Castanhal, Brazil. Soil physical properties strongly influenced drought impacts at each site. Over years 1 to 3 of soil moisture reduction, leaf area index declined by 20–30% at the TFE sites. Leaf physiology and tree mortality results suggested some species-based differences in drought resistance. Mortality was initially resistant to drought but increased after 3 years at Tapajós to 9%, followed by a decline. Transpiration and gross primary production were reduced under TFE at Caxiuanã by 30–40% and 12– 13%, respectively, and the maximum fire risk at Tapajós increased from 0.27 to 0.47. Drought reduced soil CO2 emissions by more than 20% at Caxiuanã and Castanhal but not at Tapajós, where N2O and CH4 emissions declined. Overall, the results indicate short-term resistance to drought with reduced productivity, but that increased mortality is likely under substantial, multiyear, reductions in rainfall. These data sets from field-scale experimental manipulations uniquely complement existing observations from Amazonia and will become increasingly powerful if the experiments are extended. Estimating the long-term (decadal-scale) impacts of continued drought on Amazonian forests will also require integrated models to couple changes in vegetation, climate, land management, and fire risk.


An important issue in WTO trade negotiations is whether further liberalization of trade and agricultural policies may help or hinder food security in WTO member countries, especially the developing countries. The WTO recognizes various classifications of countries: developed, developing, least developed (LDC) and net food importing developing (NFIDC). How well do these categories capture issues of food security? This paper employs various methods of cluster analysis (including an approach based on fuzzy sets) and data for 167 countries to identify groups of countries categorized according to five measures of food security: food production per capita, the ratio of total exports to food imports, calories per capita, protein per capita, and the share of the nonagricultural population share. The analysis identifies 12 distinct clusters characterized by similarities and differences across the various measures. The analysis suggests that the LDC category consists of largely food insecure countries, but that there also are food insecure countries that are not LDCs. NFIDCs is less precise as an indicator of food vulnerability, with more than a third of those countries not falling under any of the food insecure groups. Also, the general category of "developing countries" is very heterogeneous and is not very useful if the focus is on issues of food security. Finally, our typology shows that all developed countries are included in food secure categories. This result suggests that the notion of food security introduced as part of the "multifunctionality" of agriculture, or, more generally, among non-trade concerns has a very different meaning in developed and developing countries. In terms of policy implications and the agricultural negotiations, maintaining the same label for two altogether different situations may only obscure the issues being negotiated.


Introduction: Physical activity causes changes in hematological parameters in athletes which finally result in cessation off their exercises, an issue that should be given attention. There is limited data avaliable about the effects of protein supplements, containing amino acids and other useful substances, on hematological parameters of resistance to exercise in athletes. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of whey protein supplementation, after resistance to exercise in healthy athletes. Material and Methods: In this clinical trial, changes of hematological parameters were studied after one month exercise training and whey protein supplementation in 32 healthy volunteers (16 treated cases 16 controls placeboes). Each day, whey protein supplement( 6.6 g/day) and placebo(same dose, starch) were consumed between meals, by with the volunteers. Every one exercised with 80% 1RM, basically on stationary circuit principal, for one hour a day, five days a week. Before and after beginning of study, fasting blood specimens were taken and WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, PLT and percent of white blood cells were measured separately. Statistical analyses were carried out using Student t- test and paired t-test (SPSS version 15). Results: Levels of WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, PLT, MCHC in two groups significantly (P<0.05) decreased, but there was no difference between two groups. MCV increased in the groups, but again there was no difference between them. MCH and percent of lymphocytes were unchanged in both groups. In the supplement group, the percentages of the neutrophils and other white blood cells showed no significant changes, but in the placebo group, there were significantly increased and decreased, respectively. However there was no significant difference between the two groups in the percentage of white blood cells, separately. Conclusion: The present study showed that one month of Whey protein supplementation with 6.6 g/day is ineffective on hematological parameters changes after resistance to exercise. Further studies, with different dosages and longer periods of time are recommended.


Inanda Dam situated near Durban in the Mngeni River, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal was completed in the late 1980s. As a typical large dam of the modem era, one major impact of the dam was the displacement and resettlement of over 1300 rural households living under communal ("tribal") tenure. Households were relocated to different places some kilometres away from their original places. These new relocation areas, where different tenure and other arrangements prevailed, then became their permanent residential location. This study was initiated to investigate two key issues. It sought to understand how the relocation altered the quality of life of removed families. It also sought to explore adaptation strategies adopted by the settlers and constraints to effective adaptation. Primary data were collected by means of in-depth interviews and direct observation of certain indicators of quality of life in the study area, over a period of five months. Fourteen households participated in the study. Simple quantitative methods were used to supplement the overall qualitative research design. Because of the small sample that was used, the study is perhaps not widely generalizable. However the study does provide insights into the long-term impacts of this inadequately mitigated displacement. It is also a case study of the nature of long-term environmental injustice and disruption associated with the construction of large dams. This is an injustice made worse by thepolitical system of apartheid prevailing when the darn was planned and built. ~ The general findings are that the darn did impact negatively on the quality of life of the displaced families. Thirteen years after compulsory relocation, the quality of life of several families has deteriorated instead of slowly improving. While the process of adaptation for some families has been easy, other families are still battling to reconstruct their livelihoods and quality of life. Where benefits of access to services such as potable piped water and electricity are enjoyed, these benefits are overshadowed by inability to pay and lack of access to other goods such as proper housing and adequate land. Loss of access to common property resources has meant a shift towards more money-based livelihood generation strategies. Constraints to adaptation are both internal and external. Low levels of socioeconomic status, poor access to environmental resources and the unfavourable political conditions in the relocation areas are some of the major constraints to effective adaptation. While the individual and group coping strategies employed have assisted families in the


The Greek- Turkish Forum and the Greek- Turkish Journalists' Conference are both track- two initiatives which work on the Greek- Turkish relations. The former was established in 1998 and the latter in 2000. These two initiatives have been working with the goal of influencing and improving the relations between the two states, each one focusing on different aspects of the problem. The Greek- Turkish Forum includes quasiofficial participants and mainly has an advisory role to the politicians and the policy makers. On the other hand, the Greek- Turkish Journalists' Conference is a process which includes Turkish and Greek journalists and its efforts are primarily focused on creating a positive attitude in the media and thus have an impact on public opinion. Primarily, the thesis examines the cognitive and relational outcomes of the two initiatives separately, while it also discusses the transfer strategies that were used by the two initiatives are discussed. Finally, a short comparison of the two initiatives illustrates the main differences and the commonalities between the two. Data was compiled from a series of interviews held with most of the participants and a participant's observation was made in the case of the Greek- Turkish Forum. The results of the research suggest that for both of the initiatives there were positive cognitive and relational outcomes. With regard to transfer strategies, the data indicate that the Greek- Turkish Forum targets mainly on upward transfer while the Journalists' Conference focuses more on downward transfer, meaning mainly the journalists who participate in the Conference' s processes, but public opinion as well.


