Although ecological modernisation has a prominent position in contemporary environmental sociology, efforts to use ecological modernisation concepts in the specific case of nature conservation are remarkably absent. This article explores the potentials of applying ecological modernisation as a discourse and as a theory to issues of nature management. It is argued that ecological modernisation theory offers interesting perspectives for analysing actual developments in nature and biodiversity conservation. From an ecological modernisation perspective, nature conservation emerges both as resource conservation and as cultural consumption. Social research into multifunctional land use and into new economic actors and market dynamics in conservation fits in well with the hypotheses of ecological modernisation theory, and this theory can be very helpful in analysing the links between production and consumption practices and issues of nature conservation. The central concept of ecological rationality, however, would need to be broadened in order to encompass the socio-cultural drivers of consumers and citizens dealing with nature.


Posterior shoulder dislocations and fracture-dislocations are uncommon injuries that most often occur during seizures or as a result of high-energy trauma. Despite advances in imaging, they are frequently diagnosed late. Detection is facilitated by heightened clinical suspicion of the injury in high-risk individuals together with appropriate radiographic investigation. A wide variety of operative techniques, ranging from simple closed reduction to soft-tissue and bone stabilization procedures to prosthetic arthroplasty, are available to treat these injuries. Selection of the most appropriate treatment option is complex and multifactorial. Because of the rarity of these injuries, evidence-based treatment protocols are difficult to devise. Good functional outcomes are associated with early detection and treatment of isolated posterior dislocations that are associated with a small osseous defect and are stable following closed reduction. Poor prognostic factors include late diagnosis, a large anterior defect in the humeral head, deformity or arthrosis of the humeral head, an associated fracture of the proximal part of the humerus, and the need for an arthroplasty.


This paper studies the incidence, determinants and pricing of unprotected oral sex in the London sex services market. The analysis is based upon matched sex worker-client panel data, which were collected from "field reports" on PunterNet.com website over the 1999-2009 time period. We find a steady increase in the incidence of unprotected oral sex during this period, rising from less than 20% to over 50% of all transactions. We show that the average premium for unprotected oral sex amounts to about 10-14% of the transaction price, and that this premium is higher if a sex worker has agency affiliation. Agency affiliated sex workers are also less likely to engage in unprotected oral sex compared to independent sex workers.


Drug targeting is an active area of research and nano-scaled drug delivery systems hold tremendous potential for the treatment of neoplasms. In this study, a novel cyclodextrin (CD)-based nanoparticle drug delivery system has been assembled and characterized for the therapy of folate receptor-positive [FR(+)] cancer. Water-soluble folic acid (FA)-conjugated CD carriers (FACDs) were successfully synthesized and their structures were confirmed by 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF-MS), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and circular dichroism. Drug complexes of adamatane (Ada) and cytotoxic doxorubicin (Dox) with FACD were readily obtained by mixed solvent precipitation. The average size of FACD-Ada-Dox was 1.5–2.5 nm. The host-guest association constant K a was 1,639 M−1 as determined by induced circular dichroism and the hydrophilicity of the FACDs was greatly enhanced compared to unmodified CD. Cellular uptake and FR binding competitive experiments demonstrated an efficient and preferentially targeted delivery of Dox into FR-positive tumor cells and a sustained drug release profile was seen in vitro. The delivery of Dox into FR(+) cancer cells via endocytosis was observed by confocal microscopy and drug uptake of the targeted nanoparticles was 8-fold greater than that of non-targeted drug complexes. Our docking results suggest that FA, FACD and FACD-Ada-Dox could bind human hedgehog interacting protein that contains a FR domain. Mouse cardiomyocytes as well as fibroblast treated with FACD-Ada-Dox had significantly lower levels of reactive oxygen species, with increased content of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase activity, indicating a reduced potential for Dox-induced cardiotoxicity. These results indicate that the targeted drug complex possesses high drug association and sustained drug release properties with good biocompatibility and physiological stability. The novel FA-conjugated β-CD based drug complex might be promising as an anti-tumor treatment for FR(+) cancer.


Dryland river deposits are archives of past changes in fluvial-system form and process. Chronostratigraphic reconstruction of the late Holocene alluvial history of the Cuyama River in west-central California reveals past spatial and temporal variation in dryland channel form and process. The modern Cuyama River consists of a wide braided reach in the upper drainage basin, a narrower arroyo reach in the middle of the drainage basin, and a bedrock canyon reach in the lower drainage basin that drains to the Santa Maria coastal plain. Along the arroyo reach, late Holocene stratigraphy is well exposed and is the focus of this study. Between ca. 1700 and 350 yr B.P., two widespread deposits of tabular-bedded clay, silt, and fine sand were deposited, separated by a buried soil formed between 950 and 700 yr B.P. Channel incision occurred between 550 and 350 yr B.P. Next, deposition of massive to bedded sands occurred in a pattern alternating between poorly confined deposition on top of older deposits onto the broad valley floor, and channelized deposition along the valley axis inset into older deposits. The superposed deposits now underlie the main valley terrace, and the valley-axis deposits are preserved as inset fill terraces. Historical arroyo cutting then formed a 65-km-long arroyo ca. 150 yr B.P. Based on correlation to regional paleoclimate records, channel aggradation occurred during periods of relative aridity and low peak discharge events, while wet periods, possibly floods after drought, led to fluvial incision. These cycles are superimposed on a transition from a wide, silt- and fine-sand-dominated fluvial system to a modern, narrow, sand– and gravel-dominated arroyo channel. The relationship between times of fluvial process change and climate change in Cuyama Valley bears considerable similarity to other well-studied dryland rivers in the southwestern United States; however, the complex sedimentology and geometry of preserved fluvial deposits suggest that a wider range of fluvial modes occurred along the Cuyama River than has been reported in simpler cut-and-fill–dominated channels elsewhere. These spatial and sedimentological complexities underscore the need to link fluvial deposits and their bounding unconformities along a channel in order to fully understand the spatial and temporal evolution of ancient fluvial systems.


The issue of security has been a controversial and much disputed subject within the field of Knowledge Sharing (KS). We have previously drawn attention to the paradox in KS security and Information Systems (IS) security. Far too little attention has been paid to integrate security into KS. Thus, this study proposes a conceptual framework of Knowledge Risk Governance (KRG) to illustrate how governance of KS risks can be applied to decrease the risks of KS. To understand how KS could be improved, we draw upon Social Exchange Theory (SET) to examine and improve KS behavior. The potential constructs for the KRG framework were identified through literature review. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to investigate factors of the KRG framework. Finally, this paper demonstrates the importance of the KRG framework to enhance KS.


This book is borne out of the observation of a certain gap in the legal literature on the European internal market, which has traditionally focused on substantive issues – such as the content and the scope of the rules on free movement, including adjacent policies such as State aid control – and on their impact on the allocation of powers between the European institutions and Member States. Little attention has been devoted to the way in which these rules shape the administrative institutions in charge of securing the internal market. This is, precisely, the subject of this book. The book builds on the notion of "European administrative union" and, hence, on an understanding of the European administration as a sum of institutions, bodies or agencies – both European and national – which act cooperatively. It is against this complex reality that the different chapters of the book scrutinize the organizational and procedural specificities of the different public administrations that interact in the internal market. Some chapters address these issues from a cross-sector perspective (e.g., the studies on the public administration associated to the four fundamental freedoms or the study on independent regulatory authorities) while others do so from a sector-specific perspective (e.g., the studies on the banking union, the European system of State aid control, the European networks of competition and food authorities, or the administrative implications of public procurement rules). The combination of both perspectives provides new insights into the administrative dimension of the internal market.


The NASA/GSFC Scanning Raman Lidar was stationed on Andros Island, Bahamas for the third Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX 3) held in August–September, 1998 and acquired an extensive set of cirrus cloud measurements [ Whiteman et al., 2001 ]. Distinct differences in the optical properties of the clouds are found when the cirrus are hurricane‐induced versus non‐hurricane‐induced. Hurricane‐induced cirrus clouds are found to generally possess lower values of extinction‐to‐backscatter ratio (S) than non‐hurricane‐induced clouds. Comparison of the S measurements made here with those of other studies reveal at times large differences. Given that S is often a required parameter for space‐based retrievals of cloud optical depth using backscatter lidar, these large differences in S measurements imply difficulties in developing a parameterization of S for use in space‐based lidar retrievals.


Differential Response represents the most important child welfare initiative of the day, with Differential Response programs rapidly expanding throughout the country. It is designed to radically change our child welfare system, diverting the great majority of Child Protective Services cases to an entirely voluntary system. This Article describes the serious risks Differential Response poses for children and the flawed research being used to promote it as "evidence based." It puts the Differential Response movement in historical context as one of a series of extreme family preservation movements supported by a corrupt merger of advocacy with research. It argues for reform that would honor children's rights, confront the problems of poverty underlying child maltreatment in a serious way, and expand rather than reduce the capacity of Child Protective Services to address child maltreatment. It calls for a change in the dynamics of child welfare research and policy so that we can avoid endlessly repeating history in ways harmful to child interests.


