Silicon micro photonics includes photonics and silicon microelectronics components, which is rapidly evolving in various optical systems. It employs at least two different materials with a large differential index of refraction to squeeze the light down to a small size. We have shown that by ultra-dense coupling of photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavity lasers, the differential quantum efficiencies can be improved dramatically with large spontaneous emission coupling factor beta, without sacrificing the low lasing thresholds of single Ph C nanocavity lasers. This could not have been achieved by coupling lasers with small beta. The status of silicon microphotonics and the recent advances that cause people to be optimistic to the realization of an active silicon light source has been also discussed. As soon as this objective gets realized, all the major building blocks for monolithic silicon microphotonics will become available. The final vision is to have Silicon microphotonics participating in every global application of the photonics industry. We indeed propose silicon as the unifying material where the next generation of photonics devices will be realized. In this paper, the behavior of nanocavity array laser and Raman silicon laser is discussed. Finally, we studied the laser behavior theoretically and shown that the benefits obtained from the coupling of cavities are due to the strong cavity effects such as the enhanced spontaneous emission rate.


Background The results from cross sectional and longitudinal studies show that periodontitis is closely associated with cognitive impairment (CI) and Alzhemer's Disease (AD). Further, studies using animal model of periodontitis and human post-mortem brain tissues from subjects with AD strongly suggest that a gram-negative periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and/or its product gingipain is/are translocated to the brain. However, neuropathology resulting from Pg oral application is not known. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that repeated exposure of wild type C57BL/6 mice to orally administered Pg results in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, microgliosis, astrogliosis and formation of intra- and extracellular amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are pathognomonic signs of AD. Methods Experimental chronic periodontitis was induced in ten wild type 8-week old C57BL/6 WT mice by repeated oral application (MWF/week) of Pg/gingipain for 22 weeks (experimental group). Another 10 wild type 8-week old C57BL/6 mice received vehicle alone (control group) MWF per week for 22 weeks. Brain tissues were collected and the presence of Pg/gingipain was determined by immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy, confocal microscopy, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The hippocampi were examined for the signs of neuropathology related to AD: TNFα, IL1β, and IL6 expression (neuroinflammation), NeuN and Fluoro Jade C staining (neurodegeneration) and amyloid beta1-42 (Aβ42) production and phosphorylation of tau protein at Ser396 were assessed by IF and confocal microscopy. Further, gene expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP), beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein10 (ADAM10) for α-secretase and presenilin1 (PSEN1) for ɣ-secretase, and NeuN (rbFox3) were determined by RT-qPCR. Microgliosis and astrogliosis were also determined by IF microscopy. Results Pg/gingipain was detected in the hippocampi of mice in the experimental group by immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and qPCR confirming the translocation of orally applied Pg to the brain. Pg/gingipain was localized intra-nuclearly and peri-nuclearly in microglia (Iba1+), astrocytes (GFAP+), neurons (NeuN+) and was evident extracellularly. Significantly greater levels of expression of IL6, TNFα and IL1β were evident in experimental as compared to control group (p<0.01, p<0.00001, p<0.00001 respectively). In addition, microgliosis and astrogliosis were evident in the experimental but not in control group (p <0.01, p<0.0001 respectively). Neurodegeneration was evident in the experimental group based on a fewer number of intact neuronal cells assessed by NeuN positivity and rbFOX3 gene expression, and there was a greater number of degenerating neurons in the hippocampi of experimental mice assessed by Fluoro Jade C positivity. APP and BACE1 gene expression were increased in experimental group compared with control group (p<0.05, p<0.001 respectively). PSEN1 gene expression was higher in experimental than control group but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). ADAM10 gene expression was significantly decreased in experimental group compared with control group (p<0.01). Extracellular Aβ42 was detected in the parenchyma in the experimental but not in the control group (p< 0.00001). Finally, phospho-Tau (Ser396) protein was detected and NFTs were evident in experimental but not in the control group (p<0.00001). Conclusions This study is the first to show neurodegeneration and the formation of extracellular Aβ42 in young adult WT mice after repeated oral application of Pg. The neuropathological features observed in this study strongly suggest that low grade chronic periodontal pathogen infection can result in the development of neuropathology that is consistent with that of AD.


This study investigated the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). The sample of the study consisted of 590 university students, 121 English teachers and 136 emotionally disturbed individuals who sought treatment in various clinics and counseling centers. Factor loadings of the scale ranged from .39 to .88. Findings from discriminant validity showed that the DASS discriminates the normal and clinical population. Concurrent validity coefficients were found to be high (.87 and .84, respectively) . Cronbach · internal consistency of the entire scale was .89. Item-total correlations ranged from .51 to .75. Testretest and split-half reliability coefficient scores were .99 and .96 respectively. These results demonstrate that the DASS is a valid and reliable instrument.


Exploring event sequences in big data is challenging. Though many mining algorithms have been developed to derive the most frequently occurring and the most meaningful sequential patterns, it is yet difficult to make sense of the results. To tackle the problem, we introduce a visual analytics approach, Peekquence. In this paper, we describe the design of Peekquence, which aims to increase the interpretability of machine learning-based sequence mining algorithms.


Migratory songbirds transport hard-bodied ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) into Canada during northward spring migration, and some of these bird-feeding ticks harbor a wide diversity of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we collected a nymphal Ixodes affinis Neumann from a Common Yellowthroat, Geothylypis trichas (Linnaeus), at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, and it was infected with the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner. Using PCR on this tick extract and DNA sequencing on the borrelial amplicons, we detected B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), a genospecies that is pathogenic to people and certain domestic animals. In addition, we collected an I. affinis nymph from a Swainson's Thrush, Catharus ustulatus (Nuttall), at Toronto, Ontario, and a co-feeding nymphal blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. These bird-tick findings constitute the first reports of I. affinis in Ontario and Quebec and, simultaneously, the first report of a B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected I. affinis in Canada. Since Neotropical and southern temperate songbirds have a rapid flight pace, they are capable of transporting ticks infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. hundreds of kilometres to Canada. Healthcare professionals should be cognisant that migratory songbirds can transport diverse genotypes of B. burgdorferi s.l. into Canada from southern latitudes that may be missed by current Lyme disease serological tests.


In this paper, we describe an experimental platform dedicated to the comparative evaluation of multiscale electronic-document navigation techniques. One noteworthy characteristic of our platform is that it allows the user not only to translate the document (for example, to pan and zoom) but also to tilt the virtual camera to obtain freely chosen perspective views of the document. Second, the platform makes it possible to explore, with semantic zooming, the 150,000 verses that comprise the complete works of William Shakespeare. We argue that reaching and selecting one specific verse in this very large text corpus amounts to a perfectly well defined Fitts task, leading to rigorous assessments of target acquisition performance. For lack of a standard, the various multiscale techniques that have been reported recently in the literature are difficult to compare. We recommend that Shakespeare's complete works, converted into a single document that can be zoomed both geometrically and semantically, be used as a benchmark to facilitate systematic experimental comparisons, using Fitts' target acquisition paradigm.