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present the structure of a model emphasizing the role of formal and informal institutions in implementing the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/Methodology/Approach: In the article the following research methods were applied: method of literature critical analysis allowing to assess the knowledge on the impact of institutions on the effects of CSR concept implementation, methods of analysis and synthesis allowing to present in a comprehensive and multifaceted manner the research issue and identification of factors which determine developing the socially responsible business model and modelling methods implementing the idea of CSR. Findings: The social and economic reality proves that in the modern, very complex and global world, institutions are becoming increasingly important. Therefore, the concept of CSR should include the institutional environment because the quality of institutions, both formal and informal, influences the quality of binding standards and social values.The quality of institution is also affecting the social culture, development of social awareness and sensitivity e.g., regarding natural environment issues and civil society, living conditions and level of education; therefore, factors which are particularly emphasised in the idea of CSR. Practical Implications: The conducted analysis revealed that reference literature presented only marginally the role of formal and informal institutions in developing the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In order to close this gap, the article presents the model of CSR emphasizing the importance of institutions and their role in implementing the concept of CSR. The proposed model may contribute to achieving better results within the implementation of CSR in practice, in the area of economic rationality, natural environment as well as social and economic, moral, ethical, traditional and cultural life. Originality/Value: The proposed model is a progressive model presenting in an optimal manner the concept of CSR from the perspective of formal and informal institutions. The model of CSR concept taking into account the institutions may become ground for further in-depth research into this concept and constitute the imperative in rationalizing the concept of CSR in practice.


Short-term uptake of 137Cs by heather (Calluna vulgaris L.) was measured using radiolabelled liquid media and plants grown from shoot cuttings. Uptake by mycorrhizal plants was compared with uptake by non-mycorrhizal plants, and the effects of different external Cs and K concentrations were determined.

At each time point during the 3 h experimental period the content (and hence also the apparent influx) of the mycorrhizal plants in each treatment was found to be lower than that of the non-mycorrhizal plants.

An increase of 100-fold in the total external Cs concentration (from 5 to 500μM) gave between a 35-fold and 96-fold increase in initial influx of Cs. A similar change in external K concentration, however, had little effect on Cs influx. Root-shoot transfer of Cs over the 3 h uptake period was slight; in most cases more than 90% of the radiocaesium remained in the root. The final shoot:root Cs ratio was higher in mycorrhizal than in non-mycorrhizal plants, suggesting that in mycorrhizal plants, despite their lower overall accumulation during the first 3 h, a higher proportion of the Cs taken up is translocated to the shoot.


There are three branches to this thesis: chromospheric resonator, forward modelling, and magnetic reconnection at different atmospheric heights.

The first branch investigates the behaviour of resonant waves in the chromosphere above sunspot umbrae. The steep temperature gradients at the solar photosphere and transition region allow waves to be partially transmitted and partially reflected creating the boundaries of a resonating cavity. These resonant waves can be used to explain the existence of three-minute oscillations frequently observed above sunspot umbrae. 1D numerical simulations have been performed of wave propagation along a magnetic field line perpendicular to the umbra to analyse the behaviour of this resonating cavity driven by continuous random noise. It was found that the gradient of the velocity spectra present in the corona is directly correlated with the size of the chromospheric cavity. This provides a potentially useful diagnostic for indirectly measuring chromospheric cavity size.

The second branch uses line-of-sight integration to compare simulation data with observations. LOS integration has been performed on two cases: 1D resonances above sunspot umbrae, and a 3D simulation of a coronal kink instability. The LOS integration of resonant waves is an extension to the first branch of this thesis. The intensity was calculated using several coronal lines. It was found that the broadband of excited frequencies is correlated with chromospheric cavity size, providing a potentially useful diagnostic for chromospheric cavity size. For the kink-unstable loop, several Hinode/EIS lines were used to investigate the observational intensity and Doppler velocities. It was found that the intensity maps overestimate the loop width due to temporal and spatial degradation. Synthetic intensity maps were also generated using spectral lines from the DKIST/DL-NIRSP instrument.

The final branch consists of a numerical investigation into the onset of 2D magnetic reconnection in the solar photosphere, chromosphere and corona. The initial state is an equilibrium Harris current sheet. A reconnection event is triggered by applying a velocity driver perpendicular to the magnetic field. This external velocity driver allows us to study the early behaviour of reconnection in a naturalistic manner. The heating manifests differently across the different atmospheric layers. The photospheric heating is guided by the slow-mode shocks. The chromospheric heating is confined to the reconnection region. The ambipolar diffusion in the chromospheric case alters the distribution of the current on the inflow region in line with theoretical models.


Abstract Near-atomic resolution TEM imaging has been successfully applied to determine the stacking defect structures in kaolin minerals, especially kaolinite. The specimen studied is from the middle stage of the depth-related kaolinite-to-dickite transformation in a sandstone reservoir. Several high-quality images were recorded on films in which the tetrahedral and octahedral positions in the kaolinite unit layers are clearly resolved, despite the obstacle of electron radiation damage. Electron diffraction and high-resolution imaging of dickite showed that few stacking defects exist in this polytype. On the other hand, kaolinite crystals contain a high density of stacking defects. These defects or stacking disorders are formed by a mixture of two kinds of lateral interlayer shifts, t1 (approximately −a/3) and t2(-a/3 + b/3), between adjacent layers. Disorder due to the coexistence of B and C layers (dickite-like stacking sequence) was never observed. These results provide not only an unambiguous settlement for the long -standing controversy of the defect structures in kaolinite, but also a new clue to understanding the kaolinite-to-dickite transformation mechanism.