The changing circumstances in which parties compete in contemporary democracies, coupled with the changing circumstances in which governments now govern, have led to a widening of the traditional gap between representative and responsible government. Although it is generally seen as desirable that parties in government are both representative and responsible, these two characteristics are now becoming increasingly incompatible. Prudence and consistency in government, as well as accountability, require conformity to external constraints and legacies. This means more than just answering to public opinion. While these external constraints and legacies have become weightier in recent years, public opinion, in its turn, has become harder and harder for governments to read. Hence we see the growing incompatibility. Meanwhile, because of changes in their organizations and in their relationship with civil society, parties are no longer in a position to bridge or 'manage' this gap, or even to persuade voters to accept it as a necessary element in political life. This growing incompatibility is one of the principal sources of the democratic malaise that confronts many Western democracies today.


BACKGROUND
Antipsychotic drugs are used in the routine treatment of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and challenging behaviour in the UK despite limited evidence of their effectiveness. There is no evidence on their cost-effectiveness.

METHODS
The relative cost-effectiveness of risperidone, haloperidol and placebo in treating individuals with an ID and challenging behaviour was compared from a societal perspective in a 26-week, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Outcomes were changes in aggression and quality of life. Costs measured all service impacts and unpaid caregiver inputs.

RESULTS
After 26 weeks, patients randomised to placebo had lower costs compared with those in the risperidone and haloperidol treatment groups. Aggression was highest for patients treated with risperidone and lowest for patients treated with haloperidol; however, quality of life was lowest for patients treated with haloperidol and highest for patients treated with risperidone.

CONCLUSION
The treatment of challenging behaviour in ID with antipsychotic drugs is not a cost-effective option.


In this paper we investigate the constructions that are used to encode reciprocal situations in English, based on responses to the 64 reciprocals videoclips developed for the Reciprocals Across Languages project (Evans et al. 2004). This work complements the extensive body of previous research on English reciprocals by focusing on spoken data. While our data supports the traditional view of each other as the primary and most common reciprocal construction in English, we find a greater degree of variation in construction types than this traditional view might suggest. Furthermore, we show that each other does not have the same degree of acceptability with all reciprocal situation types.


Mutations in the neuron-specific α3 isoform of the Na+/K+-ATPase are found in patients suffering from Rapid onset Dystonia Parkinsonism and Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, two closely related movement disorders. We show that mice harboring a heterozygous hot spot disease mutation, D801Y (α3+/D801Y), suffer abrupt hypothermia-induced dystonia identified by electromyographic recordings. Single-neuron in vivo recordings in awake α3+/D801Y mice revealed irregular firing of Purkinje cells and their synaptic targets, the deep cerebellar nuclei neurons, which was further exacerbated during dystonia and evolved into abnormal high-frequency burst-like firing. Biophysically, we show that the D-to-Y mutation abolished pump-mediated Na+/K+ exchange, but allowed the pumps to bind Na+ and become phosphorylated. These findings implicate aberrant cerebellar activity in α3 isoform-related dystonia and add to the functional understanding of the scarce and severe mutations in the α3 isoform Na+/K+-ATPase.


The city of Hawassa is growing fast, driven by construction of a flagship industrial park that is expected to attract up to 60,000 workers by 2021, mostly young women, arriving without families or dependents, and living off very low wages. Along with these young women, female-headed households; divorced, separated and widowed women; elderly women; and women with disabilities all face severe/acute shelter vulnerabilities. These groups are most likely to struggle to access both formal and informal shelter, related to their below-average income levels but also to other forms of bias and discrimination. This paper draws out key findings on gender and housing from a collaborative study investigating shelter provision in Hawassa, part of a wider research study on inclusive cities in East Africa led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). It aims to highlight specific constraints faced by women in accessing shelter, and around such issues as informality, safety and security, and infrastructure provision.


Process metrics can be used to establish baselines, to predict the effort required to go from an "as-is" to a "to-be" scenario or to pinpoint problematic ITSM process models. Several metrics proposed in the literature for business process models can be used for ITSM process models as well. This paper formalizes some of those metrics and proposes some new ones, using the Metamodel-Driven Measurement (M2DM) approach that provides precision, objectiveness and automatic collection. According to that approach, metrics were specified with the Object Constraint Language (OCL), upon a lightweight BPMN metamodel that is briefly described. That metamodel was instantiated with a case study consisting of two ITSM processes with two scenarios ("as-is" and "to-be") each. Values collected automatically by executing the OCL metrics definitions, upon the instantiated metamodel, are presented. Using a larger sample with several thousand meta-instances, we analyzed the collinearity of the formalized metrics and were able to identify a smaller set, which will be used to perform further research work on the complexity of ITSM processes.


This article discusses various aspects of the determination of molar mass distribution by means of size exclusion chroma- tography (SEC) in various application modes. The effects of erroneous specific refractive index increment ( dn /dc ), branching, column performance, and enthalpic interactions on the results obtained by different SEC techniques are discussed. Combination of SEC and a light scattering detector represents the most direct way to the molar mass distribution of all natural and synthetic polymers as it completely eliminates the need for column calibration and to a certain extent eliminates the dependence of the obtained results on some operational variables such as flow rate, temperature, or injected mass. A multiangle light scattering (MALS) photometer has become the most frequently used light scattering detector capable of determination of molecular size as another important polymer characteristic. This article contrasts SEC-MALS method with other application modes of SEC from the viewpoint of some frequent confusions and misunderstandings. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40111.


Objective The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the workstation type on the severity of mental stress by means of measuring prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Background Workstation type is known to influence worker's health and performance. Despite the practical implications of ergonomic workstations, limited information is available regarding their impact on brain activity and executive functions. Method Ten healthy participants performed a Montreal imaging stress task (MIST) in ergonomic and nonergonomic workstations to investigate their effects on the severity of the induced mental stress. Results Cortical hemodynamic changes in the PFC were observed during the MIST in both the ergonomic and nonergonomic workstations. However, the ergonomic workstation exhibited improved MIST performance, which was positively correlated with the cortical activation on the right ventrolateral and the left dorsolateral PFC, as well as a marked decrease in salivary alpha‐amylase activity compared with that of the nonergonomic workstation. Further analysis using the NASA Task Load Index revealed a higher weighted workload score in the nonergonomic workstation than that in the ergonomic workstation. Conclusion The findings suggest that ergonomic workstations could significantly improve cognitive functioning and human capabilities at work compared to a nonergonomic workstation. Application Such a study could provide critical information on workstation design and development of mental stress that can be overlooked during traditional workstation design and mental stress assessments.


The thesis writer finds that the main male character in Pillars of Society namely Karsten Bernick does deception in his life. By analyzing the drama, she wants to find out what factors that make him commit deception and what reasons that enable him to overcome his deception at the end. This analysis is significant because people often do deception unintentionally while on the other hand, getting other people?s trust is not easy when they find they have been laid. In her analysis, she finds that Bernick?s traits such as selfish and deceitful make him do something that is intolerable to the conservative society where he lives in so that he does deception to cover up his past wrongdoings to save his standing and his money. She also finds that his conflict with Lona leads him to his inner conflict so that his inner-self wakes up and he starts to realize that he is sick of living on lies, and some triggering incidents in his life give him bravery at last to confess the truth in front of the society. Before doing the confession, Bernick?s relationship with his wife is awful because there is insincerity between him and Betty related to Betty?s family so that Bernick find it difficult to share his burdens with his wife while his wife feels sinful during their marriage because of her family. Yet, his business is successful because his people believe in him. However, after the confession, Bernick?s marriage is recovered. Yet, his business falls down because the society finally knows that as a pillar of society, Bernick?s motif in doing businesses is not purely for the progress of the town. As a result, they may lose their belief on him and the worst they may isolate him socially and not give him any chance anymore to participate in big deals. To explore Bernick?s deception, the thesis writer does library research. The first source is the play itself. The second source is any related critical analysis from critics and literary approach namely characterization, conflict, and setting, and psychological term on deception to support her in making and developing her thesis.