Ports are key members in the supply chain, therefore they are expected to provide reliable and efficient services. It has been recognised that one way to improve this is by adopting e-business solutions. Nowadays, a large number of organisations are operating their documents electronically. This research aims to identify the relationship between supply chain operations and e-business models and how e-business facilities the documentation flow within a port context.

The research focuses on a case study of Alexandria Port in Egypt, with the emphasis is on its current documentation systems. The principal aim of this research is to evaluate the benefits of using e-business models in ports with respect to the documentation flow and with the purpose of automating the port documentation flow, reducing the process documentation steps and the associated time. It also aims to investigate the documentation flow using the current systems applied in Alexandria Port and to design a generic e-business model that can be applied to ports such as Alexandria to reduce the steps within the documentation flow. This is referred as the GEMA Model, namely, Generic E-Business Model for Alexandria Port.

The research investigates the barriers faced by Alexandria Port in operating efficient supply chain operations. It focuses on the barriers to the smooth flow of documentation and the need to transform it into an electronic flow. It addresses the importance of the application of an e-business documentation flow system as a tool to speed up the operational process and is therefore a time saving to the port. The research also evaluates the importance of enhancing the trust between all parties involved in electronic business transactions to create awareness and collaboration. The analysis starts by reviewing the manual documentation system in Alexandria Port through direct and participant observations, process mapping, structured and semi-structured interviews and modelling. This is followed by an analysis of the semi-automated e-business system introduced by the port after one year from the beginning of this research (using the same methods as the manual system and only automate the customs process) and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of these two current systems of the port.

Finally, it analyses and evaluates the effectiveness of this GEMA e-business model and discusses how it can affect the efficiency of the documentation flow in the port. The research evaluates the likely effectiveness of the original GEMA model with the focus on the documentation flow steps and time reduction using a before and after scenario. The research highlights the effectiveness of using e-business in ports and it can reduce the documentation flow time and related costs. The research methodology used is multiple methodological approaches including participant observation, process mapping, structured and semi-structured interviews and e-business modelling.


Vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity (VIN) occurs more commonly in the elderly, and the reported serum trough levels seldom exceed 80 mg/L. We present a case of VIN with serum trough levels exceeding 100 mg/L in a critically ill young patient with initially normal kidney function. The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after a motor vehicle accident. Vancomycin was initiated for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection localized in his cerebrospinal fluid. Vancomycin was administered for another 16 days, during which the serum trough levels remained below 10 mg/L, and the renal function tests were normal. After an increment in the vancomycin dose on day 17 from 750 mg every 6 h to 1 g every 6 h, the patient developed acute kidney injury during which his vancomycin trough level was 110.73 mg/L. The acute kidney injury resolved approximately 2 weeks after the discontinuation of vancomycin therapy. The present case highlights that critically ill patients on prolonged vancomycin therapy should be closely monitored, and dose increments should be made cautiously regardless of whether the patient is of young age or has low serum trough levels or normal renal function.


Background Asthma is a respiratory tract disorder characterized by airway hyper-reactivity and chronic inflammation. Allergic asthma is associated with the production of allergen-specific IgE and expansion of allergen-specific T-cell populations. Progression of allergic inflammation is driven by T-helper type 2 (Th2) mediators and is associated with alterations in the levels of lipid mediators. Objectives Responses of the respiratory system to birch allergen provocation in allergic asthmatics were investigated. Eicosanoids and other oxylipins were quantified in the bronchoalveolar lumen to provide a measure of shifts in lipid mediators associated with allergen challenge in allergic asthmatics. Methods Eighty-seven lipid mediators representing the cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolic pathways were screened via LC-MS/MS following off-line extraction of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Multivariate statistics using OPLS were employed to interrogate acquired oxylipin data in combination with immunological markers. Results Thirty-two oxylipins were quantified, with baseline asthmatics possessing a different oxylipin profile relative to healthy individuals that became more distinct following allergen provocation. The most prominent differences included 15-LOX-derived ω-3 and ω-6 oxylipins. Shared-and-Unique-Structures (SUS)-plot modeling showed a correlation (R2 = 0.7) between OPLS models for baseline asthmatics (R2Y[cum] = 0.87, Q2[cum] = 0.51) and allergen-provoked asthmatics (R2Y[cum] = 0.95, Q2[cum] = 0.73), with the majority of quantified lipid mediators and cytokines contributing equally to both groups. Unique structures for allergen provocation included leukotrienes (LTB4 and 6-trans-LTB4), CYP-derivatives of linoleic acid (epoxides/diols), and IL-10. Conclusions Differences in asthmatic relative to healthy profiles suggest a role for 15-LOX products of both ω-6 and ω-3 origin in allergic inflammation. Prominent differences at baseline levels indicate that non-symptomatic asthmatics are subject to an underlying inflammatory condition not observed with other traditional mediators. Results suggest that oxylipin profiling may provide a sensitive means of characterizing low-level inflammation and that even individuals with mild disease display distinct phenotypic profiles, which may have clinical ramifications for disease.


This is the story of how we have understood extreme states of mind over the last two hundred years and how we conceive of them today, from the depression suffered by Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath to the mental anguish and addictions of iconic beauties Zelda Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. From Mary Lamb, sister of Charles, who in the throes of a nervous breakdown turned on her mother with a kitchen knife, to Freud, Jung, and Lacan, who developed the new women-centered therapies, Lisa Appignanesi's research traces how more and more of the inner lives and emotions of women have become a matter for medics and therapists. Here too is the story of how over the years symptoms and diagnoses have developed together to create fashions in illness and how treatments have succeeded or sometimes failed. Mad, Bad, and Sad takes us on a fascinating journey through the fragile, extraordinary human mind.


Ordinary moral rules and virtues can be found seriously inadequate in circumstances where natural catastrophes afflict large numbers of people. Satoshi Kodama provides a strong defence of the rule of tsunami-tendenko being invoked as an evacuation policy in these exceptional situations, such as that facing many people in the Tōhoku region of Japan during the severe earthquake and subsequent tsunami there on 11 March 2011.1 As Kodama explains, tsunami-tendenko tells a person in such situations to prioritise self-preservation over attempting to help others, and people living in earthquake-prone and tsunami-prone areas have learned from past experience that acting on such a rule is likely to save more lives overall than is acting on a policy of searching for and attempting to help others escape the disaster.