The cloud computing paradigm is attracting an increased number of complex applications to run in remote data centers. Many complex applications require parallel processing capabilities. Parallel applications of certain nature often show a decreasing utilization of CPU resources as parallelism grows, mainly because of the communication and synchronization among parallel processes. It is challenging but important for a data center to achieve a certain level of utilization of its nodes while maintaining the level of responsiveness of parallel jobs. Existing parallel scheduling mechanisms normally take responsiveness as the top priority and need nontrivial effort to make them work for data centers in the cloud era. In this paper, we propose a priority-based method to consolidate parallel workloads in the cloud. We leverage virtualization technologies to partition the computing capacity of each node into two tiers, the foreground virtual machine (VM) tier (with high CPU priority) and the background VM tier (with low CPU priority). We provide scheduling algorithms for parallel jobs to make efficient use of the two tier VMs to improve the responsiveness of these jobs. Our extensive experiments show that our parallel scheduling algorithm significantly outperforms commonly used algorithms such as extensible argonne scheduling system in a data center setting. The method is practical and effective for consolidating parallel workload in data centers.


For three years, Caleb Cain Marcus has been photographing what Robert Frank calls, in his haiku-esque preface to this volume, "the light of night." The black-and-white photographs collected in "The Silent Aftermath of Space" explore the silent and haunting experience of walking alone after dark on the streets of New York City. Caleb Cain Marcus savors the strange solitude that follows the familiar crowded confinement of the city's daylight life; amid vacated construction sites, empty pews in churches, parking lots and subway tunnels, an eerily placid beauty resounds, consuming spaces that were once filled with bustle and chaos. As each shot marks the passing of another night, the collection accumulates a quiet, consistent resonance. Cain Marcus' work urges the viewer to slow down, to look at and breathe in the mute magic of night-time New York. "The Silent Aftermath of Space "is presented in spectacular large format, allowing viewers to submerge themselves in its mood. Exposed from direct light sources, these images are grainy and enigmatic nocturnal gems.


This study models the human process of music cognition on the digital computer. The definition of music cognition is derived from the work in music cognition done by the researchers Carol Krumhansl and Edward Kessler, and by Mari Jones, as well as from the music theories of Heinrich Schenker.
The computer implementation functions in three stages. First, it translates a musical "performance" in the form of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) messages into LISP structures.
Second, the various parameters of the performance are examined separately a la Jones's joint accent structure, quantified according to psychological findings, and adjusted to a common scale. The findings of Krumhansl and Kessler are used to evaluate the consonance of each note with respect to the key of the piece and with respect to the immediately sounding harmony.
This process yields a multidimensional set of points, each of which is a cognitive evaluation of a single musical event within the context of the piece of music within which it occurred. This set of points forms a metric space in multi-dimensional Euclidean space. The third phase of the analysis maps the set of points into a topology-preserving data structure for a Schenkerian-like middleground structural analysis.
This process yields a hierarchical stratification of all the musical events (notes) in a piece of music. It has been applied to several pieces of music with surprising results. In each case, the analysis obtained very closely resembles a structural analysis which would be supplied by a human theorist.
The results obtained invite us to take another look at the representation of knowledge and perception from another perspective, that of a set of points in a topological space, and to ask if such a representation might not be useful in other domains. It also leads us to ask if such a representation might not be useful in combination with the more traditional rule-based representations by helping to eliminate unwanted levels of detail in a cognitive-perceptual system.


This volume provides a comprehensive introduction to mHealth technology and is accessible to technology-oriented researchers and practitioners with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, statistics, and applied mathematics. The contributing authors include leading researchers and practitioners in the mHealth field. The book offers an in-depth exploration of the three key elements of mHealth technology: the development of on-body sensors that can identify key health-related behaviors (sensors to markers), the use of analytic methods to predict current and future states of health and disease (markers to predictors), and the development of mobile interventions which can improve health outcomes (predictors to interventions). Chapters are organized into sections, with the first section devoted to mHealth applications, followed by three sections devoted to the above three key technology areas. Each chapter can be read independently, but the organization of the entire book provides a logical flow from the design of on-body sensing technology, through the analysis of time-varying sensor data, to interactions with a user which create opportunities to improve health outcomes. This volume is a valuable resource to spur the development of this growing field, and ideally suited for use as a textbook in an mHealth course.


Abstract An interactive program, dotplot, has been developed for browsing millions of lines of text and source code, using an approach borrowed from biology for studying homology (self-similarity) in DNA sequences. With conventional browsing tools such as a screen editor, it is difficult to identify structures that are too big to fit on the screen. In contrast, with dotplots we find that many of these structures show up as diagonals, squares, textures, and other visually recognizable features, as will be illustrated in examples selected from biology and two new application domains, text (AP news, Canadian Hansards) and source code (5ESS®). In an attempt to isolate the mechanisms that produce these features, we have synthesized similar features in dotplots of artificial sequences. We also introduce an approximation that makes the calculation of dotplots practical for use in an interactive browser.


AutoBash is a set of interactive tools that helps users and system administrators manage configurations. AutoBash leverages causal tracking support implemented within our modified Linux kernel to understand the inputs (causal dependencies) and outputs (causal effects) of configuration actions. It uses OS-level speculative execution to try possible actions, examine their effects, and roll them back when necessary. AutoBash automates many of the tedious parts of trying to fix a misconfiguration, including searching through possible solutions, testing whether a particular solution fixes a problem, and undoing changes to persistent and transient state when a solution fails. Our results show that AutoBash correctly identifies the solution to several CVS, gcc cross-compiler, and Apache configuration errors. We also show that causal analysis reduces AutoBash's search time by an average of 35% and solution verification time by an average of 70%.


We discuss Hungarian sentences in which a (possessor or non-possessor) dependent of a noun head takes either noun-phrase-internal or external scope. We also investigate cases in which (i) the dependent in question is extracted from its matrix nominal expression (at least virtually) and (ii) several scope taking dependents can be found within a nominal expression. Particular attention is paid to scope taking dependents of (complex-event denoting) deverbal nominal constructions. In order to capture the phenomenon of internal-scope taking within nominal expressions, we propose a general syntactic representation in which the essentially morphology-based accounts are integrated with cartographic Split-DP / clausal-DP approaches (e.g. Giusti 1996, Grohmann 2003) via inserting operator layers in the new noun phrase structure. Certain language-specific intricacies are attributed to a post-Transfer process in PF in Sigurðsson's (2009) spirit, and certain extraction phenomena are accounted for by means of remnant movement.


