Title of dissertation: GENETIC VARIATION AT THE NACETYLTRANSFERASE (NAT) GENES IN GLOBAL HUMAN POPULATIONS Holly M. Mortensen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Dissertation Directed by: Associate Professor Sarah A. Tishkoff Department of Biology Currently, studies of the possible role of natural selection in shaping the observed variation at drug metabolizing enzyme (DME) loci remain limited. Functional variability at the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) genes is associated with adverse drug reactions and cancer susceptibility in humans. Previous studies of small sets of ethnic groups have indicated that the NAT genes have high levels of amino acid variation that differ in frequency across ethnic groups. I hypothesize that this functional variation may be adaptive in different environments and is maintained due to natural selection. Presumably, change in dietary patterns has been a strong selective pressure throughout the course of human evolution. The most extreme example of a shift in the dietary patterns of modern humans is most certainly the transition from a primarily hunter-gatherer subsistence to an agriculturalist lifestyle, within the past 10,000 years. Metabolism of grain and/or dairy products likely introduced new and foreign toxins to the human body. Although we can only speculate about the selective forces acting on the NAT genes in the past, it is possible that the observed pattern of phenotypic variation is associated with exposure to environmental, specifically dietary, toxins. The purpose of this study is: 1) to characterize nucleotide variation at the NAT drug-metabolizing genes (NAT1, NAT2) and the pseudo-gene (NATP1) in global human populations, including many previously under-represented African populations and 2) to understand the role that natural selection has played in shaping variation at NAT1 and NAT2 in human populations living in different environmental settings. I have resequenced ~3000 bp for each of the NAT1, NAT2 and NATP1 gene regions, in 182 African individuals and 155 individuals from a representative global panel (HGDP-CEPH), and have identified Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) at each locus (NAT1 (48), NATP1 (55) and NAT2 (46)). I have inferred haplotype phase and characterized patterns of haplotype diversity for each NAT locus. I have characterized nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium for this ethnically diverse population dataset, as well as performed several tests of selective neutrality. This work will contribute to our understanding of how variation at the NAT loci may have been adaptive for dealing with changes in diet and exposure to toxins during human evolution. GENETIC VARIATION AT THE N-ACETYLTRANSFERASE (NAT) GENES IN GLOBAL HUMAN POPULATIONS


Title of Ph.D. Dissertation: NEAR QUANTUM LIMITED MEASUREMENT IN NANOELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS Akshay Naik Research directed by: Prof. Keith Schwab Nanoelectromechanical systems have many potential applications in nanoelectronics as well as in fundamental studies of quantum mechanics in mesoscopic systems. Nanoelectromechanical systems have been touted as an extension of microelectromechanical systems which would operate at higher frequencies and consume far less power due their higher quality factors. Since these systems can be cooled close to their ground states with existing cryogenic techniques, they are useful tools to study the quantum effects like backaction, coherent states and superposition in mesoscopic mechanical systems. Also there have been proposals to use these systems as qubits and buses in quantum computing. In this thesis I discuss the effects of the backaction of a superconducting single electron transistor that measures the position of a radio frequency nanomechanical resonator. One of the novel effects of this backaction is the cooling of the nanomechanical resonator. The fact that a system can be cooled by merely coupling it to noisy non-equilibrium device is a counterintuitive phenomenon. Although backaction effects have been used to produce ultra-cold atoms, our results are the first demonstration of this cooling effect in a mesoscopic system. For a linear continuous position detection scheme, quantum mechanics places a lower limit on the product of position shot noise, Sx, and the backaction force noise, SF , which is given by, √ SxSF ≥ h 2 As part of this work we demonstrate that our detection scheme is only 15 times away from this limit and only 4 times away from quantum limit for position sensitivity. NEAR QUANTUM LIMITED MEASUREMENT IN NANOELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS


A total of 210 twenty two- day - old broiler chicks were used in this programme to investigate the performance, feed intake, digestibility and visceral organ mass of broiler chicks fed with high level of olive pulp supplemented with two antibiotics: streptomycin and tyiosin. The two antibiotics were added to supply 150 mg/kg of the active ingredient. Chicks which consumed the medicated diets had more (p<0.05) gain compared to chicks which consumed the basal diet. However, streptomycin caused more (p<0.05) gain compared to tyiosin. Antibiotics had no effect on feed intake. The chicks that consumed the antibiotics had heavier (p<0.05) weights of edible, inedible organs and small intestine but lower weights of large intestine and cecum. The digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and nitrogen free extract increased (p<0.05) in chicks fed with the medicated diets compared to the chicks fed with the basal diet. It is concluded that antibiotic supplementation had a positive effect on chick's performance


This article is a narrative of my journey to becoming a nurse scientist, which began as an undergraduate student in nursing. Throughout this paper, I share the ingredients that have been critical to my success as a new scientist, how my past and present perceptions of the role of a scientist have evolved, and the personal benefits I have experienced in this role. I conclude with a summary of how I perceive the scientific work that I do contributes to knowledge and society. Overall, my mentors, collaborative networks, and foundational experiences as a graduate student have laid the foundation for my career as a new scientist and have prepared me to conduct multi-method intersectoral research, which I believe is critical to informing health policy .


This thesis is concerned with the theoretical study of the physical characteristics of metallic surfaces. Ab initio quantum calculations are performed to determine the electronic properties of clean elemental metal surfaces, fully accounting for the material's atomic structure. We aim to understand the atomicscale mechanisms responsible for the dependence of the work function on the surface geometry, including the crystallographic orientation of the surface, the atomic relaxation and reconstruction, as well as the effect of surface edges. We present an accurate method to derive work functions from self-consistent thin-film calculations. By applying a technique based on a macroscopic average, we filter the atomic oscillations in the electronic density to measure precisely the electrostatic potential step at the crystal surface. Combining this quantity with the Fermi energy of a bulk crystal is shown to reduce size effects on the work functions and to yield very precise values. The microscopic origin of the work function anisotropy is studied in sodium, aluminium, copper and gold. For these metals, we find that the trends of increasing work functions for the principal surface orientations reproduce the experimental data and that the trend in aluminium is different from most other metals. The origin of the work function anisotropy is discussed in relation with the orbital character of the electronic states at the Fermi energy. Our study of metal surfaces is extended to the facets of a finite crystal. First-principles studies of the electronic structure of nanowires enable us to obtain the electrostatic potential outside a variety of infinitely-long facet edges. In particular, we determine the microscopic mechanism that allows two different work functions to coexist on either side of a facet edge.


This practice-led research questions what more a participatory work might be able to do beyond prescriptive and linear forms of interactivity in art events. The research develops practical applications of Michel Serres' concept of the 'parasite', the inherent noise that disrupts and multiplies within relation. The possibility of self production and modulation in a participatory event and the potential of intensive disruption as a driver of creativity within the events are the basis for this investigation of models of art that can incorporate a range of environmental forces to generate an ecological set of relations where viewers, art objects and surroundings generate new and shared potentials.


This chapter explores the relative sidelining of psychoanalysis in critical approaches to Happiness Studies thus far. It argues that this stems from an American strand of psychoanalysis known as ego-psychology which forms an unacknowledged element in the genealogy of Happiness Studies itself. However, the chapter focusses primarily on Jacques Lacan's critical interventions into ego-psychology and his elaboration of a contrasting psychoanalytic theory and practice. It is claimed that Lacan's criticisms of happiness as an ego-based therapeutic ideology, and his related suspicion of models of 'cure', constitute a crucial resource for critical approaches to Happiness Studies. Finally, it is argued that, to this end, psychoanalysis is best approached as a clinical practice involving a tact with the subjective demand for happiness, rather than as a social or cultural theory that supports a generalised critique of happiness as a neoliberal ideology but misses, thereby, the affective hold over intimacy and sociality contemporary happiness has.