Tsunami-tendenko seems to be a reasonable general principle for people to follow in such exceptional circumstances, particularly where disasters strike suddenly, and the resulting chaos can make efforts to locate others not only extremely difficult but in some cases suicidal. Kodama provides plausible indirect consequentialist arguments for this principle to be used in these dramatic situations. This ethical demand to …


Abstract A method for cryopreserving embryos of the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), was developed for the long-term storage of strains used in research projects and for colonies maintained as back-up to production strains that are mass-reared for sterile insect release programs. This protocol, when combined with a previous procedure that was designed to render screwworm embryos permeable to water loss and the influx of cryoprotectants, yields rates of ≈53% hatching, 22% pupation, and 75% adult emergence. These yields are all lower than control levels, but by the next generation the progeny of the cryopreserved flies are near or equal to control levels and are available in sufficient numbers to reestablish laboratory colonies. Important to the success of this study was identifying the optimum embryonic stage for treatment, formulating an incubation regime, which allowed consistent retrieval of embryos at the optimum stage, establishing the correct dehydration time for the previtrification step, and developing a recovery system after liquid nitrogen storage of the embryos.


Title of Document: DEVELOPMENT OF SINGLE-MOLECULE FORCE AND TORQUE MEASUREMENT WITH APPLICATION TO NUCLEOSOME DISRUPTION. Jen-Chien Chang, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Directed By: Assistant Professor Arthur La Porta, Department of Physics Single-molecule force spectroscopy is a powerful method in biophysical research. The ability of detecting and manipulating single molecule finds applications in studies from DNA to cell, leads to various mechanism-based results. Among many tools in this field, optical traps is suitable for studies involving nucleic acids and its interaction with protein due to the high temporal and spatial resolution. While most experiments characterize force and displacement, the quest for manipulating and detecting torque and angular motion is increasing due to their significant role in many biological processes. This thesis mainly devotes to the development and application of an optical torque wrench which is capable of simultaneously controlling and measuring force, displacement, torque, and angular displacement of a single biomolecule. First, angular manipulation of oblate polystyrene particles is demonstrated. Moreover, a new method for fabricating birefringent nanocylinders via nanosphere lithography is presented. Both particles are shown to provide stable angular trapping in a home-built optical torque wrench. We then apply them in measuring a single DNA molecule under force and torque. Mechanical stability of nucleosome under tension and torsion is also studied, followed by a theoretical model to elucidate the importance of torsion in such experiments. Finally, the effect of experimental parameters in a surface-based optical traps on measured kinetics of bio-molecule is detailed. DEVELOPMENT OF SINGLE-MOLECULE FORCE AND TORQUE MEASUREMENT WITH APPLICATION TO NUCLEOSOME DISRUPTION.


The intention of most film editing is to create the impression of continuous action ("continuity") by presenting discontinuous visual information. The techniques used to achieve this, the continuity editing rules, are well established yet there exists no understanding of their cognitive foundations. This thesis attempts to correct this oversight by proposing that "continuity" is actually what perceptual and developmental psychologists refer to as existence constancy (Michotte, 1955): "the experience that objects persist through space and time despite the fact that their presence in the visual field may be discontinuous" (Butterworth, 1991). The main conclusion of this thesis is that continuity editing ensures existence constancy by creating conditions under which a) the visual disruption created by the cut does not capture attention, b) existence constancy is assumed, and c) expectations associated with existence constancy are accommodated after the cut.

Continuity editing rules are shown to identify natural periods of attention withdrawal that can be used to hide cuts. A reaction time study shows that one such period, a saccadic eye movement, occurs when an object is occluded by the screen edge. This occlusion has the potential to create existence constancy across the cut. After the cut, the object only has to appear when and where it is expected for it to be perceived as continuing to exist. This spatiotemporal information is stored in a visual index (Pylyshyn, 1989). Changes to the object's features (stored in an object file ; Kahneman, Treisman, & Gibbs, 1992), such as those caused by the cut, will go unnoticed. A duration estimation study shows that these spatiotemporal expectations distort due to the attention withdrawal. Continuity editing rules show evidence of accommodating these distortions to create perceived continuity from discontinuous visual information.

The outcome of this thesis is a scientific understanding of filmic continuity. This permits filmmakers greater awareness of the perceptual consequences of their editing decisions. It also informs cognitive scientists of the potential of film as an analogue for real-world perception that exposes the assumptions, limitations, and constraints imposed upon our perception of reality.

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Epidemiological information on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is necessary to assess the magnitude of the burden of infections, to identify vulnerable population groups, to mobilise resources for intervention activities and to monitor the impact of these activities. In addition, specific STI surveillance systems, such as studies on the relative prevalence of aetiological agents of STI syndromes and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, are aimed at improving patient care. The studies included in this thesis were designed and implemented to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of STIs and HIV infection in southern Africa. In all the study populations, we observed that high level STI epidemics preceded the explosive spread of HIV infection among high-risk individuals. The studies reported here also demonstrate the importance of triangulating data collected from different recommended STI surveillance components, using a tiered surveillance approach. The studies reported here also explored the bidirectional interactions of HIV and STIs. We observed that different STIs have shown different magnitudes of interaction with HIV infection. We found particularly strong interactions between genital herpes and HIV. At the individual level, HIV-seropositive patients with genital herpes were more frequently found to have atypical clinical presentations, delays in spontaneous healing, longer duration of HSV shedding and increased association with HIV shedding from ulcer and genital exudates. Mixed infections involving chancroid and genital herpes were found to be common, particularly in HIV-seropositive patients. The effectiveness of syndromic treatment targeting only bacterial causes of genital ulceration was significantly reduced due to persistent ulcerations as a result of co-infection with genital herpes. The successful treatment of herpes in men and women was found to be associated with a decline or cessation in HIV shedding into ulcer exudates or genital fluid. The studies have also shown that HIV plasma viral load is the main determinant for HIV shedding in both men and women presenting with STIs. As was the case with HSV infection, there was a strong association between HIV and HPV infection in both men and women. A higher prevalence of HPV infection was found among HIV-seropositive patients in our study population and this may reflect the higher frequency of recurrences and/or longer duration of infection (i.e. persistency). The studies also found that the biological false positive reactions in syphilis serology (i.e. RPR) are not a common occurrence in our HIV-seropositive study population. On the other hand, syphilis serology could be falsely negative in patients with PCR-confirmed primary syphilis who are co-infected with HIV and other aetiological agents causing GUD. In conclusion, the findings of our studies have supported the bidirectional nature of interactions between conventional STIs and HIV infection in southern Africa.


Econometric models wishing to estimate relevant parameters for agricultural policy analysis are increasingly relying on unbalanced panels of farm-level data. Since in the agricultural economics literature such models have often been estimated through simplified approaches, in this paper we try to verify whether the adoption of more sophisticated panel data techniques may impact the estimation results. For this reason, the policy model by Moro and Sckokai (1999) has been re-estimated using techniques recently developed in the econometric literature. The preliminary results show a strong impact on the estimations. This seems to suggest that the adoption of proper panel-data techniques is likely to be very important in order to obtain reliable estimates of some key policy parameters.


Resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to antimicrobial hydrophobic agents (HAs) has been ascribed to the mtr (multiple transferable resistance) operon. This operon is composed of the mtrR gene, which encodes a transcriptional repressor (MtrR), and a three-gene complex (mtrCDE), which encodes cell envelope proteins (MtrC-MtrD-MtrE) that form an energy-dependent efflux pump. HA-hypersusceptible strains are often isolated from patients, but the genetic basis for such hypersusceptibility was heretofore unknown. The genetic basis of HA hypersusceptibility in laboratory-derived strains BR54 and BR87 was studied to learn if this trait could be linked to mutations in the mtr operon. Mutations in the mtrR gene of these strains that could be phenotypically suppressed by mutations in their mtrC or mtrD genes were identified. Thus, small deletions (4-10 bp) in the mtrC or mtrD genes of strains BR87 and BR54 that would result in the production of truncated efflux pump proteins that serve as a membrane fusion protein (MtrC) or transporter of HAs (MtrD) were found to be responsible for their HA-hypersusceptible property.


Tin whiskers are filamentary growths that are formed on the surface of electrodeposited tin, which is used extensively in the electronics industry. The presence of whiskers on electroplated finishes has been observed for more than 60 years, but, despite a huge amount of work in this area, a definite mechanism by which whiskers grow remains unidentified. Whiskers pose a significant problem for manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment, since they are able to grow across and bridge the gap between adjacent electrical components, resulting in short-circuits and other associated failures. For many years, whisker growth was effectively mitigated by the addition of lead to tin electrodeposits. However, recent legislation prohibits the use of lead in new electrical and electronic devices, as such alternative whisker mitigation techniques are being sought. Effective mitigation is critical in ensuring that widespread whisker initiated failures can be avoided. However, since the mechanism, or mechanisms, which cause whisker growth remain unknown, the development of effective mitigation techniques is a significant industrial challenge, but a challenge which must be undertaken. This review examines some of the work undertaken to elucidate the whisker growth phenomenon. along with developments in whisker theory is presented. This is followed by a more detailed assessment of the several growth mechanisms hypothesised; dislocation-based, recrystallisation-based and compressive stress-based theories. The structure and properties of tin whiskers, along with factors that affect whisker growth and potential mitigation techniques are discussed.


We consider a setting in which the objective is to learn to navigate in a controlled Markov process (CMP) where transition probabilities may abruptly change. For this setting, we propose a performance measure called exploration steps which counts the time steps at which the learner lacks sufficient knowledge to navigate its environment efficiently. We devise a learning meta-algorithm, MNM and prove an upper bound on the exploration steps in terms of the number of changes.


About the book: Applied Linguistics Methods: A Reader presents the student with three contemporary approaches for investigating text, practices and contexts in which language-related problems are implicated. Divided into three parts, the reader focuses in turn on the different approaches, showing how each is relevant to addressing real world problems, including those relating to contemporary educational practices.

Part One introduces the reader to Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as an approach particularly well suited to the description of language and language-related problems in social contexts.

Part Two examines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a means of uncovering the relationships between language use, power and ideology.

Part Three presents Ethnography (and linguistic ethnography) as a methodology for observing the use and significance of language in real-life events as they unfold.

The editors' general introduction introduces the student to the tools of SFL, CDA and ethnography and explains how the three approaches each offer distinct as well as, in some cases, complementary perspectives on language in use. Each part is made up of one classic theoretical reading, one cutting-edge theoretical reading, and three problem-oriented readings and includes an introduction, which provides synopses of the individual readings making the book highly usable on courses.

Applied Linguistics Methods: A Reader is key reading for advanced level undergraduates and postgraduates on Applied Linguistics, English Language, and TESOL/TEFL courses.


[Abstract] With more frequent trade between the U.S. and China, laborers' situation and rights in China cause increased friction in trading. Behind this friction are a lot of elements including American domestic political and economic policy, Chinese political strategy, the idea of human rights, and so on. The solution to the problems depends on developing an understanding between the two countries. And to China, it's very important to develop its labor law institutions and firmly protect laborers' rights lest the U.S. reject its products with the excuse of labor problems. [Keywords] Labor problem; trade; employment; free trade; labor law Labor Problems in US-China Trade Frictions In 2003, the bilateral trade volume between the U.S. and China reached $126.33 billion, and China's export surplus with the U.S. climbed to $58.6 billion. China became the third largest trade partner with the U.S. (Miao, 2004). In 2004, the trade volume continuously climbed to $169.63 billion, increasing by 34.3%, and China export surplus with the U.S. was $80.27 billion (Ministry of Commerce, 2005). As to U.S statistics, the Chinese trade deficit has been ranked at the top of list, exceeding the Japanese trade deficit since 2001 (US Census Bureau, 2004). The deficit statistics from 2001 to 2004 are respectively $90.2 billion, $111.4 billion, $134.9 billion, and $175.8 billion, which are of increasing concern by the U.S. government and people in the last two years (US-China Business Council). From the perspective of ordinary people, deficit always means the wealth flows out off the country. During the Bush Administration, the American economy and national security have been faced big challenges. Economic depression and increasing unemployment are making Americans more and more anxious. In this situation, China began to be the target. On March 19th, 2004, the most influential trade union in U.S., the AFL-CIO, filed an unprecedented petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 demanding that President Bush and the U.S. Trade Representative pressure the Chinese government for engaging in unreasonable trade practices by their violations of workers' rights. This is the most official action for the AFL-CIO to take against Chinese imports to protect domestic employment, which upgraded the event of U.S. trade deficit with China to a height of politics and human rights. Although President Bush rejected the petition, it illustrated to some extent the hatred some American workers have against Chinese imports. This hatred is one more negative factor to Chinese imports and U. S. -China trade relations. Opinions from U.S. Society International free trade is based on the economic theory of comparative advantages, so most economists advocate it and think it benefits world economy in the long run. But in the short term, international trade is a double-edge sword. It can spur economic development as well as cause domestic labor problem, such as wage decreases and unemployment. That is why some people intensely protest against globalization and WTO. Similarly, U.S. domestic society consists of various voices representing different groups' interests. Opinions for Employment In January 2005, the Economic Policy Institute released a report titled "US-China Trade, 1998-2003, Impact on jobs and industries, nationally and state-by-state; A Research Report Prepared for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission," written by Dr. Robert E. Scott. The report says: The rise in the United States' trade deficit with China between 1989 and 2003 caused the displacement of production that supported 1.5 million U.S. jobs. Some of those jobs were related to production or services that ceased or moved elsewhere; others are jobs in supplying industries. These jobs reflect the effect on labor demand - in lost job opportunities - in an economy with a worsening balance between exports and imports. Most of those lost opportunities were in the high-wage and job-hemorrhaging manufacturing sector. …