This dissertation deals with the characterization, modeling, and monitoring of drilling process of composite materials through various experimental and analytical investigations.
Analytical models were developed which predicts critical thrust force and feed rate above which the delamination crack begins to propagate in the drilling of multi-directional laminated composites. The delamination zone was modeled as a circular plate, with clamped edge and subjected to different load profiles. Based on fracture mechanics, classical laminate theory and orthogonal cutting mechanics, expressions were obtained for critical thrusts and feed rates at different ply locations. The proposed models have been verified by experiments and compared with the existing models. It was found that the new developed models provide more accurate and rigorous results than the formers.
Quality of holes and drilling-induced damage when drilling fiber reinforced composite laminates were experimentally studied. Several quality responses were measured as indices of drilling performance, including thrust force, delamination size, residual compression strength, and flexural strength. Effects of key drilling parameters on these responses were statistically analyzed, and optimal drilling conditions for high performance and free-damage drilling were identified. Experimental results revealed that the choice of drilling conditions are critical to hole performance especially when these materials are subjected to structural loads.
An experimental study of acoustic emission as a tool for in-process monitoring and nondestructive evaluation of drilling of composites was conducted. Acoustic emission was used to examine the relationship between signal response and drilling induced damages. A procedure for discrimination and identification of different damage mechanisms was presented utilizing different signal analysis tools. Based on the results, frequency distribution and energy percentage of most important damage mechanisms occurring during drilling were determined. It was concluded that acoustic emission has a great potential for the application of online monitoring and damage characterization in the drilling of composite structures.


In Anthurium, the consistency of partial shading is of crucial importance in relation to the elongation of petiole length, but the anatomical basis for these responses is a question. In this study, we investigated the effects of partial shade on the anatomical aspect of elongation changes in petioles by determining the changes in cell size, cell number, and total cell area. From a histological perspective, three developmental processes, cell size, cell numbers, and total cell area, are responsible for the length of a given petiole. The experiment was conducted by utilizing three shading treatments, i.e., full sunlight, 40% reduced light, and 60% reduced light. Morphological traits (plant height and petiole length), histological traits (cell size, cell number, and total cell area), characterizing the petioles, as well as the physiological traits (SPAD value and leaf area) characteristics were measured. We found that plant height, leaf area, and SPAD value increased linearly with increasing partial shade. In this context, cell size, cell number, and total cell area also increased with increased petiole elongation.


ABSTRACT Background: Communication partner training (CPT) is an umbrella term for a complex behavioural intervention for communications partners (CPs) of people with aphasia (PWA) and possibly PWA themselves, with many interacting components, deployed in flexible ways. Recent systematic reviews (Simmons-Mackie, Raymer, Armstrong, Holland, & Cherney, 2010; Simmons-Mackie, Raymer, & Cherney, 2016) have highlighted the effectiveness of CPT in addressing the skills of conversation partners and the communicative participation of people with aphasia but have suggested that CPT has been variably delivered, with no clear picture of what the essential elements of CPT are and how CPT is expected to achieve its results through hypothesised mechanisms of change (Coster, 2013). Aim: This paper aims broadly to consider specification of CPT and describes how CPT has been conducted overall and in relation to treatment recipients. Recommendations for CPT and areas for future research are considered. Methods & Procedures: A critical review and narrative synthesis was carried out through: (i) the systematic application of the 12-item TIDieR checklist (Hoffmann et al., 2014) to the 56 studies appraised in the Simmons-Mackie et al. (2010, 2016)) reviews, providing a quantitative overview of the completeness of CPT intervention reporting; and (ii) a qualitative synthesis of the reviewed CPT literature according to TIDieR items. Outcomes & Results: Half of the TIDieR checklist items were reported by 71% or more of the studies, and the rest of the items were reported by 0–63% of studies. TIDieR items relating to the treatment (goal, rationale or theory of essential elements, materials and procedures) and provision (provider, mode, timing, dose) were more frequently reported; however, the level of detail provided was often inadequate or incomplete. The interventions were insufficiently specified to enable replication for most of the studies considered. The most infrequently reported items were: name, location, intervention tailoring and modification, and planned and actual intervention adherence/fidelity. Conclusion: For a better understanding of an intervention, it is necessary to identify and describe potentially central elements and perhaps especially in complex interventions as CPT, where it is likely also more difficult. Whilst the reviewed CPT studies are on average reporting on slightly more than half of the TIDieR items, they are overall insufficiently detailed. Some items appear easier to report on, whereas other items have not been attended to, are too complex in nature to give a full report on, or simply have not been relevant for the individual study to include


:  The effects of diet (fish bycatch or a mixed diet of 75% brown mussel flesh and 25% cooked cracked corn) and harvesting regimen (bimonthly selective harvesting, or single terminal harvesting) on growth, survival and production of mud crab Scylla olivacea (Herbst) in brackish water ponds were determined in a replicated factorial experiment. The crabs were stocked at 0.6 individuals per m2 for 118 days. There was no significant interaction (P > 0.05) between the diet and harvesting regimen treatments. Regardless of diet, the survival rate and net production of mud crabs were significantly higher (P < 0.05) when crabs were subjected to bimonthly selective harvesting than at single terminal harvest. Comparative cost–return analysis showed that bimonthly selective harvesting and mixed diet treatments attained higher net return and return on investment, and lower cost of production than the other treatments. Partial budgeting analysis showed that bigger profits can be earned by using a bimonthly selective harvesting and a mixed diet of 75% fresh or fresh-frozen brown mussel flesh and 25% cooked cracked corn.


Effect of substrate conditions, including material type, thickness and radius of substrate, on residual thermal stresses of plasma spraying Sm2Zr2O7 TBCs was analyzed though finite element method in this paper. The radial and shear stresses of Sm2Zr2O7 decrease with increasing of distance from the center to edge along radius of specimen, and they decrease abruptly at the edge of the specimen, while the axial residal stress increase abruptly at the edge of substrate. All residual stresses increase with increasing of thermal expansion coefficient of substrate. The thickness of substrate has slight effect on the radial residual stress, and axial residual stress and shear stress are almost uneffected by thickness of substrate. The optimum thickness of substrate is 10mm. Radius of substrate have no effect on radial stress when it is greater than 28mm, and radius of substrate has no effect on axial stress and shear stress of Sm2Zr2O7 TBCs.