INTRODUCTION The payoff for exceptional productivity must be substantial to make the increased effort of the performance, as well as the evaluation of this productivity, worthwhile (Baker, Jensen, & Murphy, 1988). Pay-for-performance (PFP) is a program that offers such an incentive in that it has been designed to improve the productivity of individuals by offering financial incentives for exemplary outcomes. That is, it is a one-off bonus associated with exceptional work. The Board of Trustees of a college of two of the authors set aside an annual PFP budget line item equal to eight percent of the total faculty compensation, both salary and benefits, to reward those who perform at an exemplary level. This paper develops a mathematical model of the PFP awards system and introduces two constraints to ensure the fairness of the proposed system. After the literature review the paper discusses a numerical example, develops the mathematical model and then discusses it before offering a conclusion in the final section. BRIEF LITERATURE REVIEW Despite the findings of a meta-analysis of 39 studies over 30 years that showed that there is a positive correlation between performance and financial incentives (Jenkins, Mitra, Gupta, & Shaw, 1998), not all studies have supported PFP. Some researchers have found little evidence of the effectiveness of PFP in, for example, health care settings (Rosenthal & Frank, 2006). The lack of evidence in this sector, however, has done nothing to stem the enthusiasm for the program as more than half of a sample of health management organizations (HMOs) use PFP (Rosenthal, Landon, Normand, Frank, & Epstein, 2006). It is important to note that one of the reasons given for the lack of effectiveness in health care PFP systems was attributed to a low bonus size (Rosenthal & Frank, 2006). In business, the demand for PFP continues to be very strong, despite a weak economy, according to Mercer's 2010 U.S. Executive Compensation and Performance Survey (2010). For the purpose of this paper, PFP is distinguished from other types of incentives such as reinforcement on a ratio scale (e.g., piece work) and merit pay increase. It has been well-established that piece work increases productivity over reinforcement on an interval scale (e.g., fixed salary) in a number of domains (Skinner, 1974). For example, a ratio reinforcement strategy has been found to increase productivity in tree planters (Shearer, 2004) and logging (Haley, 2003). Ratio scale reinforcement is obviously out of place in all areas of higher education beyond the experimental laboratories. Merit pay increase is a system that is used by some colleges in which faculty receive a percentage increase of their current salaries when they meet or exceed minimum outcomes. This percentage is then added to their base salaries. PFP is an alternative mechanism that has been proposed as a method of providing a one-off reward for exceptional work by faculty. However, evaluation and implementation can lead to disastrous outcomes (Terpstra & Honoree, 2008). Hence, it is necessary to present PFP in a tightly constrained mathematical model that gives structure to the implementation and consequent reinforcement process. A mathematical model of a complex concept provides an objective abstract representation of that concept. Mathematical models allow for systematic adaptation to the assumptions by holding the variables in a constant ratio. By creating mathematical models, wordy verbal descriptions are coded into precise mathematical equations without unnecessary details. Issues identified by faculty as concerns in the criteria for earning the financial incentives can be systematically modeled and resolved without sacrificing the integrity of the model as a whole. In a study conducted by Terpstra and Honoree (2008) in which almost 500 faculty members were surveyed on problems undermining the effectiveness of pay based on performance, the most salient problem identified by faculty was that "the merit pay increases that are given out are too small to motivate faculty" (p. …


The Making of EU Foreign Policy argues that there has been a common European Union (EU) foreign policy towards six countries of Eastern Europe--Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia--and analyses why the EU has agreed to the policy. The objective of the EU's policy is to support the transformation of Eastern Europe and thus ensure security and stability. The most important instrument that the EU has used to reach this objective has been the prospect of enlargement.


Despite record sales and an ever-growing global industry, the simple fact is that videogames are disappearing. Most obviously, the physical deterioration of discs, cartridges, consoles and controllers means that the data and devices will crumble to dust and eventually will be lost forever. However, there is more to the disappearance of videogames than plastic corrosion and bit rot. Best Before examines how the videogames industry's retail, publishing, technology design, advertising and marketing practices actively produce obsolescence, wearing out and retiring old games to make way for the always new, just out of reach, 'coming soon' title and 'next generation' platform. Set against the context of material deterioration and the discursive production of obsolescence, Best Before examines the conceptual and practical challenges faced within the nascent field of game preservation. Understanding videogames as rich, complex and mutable texts and experiences that are supported and sustained by cultures of gameplay and fandom, Best Before considers how - and even whether - we might preserve and present games for future generations.


Case-loading midwives have a demanding role with an unpredictable workday in which they juggle their professional, social, and personal demands. They often work long hours at a time and may choose to stay on-call without taking regular and frequent time off. These midwives are now the majority of Lead Maternity Carers (LMC) in the New Zealand maternity service contracted by the Ministry of Health to provide continuity of maternity care. The New Zealand College of Midwives' philosophy and standards of practice uphold a continuity of care ethic that is enhanced by midwives working in partnership with women. Cooperative inquiry, an action research approach, was selected as the best fit to investigate the concern some case-loading midwives had about the affect this on-call lifestyle had on their wellbeing. The tension between their professional and personal commitments was at times hard to control. Many suffered from guilt if they could not be there for the women in their care. They had an overwhelming commitment to always be there. Over 18 months 15 case-loading midwives investigated their practice in four cycles of reflection and action to make their work-life balance better. The participants became co-researchers and co-participants through collaboration and dialogue. The findings gave a range of practical ways of how they achieved change. An influence of appreciative inquiry added a positive focus on what was good as participants envisioned and created a better future. To bring a deeper understanding to the change process the 'thinking tools' of the French social philosopher Pierre Bourdieu [1930-2002] were introduced. The important concepts of field, capital and habitus were used during the analysis and discussion of the findings. This had a core framework of reflexivity that illuminated the complex relationships between culture and power that confronts midwives in contemporary society. It was identified that the provision of continuity of care had come with personal, emotional and physical cost with a threat of burnout. To succeed in creating new or innovative ways to practice the participants needed to change their assumptions about how they provided care. This required an empowering approach to care focussed on the women's ability to cope rather than a dependency on the relationship between the woman and the midwife. An innovative tool to enable midwives to self-monitor their well-being was developed from this study. The study concludes with recommendations for leaders and educators on how to be change agents in promoting case-loading midwives self-care towards ensuring sustainable, safe midwifery practice, while still honouring the principles of continuity of care for the women they serve.


The May 15, 1992, earthquake on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, resulted in the uplift and large-scale mortality of intertidal fringing coral reefs. Reduction in the highest level of survival of intertidal massive corals was used as a proxy for assessing the amount of coseismic uplift over 45 km of the Huon coastline. Measurements were gathered from three sites one and three months after the earthquake. Sea-level pressure gauges in place in the northern end of Sialum Lagoon showed not uplift, but subsidence, from the earthquake. Uplift ranged from ∼7 to 13 cm, and subsidence ranged from 8 to 14 cm. The May 15, 1992, earthquake corroborates the coseismic origin of the raised reef terraces of the Huon Peninsula. Greater uplift of the land in the southeast relative to the northwest is consistent with the regional Quaternary uplift pattern. The close proximity of subsidence (shown by sea-level gauges) to uplift (shown by coral mortality) is a manifestation of the abundant fault blocks in the area. Uplift rates of 3.0-5.2 m/ka calculated from the earthquake are only marginally higher than previous estimates based on radiometric age dates and terrace geomorphology. The first directly observed earthquake uplift event on the Huon Peninsula has yielded only centimetre-scale coseismic uplift. Thus, individual Holocene and Pleistocene terraces thought to have been the result of metre-scale displacement from single earthquakes may rather have been due to successive episodes of centimetre-scale uplift on constructional reef platforms. The clustered history of earthquakes on the Huon Peninsula throughout the past 100 years indicates the complexity involved in assessment of seismic risk throughout the world.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. American epidemiological data show that the incidence and mortality rate of lung cancer in the US is 57.3 and 46.0 per 100,000, respectively, with 224,390 new cases and 158,050 deaths estimated in 2016 (1,2). Globally, more than 1.5 million lung cancer-related deaths occurred in 2012 (2,3). Lung cancer has a significant economic burden. Its cost represents approximately 10% of the US cancer care expenditure, which was more than 12 billion dollars in 2010 (4).


Ten minibooks in one! The perfect reference for beginning web buildersThis hefty, 800+ page book is your start-to-finish roadmap for building a web site for personal or professional use. Even if you're completely new to the process, this book is packed with everything you need to know to build an attractive, usable, and working site. In addition to being a thorough reference on the basics, this updated new edition also covers the very latest trends and tools, such as HTML5, mobile site planning for smartphones and tablets, connecting with social media, and more. Packs ten minibooks into one hefty reference: Preparation, Site Design, Site Construction, Web Graphics, Multimedia, Interactive Elements, Form Management, Social Media Integration, Site Management, and Case Studies Covers the newest trends and tools, including HTML5, the new Adobe Create Suite, and connecting with social mediaOffers in-depth reviews and case studies of existing sites created for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as blog sites and non-profit sites Walks you through essential technologies, including Dreamweaver, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and morePlan, build, and maintain a site that does exactly what you need, with Building Web Sites All-In-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition.


We consider prediction with expert advice under the log-loss with the goal of deriving efficient and robust algorithms. We argue that existing algorithms such as exponentiated gradient, online gradient descent and online Newton step do not adequately satisfy both requirements. Our main contribution is an analysis of the Prod algorithm that is robust to any data sequence and runs in linear time relative to the number of experts in each round. Despite the unbounded nature of the log-loss, we derive a bound that is independent of the largest loss and of the largest gradient, and depends only on the number of experts and the time horizon. Furthermore we give a Bayesian interpretation of Prod and adapt the algorithm to derive a tracking regret.


INTRODUCTION
Literature suggests that a diverse body of healthcare graduates could extend health service delivery. However, the literature also indicates that the throughput of minority, working class, and historically disadvantaged students is problematic. Poor throughput is attributed to the way that university environments alienate some students. This brief communication highlights lessons learned from exploratory interviews with four first-year oral hygiene students at a university in South Africa. It provides insight into the issues that contribute to academic success and failure.

METHODS
Semi-structured, individual interviews, to gain information regarding students' university academic experiences were conducted. Enablers and barriers to learning identified in the literature were used to capture themes.

FINDINGS
The following three themes emerged: educational identity, language and finances. The analysis showed how a white middle class student recognized practices that are rewarded at university and how three, working-class, black students experienced tension between their expectations and experiences and the university culture. However, far from being victims, these students provided suggestions on how their transition might be facilitated.