There are several problems associated with soft soils such as the low strength, high compressibility and the sensitivity with the changes in the water content. In order to mitigate such undesirable properties, soft soils are often improved and stabilised either mechanically chemically. However, chemical stabilisation is the most effective technique to improve the geotechnical properties of the soft soil. This study aims to improve the properties of a soft soil regarding the consistency and compressive strength by using a small amount of cement (5% OPC by the dry weight of the treated soil). Then two different types of fly ash were examined for pozzolanic activation of the cement treated soil. These fly ashes were pulverised fuel ash (PFA) and palm oil fuel ash (POFA). Initially, trial specimens containing 5% OPC with 5% of PFA or POFA were prepared for unconfined compressive strength testing (UCS) conducted at 7 days of curing. These trial specimens were manufactured to indicate with which type of fly ash the future research should be based on. The results of UCS test revealed that PFA indicated higher strength than that for POFA after 7 days of curing. Thus PFA was considered in this study as a pozzolanic activator for further experimental works. Additionally, the cement-stabilised soil (CSS) mixture was mixed with PFA with different proportions where OPC was kept as 5% and PFA was varied from 5–15% by the dry weight of the stabilised soil. The improvement levels in the stabilised soil were evaluated dependent on the results of UCS test conducted on specimens of CSS treated with different percentages of PFA and subjected to two different periods of curing (7 and 28 days). The effect of PFA on the compaction parameters (maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC)) and Atterberg limits (liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), along with the plasticity index (PI)) of the CSS soil was also explored in this study. The plasticity characteristic of the treated soil was found to decrease with continuous increments of PFA. The PI decreased from 20.3 for the untreated soil to 13.75 for the cement stabilised soil treated with 10% PFA. The optimised mixture in this research was found to be (soil + 5% OPC + 10% PFA) which increased the UCS of the soil from 134kPa for the virgin soil (VS) and 732kPa for the soil treated with only 5% OPC cured for 28 days to 946kPa at an equivalent 28 days of curing.


This paper presents an overview of an exploratory research project to identify, describe, and investigate the applicability of the Web services (WS) approach to access legacy data. In the Z Texas implementation component of the Library of Texas (ZLOT) project, the ZLOT technical team has implemented a multipurpose Texas library directory database (TLDD) that is used as a back-end database to support the Library of Texas (LOT) resource discovery service (RDS). The researchers developed and implemented a prototype WS application to show how a legacy system can be accessed and its data can be searched and retrieved. This study focused on understanding how requests and responses between software applications are encoded in XML


Talent has won 'The war for talent'. The war is caused by the continuously increasing demand-supply gap for skilled workforce. Consequently, organizations face difficulty in attracting and retaining talent. Talent market is highly dynamic, since new disciplines of knowledge and skills are continuously emerging due to explosive growth of knowledge. It is resulting in rapidly changing technology and preferences and priorities of workforce in the midst of shortages. This necessitates appropriate reward system but in practice very few organizations offer attractive value proposition to their workforce. Most organizations still adhere to the conventional reward system. The traditional Rewards Management assumes money, and cash components to be the strongest motivator and the best performance incentives for employees. Higher wages/rewards have a close association with efficiency/productivity and employee turnover rates. Neo-classicists postulate equality between wages and the marginal product of labor. Higher-wages help in facing short supply of talent. Neo-classicists argue that the 'Total Factor Productivity (TFP)/Multi-factor Productivity (MFP)' depends on investment in human capital; education and skills are the drivers of productivity of labor. It implies that the companies, especially service providers, which use manpower as the pivot, should particularly invest in human capital. This study also considers rewards as the main driver of high performance; so the companies should focus on satisfying the needs of all the employees by balancing extrinsic and intrinsic values; which is based on strategic reward system. Further, the Rewards Strategy, Business Strategy and external environment should be aligned to ensure sustainable results. Outcomes tend to diverge from desired goals if business and rewards strategy are not well aligned. 'Strategic Rewards System' does not emerge in one go it evolves if the above conditions are satisfied. Therefore, the study traces the historical evolution of 'Strategic Rewards System' by review of literature. This furnishes the rationale for the case study based on a Small Medium Enterprise; it provides evidence for the choice of the "Strategic Rewards System" by the organization under study. The case study assesses the relation of reward strategy with the organizational performance. The study concludes that a well-designed and a well-executed Strategic Rewards System reverses employee turnover and improves performance without a lofty budget.


Since the publication a generation ago of Joseph H. Summers' George Herbert, His Religion and Art (1954), the essential lineaments of Herbert's Protestant faith have been clear, and since Barbara K. Lewalski's Protestant Poetics and the Seventeenth-Century Religious Lyric (1979)a growing consensus has emerged about the existence of an authentic Reformation poetic tradition and about Herbert as its master. Richard Strier in Love Known: Theology and Experience in George Herberts Poetry (1983), Gene Edward Veith in Reformation Spirituality: The Religion of George Herbert (1985), the present writer in Authority, Church, and Society in George Herbert: Return to the Middle Way (1993) and Daniel W. Doerksen in Conforming to the Word: Herbert, Donne, and th English Church before Laud (1997) have all in varying ways complicated or erased the supposedly bright line between "Anglican" and "Puritan" in early Stuart religion, discovering the Lutheran-Calvinist common ground where conformists and nonconformists often met. These critics have, in turn, gone far to explain how a reputedly antiaesthetic Protestant biblicism could produce some ofthe most indestructibly beautiful poems in the language. While some dissenting "anti-Calvinist" voices remain, most particularly those of Stanley Stewart and John Wall, most new studies of Herbert now seem to assume an essentially Calvinist theology for the poet.


By virtue of their wide applications in personal electronic devices and industrial monitoring, pressure sensors are attractive candidates for promoting the advancement of science and technology in modern society. Flexible pressure sensors based on organic materials, which combine unique advantages of flexibility and low-cost, have emerged as a highly active field due to their promising applications in artificial intelligence systems and wearable health care devices. In this review, we focus on the fundamentals of flexible pressure sensors, and subsequently on several critical concepts for the exploration of functional materials and optimization of sensing devices toward practical applications. Perspectives on self-powered, transparent and implantable pressure sensing devices are also examined to highlight the development directions in this exciting research field.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether intrarenal surgery for branched calculi remains valid in the light of current new techniques, e.g. percutaneous nephrolithotomy and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Between January 1978 and October 1984, 44 patients (24 male and 20 female, mean age 42.5 years, range 14-66) underwent complex surgery for large stones, requiring opening of the renal pelvis and a transparenchymal approach to the calices; 47 renal units were operated in 49 procedures. The evaluation before surgery included creatinine and blood nitrogen levels, blood pressure measurement, urine culture, abdominal plain X-ray (44 patients), intravenous urography (42) and isotopic renography with renal scintigraphy (five). Renal lithiasis was categorized and all patients underwent extended pyelolithotomy with a transparenchymal approach, achieved by partial nephrectomy (six patients), radial paravascular nephrotomy (10), posterior lower nephrolithotomy (29), resection of the posterior segment (two), and posterior segmentotomy and reconstruction (2); 16 operations were performed under ischaemia. In October 1996, the patients were clinically evaluated by serum creatinine levels (42), urine cultures (42), abdominal plain X-ray (42), IVU (34), isotopic renography (eight), renal ultrasonography (eight) and blood pressure measurement (44). The mean follow-up was 14.8 years.