The study examined alcohol consumption and its effects on economic and social livelihood of selected rural communities of Enugu State. One hundred and twenty randomly selected alcohol consuming heads of households and sixty four purposively selected non-alcohol consuming heads of household were used. Data were collected using structured interview schedule and analysed using percentage. Alcoholic beverages available were palm wine (100%), beer (100%), local gin (100%), spirit (89.2%), and burukutu (41.7%). Respondents indicated preference for palm wine (50.0%). Choice of alcoholic beverage was a function of several factors namely availability, ability to produce the alcohol, cost and others. Effects of alcohol consumption were evident by less commitment to livelihood activities, household's welfare, incidents of violence and others. The study recommends that policies should be enacted to regulate proliferation and operation of alcohol enterprises in the rural areas. More importantly is the regulation of the type of alcohol marketed in the communities. Also government should promote programmes that target improved livelihood strategies and empowerment of rural people to enhance diversification of the rural economy


The Bureau of Labor Statistics Covered Employment and Wages Program is developing a web-based collection program to address the data collection needs of its Annual Refiling Survey (ARS) and Multiple Worksite Report (MWR). The purpose of the ARS is to review and update the classification codes assigned to the 8 million worksites on this database. Approximately 1/3 of these worksites are reviewed each year. The purpose of the MWR is to disaggregate the employment and wages collected from tax reports (statewide) to the worksite level to meet the industrial and geographical needs of the program. Approximately 120,000 legal entities provide these data for 1.2 million worksites each quarter. This paper focuses on the different approaches that will be used to design and implement these web based collection systems. Differences in the collection periodicity, employer contacts, survey content, employer size (number of worksites), solicitation procedures, testing environment, and other relevant issues will be used to determine the best approach for both surveys. This cost/benefit analysis will help determine which employers within each survey are best suited for web-based collection.


Accelerated evolution of regulatory genes has been proposed as an explanation for decoupled rates of morphological and molecular evolution. The Hawaiian silversword alliance (Asteraceae-Madiinae) has evolved drastic differences in growth form, including rosette plants, cushion plants, shrubs, and trees, since its origin approximately 6 MYA. We have isolated genes in the DELLA subfamily of putative growth regulators from 13 taxa of Hawaiian and North American Madiinae. The Hawaiian taxa contain two copies of DaGAI that form separate clades within the Madiinae, consistent with an allotetraploid origin for the silversword alliance. DaGAI retains conserved features that have previously been identified in DELLA genes. Selective constraint in the Hawaiian DaGAI copies remains strong in spite of rapid growth form divergence in the silversword alliance, although the constraint was somewhat relaxed in the Hawaiian copies relative to the North American lineages. We failed to detect evidence for positive selection on individual codons. Notably, selective constraint remained especially strong in the gibberellin-responsive DELLA region for which the gene subfamily is named, which is truncated or deleted in all identified dwarf mutants in GAI homologues in different angiosperm species. In contrast with the coding region, however, approximately 900 bp of the upstream flanking region shows variable rates and patterns of evolution, which might reflect positive selection on regulatory regions.


Career counseling and career guidance are similar in nature to other types of counseling, e.g. marriage or psychological counseling. What unites all types of professional counseling is the role of practitioners, who combine giving advice on their topic of expertise with counseling techniques that support clients in making complex decisions and facing difficult situations. The focus of career counseling is generally on issues such as career exploration, career change, personal career development and other career related issues.


Interest has increased considerably in the past few years in the possible interactions amongst insulin, plasma lipoproteins and several components of the haemostatic system. There is now consistent epidemiological, clinical and experimental evidence that hypertriglyceridaemia, in particular, may represent a procoagulant state involving derangements of both blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. Imbalance in the haemostatic system secondary to increased clotting activity, impaired fibrinolytic function, or a combination thereof, should influence the growth and final size of evolving thrombi and predispose to arterial occlusion. This might be of particular significance in the coronary circulation, where a hypercoagulable state is likely to promote thrombosis at the site of a suddenly ruptured atherosclerotic plaque. In addition, there is accumulating experimental evidence that the haemostatic system plays a part in plaque formation and plaque growth. Basic research on the link between haemostasis and atherosclerosis should be given high priority, because modulation of haemostatic function will probably be a potent complementary approach to the prevention of coronary heart disease.


Triumph, courage, determination. These elements define the one hundred outstanding athletes honoured here. These exceptional men and women have thrilled fans with the most celebrated performances, amazing accomplishments and memorable feats in Canadian sports history. This powerful and inspiring tribute is fully illustrated with superb photographs, and enhanced by stats, records, milestones, and personal recollections. Developed with a team of professional sports journalists, this 100 to 1 ranking celebrates the athletes who rose to the very top of their respective sports. Included here are gold-medal winners, world champions, and record breakers, and the very best Canadian skiers and swimmers, runners and rowers, figure skaters and speed skaters, golfers, jockeys, boxers and--of course--hockey players. The list is as varied as the athletes themselves. Reminisce over the exploits of the phenomenal Rocket Richard, Major League Baseball MVP Larry Walker, NBA MVP Steve Nash, NHL record-holder Martin Brodeur, and world-class skier Nancy Greene. Relive the medal-winning moments of Myriam Bedard, Elvis Stojko, Gaetan Boucher and Lennox Lewis. Remember the thrilling achievements of Bobby Orr, Sandra Post, Caroline Brunet, Barbara Ann Scott, Lionel Conacher, Percy Williams and 85 more. Who's number one? Which athletes rank in the top ten? Sports fans love a good argument, and this book is sure to spark debate, discussion and national pride, while acknowledging the joy, athleticism, strength, and diversity of Canadian sports heroes.