CONCLUSION
Evidence suggests that these students wanted both to be apprenticed into the new way of doing things while having their differences acknowledged. A model for education that initiates learners and also challenges the culture of power is suggested.


One out of every five American children lives below the federal poverty line. Considering that poverty is deemed one of the most influential risk factors for poor developmental outcomes, it is critical to understand what effect poverty has on the developing brain and how those brain changes affect a child's life. Poverty is chiefly defined by having a low socioeconomic status (SES), but a low SES is often accompanied by other influencers, such as nutrition and mental stimulation, termed poverty co-factors. Other poverty co-factors include, but are not limited to, maternal stress and malnutrition, environmental toxins, parental nurturance, and education. A low SES and accompanying poverty co-factors influence changes in the brain, including both the type and rate of change. Variances have been noted in the frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and the white and grey matter size and ratios. Neurotransmitter and hormone modifications have also been observed. These brain changes have long-reaching impacts, affecting educational and intellectual attainment, emotional processing, and risk of mental illness. As knowledge regarding poverty-driven brain changes increases, more possible intervention strategies are being developed. These strategies center on parental involvement and mental and verbal stimulation. The achievement discrepancies noticed between children raised below the poverty line and children raised above it likely contribute to the continuation of intergenerational poverty. Further research and information regarding poverty and how it affects the developing brain contribute to developing target strategies to ameliorate the effects of childhood poverty. Childhood Poverty and Its Effects on the Brain 3


Traditional concrete pavement design sometimes realize on qualitative decision based on experience, with concrete pavement sawing operations representing a specific case in point. presently, sawing time and depth are generally determined by qualitative judgement. An experienced construction engineer, for example, may consider coarse aggregate type in determining the sawing depth, whereas the time of sawing is established by specification. As a result, some agencies are still using a fraction-of-depth method ranging from D/4 to D/3, depending on local experience. This paper suggests that the sawing of concrete pavements-whether jointed or continuously reinforced-should be based on prevailing weather conditions and on material properties (to prevent future joint-related distress). Accordingly, we describe a rational method for accurately estimating both the depth and time of sawing based on prevailing conditions. As a measure of quality in the sawing operation, statistical techniques are utilized to asses the reliability level. The use of these techniques will provide criteria for the sawing of concrete at a desired reliability level, eliminating in the process the need for D/3 or D/4 rules of thumb.


In the last two decades Chilean society has undergone significant changes that have had an impact on roles within the family. Various studies on parenting show that men today are more involved in parenting, and exert emotional and vertical paternity; however these practices coexist with more traditional roles influenced by age-group and socioeconomic status. The aim of this study is to analyse changes in the meaning of fatherhood for men in Temuco, a city located in the south of Chile, comparing different generations and socioeconomic sectors. Multiple-case design was used. The population were Chilean men, young (18 to 25 years old) and adults (45-65 years old); and three socioeconomic sectors, low, middle and high. Six discussion groups were conducted by the researchers helped by male research assistants. The information obtained was analysed and the units of meaning identified were transformed into categories; these were compared in order to identify similarities, differences and links between them. The results show more marked differences in the adult group than among young men, where greater homogeneity is found between socioeconomic levels. Some coincidences were recorded between socioeconomic sector and age-group, for example high valuation of paternity and interest in active participation in parenting.


Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) have been shown to be an effective means of household water treatment in the developing world. The filters are typically made using local labor and locally available materials including clay soils and various burn out materials used to create porosity. Artisanal approaches may be used to manufacture the filters, and there have been efforts to improve CPF performance through laboratory studies. The importation of soil to make the filters may be highly regulated and could be cost prohibitive, so some researchers use commercially available clay to fabricate experimental filters. However, such efforts typically do not include a comparison of the engineered clay to native clay soil, nor do most studies compare the performance of experimental CPFs fabricated from engineered clay to CPFs made from native clay. This study compares mineralogical and geotechnical properties of a clay soil from Rabinal, Guatemala, used to produce CPFs in that country to an engineered clay developed for use in laboratory experiments. Flowrate is the primary quality control parameter used in CPF production, and performance testing indicated that experimental CPF flowrates were not necessarily a function of clay composition. However, engineered clay could be used as a surrogate for native soil with some limitations.


Staphylococcus aureus has been of growing interest to the scientific community in recent years. It is not only easily transferred from one person to another, but its rapidly evolving antibiotic resistance has made it increasingly difficult to treat. Once thought to be a hospitalacquired disease, S. aureus is now often found in the community. Studies indicate that people and clothing can act as carriers of S. aureus not only directly, but through airborne particles. For these reasons a research experiment was designed to determine the prevalence of S. aureus in the microbiology lab and anatomy and physiology lab at Southern Adventist University during the fall semester of 2014. While these labs contain similar numbers of students, many nursing students attend microbiology in their used clinical scrubs. An air sampler was used to detect the presence of S. aureus in the air, while sterile cloth was hung in the breathable air column to test for the airborne transfer of S. aureus to cloth. These samples were taken in each lab a total of six times (both in the presence and absence of students) over a period of two months. Out of a total of ten confirmed S. aureus bacterial colonies, six were found in the microbiology lab (all of which were in the presence of students) and four were found in the anatomy and physiology lab (two of which were in the presence of students). Additionally, two S. aureus colonies exhibited resistance to a variety of antibiotics and five colonies exhibited resistance to methicillin. Based on the results of the tests performed, it can be concluded that students do spread S. aureus through the air at Southern Adventist University, and that the microbiology lab experiences this at a greater rate than the anatomy and physiology lab. Finally, it appears that MRSA is present in easily detectable levels in both labs.


In partially anchored timber frame shear walls, hold-down devices are not provided; hence the uplift forces are transferred by the fasteners of the sheathing-to-framing joints into the bottom rail and via anchor bolts from the bottom rail into the foundation. Since the force in the anchor bolts and the sheathing-to-framing joints do not act in the same vertical plane, the bottom rail is subjected to tensile stresses perpendicular to the grain and splitting of the bottom rail may occur. This paper presents simple analytical models based on fracture mechanics for the analysis of such bottom rails. An existing model is reviewed and several alternative models are derived and compared qualitatively and with experimental data. It is concluded that several of the fracture mechanics models lead to failure load predictions which seem in sufficiently good agreement with the experimental results to justify their application in practical design.


A hydroextractor installed new for the drying of sugar massecuite consisted of a metal basket fixed to a vertical spindle. Disruption occurred just after the machine had been run up to speed and was not preceded by any abnormal behavior. The basket assembly consisted of a Ni-Cr-Mo steel shell and two end plates. It was designed to spin at 2200 rpm, using centrifugal force to expel liquids through nearly 3000 drilled holes in the shell wall. Investigators found that the shell separated completely from the bottom plate. The top plate, though it cracked radially, remained attached over most of its circumference. The basket also contained a 22-gauge Monel metal liner that had been perforated by stabbing, raising pronounced burrs that faced each hole. Apart from the local spots of corrosion due to the lining, the inner surface of the basket showed little evidence of general corrosion. What caused the basket to fail was the presence of corrosion-fatigue cracks or fissures radiating from the holes. A secondary cause was that the scantlings of the basket were too light.


This report summarises the water quality information available for Georges Bay.
Data have been collected by a variety of groups, using different methods and measuring different variables over varying time periods. As a consequence, the water
quality of Georges Bay has not been systematically assessed. A water quality monitoring framework for Georges Bay is clearly needed.
· From the limited information available, the bay appears to be in reasonable health.
Nutrient concentrations were mostly low, no herbicides or pesticides were detected in the water or animal flesh, chlorophyll a values were generally below bloom conditions and seagrass and fish populations, which are recognised indicators of environmental condition. are indicative of a healthy estuary.
· However, most water quality sampling has been conducted during normal conditions, and limited data collected during flooding indicates significant deterioration of water quality during and after these events.
· The results show that the current sewage treatment system is periodically not meeting acceptable standards, especially after flood events. There also has been no
monitoring of stormwater outflow since 2001 and substantial development has occurred since then. It is recommended that storm water outflow is monitored,
especially during and after significant rain periods.
· The difference between community and expertise-based monitoring is discussed and the requirements for the two types of monitoring are detailed. A coordinated monitoring program which includes monitoring by local council, community groups and State Government agencies is essential to maximise the financial and human resources available for monitoring. The data should be held in a centralised database, with standard quality assurance procedures, and readily accessible to stakeholders.
· The indicators recommended for monitoring the health of the Bay are based on the Waterwatch National Technical Manual, especially Module 7 on community
estuarine monitoring (to be released in October 2005) and on the recommendations of the Tasmanian Coastal, Estuarine and Marine Indicators Working group, a group of experts developing a list of indicators to standardise estuarine and marine monitoring around Tasmania. These are summarised in Table (i) below in relation to Georges Bay, showing the list of parameters required for baseline and ongoing monitoring, frequency of sampling, and the suitability of indicators for community and expertise-based monitoring.
· A template for annual assessment of the condition of Georges Bay was developed, based on criteria established by the Moreton Bay Catchment Water Quality
Management Strategy Team (1998) for their Report Card reporting system for stakeholders in Moreton Bay. A mark from A to F can be assigned to Georges Bay, with 'A' being the highest, where the area has an ecological system that is productive and is balanced. 'F' is a failure, where the natural system is not functioning well and there is little or no biodiversity.
· Using these criteria and information on the severity of degradation in several sections of Moreton bay, a report card was prepared for Georges Bay for the twelve months
July 2004 to June 2005 (Table (ii). Georges Bay is given a 'B' rating, based on the
data available. The Bay has healthy seagrass beds, nutrient concentrations are mostly low, although can reach high levels on occasions, no toxicants have been observed in water or oyster flesh samples and bacterial levels in the estuary are low. However, some nutrients and bacterial levels in the Georges River entering Georges Bay are
high and stormwater outfalls have BOD and pH values outside the guidelines. The periodic mortality occurrences of farmed oysters in Moulting Bay is also cause for concern. A more precise classification of the health of Georges Bay would be possible if more data were available on recommended environmental parameters.
· A major challenge for stakeholders of Georges Bay will be to secure the resources required, both financial and human, to complete the baseline assessment and to
continue monitoring. The community, Break O'Day Council and State Government will need to work in close cooperation and all contribute to the process so that
sufficient resources are available to routinely assess the condition of the Bay. This is essential to maintaining the exceptional natural assets of Georges Bay and the
sustainability of the Bay community.