RESULTS
The major postoperative complications were; residual stones (six patients), fistula with ureteric stenosis (one, with a permanent nephrostomy), toxic temporary hepatic failure (one), femoral arterial embolism (one, resolved using a Fogarty catheter) and recurrent large stones (two, operated 1 and 5 years later). From 1984 to 1996, 19 patients had recurrent stones and two underwent dialysis. In October 1996, the renal function of 47 renal units was stable or normal in 36 (77%), reduced in seven (15%) and lost in four (8%); 24 patients were hypertensive (12 preoperatively), nine have urinary tract infection, three are positive for hepatitis B or C virus, and lithiasis has recurred in 15 renal units.

CONCLUSIONS
Intrarenal surgery, conducted using modern anatomical guidelines, was an effective treatment for renal branched stones. The long-term results are satisfactory after appropriate correction of the urinary tract, with the consequent prevention of stasis and chronic infection. The definitive comparison between surgical and combined endoscopic/extracorporeal methods will only become clear when there is a comparable follow-up. Currently, surgery remains preferable in patients with giant calculi, a small pelvis and prevalent calyceal development.


Cultural heritage tourism is a proven economic stimulus that creates jobs and direct economic benefits to locals. Heritage zones promote conservation of historic resources and can incubate small businesses, revitalize commercial districts, generate local jobs and foster positive change in a community. The social benefits are many, yet long-term retention of the benefits requires deliberate planning. The prosperity brought by the tourists tends to destroy the experiences they seek. Heritage tourists seek experiences of authentic cultural heritage. Yet, the economic prosperity of tourism can swiftly alter a region. Business and real estate development pressures increase as the tourist market expands, bringing changes that occlude and displace the local heritage. This paper posits that attention to cultural sustainability can mitigate negative impacts and correlate to a robust heritage tourism economy. Sustainable development practices can support cultural heritage tourism in a manner that sustains the local culture. The San Antonio Missions and potential development in South San Antonio are reviewed here as an economic development tool designed to attract visitors to an area based on the unique aspects of the locality's history, landscape and culture. The heritage tourism market needs cultural heritage in order to grow and retain the economic prosperity over time. This research investigates and analyzes the potential of the San Antonio Missions Historic District toward community-based cultural heritage tourism. The connections of Missions to the river will feature historic and artistic interpretations of the story of the missions and highlight their social and cultural importance to the area. This will reinforce the importance of the river to the missions and encourage visitors to circulate between the Mission Reach and the river. Accelerating tourism in Missions Historic District will be a considerable economic and social benefit through the workforce, income and infrastructure developments. This research provides a legacy of positive development within the Missions Historic District, especially as San Antonio moves toward World Heritage designation. World Heritage designation brings international attention and increased tourism with both positive and negative impacts. Cultural heritage tourism can bring many benefits to a local economy but it can also disrupt the quality of life of the local inhabitants. This research also investigates how to prevent gentrification and the loss of authenticity while tourism in the district accelerates. This paper also promotes cultural and environmental sustainability at the local or neighborhood level, and highlights the potential benefits for small business owners to connect to the growing heritage tourism economy of the San Antonio Missions Historic District. Prosperity for residents of the district is a viable path to sustaining the community's cultural heritage, identity and authenticity.


Robots act upon and perceive the world from a particular perspective. It is important to recognize this relativity to perspective if one is not to be overly demanding in specifying what they need to know in order to be able to achieve goals through action. In this paper, we show how a formal theory of knowledge and action proposed in (Lesperance 1989) can be used to formalize several kinds of situations drawn from a robotics domain, where indexical knowledge is involved. Several examples treated deal with the fact that ability to act upon an object does not require de re knowledge of the object or its absolute position; knowledge of its relative position is sufficient. It is shown how the fact that perception yields indexical knowledge can be captured. We also point out the value of being able to relate indexical knowledge and objective knowledge within the same formalism through an example involving the use of a map for navigation. Finally, we discuss a problem raised by some higher-level parametrized actions and propose a solution.


One third of all coastlines worldwide consist of permafrost. Many of these permafrost coasts are presently exposed to greater environmental forcing as a consequence of climate change, such as a lengthening of the open water season, intensified storms, and higher water and air temperatures. As a result, increasing erosion rates are currently reported from various sites across the Arctic. It is crucial to synthetize these data on Arctic shoreline dynamics in order to improve our understanding on present coastal dynamics on the pan-Arctic scale. A first synthesis product was released in form of the Arctic Coastal Dynamics databse in 2012, which included data published until 2009 (Lantuit et al., 2012). Since then, numerous publications and data products were published on short and long term changes of Arctic coasts across a wide range of study sites. We made an extensive literature review of publications released within the last 10 years and updated the shoreline change data section in the Arctic Coastal Dynamics database. While in 2009 for one percent of the Arctic shoreline data on coastal dynamics was available, the addition of new data leads to a broader data coverage, which is mainly the effect of the greater availability of remotely sensed products for analyses conducted in these remote regions. Further, the additional data allow us to update the current mean rate of Arctic shoreline change.


Object oriented design has proven itself as a powerful tool in the field of scientific comput- ing. Several software packages, libraries and toolkits exist, in particular in the FEM arena that follow this design methodology providing extensible, reusable, and flexible software while staying competitive to traditionally designed point tools in terms of efficiency. However, the common approach to identify classes is to turn data structures and algorithms of traditional implementations into classes such that the level of abstraction is essentially not raised. In this paper we discuss an alternative way to approach the design challenge which we call "concept oriented design". We apply this design methodology to Petrov-Galerkin methods leading to a class library for both, boundary element methods (BEM) and finite element methods (FEM). We show as a particular example the implementation of hp-FEM using the library with special attention to the handling of inconsistent meshes. Mathematics Subject Classification. 35-04, 65-04, 65N30, 65N50.


Background Many acute care facilities report endemic methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while others describe the occurrence of sporadic disease outbreaks. The timely implementation of effective infection control measures is essential to minimise the incidence of MRSA cases and the magnitude of disease outbreaks. Management strategies for the containment and control of MRSA currently vary between facilities and demonstrate varying levels of effectiveness. Objectives This review sought to systematically review the best available research regarding the efficacy of infection control practices in controlling endemic MRSA or MRSA outbreaks in the acute hospital setting. It updates an original review published in 2002. Search strategy A systematic search for relevant published or unpublished English language literature was undertaken using electronic databases, the reference lists of retrieved papers and the Internet. This extended the search of the original review. Databases searched included: Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Library. Selection criteria All research reports published between 1990 and August 2005 in the English language that focused upon the infection control strategies that were implemented in response to either a nosocomial outbreak of MRSA or endemic MRSA within an acute clinical setting were included. Only studies that reported interventions which were implemented following the collection of baseline data were included. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers assessed each paper against the inclusion criteria and a validated quality scale. Data extraction was undertaken using a purposely designed tool. Given the heterogeneity of the interventions and outcomes measures, statistical comparisons of findings were not possible, therefore, the findings of this review are presented in a narrative format. Results Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria for this review. Of these, 11 papers achieved a quality score above the threshold and were included in the review. Of the included papers, five describe MRSA outbreaks, while the remaining six describe endemic MRSA. All included studies used either exploratory descriptive or comparative designs. The varying combinations of interventions described in the included studies make it impossible to differentiate the efficacy of individual or even groups of interventions. The fact that most studies reported positive findings may reflect the bias towards publication of effective interventions. Implications for clinical practice This review provides evidence that the use of multifaceted strategies can reduce nosocomial MRSA transmission in both outbreaks of MRSA and settings where MRSA is endemic. The heterogeneous nature of the topic, combinations of interventions implemented and methodological weaknesses of the studies impairs the ability to aggregate data and develop specific recommendations for practice.