A series of experiments was performed using the free recall of short story-like passages and a variety of analytic techniques to investigate two aspects of the mental representation of text: the nature of the encoding, and the structural relations among information in memory. The verbatim component of recall was the most variable across several factors, declined fastest after a moderate interval but was unresponsive to the recall accuracy demanded by instructions. It seemed to represent the most accurate information rather than any specifically verbatim encoding, Qualitative analysis demonstrated that verbatim recall was strongly determined by lexical and contextual constraints. Substitutions tended to be higher frequency words, supporting semantic decomposition and the loss of finer components of meaning. The mental representation appeared to consist of information on a number of levels of detail and accuracy, with no evidence for discrete propositions. The literature indicates two alternative approaches to structural factors in discourse comprehension. 'Text-led' theories employ structures peculiar to text and stress causal relations as organising factors. 'Knowledge-led' theories base organisation on the structure of corresponding information in semantic memory and predict that thematic relations, whether causal or not, will dominate memory. Evidence from clause recall contingencies and simple cluster analyses supported the 'knowledge-led' position. The differential behaviour of 'narrative' and 'nodal', apparently organised around verbs (activities) and nouns (actors or objects) respectively, was also consistent with knowledge-led processing. The implications of the results for selective processing during comprehension, and for the role of working memory were discussed. An attempt was also made to identify possible semantic memory structures which might be responsible for organising the episodic representation of information derived from text. Though still sketchy, the present framework is consistent with several recent lines of research and provides direction for future investigation.


In this work, we extend a generic agent-based model for simulating ancient societies, by blending evolutionary game theory with multiagent systems' self-organization. Our approach models the evolution of social behaviours in a population of strategically interacting agents corresponding to households in the Early Minoan era. To this end, agents participate in repeated games by means of which they exchange utility (resources) with others. The games' outcomes contribute to both the continuous re-organization of the social structure, and the progressive adoption of the most successful strategies. We present a systematic evaluation of the performance of the various strategies, assuming several variations in the way agent and organization fitness are defined, as well as in the way agents adopt new strategies. Overall, results for societies adopting this evolutionary approach, demonstrate that strategic cooperation is in fact an emergent behaviour in this domain. The model can provide intuitions to archaeologic...


Abstract : This study evaluated the ISO 5353 Seat Index Point Tool (SIPT) as an alternative to the SAE J826 H-point manikin for measuring military seats. A tool was fabricated based on the ISO specification and a custom backangle measurement probe was designed and fitted to the SIPT. Comparisons between the two tools in a wide range of seating conditions showed that the mean SIP location was 5 mm aft of the H-point, with a standard deviation of 7.8 mm. Vertical location was not significantly different between the two tools (mean -0.7 mm, sd 4.0 mm). A high correlation (r=0.9) was observed between the back angle measurements from the two tools. The SIPT was slightly more repeatable across installations and installers than the J826 manikin, with most of the discrepancy arising from situations with flat seat cushion angles and either unusually upright or reclined back angles that caused the J826 manikin to be unstable. The investigators who performed the measurements indicated that the SIPT was easier to use. The data show that the SIPT is a reasonable substitute for the SAE J826 manikin when ease-of-use considerations favor the SIPT, such as restricted space around the seat, low seat heights, or low cushion angles. Human posture measurements in seats with large discrepancies between the tools will be needed to determine which provides a better prediction of sitter position.


Network based prediction of interaction between drug compounds and target proteins is a core step in the drug discovery process. The availability of drug–target interaction data has boosted the development of machine learning methods for the in silico prediction of drug– target interactions. In this paper we focus on the crucial issue of data bias. We show that four popular datasets contain a bias because of the way they have been constructed: all drug compounds and target proteins have at least one interaction and some of them have only a single interaction. We show that this bias can be exploited by prediction methods to achieve an optimistic generalization performance as estimated by cross-validation procedures, in particular leave-one-out cross validation. We discuss possible ways to mitigate the effect of this bias, in particular by adapting the validation procedure. In general, results indicate that the data bias should be taken into account when assessing the generalization performance of machine learning methods for the in silico prediction of drug–target interactions.


Non-religion and unbelief are under-researched phenomena in the social sciences but the growing significance of the worldwide non-religious population is leading to more interest in this previously neglected topic. However, with the exception of a handful of studies, little attention has yet been directed towards non-religious youth, despite the emergence of a substantial body of research on youth and religion, and ongoing concerns about the conduct of young people more generally. This article draws on mixed-method data from the British Youth on Religion study to explore the responses of participants identifying as religious 'nones'. The analysis focuses specifically on young people as citizens through their relationships with wider society, including the broader meaning of non-religious identity, views on morality and values, and approaches to, and relations with, religious others. As such, the article speaks to wider debates about youth, citizenship and community cohesion, as well as non-religion and unbelief.


Centuries of dominance of Islam in the political systems of countries where Muslims make up a majority, as well as political, economic and cultural exchanges that were fostered by Islam, lead us to suggest the existence of Islamic legacy in public administration (PA). This article examines Ideology of National Independence in Uzbekistan and identifies several mental models rooted in the Islamic legacy. The deficit of legitimacy experienced by the Uzbek government after the collapse of the Soviet Union has created conditions for explicit use of the Islamic legacy to address the legitimacy problem. The internalization on the part of Uzbek civil servants of the mental models rooted in the Islamic legacy has also affected its sense of purpose and coherence as well as Uzbekistan's response to the outside pressure for reforms.


In context of ongoing transformations in housing markets and socioeconomic conditions, this book focuses on past, current and future roles of home ownership in social policies and welfare practices. It considers owner-occupied housing in terms of diverse meanings and manifestations, but in particular the part played by housing tenure in the political, socioeconomic and demographic changes that have characterized the pre- and post-crisis era. The intensified promotion of home ownership in recent decades helped stimulate an increasing orientation towards the private consumption of housing, not only as a home, but also an asset - or possibly speculative vehicle - that enhances household economic capacity and can be transferred to children or other family, or even exchanged for other goods. The latest global financial crisis, however, made it clear that owner-occupied housing markets and mortgage sectors have become deeply embedded in networks of socioeconomic interdependency and risk. This collection engages with numerous debates on housing and society in a range of developed societies from North America to Asia-Pacific to North, South, East and West Europe. Interdisciplinary contributors draw upon diverse empirical data to explore how housing and home ownership has become so embedded in polity, economy and household welfare conditions in various social and cultural contexts. Another concern is what lies beyond home ownership considering the integration of housing systems with economic growth and social stability appears to be unravelling. This volume speaks to public debates concerning the future of housing markets, policy and tenure, providing deep and provocative insights for academics, students and professionals alike.