Pigeonpea is an important crop in SemiArid tropical and subtropical areas. Although it is reported to have wide adaptability to different climates and soils, 98.7% of its production in Kenya is concentrated mainly in three counties (Machakos, Kitui and Makueni) but remains neglected and underutilized in North Rift Valley. Therefore, sixteen elite genotypes from ICRISAT were evaluated for yield performance and adaptability. Also, the study looked at association between grain yield and its yield components. Field experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated three times in three varied agro-ecological zones during long rain season of April-October 2014. Data was collected on grain yield, number of pods/plant, secondary branches, height at maturity, days to 50% flowering, days to physiological maturity, number of seeds/pod and 100 seed weight. The results revealed seven genotypes (ICEAPs 01147, 1147-1, 01159, 00911, 0979-1, 00850C and 1154-2) recording higher yields. Site variation was significant (P≤0.05) with Koibatek recording the highest average yield of 2.5 t/ha, Marigat (0.4 t/ha) and Fluorspar (0.2 t/ha). ICEAP 1147-1 was adaptable to all sites due to its vegetative growth of high branching and podding. This variety may therefore be selected for adaptability preference. Significant (P≤0.05) positive correlation was revealed between grain yield and number of pods/plant, secondary branches, height at maturity and 100 seed weight but negatively with 50% days to flowering. The results suggested pigeonpea yield potential in the studied sites hence, can be promoted to mitigate hunger and malnutrition. * Corresponding Author: Juliana J. Cheboi  firstname.lastname@example.com International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 9, No. 2, p. 47-56, 2016 International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 14-22, 2014


After some 15 years of operation as a copper and gold mine, the Ernest Henry Mine installed a magnetite extraction plant to enable the recovery of magnetite concentrate as well. A study was carried out to determine the feasibility of re-mining the tailings from an active thickened tailings storage area, which proved it viable. Dredging, dry mining and hydro mining methods of extraction were examined, costed and compared. Dredging was the selected method. In the months to follow, a dredging operation was set up on the tailings storage facility, which mined magnetite-rich tailings from it whilst simultaneously enabling the storage facility to remain active for receiving the thickened barren tailings from the magnetite extraction plant.
The Ernest Henry tailings storage facility is a square-shaped thickened discharge system with a perimeter embankment, and a beach that slopes from one corner to the opposite one. This slope of the beach presented one challenge to the dredging operation, which was effectively addressed with the adoption of a systematic progressive mining method. The need to minimise the sterilisation of the magnetite-rich tailings beneath a layer of new barren tailings presented another challenge, which also required some careful planning.
An overview of the dredging operation is presented, as well as some relevant details of it. The management of the tailings discharge during dredging is also discussed, as is the slurry transport and pumping requirements for the dredging. A number of other technical and practical challenges are also discussed, such as the initial excavation of the starter pond, launching and retrieving the dredge, and anchoring of the dredge.
Dredging can be a very effective and economical means of extracting tailings from a storage facility, even in cases where thickened tailings have been discharged to create a sloping beach.


Obtaining reliable, matched photometry for galaxies imaged by different observatories represents a key challenge in the era of wide-field surveys spanning more than several hundred square degrees. Methods such as flux fitting, profile fitting, and PSF homogenization followed by matched-aperture photometry are all computationally expensive. We present an alternative solution called "synthetic aperture photometry" that exploits galaxy profile fits in one band to efficiently model the observed, point-spread-function-convolved light profile in other bands and predict the flux in arbitrarily sized apertures. Because aperture magnitudes are the most widely tabulated flux measurements in survey catalogs, producing synthetic aperture magnitudes (SYNMAGs) enables very fast matched photometry at the catalog level, without reprocessing imaging data. We make our code public and apply it to obtain matched photometry between Sloan Digital Sky Survey ugriz and UKIDSS YJHK imaging, recovering red-sequence colors and photometric redshifts with a scatter and accuracy as good as if not better than FWHM-homogenized photometry from the GAMA Survey. Finally, we list some specific measurements that upcoming surveys could make available to facilitate and ease the use of SYNMAGs.


Partnering is a broad term used to describe an integrated team working approach; and integration means combining various elements into a whole. Partnering became popular within the UK construction industry largely as a result of two distinct 1990 reports (i.e. Latham, 1994 and Egan, 1998). The corollary of this relied to some extent on parties being dependent upon one another for success whether this arrangement was for a one off project or a longer term relationship over a number of projects. Partnering was also proffered as a vehicle for providing greater efficiencies and a higher 'value' through an agreement where a set of actions could help project teams improve their conjoined performance. The partnering approach was seen as an agreement that endorsed better collaboration, engendered mutual trust and team working, whilst also creating a platform for sharing both risk and rewards. Therefore, whilst not meant to be a fixed way of working per se, it was acknowledged from the outset that certain cultural, attitudinal and procedural changes would be required throughout the relevant supply chain. This to enable partnering to develop as project teams evolved within their relationships in order to find the most effective ways of achieving agreed objectives. Meaning partnering was about achieving 'best value' for all parties. Yet, while the positive aspects of partnering have been espoused in extant literature, covering various industry sectors, including: manufacturing, retail and construction; there was no explicit definition as to what partnering was [specifically] within the UK construction industry, or what it was supposed to achieve. Considerable debate therefore continues to challenge the partnering paradigm, for as it remains unestablished with limited systematising or standardisation, organisations commonly communicate with those one tier removed. As a result, the UK construction industry remains relatively unchanged despite successive reports, recommendations and potential collaborative solutions. Thus organisations continue to pursue their own self-interests to such an extent that 'true' collaborative working is often rendered impossible to achieve. This has had a negative impact on the industry as a whole, including the supply chain. In summary therefore, the industry still remains fragmented, adversarial and divided, which impedes communication, trust and a willingness to embrace the true 'spirit' of partnering per se.
The study, taking a pragmatic post-positivist stance, focuses on four key disciplines (Client, Consultant, Main Contractor and Sub-contractor). The rationale supporting this approach endeavoured to capture actors and context, such that observations and research findings could be grounded and linked back to theory generation. An explicit mixed method research methodological approach was adopted in this research to purposefully explore phenomena and reason, especially to increase understanding and affirmation in respect of the partnering paradigm. This engaged both quantitative and qualitative approaches which engaged domain practitioners across the four disciplines. Content analysis of that qualitative data provided a vehicle for mapping the fabric, resilience and veracity of the core partnering drivers. This helped develop the second phase of the measuring instrument. Accordingly, theoretical codes were then generated and subsequently administered to 40 individual companies across the four disciplines. Purposive sampling was then used to select two case studies for data capture and model explication. Quantitative data analysis was then used to evaluate a series of drivers and variables. These were then mapped into a conceptual process model using an iterative approach (within the case studies) to affirm process conformity, accuracy and relevance. The model was then tested and validated with independent domain experts to ensure cogency (internal/external), reliability (inter-rater/observer) and homogeneity (consistency).
This work presents a new conceptual model for strengthening and supporting the partnering paradigm; which, it is proffered will open up new discourse in both theory and practice. The philosophical underpinnings of this work support the concepts of sustained partnering growth, through guidance, governance and commonality. It presents stakeholders with a systematised and standardised approach to supply chain collaboration. The conceptual model identifies eight key drivers, the granularity of which highlight dynamic drivers, dependencies and relationships needed to support and promote 'true' partnering. The causal relationships and dependencies embody different organisational 'cultures' where partnering parties can work together regardless of their perceived dominance and/or tier position. Thus, the entire supply chain can be actively and more purposefully engaged in the partnering paradigm the full potential of partnering. Moreover, as the success of partnerships depends to a large extent on selecting appropriate partners; there is a concomitant need to evaluate the 'quality' of these relationships. The conceptual partnering model presented in this thesis offers new insight into these dynamic relationships. In doing so, it offers readers detailed evidence for further reflection – specifically cognisant of partnering organisations' different perceptions, positioning and responsibilities for making the partnering ethos work in practice.


In a paper probably to be published in Optika i Spektroskopiya the wave aberration for sagittal focus for the arbitrary surface of rotational symmetry has been carried out on the base of the astigmatic beam invariant D(s) = nu(s)d(s). The resulting expression for the wave aberration has been reformulated into three terms which, in the Seidel region, go over into astigmatism (the first) and into the Petzval curvature (the second) while the third disappears.


This paper considers issues raised in the application of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) to estimating willingness to pay (WTP). The main issue addressed is the sensitivity of WTP estimates to the level of attributes. A DCE, concerned with preferences for alternative cervical screening programmes, was carried out with women in the Tayside area of Scotland. A split sample design was employed in which respondents were divided into two groups. Each group received a discrete choice questionnaire that varied with respect to the levels of three of the six attributes. The price attribute was one of the attributes that varied across questionnaires. Whilst estimated coefficients were not significantly different across five of the six attributes included in the experiment, mean WTP estimates were significantly different for four of the five welfare estimates. However, from a policy point of view, such a difference may not be important. Consideration is also given to other general methodological and policy issues that are raised when using DCEs to estimate WTP. The findings suggest the need for further research into the design and application of DCEs as a method for estimating WTP. Copyright 2000 by Scottish Economic Society.


With motion preserving systems, whose behavior is dependent on the loading applied, it is becoming more important to produce a loading environment that better simulates the situation in vivo. Several studies show that the spine experiences high compressive loads that change as a function of position. The purpose of this study was to apply a high compressive dynamic follower load and determine the moment required to produce a physiological range of motion in vitro. Six human specimens (L2-L3) were subjected to a pure moment, in combination with a high compressive dynamic follower load. Appropriate compressive loads were obtained from literature based on in vivo intradiscal pressure measurements. The moments necessary to produce pre-defined angles of rotation in flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation (in vivo literature values) were recorded. The follower load was attached laterally in flexion-extension and axial rotation and anterior-posteriorly in lateral bending. Tests were also conducted using two traditional loading protocols for comparison: ±10 Nm (no follower load); and ±10 Nm with a 600 N constant follower load, in terms of range of motion (ROM), helical axis of motion (HAM), and flexibility coefficients.The new loading protocol resulting from this study consisted of a compressive follower load of 800 N in the neutral position, a flexion moment of 35 Nm combined with a maximum compressive follower load of 2000 N, an extension moment of 10 Nm combined with 900 N, a moment of ±15 Nm in lateral bending with 1100 N, and a moment of ±20 Nm in axial rotation with 1250 N. The anterior-posterior follower load fixation in lateral bending allowed more unrestrained movement. The moments necessary to produce physiological motion under a dynamic compressive follower load are higher than what is currently used and are comparable to calculated in vivo moments.