The design of stable, yet highly tunable organic photocatalysts which orchestrate multi-step electron transfer reactions is at the heart of the newly emerging field of polymer photocatalysis. Covalent triazine frameworks such as the archetypal CTF-1 have been theorized to constitute a new class of photocatalytically active polymers for light-driven water splitting. Here, we revisit the ionothermal synthesis of CTF-1 by trimerization of 1,4-dicyanobenzene catalyzed by the Lewis acid zinc chloride and demonstrate that the microporous black polymer CTF-1 is essentially inactive for hydrogen evolution. Instead, highly photoactive phenyl-triazine oligomers (PTOs) with higher crystallinity as compared to CTF-1 are obtained by lowering the reaction temperature to 300 °C and prolonging the reaction time to >150 hours. The low reaction temperature of the PTOs largely prevents incipient carbonization and thus results in a carbon-to-nitrogen weight ratio close to the theoretical value of 3.43. The oligomers were characterized by MALDI-TOF and quantitative solid-state NMR spectroscopy, revealing variations in size, connectivity and thus nitrile-to-triazine ratios depending on the initial precursor dilution. The most active PTO samples efficiently and stably reduce water to hydrogen with an average rate of 1076 (±278) μmol h−1 g−1 under simulated sunlight illumination, which is competitive with the best carbon nitride-based and purely organic photocatalysts. The photocatalytic activity of the PTOs is found to sensitively depend on the polymerization degree, thus suggesting a prominent role of the unreacted nitrile moieties in the photocatalytic process. Notably, PTOs even show moderate hydrogen production without the addition of any co-catalyst.


Even though the figure of the active reader has been
repeatedly emphasized as the foundation of romanesque poetics of
Milorad Pavic, the review of scientific works on the literary creation
of this writer points to the absence of a monograph which
encompasses Pavic's entire romanesque work from the point of view
of contemporary reading theories. Consequently, scientific studies on
Pavic's works have paid insufficient attention to determining the
types of readers of his novels and selecting criteria for their possible
grouping.
The aim of this dissertation is to determine the types of readers
in Pavic's novels, precisely describe their characteristics, functions as
well as their systematization in the context of contemporary reading
theories. Due to the complex nature of the problem itself and the
description of readers in the novels of Milorad Pavic, it was necessary
to take into account the literarytheoretical
considerations of encoded
readers in the diachrony, and then to see them through the
modifications within the poetics of Milorad Pavic, both a writer and a
scientist. Apart from the contextualization within contemporary
literary theories, from its objectivistic, phenomenological, semiotic,
receptionist, to psychoanalytical, rhetoric and cognitive orientations,
the research also aims at determining unique concepts of readers
promoted in Pavic's novels.
Considering the domain of the theory of literature, the research
aims at the review and revision of existing conclusions on literary
theories oriented towards the reader and their active role in
constituting the meaning of a literary work. Furthermore, its aim is to
expand this corpus with theoreticians from the end of the 20th and the
beginning of the 21st century who deal with the problem of reading
and the role of the reader in a given process, as well as to classify
them, which would include theoreticians whose works deal with the
phenomenon of the reader's reaction, using criteria such as the
reader's position (in or outside the text), the problem of constitution
the meaning and the type of the reader paradigmatic for a given
approach or a reading theoretician. According to the selected material
and methodological frame, reading methods oriented towards
phenomenology, semiotics, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, new
rhetoric and cognitive aspect have been applied in the dissertation.
By finding analogues between Pavic's poetry and
contemporary reading theories, as well as by modifying some
theoretical settings in Pavic's key, the research has formed a strong
theoretical basis for considering Milorad Pavic a significant reading
theoretician. A precise description of both the concepts of readers in
Pavic's novels and their roles has resulted in highlighting the
typology based on the criteria for the classification of readers in the
context of contemporary reading theories, and those characteristic of
Pavic's reading theory.
By reaching the mentioned results, this research will primarily
contribute to the scientific study of the romanesque work of Milorad
Pavic. Moreover, by revising the classifications of contemporary
reading theories and expanding this corpus with contemporary
theoreticians, including Pavic, it will contribute to literarytheoretical
studies of the reading process and thereby become a strong
methodological frame for considering romanesque range of Serbian
postmodernism.


The geometrical irregularities provided with elements, which are used in machining. These irregularities disturb the stress distribution. In this study, the stress distribution of rectangular plate having a circular hole is analyzed. The two different materials are used for this analysis and results compared with one another to get an idea about stress distribution and deformation for the designing of the machine. From the present investigation, it can be concluded that the maximum stress occurs at corners of holes in both materials. Also, for both materials, it is observed that, as T/D ratio increases, it also increases stress concentration factor. The stress concentration factor values obtained from finite element analysis shows the maximum error of 0.33% for magnesium alloy and 0.30% for polyethylene, which is very minor. Thus, from the present study, it can be said that finite element analysis is a very effective tool to determine stresses induced in various materials.


Children are seen as competent social actors in new social studies of childhood and proponents of which seek for children's participation in all matters that are of interest to children, and simultaneously and thereafter influence the decision making process that affect them in both explicit and implicit terms. Additionally, the UNCRC in articles 12 and 13 legally provisions for the participation of children to have a say on the issues of their concerns and their views should be taken into consideration. The community based child clubs seem to have emerged to meet this end.My thesis aimed at exploring the lived experiences of children involved in the community based child clubs in order to gain knowledge on how the clubs have been good defenders of children's rights, particularly their right to participate and agency and what implications the clubs have in Nepalese society.Qualitative questionnaires as a gateway to enter the issue, and (semi) interviews, focus groups discussions and ranking as primary qualitative methods were used to collect data. Nine children, five girls and four boys, and six adults were the informants, but children were the focus of the research. The empirical data were further analyzed and interpreted.This research shows that the community based child clubs have been a good forum for children to get information on children's rights and other issues, and develop their personal and social skills. Children's participation in the social activities that are of direct interest to children has been the main focus of the clubs. Children lead, manage and implement the clubs activities and program themselves and hence children's agency has been recognized and promoted. These clubs have brought positive changes to children themselves, their families and societies. Furthermore, the clubs have got a strong space in the society and challenged the traditional beliefs and practices that discourage child participation. Thus, it is reasonable to say that the child clubs have turned into a real crusader for informing, promoting and protecting children's right to participate and hence develop their agency.