Abstract This paper examines the evolution of effective exchange rates in nine Central and Eastern European countries in terms of development trends, volatility and cyclicality. Consequently, it provides direct empirical evidence on the nature of the relationship between effective exchange rates and selected macroeconomic fundamentals, addressing a key precondition of numerous exchange rate determination models and theories that attempt to explain the role of exchange rates in the economy. The results suggest that flexible exchange rate arrangements are reflected in both nominal and real effective exchange rates having higher volatility and variability. Furthermore, the results provide mixed evidence in terms of intensity, direction and cyclicality, but show a weak correlation between exchange rates and fundamentals. Sufficiently high coefficients are found only for money supply. Consequently, using fundamentals for the determination of exchange rates and using the exchange rate to explain economic development may be of limited use for the countries analyzed.


Direct internal reforming enables optimal heat integration and reduced complexity in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems, but thermal stresses induced by the increased temperature gradients may inflict damage to the stack. Therefore, the development of adequate control strategies requires models that can accurately predict the temperature profiles in the stack. A 1D dynamic modelling platform is developed in this study, and used to simulate SOFCs in both single cell and stack configurations. The single cell model is used to validate power law and Hougen-Watson reforming kinetics derived from experiments in previous work. The stack model, based on the same type of cells, accounts for heat transfer in the inactive area and to the environment, and is validated with data reported by the manufacturer. The reforming kinetics are then implemented in the stack model to simulate operation with direct internal reforming. Although there are differences between the temperature profiles predicted by the two kinetic models, both are more realistic than assuming chemical equilibrium. The results highlight the need to identify rate limiting steps for the reforming and hydrogen oxidation reactions on anodes of functional SOFC assemblies. The modelling approach can be used to study off-design conditions, transient operation and system integration, as well as to develop adequate energy management and control strategies.


This report summarises the environmental assessment work done in the Mistra Future Fashion program focussed on the potential to improve the environmental performance of garments and adapt them to a circular economy. The approaches examined in this report include reducing the environmental impacts from fast-fashion trends by making garments from paper-based materials, or by extending garment life cycles. This assessment considers two paper-based garments. One is made primarily from paper pulp but enhanced with a polylactic acid polymer. This garment is worn between two to five times before being recycled as newspaper. The other fast garment is made of paper pulp, polylactic acid and nanocellulose. It has a similar life cycle but is composted after use life. These garments are compared with a standard t-shirt. The report also considers a slow-paced scenario in which a polyester garment passes between several owners and is regularly changed to maintain its appeal. It is updated with a transfer sublimation overprint three times, making the garment darker each time. Later it is joined with an outer shell of new material using laser technology to make a cropped, box-cut jacket. The assessment was performed using environmental life cycle assessment. More particularly, the assessment was based on attributional process analysis with cutoff allocation procedures and comparison with a traditional reference garment life cycle. Key environmental effect categories considered here include climate change (greenhouse gas emissions), freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer). The results indicate that the environmental outcomes of the paper-based garments can be competitive with the reference garment, particularly when the user is assumed to throw away a fully functional reference garment after five uses. This assumption may be true for some users, but the number of uses is considerably lower than the typical or the potential lifespan of the reference garment. The main factor assisting the paper-based garments is the reduction in the impacts per mass associated with material manufacturing (fibres, spinning, knitting), and also their lighter masses. Avoided impacts in the use phase play a secondary role on account of their location in Sweden with its low-carbon energy mix. The long-life garments are also competitive compared with their reference garments. This is primarily a consequence of how extending garment life avoids the production of new garments. The environmental impacts associated with transfer sublimation dye reprinting and laser processing do not significantly impact the overall environmental performance of the extended longlife garments, though confidentiality of data prevents a full assessment of these. The garments in this report are pilot products and explorative scenarios rather than attempts to model existing business or behavioural patterns. The reader should therefore take care to keep the results in context when interpreting them. Nevertheless, the results suggest the value of pursuing the potential associated with these garment life cycles. We should also bear in mind that while the reference garments in this assessment are based on typical usage patterns, other more sustainable patterns are feasible.


This paper seeks to disentangle the sources of correlations between high-, mid- and lowcap stock indexes from the German prime standard. In principle, such comovement can arise from direct spillover between the variables or due to common factors. By standard means, these different components are obviously not identifiable. As a solution, the underlying study proposes specifying ARCH-type models for both the idiosyncratic innovations and a common factor, so that the model structure can be identified through heteroscedasticity. The seemingly surprising result that smaller caps have higher influence than larger ones is explained by asymmetric information processing in financial markets. Broad macroeconomic information is shown to enter the common factor rather than the segment-specific shocks.


Abstract This study employs a qualitative approach to examine whether and why some societal groups are disadvantaged more by their Internet use than others do. Due to the quantitative nature of most digital divide studies, thorough explanations for why different outcomes exist are lacking. Interviews were conducted with 48 Dutch families selected on the basis of educational level (high or low) and household characteristics (children and marital status). A distinction was made between the types of negative outcomes that families are confronted with and how they cope with those outcomes. The results show that the confrontation with negative outcomes of Internet use in itself seems similar for both educational groups. However, the way Internet users cope with negative outcomes differs between the two educational groups. Members of highly educated groups mostly try to take control themselves when faced with a negative outcome, while members of less educated groups often just experience negative outcomes and do not remedial actions.


This work shows how hardware transactional memory (HTM) can be implemented to support transactions of arbitrarily large size, while ensuring that small transactions run efficiently. Our implementation handles small transactions similar to Herlihy and Moss's scheme in that it holds tentative updates in a cache. Unlike their scheme, which uses a special fully associative cache, ours augments the ordinary processor cache and provides a mechanism to handle cache spills of uncommitted transactional data. Consequently, our scheme runs faster for small transactions while correctly handling transactions of arbitrarily large size. Although transactions are small in the common case, we argue that HTM should not restrict the size of transactions, because it complicates the programmer/compiler model and precludes some important programs from exploiting transactional memory. We show that the Linux 2.4.19 kernel can be automatically and efficiently "transactified" if boundless transactions can be supported. Our experimental results show that the largest transaction touches over 7000 64-byte cache lines, whereas 99.94\% of the transactions touch fewer than 64 cache lines. We further show that synchronized methods in Java can be easily compiled to our HTM scheme, thereby providing the advantages of nonblocking atomicity (including absence of deadlock) in a straightforward fashion. Our HTM scheme for boundless transactions uses an efficiently implementable hardware snapshot and the ordinary set-associative L2 cache extended with less than two bits per cache line. One of the bits tells whether the cached item is part of a transaction (as in the Herlihy-Moss scheme), and all the lines in an associative set share another bit telling whether a line has overflowed from the cache and is now stored in a special overflow area of main memory. We provide empirical results to show that our scheme does not adversely affect the processor pipeline or hinder speculative execution. [Full Text Not Available]


The isotope composition of zinc (Zn) was determined in settling particles collected monthly over a year in the hypolimnion of the eutrophic Lake Greifen (Switzerland) in order to explore the potential of this novel isotope system as a proxy for biogeochemical processes in aqueous environments. Significant variation in Δ66ZnJMC3‐0749L of 0.9‰(where Δ66ZnJMC3‐0749L 5 [{66Zn : 64Zn}sample/{66Zn : 64Zn}JMC3‐0749L ‐ 1] x 1000) was found throughout the seasonal cycle of productivity. The most negative Δ66ZnJMC3‐0749L values (down to ‐0.66‰ ± 0.08‰) were observed during the productive summer period from June to September, when the Zn in the settling particles was predominantly associated with organic material, and when Zn concentrations in the epilimnion were lowest. This observation is likely explained with preferential uptake of the light Zn isotopes during algal growth. During the other months, the Zn in the sediment traps showed higher Δ66Zn values, reflecting increasing contributions of anthropogenic or lithogenic components. The average isotopic signature of the settling particles during the autumn‐winter‐spring period (≪‐0.2‰ for Δ66ZnJMC3‐0749L) was somewhat lower than typical for anthropogenic and natural sources, and this possibly reflects the effect of the preferential adsorption of lighter dissolved Zn isotopes onto the settling particles. We suggest that Rayleigh fractionation plays a minor role in controlling the isotopic composition of the settling particles in the lake. Our work demonstrates the presence of an obvious seasonal cycle in Δ66Zn, and this suggests that Zn isotopes can be employed to study nutrient utilization and other biogeochemical processes in lakes and other aquatic environments.