In recent years, interest in optical wireless (OW) as a promising complementary technology for RF technology has gained new momentum fueled by significant deployments in solid state lighting technology. This article aims at reviewing and summarizing recent advancements in OW communication, with the main focus on indoor deployment scenarios. This includes a discussion of challenges, potential applications, state of the art, and prospects. Related issues covered in this article are duplex transmission, multiple access, MAC protocols, and link capacity improvements.


The classic analytic tradition has often made the error of associating idealism with the philosophy of George Berkeley. Yet in terms of the German Idealismus, Berkeley was no idealist. Rather, he described himself as an "immaterialist". According to Paul Redding, this error made by the classic analytic tradition warrants a reconsideration of the German Idealismus. The aim of this paper is to argue that, through reference to the work of Paul Redding, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit presents Idealismus as that which reconciles objectivity and subjectivity in the experience of consciousness. Hegel'sPhenomenology develops this idea in the elaboration of a remarkably novel theory of consciousness. For Hegel, the conditions of the possibility of the objects of experience are a dialectical movement between consciousness and the object, or immediacy and mediacy. The whole movement of consciousness manifests the logic of contradiction working at the back of phenomenological experience that Hegel outlines in the Science of Logic, a logic that involves the thinker becoming consciously aware of her own thought processes. Yet Hegel's Logic is different from the common meaning of 'logic'. His Logic is not a formal approach to valid inference but captures the method and the moments and movement of logic. For Hegel, the great problem of classical logic is the immobility of the categories. This paper proposes thatHegel's 'holism'entails the description wherein Logic, Nature, and Spirit are articulated as a whole in dialectical movement.


Highly-diversified assemblages of dispersed trilete miospores and cryptospores belonging to the Artemopyra brevicosla-Hispanaediscus verrucous Assemblage Zone were recovered from upper Wenlock (Silurian) tuffitic shales and limestones in the Prague Basin (Bohemia). The fact that the numerous sporomorphs have only been found in the region of the Svatý Jan Volcanic Centre supports previous sedimentological evidence that this volcanic elevation was emerged during the uppermost Wenlock. Twenty-nine sporomorph forms were determined. One new genus, Rugosisporites gen. nov., and three new species, Rugosisporiies kozlicus sp. nov., Synorisporites maculosus sp. nov. and Artemopyra rugaticosta sp. nov. are described. The comparison with other coeval assemblages is discussed.


This study examines the logic of action of the current Indonesia foreign policy in climate change mitigation. Since the climate change conference in Bali in 2007, Conference of Parties (COP 13), Indonesia has advocated itself as an active global leader in climate diplomacy. At COP 15, in Copenhagen, Indonesia committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emission up to 41 percent below business as usual (BAU) by 2020. Many consider this as a very ambitious target. It is questionable whether this foreign policy is purely derived from Indonesia's national interest or merely pressure from international community or Great Powers. This study will eclectically use the three approaches of foreign policy from neorealist (Baumann, Rittberger and Wagner 2001), utilitarian liberal (Freund and Rittberger 2001), and constructivist (Boekle, Rittberger and Wagner 2001) to understand the logic of action of Indonesia foreign policy on climate change mitigation. I argue that there are clear evidences of the existence of both logic of consequentiality: seeking autonomy and influence (neorealist) and maximizing gains (utilitarian liberal) and the logic of appropriateness: maintaining reputation as a member of international society (constructivist) in the formulation of the policy. I conclude that the climate change has enabled Indonesia as a state to increase its international influence, regain its domestic control, and strengthen its international legitimacy and acceptance.


Background: The present study compared the efficacy of psychotherapy for childhood anxiety disorders (excluding trials solely treating post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder). Methods: The meta-analysis included studies that met the basic CONSORT (consolidated standards of reporting trials) criteria. Several outcome variables (e.g. effect sizes, percentage of recovery) were analyzed using completer and intent-to-treat analyses during post-treatment and follow-up assessment. Twenty-four studies published by March 2005 were included in this meta-analysis. Results: In all the included studies, the active treatment condition was cognitive-behavioral. The overall mean effect of treatment was 0.86. No differences in outcome were found between individual and group treatments or child- and family-focused treatments. Follow-up data demonstrated that treatment gains were maintained up to several years after treatment. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that anxiety disorders in children can be treated efficaciously. The gathered data support the clinical utility of cognitive-behavioral therapy in this regard. Randomized controlled trial studies investigating treatments other than cognitive-behavioral therapy are missing.


Pliocene–Pleistocene megachannels, as much as 400 m deep and several kilometers wide, are exceptionally well exposed around the Gulf of Alaska coastal margin in glaciomarine sedimentary strata of the Yakataga Formation. In the Icy Bay region, stacked megachannels of the Yakataga Formation are filled predominantly with debris flow diamictites, crudely stratified conglomerates, and thinly bedded sandstone and mudstone turbidites. Detailed sedimentological and micropaleontological analyses of the megachannel deposits identified two distinct facies associations that represent channel margin and central channel fill depositional settings. All facies types indicate deposition by sediment gravity-flow processes and high rates of sediment supply in a tectonically active setting. Foraminiferal biofacies suggest deposition in inner neritic to upper bathyal water depths and vigorous transport of sediment from shallow to deeper water. The Yakataga Formation megachannels probably formed as slump scars, produced by the retrogressive failure and downslope slumping of rapidly deposited outer shelf–upper slope sediments. The intimate association of megachannels with thrust faults and folds suggests that initial slumping was triggered by tectonic tilting and high-magnitude earthquakes. Megachannels have a relatively immature form and were probably short lived and filled rapidly with sediment gravity-flow deposits. Megachannels of the Yakataga Formation provide a well-exposed analog for megachannels formed in other tectonically active settings or passive margin settings characterized by high sedimentation rates. There is little evidence to suggest that megachannel development is systematically related to episodes of sea-level lowstand, and a sequence stratigraphic context is difficult to identify.


Finding coarse-grained, low-dimensional descriptions is an important task in the analysis of complex, stochastic models of gene regulatory networks. This task involves (a) identifying observables that best describe the state of these complex systems and (b) characterizing the dynamics of the observables. In a previous paper [R. Erban et al., J. Chem. Phys. 124, 084106 (2006)] the authors assumed that good observables were known a priori, and presented an equation-free approach to approximate coarse-grained quantities (i.e., effective drift and diffusion coefficients) that characterize the long-time behavior of the observables. Here we use diffusion maps [R. Coifman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 7426 (2005)] to extract appropriate observables ("reduction coordinates") in an automated fashion; these involve the leading eigenvectors of a weighted Laplacian on a graph constructed from network simulation data. We present lifting and restriction procedures for translating between physical variables and these data-based observables. These procedures allow us to perform equation-free, coarse-grained computations characterizing the long-term dynamics through the design and processing of short bursts of stochastic simulation initialized at appropriate values of the data-based observables.


Induction heating is one of the most popular metal heating technologies due to its high heating rate and high energy efficiency. This method is suitable for heating workpieces/blanks in different shapes, sizes and materials. Although induction heating of metal sheets has already been investigated by various research organizations and industrial companies, information concerning the induction heating of aluminium blanks is limited. Considering that hot stamping of aluminium sheets for automotive and aerospace applications is currently attracting a lot of attentions, it is timely important to gain more understanding on this technology by conducting in-depth investigations. Especially, investigations are required to address issues relating to the uneven temperature distributions developed in the metal sheets when they are heated, so that optimum designs could be obtained to improve the technology and its applications. This paper presents an in-depth analysis conducted recently for the investigation into heating schemes and process parameters in induction heating of aluminium sheets, mainly using 3D FE simulations, based on a general experimental validation. Different material, coil geometric and power-setting factors were considered during the modelling and analysis to examine their effects on the heating efficiency and developed temperature profiles. It was revealed from the simulations that design features of the induction coils affect the uniformity of the developed temperatures in the metal sheets. It is shown that an optimised combination of the coil design and the power setting could help to achieve higher heating rates, at the same time, also to achieve higher temperature-distribution uniformity. At the end of this paper, a discussion of practical factors that affect applications of induction heating of aluminium sheets for hot stamping applications is presented.


. A just transition to renewable energy requires accounting for the effects of offshore wind projects (OWPs) on the fishing industry. Research on the interaction of OWPs with coastal communities and fisheries in the United Kingdom and the United States offers insights into minimizing conflict and enhancing constructive engagement between fishers and wind energy developers. Recent innovations include earlier and more meaningful inclusion of fisheries representatives in planning and decision-making, involving fisheries liaisons in the process, and conducting more cumulative studies and taking collaborative approaches to considering the effects of OWP on fishing.


Second- and third-order frequency correlations of speckle intensity patterns are used to characterize scattering media for multiple polarization states. The polarized temporal responses thus obtained are sensitive to the degree of scatter, with results being predictable by a diffusion model with sufficiently strong scatter. Experimental data are used to reconstruct various transfer functions.


Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, and a growing global public health concern, with up to one-third of the world's population affected. Despite the vast amount of evidence for the benefits of blood pressure (BP) lowering accumulated to date, elevated BP is still the leading risk factor for disease and disability worldwide. It is well established that hypertension and BP are common complex traits, where multiple genetic and environmental factors contribute to BP variation. Furthermore, family and twin studies confirmed the genetic component of BP, with a heritability estimate in the range of 30-50%. Contemporary genomic tools enabling the genotyping of millions of genetic variants across the human genome in an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective manner, has transformed hypertension genetics research. This is accompanied by the presence of international consortia that have offered unprecedentedly large sample sizes for genome-wide association studies (GWASs). While GWAS for hypertension and BP have identified more than 60 loci, variants in these loci are associated with modest effects on BP and in aggregate can explain less than 3% of the variance in BP.
The aims of this thesis are to study the genetic and environmental factors that influence BP and hypertension traits in the Scottish population, by performing several genetic epidemiological analyses. In the first part of this thesis, it aims to study the burden of hypertension in the Scottish population, along with assessing the familial aggregation and heritialbity of BP and hypertension traits. In the second part, it aims to validate the association of common SNPs reported in the large GWAS and to estimate the variance explained by these variants.
In this thesis, comprehensive genetic epidemiology analyses were performed on Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS), one of the largest population-based family design studies. The availability of clinical, biological samples, self-reported information, and medical records for study participants has allowed several assessments to be performed to evaluate factors that influence BP variation in the Scottish population. Of the 20,753 subjects genotyped in the study, a total of 18,470 individuals (grouped into 7,025 extended families) passed the stringent quality control (QC) criteria and were available for all subsequent analysis. Based on the BP-lowering treatment exposure sources, subjects were further classified into two groups. First, subjects with both a self-reported medications (SRMs) history and electronic-prescription records (EPRs; n =12,347); second, all the subjects with at least one medication history source (n =18,470). In the first group, the analysis showed a good concordance between SRMs and EPRs (kappa =71%), indicating that SRMs can be used as a surrogate to assess the exposure to BP-lowering medication in GS:SFHS participants. Although both sources suffer from some limitations, SRMs can be considered the best available source to estimate the drug exposure history in those without EPRs. The prevalence of hypertension was 40.8% with higher prevalence in men (46.3%) compared to women (35.8%). The prevalence of awareness, treatment and controlled hypertension as defined by the study definition were 25.3%, 31.2%, and 54.3%, respectively. These findings are lower than similar reported studies in other populations, with the exception of controlled hypertension prevalence, which can be considered better than other populations. Odds of hypertension were higher in men, obese or overweight individuals, people with a parental history of hypertension, and those living in the most deprived area of Scotland. On the other hand, deprivation was associated with higher odds of treatment, awareness and controlled hypertension, suggesting that people living in the most deprived area may have been receiving better quality of care, or have higher comorbidity levels requiring greater engagement with doctors. These findings highlight the need for further work to improve hypertension management in Scotland.
The family design of GS:SFHS has allowed family-based analysis to be performed to assess the familial aggregation and heritability of BP and hypertension traits. The familial correlation of BP traits ranged from 0.07 to 0.20, and from 0.18 to 0.34 for parent-offspring pairs and sibling pairs, respectively. A higher correlation of BP traits was observed among first-degree relatives than other types of relative pairs. A variance-component model that was adjusted for sex, body mass index (BMI), age, and age-squared was used to estimate heritability of BP traits, which ranged from 24% to 32% with pulse pressure (PP) having the lowest estimates. The genetic correlation between BP traits showed a high correlation between systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (G: 81% to 94%), but lower correlations with PP (G: 22% to 78%). The sibling recurrence risk ratio (λS) for hypertension and treatment were calculated as 1.60 and 2.04 respectively. These findings confirm the genetic components of BP traits in GS:SFHS, and justify further work to investigate genetic determinants of BP.
Genetic variants reported in the recent large GWAS of BP traits were selected for genotyping in GS:SFHS using a custom designed TaqMan® OpenArray®. The genotyping plate included 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been previously reported to be associated with BP or hypertension at genome-wide significance level. A linear mixed model that is adjusted for age, age-squared, sex, and BMI was used to test for the association between the genetic variants and BP traits. Of the 43 variants that passed the QC, 11 variants showed statistically significant association with at least one BP trait. The phenotypic variance explained by these variant for the four BP traits were 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, and 0.8% for SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP, respectively. The association of genetic risk score (GRS) that were constructed from selected variants has showed a positive association with BP level and hypertension prevalence, with an average effect of one mmHg increase with each 0.80 unit increases in the GRS across the different BP traits.
The impact of BP-lowering medication on the genetic association study for BP traits has been established, with typical practice of adding a fixed value (i.e. 15/10 mmHg) to the measured BP values to adjust for BP treatment. Using the subset of participants with the two treatment exposure sources (i.e. SRMs and EPRs), the influence of using either source to justify the addition of fixed values in SNP association signal was analysed. BP phenotypes derived from EPRs were considered the true phenotypes, and those derived from SRMs were considered less accurate, with some phenotypic noise. Comparing SNPs association signals between the four BP traits in the two model derived from the different adjustments showed that MAP was the least impacted by the phenotypic noise. This was suggested by identifying the same overlapped significant SNPs for the two models in the case of MAP, while other BP traits had some discrepancy between the two sources


By the year 2029, America's entire baby boomer generation will be 65 years of age or older. An estimated 7.7 million people in the United States will be living with Alzheimer's disease, compared to the 5 million individuals afflicted today. The illness, which often begins with a failure to remember new information, can eventually result in a complete loss of the ability to communicate. Common symptoms of Alzheimer's include disorientation in relation to both space and time and disorganized thinking. Victims of Alzheimer's often require care beyond what some individuals and families can provide, and so many elderly people are relocated from their homes to long-term care facilities. Can these spaces be designed to respond to the cognitive challenges of Alzheimer's patients in a progressive way, providing not just a place of shelter, but a home that is sensitive to the processes of human memory?

Advances in the field of neuroscience provide new insight into the workings of the human mind. Scientists investigate how the brain reacts to sensations of light, visual cues, sounds, smells, and the varying scales of space. Theories about how humans cognitively map their surroundings reveal the importance of the built environment in daily activities and overall mental health. A growing understanding of these issues in relation to Alzheimer's suggests that the built environment, while certainly not a remedy, can be more helpful and attentive to the specific obstacles of dementia.

This thesis will address the issue of Alzheimer's and the built environment through the design of a small-scale residential facility. Given the disease's prevalence and the growing elderly population, senior care centers are needed in all places, and this project will focus on senior care in an urban setting. It is hypothesized that the city will offer services and cultural stimulation that will help preserve each resident's quality of life for as long as possible. The architecture of the space will be centered on ideas and research regarding sensory experience, memory, and the human mind, relating specifically to Alzheimer's. This integrated exploration of the fields of neuroscience and architecture will strive to create a physical environment more attuned to the human experience.


Summary While forestry issues and forest economists' interests are increasingly global, the costs of creating an international association have plummeted. These twinned trends suggest that the time is ripe to form an international association of forest economics. Anecdotally, forest economists have expressed considerable interest in international debates and scholarly exchanges. This anecdotal evidence includes expressed interest in a series of informal conversations with forest economists from around the world, the success of international journals such as the Journal of Forest Economics , and the success of international conferences and meetings organized by ad hoc committees. This increasing interest in international activities appears to reflect on-going trends of increased international trade, standardization of forest economic approaches, and increased mobility of forest economists, many of whom are accepting positions outside of their native country or region. Historically, the costs of organizing and sustaining an international association were extremely high. However, the improvement of communication technologies during the past two decades in the form of e-mail, the internet and fax machines have dramatically decreased the costs of many of the basic functions of an international association including interactions between members on scholarly issues, meeting and conference announcements, and members' direct participation in an international organization. These technological advances have been important to the success of the Journal of Forest Economics and to ad hoc organizing committees of international conferences and meetings. Associations can now be primarily virtual in the sense that the only non-electronic aspects of the organization are delivering paper copies of journals, and actual attendance at a conference and meeting. Currently no organization effectively serves as an international organization of forest economics. Existing forest economics associations are regional or national by design. International forestry organizations such as IUFRO, EFI and CIFOR are generally not led by forest economists, are not designed to promote timely scholarly exchanges among forest economists, and usually are unable to change rapidly in response to the changing needs of forest economists. Over the past few years at several meetings a number of forest economists have either discussed organizing an international association of forest economics or expressed strong interest in becoming a member of an international association of forest economics. The Journal of Forest Economics Editorial Board has expressed support of an international association with some members willing to assist the organizing effort. Other forest economists not associated with the Journal of Forest Economics have offered to help organize an association. Some of these forest economists have expressed particular interest in assisting with setting up internal communications for an international association, or organizing a conference under the auspices of an international association. Although previous discussions and preliminary attempts at organizing have not successfully created an international association of forest economics, they have helped uncover strong interest in an international association. There is reason to be more optimistic about the current organizing effort. Probably the most important source of optimism is that it appears likely that IUFRO will now assist efforts to form an international organizational of forest economics by providing both organizing effort and financial resources. A number of significant issues need to be resolved to form a viable international association of forest economics. These issues include: Clarifying the benefits and responsibilities of membership in an international association. Developing a mutually supportive relationship with both regional associations of forest economists, forest economics research centres and international forestry organizations. Determining the range of activities that the international association will routinely address including internal and external communications, the possibility of association sponsored conferences or meetings, organization details and other possible activities. Forming an international association of forest economics is both timely, and will enhance scholarship in forest economics. If you have interest in joining with others to form an international association of forest economics, I urge you to e-mail, firstname.lastname@example.com, the current initial contact point for the organizing effort.