The behavior of bio-sensor receivers is studied for molecular communication (MC). Bacteria can be engineered as a bio-sensor receiver to produce an output signal, e.g., produce green fluorescent protein, with respect to an external concentration pulse (MC signal). The signal transduction of bacteria, i.e., bacteria response, can be used to detect the pulse-amplitude modulated MC signals. In this work, a statistical model for the bacteria-based bio-sensor receivers is developed. Statistical signal models are useful to evaluate the reliability of the communication systems. The bacteria response is modeled by approximating a first-order model of signal transduction in the linear ramp-up region. The bacteria response is found to be a function of the response rate (linear ramp-up slope) and the time. Bacterial signal transduction is inherently noisy due to the cascades of biochemical reactions to produce the output signal. Therefore, the first-order model is extended incorporating the noise in both the rate and the timing (random delay) of the bacteria response. The bit error rate performance is studied to reveal the impact of the timing noise against the response rate noise. The developed statistical signal model can aid performance evaluation of bacteria-based bio-sensor receivers in MC and biological sensing.


The issue of whether Central Americans in the United States are 'political' or 'economic' migrants has been widely debated, yet little empirical research has informed the controversy. Earlier studies have relied primarily on cross-sectional aggregate data. In order to overcome these limitations we draw on recent surveys conducted in five Nicaraguan communities by the Latin American Migration Project. Using retrospective data, we reconstruct a history of a family's migration to the United States and Costa Rica from the date of household formation to the survey date and link these data to national-level data on GDP and Contra War violence. While out migration to both Costa Rica and the United States is predicted by economic trends, US-bound migration was more strongly linked to the level of Contra War violence independent of economic motivations, especially in an interactive model that allows for a higher wartime effect of social networks. We conclude that elevated rates of Nicaraguan migration to the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s were a direct result of the US-Contra intervention. The approach deployed here – which relates to the timing of migration decisions to macro-level country trends – enables us to address the issue of political versus economic motivations for migration with more precision than prior work.


Conventional drying of colloidal materials and gels (including cement) can lead to detrimental effects due to the buildup of internal stresses as water evaporates from the nano/microscopic pores. However, for these gel materials the underlying nanoscopic alterations that are, in part, responsible for macroscopically-measured strain values (especially at low relative humidity) remain a topic of open debate in the literature. In this study, sodium-based calcium-alumino-silicate-hydrate (C-(N)-A-S-H) gel, the major binding phase of silicate-activated blast furnace slag (one type of low-CO2 cement), is investigated from a drying perspective, since it is known to suffer extensively from drying-induced microcracking. By employing in situ synchrotron X-ray total scattering measurements and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis we show that the significant contributing factor to the strain development in this material at extremely low relative humidity (0%) is the local atomic structural rearrangement of the C-(N)-A-S-H gel, including collapse of interlayer spacing and slight disintegration of the gel. Moreover, analysis of the medium range (1.0-2.2 nm) ordering in the PDF data reveals that the PDF-derived strain values are in much closer agreement (same order of magnitude) with the macroscopically measured strain data, compared to previous results based on reciprocal space X-ray diffraction data. From a mitigation standpoint, we show that small amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to actively reinforce the structure of silicate-activated slag during drying, preventing atomic level strains from developing. Mechanistically, these nanoparticles induce growth of a silica-rich gel during drying, which, via density functional theory calculations, we show is attributed to the high surface reactivity of tetragonal ZrO2.


Health information portals (HIP) are now common place. Governments and other health agencies are using HIPs extensively to reduce costs and distribute information more effectively. Generally, HIPs are not very technically sophisticated specifically in terms of options for improving searching. There are many ways in which searching and retrieving relevant information can be improved. This paper presents an exploratory study which investigated five HIPs. Each HIP offered a range of features and functionality to assist with searching. Our research explored the features and functionality of each HIP. Through usability evaluations we compared the response of users to each HIP and identified users' preferences for improved searching. We found that HIPs with improved search functionality and other features that assisted searching were better received by the users. Users regarded these portals as easier to understand, easier to use, required fewer steps in retrieving information and were more likely to say they would return. Comments from users are provided to illustrate further the importance of providing effective functionality. The paper concludes with recommendations for Health Information Portal builders on what is needed to improve the user search experience.


Byzantine fault tolerant (BFT) protocols are replication-based solutions to the problem of tolerating the arbitrary failures of software and hardware components. The essential assumption for replication is independence of failures. In this paper, we categorize four different failure independence levels that could be obtained from the cloud. Not surprisingly, providing more level of independence comes with the cost of more delays and less bandwidth. We report on our experiments to identifying the most appropriate BFT protocol for each level.


We use fluorescence microscopy to investigate how surface roughness affects the transition between different lubrication regimes. We investigate the transition between different regimes of lubrication and directly observe the thickness of nanometric lubrication films with a sensitivity of a single molecular layer at a multi-asperity interface through fluorescence microscopy. We redefine specific film thickness as the ratio of the lubricant film thickness and the surface roughness measured only at those regions of the interface where the gap is "minimal." This novel definition of specific film thickness successfully captures the transition from full elastohydrodynamic lubrication to mixed and boundary lubrication. The transition can be triggered by increasing the surface roughness and is accurately predicted by using the new film thickness definition. We find that when the liquid carries part of the load, its apparent viscosity is greatly increased by confinement, and show how the transition between different lubrication regimes is well described by the viscosity increase and subsequent glass transition in the film.


Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is an important curative treatment for cardiac arrhythmias. However, during RFCA thrombus formation can occur when the electrode-tissue interface temperature exceeds 80°C. Open-irrigated electrodes reduce the risk of such side-effect. No computational model of an open-irrigated electrode in endocardial RFCA accounting for both the saline irrigation flow and the blood motion in the cardiac chamber has been proposed yet. Our aim was to introduce the first computer model including both effects. The model has been validated against existing experimental results. Computational results showed that the surface lesion width and blood temperature are affected by the irrigation flow rate. Smaller surface lesion widths and blood temperatures are obtained with higher irrigation flow rate, while the lesion depth is not affected by changing the irrigation flow rate. Larger lesions are obtained when electrode is placed horizontally. Overall, the computational findings are in close agreement with previous experimental results.