American disability employment law underwent a series of profound transformations during the twentieth century. A scheme of social welfare at the century's beginning, by the century's end disability law had shifted significantly toward a civil rights orientation. Similar transformations - frequently inspired by the example of the ADA, but at the same time deriving from indigenous movements of people with disabilities - have occurred throughout the world. None of these transformations has been identical to the transformation in American disability employment policy. Notwithstanding the differences, however, the overall trend is clear: across the industrialized world, disability policy is increasingly being reoriented from caretaking to work-promoting, from segregationist to integrationist, and from welfare to civil rights. Yet American scholars have made no sustained effort to assess what lessons other countries' experiences may hold for disability policy in the United States. This brief essay, which responds to papers submitted for a symposium on comparative disability law, seeks to highlight some of the dimensions along which a comparative approach would shed light on important issues in the design and interpretation of American disability law. In particular, the essay focuses on two key areas of inquiry. First, what policy tools best advance the increasingly important goals of integration and empowerment for people with disabilities? Second, what is the conception of "disability" that should underlie a disability employment law regime, and how can that conception advance or undermine integrationist goals?


Offshore bottom-fixed structures, such as jackets, are typically designed with a natural period of 3 seconds or less. This means that there is limited dynamic excitation from wave loads at design sea-states. The benefit of this is reduced uncertainties from the dynamic effects in the design phase. However, some jacket structures in deep water or soft soil-conditions may have natural periods exceeding 4 seconds, which implies large dynamic effects. For a jack-up, industry guidelines are developed to account for the dynamic structural response in both ULS and FLS conditions. Although advanced methods are available to determine the dynamic amplification factors (DAF), they are unsuitable to estimate the dynamic response in the concept design phase. The current simplified method is based on a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system. However, the estimator is not very accurate for the DAF of a structure in irregular seas, and must be used with caution. The most correct method for estimating the extreme static and dynamic responses is stochastic time-domain simulation. In this paper, it is investigated whether an analytical formulation is appropriate for DAF in irregular seas, as a function of natural period. The models used are a slender cylinder and a dynamically sensitive jacket, in an extreme sea-state. Non-linear quasi-static and dynamic time-domain analysis are carried out with USFOS, a computer program especially designed for space frame offshore structures, using linear wave theory and the Morison equation.


Diametrically opposed forces, while independent, require the presence of the other to exist. Shadow is found through an absence of light. Earth exists as a result of the heavens, whether cosmologically or theologically. The following project explores dichotomies and the architectural elements that can span two disparate entities. The proposal for an embassy for Somalia strives to discover the threshold between the dualities of the Islamic faith and the profane environment. In the faith one must follow a path, whether physical or spiritual in order to find true enlightenment. By allowing the path of the thesis be the guide, the various elements of approach, entry, courtyard, garden and sacred spaces are illuminated as the thresholds between these diametrically opposed forces of public | private, heaven | earth, sacred | profane.


We address the problem of estimating core numbers of nodes by reading edges of a large graph stored in external memory. The core number of a node is the highest k-core in which the node participates. Core numbers are useful in many graph mining tasks, especially ones that involve finding communities of nodes, influential spreaders and dense subgraphs. Large graphs often do not fit on the memory of a single machine. Existing external memory solutions do not give bounds on the required space. In practice, existing solutions also do not scale with the size of the graph. We propose NimbleCore, an iterative external-memory algorithm, which estimates core numbers of nodes using O(n log dmax) space, where n is the number of nodes and dmax is the maximum node-degree in the graph. We also show that NimbleCore requires O(n) space for graphs with power-law degree distributions. Experiments on forty-eight large graphs from various domains demonstrate that NimbleCore gives space savings up to 60X, while accurately estimating core numbers with average relative error less than 2.3%.


The Generative Communication (GC) paradigm was introduced in the early 1980s in the form of the Linda coordination and communication language (Gelernter & Bernstein, 1982). The goal of the language was to provide an elegant, intuitive alternative to the state-of-the-art in parallel and distributed processing languages at that time, namely remote procedure calls; message passing systems; and shared memory systems (Gelernter, 1985). Despite the longevity of the Linda coordination language and the GC paradigm, in general, the literature is devoid of meaningful research into the construction and manipulation of dynamic, pointer-based data structures within the context of the GC paradigm. This document motivates the need for such data structures in GC. In addition, this document explores the reasons for the lack literature regarding dynamic pointer-based data structures in GC. Finally, we develop solutions to address the lack of support, within the GC paradigm, for such data structures.


Background: Saudi Arabia is ranked sixth for the highest prevalence of T2DM worldwide. There is very little information on dietary factors associated with the prevalence of T2DM in Saudi Arabia. There is an urgent need for the identification of culturally specific T2DM risk factors to then develop culturally tailored public awareness programs and interventions, to reduce the prevalence of T2DM.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review of the association between dietary factors and T2DM in the Middle Eastern region. To determine the association between dietary factors, including anthropometric measures, selected food items and beverages, selected dietary biomarkers and T2DM in Saudi adults. To identify culturally specific barriers to healthy eating in Saudi adults, with and without T2DM.

Methods: The systematic review was conducted by searching several electronic databases and contacting authors, libraries, and research centres in the Middle East. Included studies assessed potential dietary factors for T2DM in Middle Eastern adults. An existing cross-sectional survey (n = 2631), which is part of a larger Biomarkers Screening Survey conducted in the urban area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2009), of Saudi adults aged ≥ 18 years, was used to examine the association between dietary factors and T2DM. Anthropometric measures (n = 2355) included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio and sagittal abdominal diameter. Selected food/beverage included 17 items collected from a food freque ncy questionnaire (FFQ) (n = 1867). The FFQ was validated in this study against two 24 hour dietary recalls (n = 98). Dietary biomarkers included vitamin D and selenium (n = 567). Barriers to healthy eating were assessed by face-to-face interviews (n =108) carried out using modified predeveloped Saudi questionnaires and an additional questionnaire developed and piloted for the purpose of this study.

Results: The systematic review highlighted the large gap in evidence of associations between dietary factors and T2DM in the Middle Eastern region in general and Saudi Arabia specifically. For the cross-sectional analyses, the overall sample was 2631 adults (females: 1280, males: 1351) and the prevalence of T2DM was 29.3% (females: 25.4%, males: 32.9%). WC was associated with T2DM independently of BMI, specifically in males. The intake of dates showed an inverse association with T2DM in males. Vitamin D levels were significantly higher in females with diabetes in comparison to nondiabetics. Serum selenium was associated positively with lipid parameters in females and fasting insulin in males. However, selenium was not associated with diabetes. Lack of dietary knowledge and culturally specific barriers (lack of social support, lack of will power and reliance) were barriers to healthy eating in participants with and without T2DM.

Conclusion: The findings of this thesis highlight culturally specific factors associated with T2DM in Saudi adults. Further dietary studies in relation to T2DM are required in Saudi Arabia. Cultural issues should be incorporated when designing health awareness campaigns to address Saudis specific needs.


This study falls within the scope of cognitive lexicography which uses cognitive linguistic theories in lexicographic practice. The main objective of the study is to create a cognition-based monolingual thematic lexicon. The lexicon tests the validity of using cognitive linguistics, which uses language to reveal the human perception of a concept, in defining controversial multidisciplinary concepts. To that end, violence is selected as a case study and FrameNet is recruited as a cognitive linguistic resource. Cambridge Smart Thesaurus and WordNet are used as secondary resources to FrameNet. English TenTen corpus is employed to authenticate the findings before placing them in the lexicon. A twelve-frame lexicon is the result of the study. The constructed lexicon linguistically includes more than 250 violence-expressing word senses, defined and placed within their violence-associated frames. Some frames are cited from FrameNet without modification, while others are conceptually and linguistically modified. More important, some violence-specific frames are newly-reported. Evidently, studying how physical violence is linguistically expressed displays how the concept is structured in the human cognition. Thus, an empirical cognition-based definition of violence is suggested. This meets the challenge of the multiple sociological, psychological, political and criminological definitions. Moreover, a comprehensive definition of violence is recommended to include both its associated frames and expressing words.