This thesis comprises of an exploration into the concept of employee engagement; its components and drivers within the employment relationship. It examines the literature and secondary research available on the topic, to date, and the potential value which could be derived for both the employee and the organisation from its effective implementation. Engagement could be described as a 'hot topic ' in management; but how can we get it?

The study focuses on the apparent changes to the employment relationship and the challenge of employee retention which is believed to exist in the labour market. A primary task for organisations today is to attract the right people but also to provide them with an environment in which to stay and grow. It is believed that the needs of the workforce have evolved. Organisations are discovering financial compensation alone may not be enough to keep the highly skilled and motivated workforce a business needs to excel. Employee engagement is no longer simply a nice thing to do; it can be employed as a strategic element that impacts both retention levels and the bottom line.

This research was compiled in relation to a single case; an Irish Recruitment Agency. Within the study, both qualitative and quantitative data was accumulated and analyzed. The research found employee engagement to be a pivotal element of the modem employment relationship, which, when successfully incorporated into an organisation, can become a significant contributor to high retention levels.


This investigation is part of a continuing effort to develop effective chemoprevention for carcinogenesis of the lung. The present study ex plores the use of aerosol administrations for this purpose. The agent selected for initial study was the synthetic glucocorticoid budesonide. This selection was based on previous work in which budesonide added to the diet was found to inhibit pulmonary adenoma formation in female A/J mice. However, high dose levels were required, i.e., of the order of 300 fig/kg, of body weight [L. W. Wattenberg and R. D. Estensen, Carcino genesis (I.Diid.i. 18: 2015-2017, 1997]. For aerosol administration of budesonide, a nose-only technique has been developed that entails nebulization of the compound dissolved in ethanol and subsequent stripping off of the solvent <less than 3 fi\ ethanol/liter of air remaining at the site of inhalation). The budesonide particles produced by the apparatus had a mass median aerodynamic diameter of less than 1 /mi. An experiment has been carried out in which the inhibitory effects of aerosolized budesonide, given for I min six times a week, were studied. Concentrations of budes onide of 26, 81, and 148 fig/liter of air (calculated doses of 23, 72, and 126 f¿g/kgof body weight) were used. The aerosols were started 1 week after three oral administrations of benzo(a)pyrene (2 mg/20 g of body weight) to female A/J mice. All three doses of budesonide resulted in more than 80% inhibition of pulmonary tumor formation compared to the aerosol control and 90% or greater compared to mice not exposed to aerosol. The difference in inhibition is due to the aerosol procedure itself, which produces a reduction in tumor formation. A decrease in splenic weight (evidence of a systemic effect) occurred at all doses of budesonide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published effort at the use of aerosol administration to prevent neoplasia of the respiratory tract. The results of the present study show that administration of a potential chemopreventive agent by aerosol at a low dose can inhibit the occurrence of pulmonary carcinogenesis in female A/J mice.


Operational semantics and attribute grammars are examples of formalisms that can be used for generating compilers. We are interested in finding similarities and differences in how these approaches are applied to complex languages, and for generating compilers of such maturity that they have users in industry. As a specific case, we present a comparative analysis of two compilers for Modelica, a language for physical modeling, and which contains numerous compilation challenges. The two compilers are OpenModelica, which is based on big-step operational semantics, and JModelica.org, which is based on reference attribute grammars.


Today all communication systems are prototyped on FPGAs before sending them for ASIC backend and fabrication. On other side the FPGAs with million gate logic densities and embedded block RAMs allowed the high speed signal capturing and storage for real time analysis. Performing various functions on the captured data allows high speed spectrum analysis. These two allow the prototyping of complex communication system on FPGA and real time analysis of implemented blocks. There are several types of interface methods possible to communicate the FPGA with a computer.. In this paper novel techniques are implemented for capturing and analyzing the signals of any design on FPGA with configurable UART interface. VHDL will be used for implementation of necessary modules such as block memory, capture FSM, triggering logic and UART interface. Necessary scripts will be developed to generate the synthesizable VHDL code as per the requirements of user. The captured data will be sent to PC using UART. Xilinx ISE will be used for systhesis and performance analysis.


Clostridium perfringens gas gangrene is a fulminant necrotizing infection in which inflammatory cells are notably absent from infected tissues but are often massed within adjacent vessels. It has been shown that C. perfringens phospholipase C (PLC) stimulates formation of large intravascular platelet/leukocyte complexes and that PLC-induced activation of platelet gpIIbIIIa plays a major role. In vivo, such aggregates contribute to microvascular thrombosis and ischaemic necrosis of tissue. However, the effects of adherent platelets on neutrophil diapedesis have not been established. The present work investigated (1) the contribution of platelet P-selectin (CD62P) to PLC-induced cellular complex formation and (2) the effects of platelet adhesion on neutrophil diapedesis. The effects of anti-gpIIbIIIa and anti-CD62P strategies on PLC-induced complex formation were measured by flow cytometry and followed by light microscopy. Both platelet gpIIbIIIa and CD62P contributed to the formation of platelet/leukocyte complexes. Specifically, gpIIbIIIa mediated the formation of large platelet/platelet aggregates that were tethered to the leukocyte principally via CD62P. Neutrophil diapedesis, quantified by a transendothelial cell migration assay and visualized by electron microscopy, was significantly reduced (>60%) by the adherence of large platelet aggregates. It was concluded that the absence of a tissue inflammatory response in C. perfringens gas gangrene is due, in part, to impaired neutrophil mobility caused by large aggregates of adherent platelets induced by PLC. Further, an adjunctive immunotherapeutic strategy targeting both gpIIbIIIa and CD62P may improve the tissue inflammatory response, prevent vascular occlusion, maintain tissue viability, and reduce the need for radical amputation in patients with clostridial gas gangrene.


Enter the world of Geronimo Stilton, where another funny, cheesy adventure is always right around the corner. Each book is fast-paced with lively art and a unique format kids 7-10 will love. Rat-munching rattlesnakes! I can't believe it. I, Geronimo Stilton, just let my super-sporty friend Bruce Hyena convince me to go on another one of his extreme adventures. You know me--I just can't say no to a friend! This time, we're going to be climbing to the top of the famouse Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Moldy mozzarella! I'm in no shape for a mountain climb. How will I ever make it to the top?


The mechanism of cross-shore movements of the bottom sand and the local bed movement around marine structures can be better understood by defining the bed shear stress distribution along the bed. In order to obtain the variation of the bed shear stress over rigid uniform and barred beaches from inter mediate to shallow water conditions, a series of measurements were done to clarify the structure of the wave boundary layer along the beach by using a Constant Temperature Anemometer (CTA). The bed shear stress measurements were made on both the uniform beaches which are different slopes (1:10 and 1:5) and the barred beaches which reached dynamically stable condition after a certain time, their initial slopes were 1:10. The maximum bed shear stress varied with the depth parameter (d/H 0 ). The maximum value of bed shear stress was found at the plunging point due to strong vortex generation and the turbulent structure. However, the periodic component of the bed shear stress was still of the periodic character at breaking points as non-breaking waves. The magnitudes of bed shear stress at given depth was found depending on wave characters. The maximum bed shear stress distribution over barred beach was larger than that of the initial uniformly sloped due to larger wave breaks on steeper slope over bar crest.


Repeating research in computer science requires more than just code and data: it requires an appropriate environment in which to run experiments. In some cases, this environment appears fairly straightforward: it consists of a particular operating system and set of required libraries. In many cases, however, it is considerably more complex: the execution environment may be an entire network, may involve complex and fragile configuration of the dependencies, or may require large amounts of resources in terms of computation cycles, network bandwidth, or storage. Even the "straightforward" case turns out to be surprisingly intricate: there may be explicit or hidden dependencies on compilers, kernel quirks, details of the ISA, etc. The result is that when one tries to repeat published results, creating an environment sufficiently similar to one in which the experiment was originally run can be troublesome; this problem only gets worse as time passes. What the computer science community needs, then, are environments that have the explicit goal of enabling repeatable research. This paper outlines the problem of repeatable research environments, presents a set of requirements for such environments, and describes one facility that attempts to address them.


In these days, 3D models are introduced as new digital contents such as data material for 3D printer. Accordingly, demand of 3D modeling for ordinary people has been increased. In case of using existed hand-held 3D scanning system, users have to estimate unmeasured spots to decide route for scanning and terminate scanning by watching a process of scanning iteratively. These many user operations impose burdens to users. In this paper, we propose a novel scanning system which provides route guidance by means of area limitation of scanning at the beginning. We conduct experiment to investigate required time, and mental effort for scanning with applying proposed area limitation. As a result, our proposed method can realize 3D scanning with low burden effectively, easily and quickly.


Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most prevalent and severe of the muscular dystrophies. A hallmark of dystrophic muscle is fibrosis which is a result of chronic cycles of degeneration and regeneration. Cardiac fibrosis interferes with contractility and rhythm of the heart and cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of mortality in DMD. While gene therapy may offer a cure in the future, there exists an immediate need to ameliorate the symptoms of DMD.

The mdx mouse is the most widely used animal model in DMD research. The initial study of this dissertation examined cardiac parameters of the mdx mouse at different ages (3, 6 and 12 months) and found a progressive cardiac involvement. Compromised systolic and diastolic function was evident from 6 months of age. An underlying morphological link between diastolic dysfunction is cardiac fibrosis and this was significantly increased in all ages examined.The role of proinflammatory cytokine TGF-β in fibrosis was investigated and mRNA levels were found to be significantly elevated at 3 months of age, which did not continue with the other two age groups examined. This suggests that TGF-β may be involved in the initiation of fibrotic pathways, but not in the progression of fibrosis. These results were supported by mRNA levels of procollagen and fibronectin which significantly decreased at 12 months of age. This implies a shift away from the initial active collagen synthesis toward a decreased collagen degradation maintaining the high levels of fibrosis.

Study 2 aimed to determine if insulin-like growth factor-1 could ameliorate the symptoms of the dystrophic heart by generating a novel transgenic mouse that overexpressed IGF-1 exclusively in the mdx heart. This study found IGF-1 overexpression to be beneficial to the dystrophic heart at 12 months of age. It mediated cardiac hypertrophy at 6 and 12 months of age which appeared to be a physiological adaptation as evidenced by the significantly improved cardiac function and rate of contractility at 12 months of age. IGF-1 mediated a dramatic reduction in ventricular fibrosis by 12 months of age to levels not significantly different than control mice. Thus IGF-1 appears to be capable of resolving the inflammatory response and thereby reducing fibrosis. This study supported the previous findings that at 6 and 12 months of age TGF-β mRNA levels do not correlate with the degree of ventricular fibrosis.

The final study of this dissertation further characterised the mdx:MyoD(-/-) mouse as a model of the cardiomyopathy associated with DMD. MyoD is required for efficient muscle regeneration and its removal from the germline of the mdx mouse resulted in significantly higher levels of ventricular fibrosis. This implies that the milder phenotype of the mdx mouse may be due in part to increased regeneration. As MyoD is only expressed in skeletal muscle, this also suggests that skeletal muscle pathology plays a role in dystrophin deficient cardiomyopathy.

One surprising finding from this study was an improvement in cardiac function in the face of increased ventricular fibrosis. This may be a compensatory mechanism due to the increased skeletal pathology placing an extra work load on the heart. Cardiac mRNA levels of TGF-β did not correlate with the increased levels of ventricular fibrosis observed in the mdx:MyoD(-/-) supporting the findings of the previous two studies. While procollagen gene expression also did not correlate with fibrosis, fibronectin mRNA levels did suggesting that fibronectin may be a better marker for active collagen synthesis than procollagen.
The experiments in this dissertation revealed for the first time the beneficial effects of IGF-1 on the dystrophic heart which was characterised by cardiac hypertrophy, improved function and decreased fibrosis. The detrimental effects of increased skeletal muscle pathology on the dystrophic heart were evidenced by increased ventricular fibrosis in mdx mice also lacking MyoD. All three studies of this dissertation highlighted the complex nature of the multifactorial molecular pathways involved in cardiac fibrosis.


Geoffrey P. Miller argues that the narratives from "Genesis" to "Second Kings" present a sophisticated argument for political obligation and for limited monarchy as the best form of government. The Hebrew Bible, in this sense, can be considered as one of the earliest political philosophies of the western world. The Garden of Eden story identifies revelation, consent, utopia, natural law, ownership, power, patriarchy, and justice as bases for political obligation. The stories of life after the expulsion from Eden argue that government and law are essential for a decent life. "The Genesis" narratives recognize patriarchal authority but also identify limits based on kinship, higher authority and power. The book of "Exodus" introduces the topic of political authority, arguing that nationhood strictly dominates over other forms of political organization. "The Sinai" narratives explore two important sources of authority: revelation and consent of the governed. The book of "Joshua" presents a theory of sovereignty conceived of as the exclusive and absolute control over territory. The book of "Judges" examines two types of national government: military rule and confederacy. It argues that military rule is inappropriate for peacetime conditions and that the confederate form is not strong enough to deliver the benefits of nationhood. The books of "Samuel" and "Kings" consider theocracy and monarchy. The bible endorses monarchy as the best available form of government provided that the king is constrained by appropriate checks and balances. Contrary to the view of some scholars, no text from "Genesis" to "Second Kings" disapproves of monarchy as a form of government.


Abstract Carbon emission is the biggest problem all over the world. The actualizing of low carbon emission in the bread kitchen and dessert shop segment permits the difference in its mechanical procedure through the improvement of an eco-proficient framework. This study was to line up bread and cake with fully completely different wheat quality, baking time, and temperature through low carbon emission. The prepared samples were chemically analyzed for wet content, ash content, compound content, and organoleptic. Among the four processed cake products based on each parameter tested organoleptically, cupcake products were the most preferable one. Bread products made with substitution of 50% have been received by consumer panelists. The results of this study were also in line with the research conducted by which resulted in a substitution of spinach flour substitution of up to 60% still acceptable by panelists. Sponge cake from flour can still be received by panelists with 50% substitution. 12% of moisture will help 5 days' self-life without chemical preservatives. The oven is the largest of the three consumers and typically accounts for between 35% and 45% of the total site carbon emissions. The dark cake pan, which holds in more heat than light-colored baking pans and bakes our cake batter faster. Considering that the most significant dark non-stick pan was suggested for baking low carbon emission, it will be reducing the baking temperature by 25° F. Good practice opportunities can be delivered for various plant/equipment utility serving could deliver on average a 10% saving in total CO2 emissions for the sector. This would speak to a CO2 decrease of 57 000 ton CO2 / year over the world.


Recently, the issue of liquidity has generated considerable attention in financial research. In this article, Meng and ap Gwilym analyze the determinants of liquidity in the market for credit default swaps, as measured by the width of their bid-ask spreads. Many of the "usual suspects" are found to have explanatory power: Spreads were wider for higher CDS spread volatility, for lower issuer credit rating, and for sovereign vs. corporate issuers in speculative grades; spreads were lower for 5-year contracts than for nonstandard maturities, for larger transaction size, and for the years 2004 and 2005. One significant finding in the article is that a demand/supply imbalance between protection buyers and protection sellers significantly widens spreads.


In industry the colour of a gold alloy electrodeposit is checked by visual comparison with standard panels. The aims of the present work have been to access the application of spectrophotmetric techniques to the measurement of the colour of gold alloy electrodeposits and to examine the factors that influence the colour of thin deposits. The minimum thickness of deposit required to produce its final colour and completely hide the underlying substrate was measured and found to depend on the nature of the substrate, the plating solution and the operating conditions. Bright and matt electrodeposits were studied. The influence of alloying gold by adding copper, silver and indium to the plating solution were investigated. CIE chromaticity coordinates were calculated from spectrophotometric data using a computer programme written for the purpose. The addition of silver to a simple gold bath caused the colour of the deposit to change from yellow through green to near white in a smooth progression as the amount of silver in solid solution steadily increased. The colour of deposits formed when additions of copper were made was complicated by the formation of intermediate phases. A colour in the blue region of the spectrum was obtained in a few experiments investigating the influence of indium additions to the gold bath.


The academic & business conference acknowledges those participants and organizations that have remarkably added to the value to scientific communities. Awards provide an opportunity to the participants like outstanding researchers, exceptional graduates or early academicians and organizations to showcase their best research and projects to the world related to the conference theme. It also recognizes who have collectively made unique and significant contributions to the scientific community related to the conference theme. It also provide platform to professional networking with researchers of similar interest from others part of the world and also encourage the participants in taking active part in the International Science and Technology platform to enhance their skills and knowledgebase.


The Gummy Shark (GS – Mustelus antarcticus) fishery has lands an annual catch worth approximately $13 million and comprises 15-20% of the value of the South East Shark and Scalefish Fishery (SESSF). The fishery has a long history of stable catches, which successive analyses attribute to recruitment remaining stable since the inception of the targeted fishery in the early 1970s, and there has been little investment in research on the fisheries ecology of Gummy Shark. However, the fishery displays a number of unusual, and poorly understood dynamics, which to some extent are incompatible with standard stock assessment assumptions.

An outcome of this project is that it is now clearly understood by Shark Resource Assessment Group (SharkRAG) members that the while Gummy Shark assessment reliably estimates the stable long term trend in recruitment, estimates of adult biomass are poorly informed by data and relatively unreliable. This shared feature of successive GS assessments was of less importance prior to the adoption of the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy and the de facto decision that GS Total Allowable Catches (TAC) would be based on estimates of adult biomass. Since that decision the reliability of estimate of adult GS biomass has become a matter of some importance. The documents prepared and presented through this project to SharkRAG and the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC) and the discussion these documents have supported in those forums, have enabled a shared understanding to be developed of the poor basis estimated adult GS trends provide for setting TACs. The GS assessment model contains virtually no data on adult biomass and consequently model estimates of current adult biomass are largely unconstrained by data. It emerges that the form of Density Dependence Mechanism (DDM) assumed for the assessment model largely determines the estimated trend in adult biomass and current levels, and a wide range of plausible DDMs exist which we have no informed ability to distinguish between. Despite appearances the model has no predictive value with regard the adult biomass trends.