The aim of this paper is to make a contribution to the investigation of the roots and essence of convex analysis, and to the development of the duality formulas of convex calculus. This is done by means of one single method: firstly conify, then work with the calculus of convex cones, which consists of three rules only, and finally deconify. This generates all definitions of convex objects, duality operators, binary operations and duality formulas, all without the usual need to exclude degenerate situations. The duality operator for convex function agrees with the usual one, the Legendre-Fenchel transform, only for proper functions. It has the advantage over the Legendre-Fenchel transform that the duality formula holds for improper convex functions as well. This solves a well-known problem, that has already been considered in Rockafellar's Convex Analysis (R.T. Rockafellar, Convex Analysis, Princeton University Press, 1970). The value of this result is that it leads to the general validity of the formulas of Convex Analysis that depend on the duality formula for convex functions. The approach leads to the systematic inclusion into convex sets of recession directions, and a similar extension for convex functions. The method to construct binary operations given in (ibidem) is formalized, and this leads to some new duality formulas. An existence result for extended solutions of arbitrary convex optimization problems is given. The idea of a similar extension of the duality theory for optimization problems is given.


Description: With its origins stretching back several centuries, discrete calculus is now an increasingly central methodology for many problems related to discrete systems and algorithms. The topics covered here usually arise in many branches of science and technology, especially in discrete mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics and probability theory as well as in electrical engineering, but our viewpoint here is that these topics belong to a much more general realm of mathematics; namely calculus and differential equations because of the remarkable analogy of the subject to this branch of mathematics. It is precisely this viewpoint which distinguishes this text from the previous ones. Although the topics are discrete, our approach is analytical. As in continuous mathematical analysis, we first introduce the main concepts such as the definition of a function, power and exponential functions, discrete differentiation and integration, series expansion, complex analytic functions and their integrals, the Cauchy theorem for analytic functions, as well as the harmonic functions in discrete cases. Then, we relate these concepts to the theory of discrete differential equations. The book serves to demonstrate the relationship of various aspects of mathematics with discrete differential equations. It should prove to be useful for mathematics graduates and researchers, regardless of their background on discrete calculus.


The class of mixed normal conditional heteroskedastic (MixN-GARCH) models, which couples a mixed normal distributional structure with GARCH-type dynamics, has been shown to offer a plausible decomposition of the contributions to volatility, as well as excellent out-of-sample forecasting performance, for financial asset returns. In this paper, we generalize the MixN-GARCH model by relaxing the assumption of constant mixing weights. Two different specifications with time-varying mixing weights are considered. In particular, by relating current weights to past returns and realized (component-wise) likelihood values, an empirically reasonable representation of Engle and Ng's (1993) news impact curve with an asymmetric impact of unexpected return shocks on future volatility is obtained. An empirical out-of-sample study confirms the usefulness of the new approach and gives evidence that the leverage effect in financial returns data is closely connected, in a non-linear fashion, to the time-varying interplay of mixture components representing, for example, various groups of market participants.


This chapter outlines how one might utilize the massive amounts of web-based, geographically-referenced digital social data for geographical research. Because much of these data are user-generated and produced through social media platforms, we also focus on the pitfalls associated with such sources and the benefits of a mixed methods approach to these data. Not only can digital social data be mapped for visual analysis, it is also useful to use a range of quantitative methods to understand relationships between different subsets of the data. In addition, closer, systematic readings via qualitative methods of social data provides insights of particular people's perceptions and experiences of the world around them. Thus, while making maps is often the starting point for geographers working with this kind of research, it is rarely the end point.


Purpose of the review Developments in functional neurosurgery for movement disorders and recent advances in electrophysiological techniques have allowed important insights into the role of oscillations in corticobasal ganglia circuits, both in health and in neurological disease states. Here we review recent developments in our understanding of how abnormally synchronized oscillatory activity within the corticobasal ganglia loop may play a key role in the pathophysiology of cognitive and motor phenotypes in Parkinson's disease. Recent findings Recent developments highlight the motor and non-motor roles of a, b and g oscillations in the context of Parkinson's disease. They also emphasize the importance of oscillatory coupling between basal ganglia and cortex and draw attention to the importance of interactions between different frequency bands. Summary Oscillatory activities across multiple frequency bands and their cross-frequency interactions within spatially segregated loops of the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical system may relate to distinct components of clinical impairment, both motor and non-motor. It is hoped that this characterization will lead to improved interventions like deep brain stimulation, tailored to specific components of clinical impairment and their associated spatial and spectral signatures.


Abstract Aminopyralid is the most commonly used herbicide for the control of yellow starthistle and other invasive thistles in annual grasslands of California. Although the effects of aminopyralid on native plant communities over a 2-yr period have been evaluated in prairies dominated by perennial species in the northern central states, similar evaluations have not been conducted in grassland communities of California, which are generally composed of a high diversity of native and nonnative annual species. In this study we monitored the effects of 53 and 123 g ae aminopyralid ha−1 on individual species cover and species richness over three growing seasons in two locations on California annual grassland. Treated plots were compared to untreated plots in randomized complete-block designs. Results were largely consistent between the two trials. In the first season after treatment, both rates of aminopyralid reduced dicot cover significantly, particularly members of the Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Treated plots also showed reduced species richness. However, these differences were less pronounced in the second season after treatment, particularly at the low rate. By the third season after treatment in both sites, there were no longer any significant effects on cover or species richness at the low herbicide rate. On California annual grasslands, winter applications of low rates of aminopyralid have been shown to give excellent control of yellow starthistle, providing long-term benefits to grassland ecosystems. Results of the current study suggest that negative impacts of aminopyralid on the desirable native forb community are transitory. Nomenclature: Aminopyralid; yellow starthistle; Centaurea solstitialis L. Management Implications: Although land managers should, and generally do, consider the impact of invasive plant control methods on the desired vegetation and the ability to achieve their management goals, they often do not have the necessary information on the long-term effects of these control options. The primary control method for yellow starthistle and other invasive species, particularly thistles, is the herbicide aminopyralid. It is well recognized that members of the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae, and a few other families are particularly sensitive to aminopyralid. In this repeated study, we monitored the effect of high and low registered rates of aminopyralid on species cover and richness on California grasslands dominated by annual grasses and forbs. Our results demonstrated a significant impact on forb cover in the first season after treatment with both herbicide rates, but the response was transitory and by the third season after treatment there were no longer any negative impacts on the native plant community, including nearly all sensitive species. Although we do not know the long-term effect of aminopyralid when it is applied in multiple years, we previously showed that following a summer prescribed burn with a winter aminopyralid application provided nearly complete control of yellow starthistle without requiring multiple years of aminopyralid treatment. Under this integrated approach, it may be possible to achieve the desired control of invasive thistles with only a transitory effect on nontarget native plants.