Compared to the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons, the mesocortical DA neurons projecting to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are able to sustain higher levels of release when driven at high stimulation frequencies. The effect of a well known activator of protein kinase C (PKC), 4-beta-phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu), were compared on PFC and striatal DA terminals. DA release was monitored from slices of the rabbit PFC and striatum obtained from the same animal. The PKC activator, PDBu (30-1000 nM) enhanced the stimulation-evoked release (SER) of DA from PFC and striatum. The magnitude of the facilitation of DA release produced by PDBu was much greater from the PFC than from the striatum. In the striatum, PDBu produced a bell-shaped dose-response curve, i.e., 0.03 and 1 microM PDBu enhanced SER of DA by 25%, whereas 0.1 and 0.3 microM PDBu enhanced DA release by 60 and 100%, respectively (1 Hz, 120 pulses). In the PFC, 0.03 microM enhanced the SER of DA by 70% and 1 microM by 250% (1 Hz, 120 pulses). In addition, in the PFC, PDBu enhance the basal release of DA (+65% at 1 microM); this effect was not seen in the striatum. The inactive isomer, 4-alpha-phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (0.03-1 microM) failed to increase the SER and the basal release of DA from PFC or striatum. The SER of DA was dependent on the rate and duration of stimulation. However, under all conditions of stimulation studied DA release from PFC was always greater than from the striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Proof load testing of existing reinforced concrete bridges is becoming increasingly important as the current bridge stock is aging. In a proof load test, a load that corresponds to the factored live load is applied to a bridge structure, to directly demonstrate that a bridge fulfills the code requirements. To optimize the procedures used in proof load tests, it can be interesting to combine field testing and finite element modeling. Finite element models can for example be used to assess a tested structure after the test when the critical position could not be loaded. In this paper, the case of viaduct De Beek, a four-span reinforced concrete slab bridge, is studied. Upon assessment, it was found that the requirements for bending moment are not fulfilled for this structure. This viaduct was proof load tested in the end span. However, the middle spans are the critical spans of this structure. The initial assessment of this viaduct was carried out with increasingly refined linear finite element models. To further study the behavior of this bridge, a non-linear finite element model is used. The data from the field test (measured strains on the bottom of the concrete cross-section, as well as measured deflection profiles) are used to update the non-linear finite element model for the end span, and to improve the modeling and assessment of the critical middle spans of the structure. Similarly, an improved assessment based on a linear finite element model is carried out. The approaches shown for viaduct De Beek should be applied for other case studies before recommendations for practice can be formulated. Eventually, an optimized combination of field testing and finite element modeling will result in an approach that potentially reduces the cost of field testing.


Nearly 400 previously unpublished letters capture the essence of an extraordinary and in some ways unlikely friendship between one of America's preeminent jurists and a younger, reform-minded colleague who would himself one day ascend to the Supreme Court. Oliver Wendell Holmes was 71 when introduced to fiery, effervescent Felix Frankfurter, who'd come to Washington at age 30 to serve President Taft. The two couldn't have had more different backgrounds: Holmes a Civil War hero of Boston Brahmin stock, and Frankfurter a Jewish immigrant whose reformist views would lead him to help found the American Civil Liberties Union and act as key advisor to Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal. With an introduction providing historical background and annotations that supply context for cases mentioned, this unique collection illuminates a strong and mutually satisfying personal and professional relationship between two men whose exchanges on the meaning of law in general and American law in particular, the editors write, "found expression in their work and influenced legal and political change in their own lifetimes and in ours as well."


The book is a critical examination of affirmative action, a form of preferential development often used to address the situation of disadvantaged groups. It uses a trans-global approach, as opposed to the comparative approach, to examine the relationship between affirmative action, ethnic conflict and the role of the state in Fiji, Malaysia and South Africa. While affirmative action has noble goals, there are often intervening political and ideological factors in the form of ethno-nationalism and elite interests, amongst others, which potentially undermine fair distribution of affirmative action resources. The book examines the affirmative action philosophies and programs of the three countries and raises pertinent questions about whether affirmative action has led to equality, social justice, harmony and political stability and explores future possibilities. "Steven Ratuva provides a brilliant critical study, not just of affirmative action policy and practice in three very different postcolonial contexts, but of the very complex matters of principle, justification and ideology that are involved more generally. It is an invaluable contribution to the literature on this important topic." - Dr Stephanie Lawson, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Macquarie University. "Scholarly and provocative, Steven Ratuva's Politics of Preferential Development is an original and insightful comparative contribution to the growing literature on affirmative action around the world." - Dr Ralph Premdas, Professor of Public Policy, University of West Indies; Former Professor, University of California Berkeley and University of Toronto.


This paper describes a new interactive environment for user interface specification which is based on an enhanced spreadsheet model of computation. This environment allows sophisticated graphical user interfaces with dynamic feedback to be implemented with little or no explicit programming. Its goal is to support user interface specification by nonprogramming experts in human factors, visual design, or the application domain. In addition, the system is designed to allow sophisticated end-users to modify and customize their own interfaces. The system is based on a data flow model of computation. This model is presented to the interface designer in the form of a spreadsheet enhanced with new constructs for easier programming and reuse. These constructs include an improved interactive programming environment, a prototype-instance-based inheritance system, support for composition, abstraction, and customization using indirect references, the addition of support for graphical inputs and outputs, and support for the encapsulation of application data structures and routines within system objects.


Patient experience surveys are increasingly used as a method for evaluating important aspects of quality of care and the results are used politically to support general decision-making. However, there have been limited attempts to summarize the newest and most essential knowledge on how to measure and interpret patient experience data. This paper aims to summarize knowledge on the association between delivered care and patient reported experience and the factors influencing this association, and to outline a conceptual model illustrating the association. The method employed is integrative literature review. Quantitative and qualitative studies as well as theoretical and discussion papers that specifically related to the concept of patient evaluations were included. Identified literature was scoped. Thematic analysis was conducted and the results were used to synthesize a model by integrating identified factors. Expectations, patient characteristics, survey timing, loyalty to health professionals, backing up own choices and questionnaire and item design where identified as factors influencing the association between delivered care and patient reported experience. The developed model suggests that there should be a clear differentiation between patient's experience and patient reported experience. The model derived from the literature underlines that the association between received care and patient reported experience is complex. Patient reported experience data should be interpreted with caution, as reported positive experiences might neither reflect high quality care nor satisfied patients.


Water has had and still has an important role in the history of civilization. Early man created a social order and formulated social values that led to development of irrigation systems in areas of sparse precipitation. Although early settlers in Nebraska also looked to the rivers for agricultural stability in times of drought, it was not until technology and a strong federal government came of age that the dis charge of rivers was significantly affected by diversions for irrigation. Now, few rivers are unaffected by one or more storage, diversion, or return structures. Additional roles for surface water are now sought. Among these are minimum streamflow to support fisheries and riverine wildlife, assimilate pollution, provide recreation and aesthetic enjoy ment, and recharge valley aquifers. Another role is the preservation of wild and scenic reaches for memorials to our heritage and for the joy of future generations. To the question "Water use-who cares?," one must answer "Everybody." Our task is to identify the social values of today for management of the resource.


This thesis examines the perceived benefits of sport for ethnic minority young people in the context of social exclusion. The broad constructs of social exclusion, are examined whilst drawing together evidence of how individuals experience exclusion in contemporary Britain. Throughout reference is made specifically to a broad spectrum of ethnic minorities and the experiences they endure due to the distinctive combination of socio-economic factors and race.

The claim that sport has the potential to address social exclusion through empowering individuals and creating community cohesion is examined. The link between education and exclusion is regarded as one of the key determinants with the potential to either positively or adversely affect the likelihood of ethnic minorities becoming excluded (Parekh, 2000). Therefore understanding the relationship between education and exclusion is key in examining the claim that sport can be used to address social exclusion in a group who are more likely to be excluded from both sport and education in the first place.

In order to achieve the research aim a mixed method approach was utilised. By combining a flavour of grounded theory modelling, plus adopting a critical realist stance, provided an opportunity for the subject matter to be recorded and analysed in order to gain an understanding of social life and interaction.

The research was carried out within the Arches School Sports Partnership in north Sheffield. By contextualising the programme, it was possible to investigate the young peoples responses and understandings of the sport within these parameters, identify and interview key stakeholders, sports deliverers and community practitioners. Additionally the views of the young people from a range of ethnic minorities were sought through a questionnaire and more detailed interviews.

The results of the study illustrated the diverse range of views expressed by individuals. The ethnic minority young people revealed a greater degree of diversity in relation to hyphenated identities, which was closely linked to role or place of religion in their lives, particularly for the Muslims. All of the young people, regardless of their ethnicity, perceived exclusion as part of their lives in one form or another, which was expressed in diverse first-hand experiences, stemming from anti-social behaviour. Their perceptions of the use of sport to tackle wider social issues was the most negative response of all those interviewed. Whilst they believed there is a correlation between sport and social exclusion, and, along with other structured activities, could potentially positively affect their lives, in that if they had more to do in their spare time they would they be less susceptible to being involved in anti-social behaviour and thereby being excluded from society.