This context provides the rationale, and creates the need for, the simpler empirical approach to GS TAC setting documented by this project. With the support of this project, SharkRAG identified that the critical gap in knowledge in this case is quantitative evaluation of the concept and agreed to support the development of collaborative Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) study aimed at evaluating and developing the proposed empirical harvest strategy for implementation. Through this proposal a collaborative proposal was prepared and revised for Commonwealth Fisheries Research Advisory Board (COMFRAB) on behalf of SharkRAG and involving Biospherics P/L and CSIRO. COMFRAB gave the full proposal a high priority for Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) funding starting 2011/12.


Harold needs a picture for his bedroom wall. So he takes his purple crayon and begins to create a whole new world around him. But then he notices he has gotten very small - half the size of a daisy! Only a very clever artist can find his way home now.


This thesis explores pattern formation caused by cell-cell interactions in animal tissues during development, whether that patterning be natural or experimental. We produce three non-local integrodifferential equation models that each explore a different driver for pattern formation: cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, and cell migration. We consider how the local environment of a cell – or, more specifically, a cell's neighbours – affects that spatial patterning in each case. In the first part of this thesis we present mathematical modelling of proliferationdriven patterning in mosaic tissues, where mosaic tissues are those composed of two or more genetically distinct cell types. The results of our modelling suggets that small changes in the type of interaction that cells have with their local environment can lead to very different outcomes for the composition of mosaics. We study two variations of a cellular automaton model based on simple rules for renewal, and then do the same for an integrodifferential equation model. The results of the continuous and cellular automata models are qualitatively the same, and we observe that changes in local environment interaction affect the dynamics for both. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the models reproduce some of the patterns seen in actual mosaic tissues. In the next model we consider cellular differentiation, which is the process whereby cells form into their final state. We investigate three different versions of the model, with differentiation being cell autonomous, regulated via a community effect, or weakly dependent on the local cellular environment. We consider the spatial patterns that such different modes of differentiation produce, and investigate the formation of both stripes and spots by the model. We show that pattern formation only occurs when differentiation is regulated by a strong community effect. Finally we present a general model of contact-dependent interactions, and consider the role of both interaction ranges and strengths on patterning formation. Our analysis of the model equations shows that the magnitudes and signs of both of these terms affect whether the system will show instability or stability, as will the initial densities of each cell population. Furthermore, our simulations show that whilst increased ranges lead to increased aggregation widths, and attractive forces lead to stationary aggregations, repulsive forces can cause a range of behaviours, including travelling waves, oscillatory behaviour, and breathing bands.


Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have been extensively studied in the past decade. The attractiveness of MIMO systems is due to the fact that they drastically reduce the deleterious effects of multipath fading leading to high system capacity and low error rates. In situations where wireless devices are restrained by their size and hardware complexity, such as mobile phones, transmit diversity is not achievable. A new paradigm called cooperative communication is a viable solution. In a cooperative scenario, a single-antenna device is assisted by another single-antenna device to relay its message to the destination or base station. This creates a virtual multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. There exist two cooperative strategies: amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF). In the former, the relay amplifies the noisy signal received from the source before forwarding it to the destination. No form of demodulation is required. In the latter, the relay first decodes the source signal before transmitting an estimate to the destination. In this work, focus is on the DF method. A drawback of an uncoded DF cooperative strategy is error propagation at the relay. To avoid error propagation in DF, various relay selection schemes can be used. Coded cooperation can also be used to avoid error propagation at the relay. Various error correcting codes such as convolutional codes or turbo codes can be used in a cooperative scenario. The first part of this work studies a variation of the turbo codes in cooperative diversity, that further reduces error propagation at the relay, hence lowering the end-to-end error rate. The union bounds on the bit-error rate (BER) of the proposed scheme are derived using the pairwise error probability via the transfer bounds ii and limit-before-average techniques. In addition, the outage analysis of the proposed scheme is presented. Simulation results of the bit error and outage probabilities are presented to corroborate the analytical work. In the case of outage probability, the computer simulation results are in good agreement with the the analytical framework presented in this chapter. Recently, most studies have focused on cross-layer design of cooperative diversity at the physical layer and truncated automatic-repeat request (ARQ) at the data-link layer using the system throughput as the performance metric. Various throughput optimization strategies have been investigated. In this work, a cross-relay selection approach that maximizes the system throughput is presented. The cooperative network is comprised of a set of relays and the reliable relay(s) that maximize the throughput at the data-link layer are selected to assist the source. It can be shown through simulation that this novel scheme outperforms from a throughput point of view, a system throughput where the all the reliable relays always participate in forwarding the source packet. A power optimization of the best relay uncoded DF cooperative diversity is investigated. This optimization aims at maximizing the system throughput. Because of the non-concavity and non-convexity of the throughput expression, it is intractable to derive a closed-form expression of the optimal power through the system throughput. However, this can be done via the symbol-error rate (SER) optimization, since it is shown that minimizing the SER of the cooperative system is equivalent to maximizing the system throughput. The SER of the retransmission scheme at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was obtained and it was noted that the derived SER is in perfect agreement with the simulated SER at high SNR. Moreover, the optimal power allocation obtained under a general optimization problem, yields a throughput performance that is superior to non-optimized power values from moderate to high SNRs. The last part of the work considers the throughput maximization of the multi-relay adaptive DF over independent and non-identically distributed (i.n.i.d.) Rayleigh fading channels, that integrates ARQ at the link layer. The aim of this chapter is to maximize the system


Using biomarkers to select the most at-risk population, to detect the disease while measurable and yet not clinically apparent has been the goal of many investigations. Recent advances in molecular strategies and analytic platforms, including genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have identified increasing numbers of potential biomarkers in the blood, urine, exhaled breath condensate, bronchial specimens, saliva, and sputum, but none have yet moved to the clinical setting. Therefore, there is a recognized gap between the promise and the product delivery in the cancer biomarker field. In this review, we define clinical contexts where risk and diagnostic biomarkers may have use in the management of lung cancer, identify the most relevant candidate biomarkers of early detection, provide their state of development, and finally discuss critical aspects of study design in molecular biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 5(8); 992–1006. ©2012 AACR.


This article discusses the following points concerning the Aquino government's strategy in managing its significant debt service burden: the importance of renegotiating the foreign debt restructuring agreements, so that the Philippines will not be considered in default; the limitations of the government in debt negotiations; and the infeasibility of an accommodating negotiating stance. On the matter of the government's role in determining the strategy of debt payment, it is emphasized that the government can only determine the Philippine position, not the overall outcome. It should not internalize the interest of foreign creditors, which may be prevented from happening by instituting a commission whereby citizens that will be greatly affected by the government's debt strategy will have a power of representation commensurate with the sacrifices they might be called to undertake. The strategy on foreign debt, which primarily involves a political decision, must reflect the preparedness of the country to accept hardship in exchange for benefits from its creditors.


Imported rice is perceived to have better cooking properties than locally grown rice in Nigeria and it has increased its market share while reducing patronage for local rice. Rice in Nigeria has many applications, including consumption as whole cooked grain or dumpling or use as an adjunct in making beverages. Eighteen varieties of parboiled milled local rice and three imported rice varieties, coded Ip1, Ip2 and Ip3, were studied for their cooking and functional properties using standard methods. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in the dimensions of all the rice varieties when cooked. There was a 25 g increase in the grain weight and an elongation ratio of more than 1.26 in all the rice varieties. Ghesua had the highest cooked grain weight (68.67 g) while Omor-Mas (6.00) and R-Bus (6.00) had the highest volume expansion ratio (VER). The VER was more than 3.00 for all the rice varieties. All the local rice varieties imbibed less water (17.67-25.33 ml) compared to the imported rice varieties (26.00-27.67ml) before they reached their optimum cooking time. The imported rice varieties were of soft gel consistency (89.67-73.50 mm) and intermediate amylose content (20.71-23.14 %) while the local rice varied in amylose and gel consistency. Abakiliki-Mas (27.00 mm) and R-8 (33.67 mm) were of hard gel-consistency, intermediate (21.11 %) and high amylose (27.21 %) content respectively and have not been exploited although they would be appropriate for making canned rice, dry mixes and rice-noodles.


This article conveys results from a participatory action research (PAR) engagement with activist/educators working in Ghanaian social movements. First, this PAR group has articulated two typologies from which to understand Ghanaian social movements based on their processes of organization, communication and learning rather than merely the issues, resources or populations that occupy their focus. Second, expanding on Griff Foley's (1999) notion of learning in struggle, the PAR group provides three lenses from which to view learning in social movements in Ghana. Both of these contributions help to present a much needed African inflection to ongoing discussions of learning in social movements, especially as these contributions attempt to maintain a complex view of learning based on the shifting characteristics of power and capital.