The adults demonstrated a range in levels of knowledge and understanding of exclusion and how it may affect young people. However, whilst the deliverers were very positive about sport s potential use, citing a strong positive correlation between involvement in sport and improved behaviour management they believed multi-agency working and a variety of different agendas, were a potential conflict to successful outcomes from all young people. In comparison community practitioners were very knowledgeable about exclusion issues and generally positive of sport's potential use, though were keen to promote a multi-agency approach in order to achieve success, and expressed scepticism about sport being used as a purely diversionary tactic

In addition to diversity within each group, there were also differences between the perceptions of understandings of young people and adults, demonstrating the degree of diversity in the research findings.


Cubic equations (EoSs) of state are successfully used in petroleum and natural gas industry. In order to extend these equations to mixtures, van der Waals mixing rules with Lorentz-Berthelot (LB) combining rules are often employed; however, the accuracies of these EoSs in predicting the densities of hydrocarbon mixtures are not adequate. The main objective of this study was comparing 13 EoSs coupled with 10 combining rules in predicting the densities of hydrocarbon mixtures. Binary and ternary liquid mixtures, LNG mixtures and synthetic natural gas mixtures comprising 752 data points were collected and used in this study. Results revealed that for predicting the liquid densities of binary and ternary mixtures, the Schmidt and Wenzel (SW) EoS coupled with Hudson-McCoubrey (HMC) or LB combining rules are the best among the others. The SW EoS coupled with the LB combining rules were also the best in predicting the densities of the LNG mixtures. Additionally, the LB combining rules are the best in predicting natural gas mixtures densities using the Patel and Teja (PT), SW and Patel-Teja-Valderrama (PTV) EoSs. In general, it was found that the Redlich-Kwong (RK) family EoSs, SW and Trebble-Bishnoi-Salim (TBS) EoSs are best coupled with the LB combining rules. However, the Peng and Robinson (PR) family EoSs with Halgren (HHG) combining rules were in better agreement with experimental data. The Waldman-Hagler (WH) combining rules lacked predictability when coupled with the most EoSs.


This study explores the Drivers and Barriers for Solar Home Systems (SHSs) in Kyerwa, Tanzania from the villagers' perspective. It was conducted in cooperation with the Swedish NGO Vi Agroforestry, who supported the field visits. Preparations were made in Sweden during Jan-March 2014, and the field study in Kyerwa, Kagera region was executed in April-May 2014. The study was mainly qualitative and the central data was received from 30 semi-structured interviews with villagers in Kyerwa district. For the design and analysis of the study, the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and a sociotechnical perspective were used. The main drivers for SHSs were found to be improved economy, increased study opportunities for children and improved indoor environment from cutting out kerosene use. On the other hand, the main barrier for further spreading was the up-front cost of the SHS. Furthermore, though awareness of SHS is high, the lack of marketing of SHSs acts as another barrier. Most SHSs in the area show good technical performance, but lack of user maintenance might jeopardize this in the future. Lastly, villagers requested SHSs sold on a payment plan, as this would enable the investment for many.


Abstract. Photorealistic three-dimensional (3D) models play an indispensable role in the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) of a smart city. Recent developments in aerial oblique photogrammetry, and the popularity of terrestrial mobile mapping systems (MMSs) offer possibilities for deriving 3D models with centimeter-level accuracy in urban areas. Additionally, advances in image matching and bundle adjustment have allowed 3D models derived from the integration of aerial and ground imagery to overcome typical problems related to 3D mapping in urban areas (e.g., geometric defects, blurred textures on building facades). Nevertheless, this approach may not be suitable for all scenarios owing to innate differences between each platform. Besides, MMS images may not cover regions that cannot be reached by mobile vehicles in urban areas (e.g., narrow alleys, areas far from roads). Meanwhile, backpack systems have garnered attention from the photogrammetry community in recent years due to their flexibility, and regions neglected in previous works can be adequately reconstructed from images collected by backpack systems. This paper presents an approach for effectively integrating multi-source images collected by aerial, MMS, and backpack platforms for seamless 3D mapping in urban areas. The approach includes three main steps: (1) data pre-processing, (2) combined structure-from-motion, and (3) optimal generation of a textured 3D mesh model. The experimental results using aerial, MMS, and backpack datasets collected in a typical urban area in Hong Kong demonstrate the promising performance of the proposed approach. The described work is significant for boosting various types of imagery for integrated 3D mapping in both city scale and street level to facilitate various applications.


Critical thinking can be said to be among the louder 'buzz phrases' in education in the 21st century. Both critical thinking and communication are key employability skills. Whilst there is a body of research on critical thinking, and its role in pedagogy, there seems to be a dearth of research linking second language ability and critical thinking. This area probably needs further examination given that it relates to subject specific discourse. Moreover the debate about domain-specific and generalist critical thinking skills is arguably impacted by language in ways that could disadvantage non-native English speakers in their assessed work. This research, carried out with Automotive students in New Zealand, suggests the language support currently given on a Bachelor level course in Automotive may not be adequate, and might need to be made available in different ways because perceptions of language ability may impact on success. The findings from this project suggest that automotive students might in fact prefer more language support. This information would be useful for course designers and facilitators at institutions elsewhere, particularly where courses might attract large numbers of non-native speakers either as international or domestic students. In either case, their perceived needs and expectations on the level of language support required to succeed are a focal point of this project.


The concept of transnationalism is characterised by an important contradiction. While it makes an important contribution to the literature on identity by focussing on the themes of hybridity and pluralism, when it discusses the issue of transnational capital, it falls into the trap of essentialising ethnicity. Transnational theorist argue that there exists a pan-ethnic unity among the Chinese diaspora that would enable this community to emerge as a new economic force globally. The case studies in this essay reveal, however, that transnational networks do not influence the way ethnic groups do business with co-ethnics in other countries. This study argues that there is significant competition among Chinese-owned enterprises, which explains the dynamism of these firms. There is also much evidence of inter-ethnic corporate ties involving Chinese firms. These findings bring into question the importance of common ethnic identity in transnational business transactions undertaken by the Chinese companies.


In the streets of Santo Domingo, Haitian and Dominican paintings are sold side-by-side, usually by Haitian dealers attracted to their neighbour's much larger tourist market. They are easy to tell apart, for the Haitian paintings generally conform to the naïf style, whereas the Dominican paintings feature rural scenes or Taïno designs. The cultural differences in the designs of the paintings, and their appeal to foreign tourists rather than Dominicans, lend support to decades of scholarship describing Dominican–Haitian relations as being built upon nationalism and notions of racial difference, as well as the 'exotic' appeal that the Caribbean holds for tourists. However, this scholarship falls short of providing a holistic account of Dominican–Haitian relations because it sidelines the crucially important role of trade – historically and contemporaneously – in structuring them. In this article, I reinterpret the history and contemporary nature of art markets in Hispaniola to argue that market relations should be considered alongside symbolic representations when assessing transnational identity politics.


Pore space properties of sedimentary rocks are of fundamental importance with regard to reservoir
evaluation and fluid flow modelling or special geotechnical applications such as stability considerations
for reservoirs, dams, or embankments. Processes such as compaction due to pressure
drawdown in weakly consolidated reservoirs, effects caused by stimulation of reservoirs with
decreasing productivity, or the compaction of building ground can be effectively studied by verifying
and monitoring changes in porosity. The close connections between electrical resistivity or
conductivity and pore space geometry as well as a high sensitivity to even slight changes in pore
space characterising parameters are well-established.
Therefore, the results of complex electrical conductivity measurements in the frequency range
from 0.05 Hz to 1 kHz on a set of heterogeneous shaly sand samples during increasing compaction
are presented in this study. The major objective of these investigations was to quantify the porosity
reduction in shaly sands during the step-wise compaction of the samples in a specially designed
measurement cell. Overall, ten unconsolidated shaly sand samples with varying grain size distribution
were analysed. In addition, selected shaly sandstone data are presented to enhance the observations
made for the sand samples with regard to the potential influence of cementation as expressed
by the cementation exponent.
With increasing compaction, the measured complex conductivity data of the fully water-saturated
samples show two co-occurring effects. On the one hand, the real part decreases due to the
dominating effect of Archie's law. On the other hand, the imaginary part increases due to the
increasing contribution of interface conductivity. This effect is due to an increase in the internal
surface-area-to-porosity ratio. Cementation exponent and the considered porosity range seem to be
controlling the magnitude of this effect. These observations may be explained by using a simple
complex conductivity model that relates conductivity components to porosity, specific surface area,
and cementation exponent. An interpretation algorithm is proposed that allows determining relative
porosity variations based on a baseline and a single repeat measurement without prior knowledge
of further rock characteristics.
To demonstrate the applicability of the algorithm on field measurements, data from spectral
induced polarization soundings obtained at a test site for compaction techniques were interpreted.
It could be shown that these observations bear further potential for enhancing the prediction of
porosity, changes of compaction, and, hence, changes in hydraulic permeability.


Rapid urbanization in the UAE has led to some environmental implications, one of which concerns Dubai Creek – a major attraction in the city of Dubai. The creek's water quality monitoring program showed increased concentrations of phosphorusand nitrogen-based nutrients starting in 2008 and 2009. The creek has since been through redundant eutrophication, which has been attributed to the high levels of nutrients in addition to the creek's poor flushing and irregular circulation processes. The aim of this study was to (a) assess the susceptibility of the creek to eutrophication considering its principal factors, and (b) to identify the pattern of this process (i.e., seasonal, cyclic, etc.). Principal component analysis was used to identify the principal factors from nitrates, phosphates, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity, which were collected as quarterly averages in 2012 and 2013. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the susceptibility of the creek to eutrophication considering the principal factors obtained by PCA. The analysis showed that three different factors, which included at least nitrates or phosphates, have contributed to eutrophication in every quarter of the year in the period of study. Further analysis showed weak correlation between principal factors of eutrophication in consecutive quarters. However, strong correlations were observed between these factors when the same quarters over the period of the study were considered, suggesting a possible seasonal pattern.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the proposed cancer-related fatigue (CRF) diagnostic criteria in a sample of cancer survivors. More accurate prevalence estimates of CRF may result in improved diagnosis and management of one of the most common symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment.

METHODS
Three hundred seventy-nine individuals who had been treated with chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with radiation therapy, were surveyed. Patients were asked background questions about their current condition, their medical history, and the frequency of fatigue during their chemotherapy. Additionally, patients who reported experiencing fatigue at least a few days each month during treatment were asked a series of questions about the impact of fatigue on their daily functioning.

RESULTS
One hundred forty-one (37%) individuals reported at least 2 weeks of fatigue in the previous month. Of the respondents who had received their last treatment more than 5 years ago, 33% still reported at least a 2-week period of fatigue in the month before the interview. Evaluation of the proposed criteria revealed that 17% of respondents met at least two criteria for CRF.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of diagnosable CRF in the individuals in this sample, most of whom had completed treatment more than 1 year ago, was 17%-lower than expected based on previous reports that have used less-strict criteria. In a sizable number of people, CRF persists well beyond active treatment and should be a focus of intervention. Although they will require replication in other samples and clinical validation, these formal diagnostic criteria can be a step toward common language and a better understanding of the severity range and persistence of CRF.


With relatively high frame rates and the ability to acquire volume data sets with a stationary transducer, 3D ultrasound systems, based on matrix phased array transducers, provide valuable three-dimensional information, from which quantitative measures of cardiac function can be extracted. Such analyses require segmentation and visual tracking of the left ventricular endocardial border. Due to the large size of the volumetric data sets, manual tracing of the endocardial border is tedious and impractical for clinical applications. Therefore the development of automatic methods for tracking three-dimensional endocardial motion is essential. In this study, we evaluate a four-dimensional optical flow motion tracking algorithm to determine its capability to follow the endocardial border in three dimensional ultrasound data through time. The four-dimensional optical flow method was implemented using three-dimensional correlation. We tested the algorithm on an experimental open-chest dog data set and a clinical data set acquired with a Philips' iE33 three-dimensional ultrasound machine. Initialized with left ventricular endocardial data points obtained from manual tracing at end-diastole, the algorithm automatically tracked these points frame by frame through the whole cardiac cycle. Finite element surfaces were fitted through the data points obtained by both optical flow tracking and manual tracing by an experienced observer for quantitative comparison of the results. Parameterization of the finite element surfaces was performed and maps displaying relative differences between the manual and semi-automatic methods were compared. The results showed good consistency with less than 10% difference between manual tracing and optical flow estimation on 73% of the entire surface. In addition, the optical flow motion tracking algorithm greatly reduced processing time (about 94% reduction compared to human involvement per cardiac cycle) for analyzing cardiac function in threedimensional ultrasound data sets. A displacement field was computed from the optical flow output, and a framework for computation of dynamic cardiac information is introduced. The method was applied to a clinical data set from a heart transplant patient and dynamic measurements agreed with known physiology as well as experimental results.


Reinforcement learning (RL) has been widely used to solve problems with a little feedback from environment. Q learning can solve Markov decision processes (MDPs) quite well. For partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs), a recurrent neural network (RNN) can be used to approximate Q values. However, learning time for these problems is typically very long. We present a new combination of RL and RNN to find a good policy for POMDPs in a shorter learning time. This method contains two phases: firstly, state space is divided into two groups (fully observable state group and hidden state group); secondly, a Q value table is used to store values of fully observable states and an RNN is used to approximate values for hidden states. Results of experiments in two grid world problems show that the proposed method enables an agent to acquire a policy with better learning performance compared to the method using only a RNN.


Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder and sodium diclofenac as symptomatic management of RA but in long-term used would has gastrohepatology side effect. Previous studies reported onion skin extract has antiinflammatory effect as an alternative approach in treatment RA symptoms. This study aimed to observe the histological changes in rat's intraarthicular joint induced with Complete Freunds Adjuvant (CFA) treated with onion skin extract. The method is an Experimental Study with post-test control group design. Arthritis was induced by intraarticular of Complete Freund Adjuvant (CFA) on the right back knee of rat. Eighteen rats were randomly divided into six groups, first group as a normal control, and five other groups were induced with 100 μg CFA, then these groups were treated differently. One of five group induced as negative control.Three groups were treated orally with onion skin extract in doses 100,200,300 mg /kg body weight and one group treated orally with sodium diclofenac in doses 10 mg/kg body weight as positive control. This study showed that onion skin extract prevents some principal signs of arthritis and significantly reduces the joint


We present a convolutional neural network for joint 3D shape prediction and viewpoint estimation from a single input image. During training, our network gets the learning signal from a silhouette of an object in the input image-a form of self-supervision. It does not require ground truth data for 3D shapes and the viewpoints. Because it relies on such a weak form of supervision, our approach can easily be applied to real-world data. We demonstrate that our method produces reasonable qualitative and quantitative results on natural images for both shape estimation and viewpoint prediction. Unlike previous approaches, our method does not require multiple views of the same object instance in the dataset, which significantly expands the applicability in practical robotics scenarios. We showcase it by using the hallucinated shapes to improve the performance on the task of grasping real-world objects both in simulation and with a PR2 robot.


The purpose of this paper is to challenge some of the cornerstones of Grounded theory and propose an extended alternative approach for data analysis and theory development, which we call multi-grounded theory (MGT). A multi-grounded theory is not only empirically grounded. Three different grounding processes are acknowledged: Theoretical, empirical and internal grounding. We go beyond the pure inductivist approach in GT and add the explicit use of external theories. A working structure of MGT is presented, which can be seen as an extension of Grounded theory.


Today, any research about the influence of accounting information in great range of stock holder decisions makers in companies leads to the better understanding of the method and role of information and its better disclosure. Current work was conducted aiming at investigating role of financial constrains in relationship between financial reporting quality and investment inefficiency. Research statistical population includes companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during 2008–2013. 112 companies were considered as statistical sample considering predetermined criteria. Data in RahavardNovin Software were used for data collection. Also, financial statements of the companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange were used. Multivariate regression model, the fixed effects model and generalized least squares estimation method were used for data analysis using Eviews software. In this regression model, variables of growth, size, asset return, cash and objective assets were entered into analysis as control variables. Analysis results show that financial constraints increase opposite effect of financial reporting quality on investment inefficiency.


This dissertation analyzes how immigrants' individual
and home country characteristics affect and determine their labor
market participation, returns to education and wages in both their
country of origin (before migration occurs) and in the United
States. The dissertation also estimates the extent to which
immigrant skills are transferable to the American labor market. The
research is carried out using data from the New Immigrant Survey,
released in 2003, supplemented with the Mexican Household Income
and Expenditure National Survey and other data sources. The New
Immigrant Survey has two specific sets of questions that other
surveys do not have. First, it has a detailed set of questions
about the socioeconomic experience of the migrants before they left
their home country. Secondly, the survey asked participants about
their immigrant visa categories, allowing a separation of
immigrants into economic migrants (those who came through
employment preferences or other categories directly linked to
economic objectives) and non-economic migrants (refugees, migrants
entering through family preferences, etc., whose direct migration
motive was political, family-related, and not directly economic in
nature). The dissertation reveals that there exist significant
differences between economic and non-economic migrants in the
determinants of labor market participation, wages, migration
selectivity and transferability of skills. Substantial differences
are observed between men and women. Immigrants have low labor
participation rates in their country of origin although they are
highly educated compared to non-migrants at home. Those from
English-speaking and high GDP countries are less likely to work but
earn higher wages. Non-economic migrant men are more likely to be
employed (than economic migrant men), but their wages do not
differ. Among women, both economic and non-economic migrants are
just as likely to be employed but non-economic migrant women earn
less. Using Mexico as a case study to examine the selectivity of
legal immigrants, it was found that documented migrants were less
likely to have been employed before migration to the US, but their
level of education and wages were significantly higher than those
of non-migrants. The individual characteristics of these two groups
affect their employment and wage determinants differently. Some of
the literature has emphasized how immigrants may be positively
selected because of greater motivation, willingness to undertake
risks, etc. But, on this basis, most of the existing analysis of
the determinants of immigrant wages in the U.S. suffers from
omitted variable bias because there are no data for these
unobserved characteristics or skills (motivation, persistence,
etc.) and they are ignored in the statistical analysis. In an
examination of immigrant wages in the U.S., this dissertation used
wages earned abroad as a measure of the unobserved skills of the
migrants and their level of transferability. An analysis of the
determinants of immigrant wages was then carried out,…