Abstract Understanding the patterns of past disturbance allows further insight into the complex composition, structure, and function of current and future forests, which is increasingly important in a world where disturbance characteristics are changing. Our objectives were to define disturbance causes, rates (percent disturbance per decade), magnitudes and frequency (time since last disturbance) for both secondary and old-growth mixed-oak stands, and to determine if all mixed oak stands experience similar disturbance history. The study was located in two southern Appalachian forests in western North Carolina, USA: Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, a 2,185 ha experimental forest with some history of harvesting, and the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness, a 6,805 ha old-growth forest with no known harvesting. We used dendroecological techniques to evaluate the disturbance histories and create chronologies of these mixed-oak forests. Average decadal disturbance rates ranged from 4.3% to 13.8%, similar to rates common in eastern temperate forests (5% to 20%). The decades of peak recruitment common to several stands were the 1840s, which coincides with the historical accounts of a hurricane; the 1900s through the 1940s, which coincide with logging and elimination of Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkh. by chestnut blight; and the 1960s, which coincides with drought and an elm spanworm infestation. The large peaks of disturbance were often synchronous and widespread, affecting stands across both Coweeta and Joyce Kilmer. However, there were also scattered pulses of disturbance unique to single stands, suggesting that localized events also played a role in the disturbance dynamics. Periods of constant low rates of disturbance present in all stands also indicate the importance of small canopy gaps in these forests. We found that stands similar in disturbance regimes were also similar in species composition. Results from our study provide information on how past disturbances, both regional and local events, have shaped the current forest. This understanding could help inform models to better predict how forests might respond to future climate (e.g., rising temperatures and increasing precipitation variability) and disturbance patterns (e.g., more frequent and severe events).


The brain consists of a complex but precisely organized neural network, which provides the structural basis of higher order functions. Such a complex structure originates from a simple pseudostratified neuroepithelium. During the developing mammalian cerebral cortex, a cohort of neural progenitors, located near the ventricle, differentiates into neurons and exhibits multi-step modes of migration toward the pial surface. Tight regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal migration is essential for the determination of the neuron number in adult brains and the proper positioning of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in a specific layer, respectively. In addition, defects in neurogenesis and neuronal migration can cause several neurological disorders, such as microcephaly, periventricular heterotopia and lissencephaly. Recent advances in genetic approaches to study the developing cerebral cortex, as well as the use of a number of novel techniques, particularly in vivo electroporation and time-lapse analyses using explant slice cultures, have significantly increased our understanding of cortical development. These novel techniques have allowed for cell biological analyses of cerebral cortical development in vivo or ex vivo, showing that many cellular events, including endocytosis, cell adhesion, microtubule and actin cytoskeletal regulation, neurotransmitter release, stress response, the consequence of cellular crowding (physical force), dynamics of transcription factors, midbody release and polarity transition are required for neurogenesis and/or neuronal migration. The aim of this research topic is to highlight molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cerebral cortical development and its related neurological disorders from the cell biological point of views, such as cell division, cell-cycle regulation, cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion and membrane trafficking. The topic has been organized into three chapters: 1) neurogenesis and cell fate determination, 2) neuronal migration and 3) cortical development-related neurological disorders. We hope that the results and discussions contributed by all authors in this research topic will be broadly useful for further advances in basic research, as well as improvements in the etiology and care of patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders.


Background. Major advances during the past 50 years highlight the immense potential for restoration of function after neural injury, even in the damaged adult human brain. Yet, the translation of these advances into clinically useful treatments is painstakingly slow. Objective. Here, we consider why the traditional model of a "translational research pipeline" that transforms basic science into novel clinical practice has failed to improve rehabilitation practice for people after stroke. Results. We find that (1) most treatments trialed in vitro and in animal models have not yet resulted in obviously useful functional gains in patients; (2) most clinical trials of restorative treatments after stroke have been limited to small-scale studies; (3) patient recruitment for larger clinical trials is difficult; (4) the determinants of patient outcomes and what patients want remain complex and ill-defined, so that basic scientists have no clear view of the clinical importance of the problems that they are addressing; (5) research in academic neuroscience centers is poorly integrated with practice in front-line hospitals and the community, where the majority of patients are treated; and (6) partnership with both industry stakeholders and patient pressure groups is poorly developed, at least in the United Kingdom where research in the translational restorative neurosciences in stroke depends on public sector research funds and private charities. Conclusions. We argue that interaction between patients, front-line clinicians, and clinical and basic scientists is essential so that they can explore their different priorities, skills, and concerns. These interactions can be facilitated by funding research consortia that include basic and clinical scientists, clinicians and patient/carer representatives with funds targeted at those impairments that are major determinants of patient and carer outcomes. Consortia would be instrumental in developing a lexicon of common methods, standardized outcome measures, data sharing and long-term goals. Interactions of this sort would create a research-friendly, rather than only target-led, culture in front-line stroke rehabilitation services.


The Death of Sacred Texts draws attention to a much neglected topic in the study of sacred texts: the religious and ritual
attitudes towards texts which have become old and damaged and can no longer be used for reading practices or in
religious worship. This book approaches religious texts and scriptures by focusing on their physical properties and the
dynamic interactions of devices and habits that lie beneath and within a given text. In the last decades a growing body of
research studies has directed attention to the multiple uses and ways people encounter written texts and how they make
them alive, even as social actors, in different times and cultures.
Considering religious people seem to have all the motives for giving their sacred texts a respectful symbolic treatment,
scholars have paid surprisingly little attention to the ritual procedures of disposing and renovating old texts. This book fills
this gap, providing empirical data and theoretical analyses of historical and contemporary religious attitudes towards, and
practices of text disposals within, seven world religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and
Sikhism. Exploring the cultural and historical variations of rituals for religious scriptures and texts (such as burials,
cremations and immersion into rivers) and the underlying beliefs within the religious traditions, this book investigates how
these religious practices and stances respond to modernization and globalization processes when new technologies have
made it possible to mass-produce and publish religious texts on the Internet.


BACKGROUND
The aim of discharge planning conferences (DPCs) is to co-ordinate resources and to enhance patient involvement in care in connection with relocation from hospital. DPCs can be characterized as institutional conversations, and are often executed as standard procedures, but the scientific basis for the activity is weak.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to illuminate and describe the communication at DPCs.

DESIGN
A purposeful and consecutive sample of eight DPCs was collected in which the future care of eight women, aged 70 years or more, was discussed.

METHODS
Transcribed video recordings were analysed in two steps. "The initial analysis" aimed at describing the structure and content of the communication. This description constituted the basis for an interpretation, leading to "the focused analysis" aiming at finding evidence for the assumptions made in the interpretation.

RESULTS
The result revealed that the participation of patients was very less the DPCs. The decisions had often already been made, and the women were expected to be pleased with the decision; institutional representatives (IRs) frequently justified their actions by referring to bureaucratic praxis.

CONCLUSIONS
The women were both encouraged and excluded from participation by the IRs. This dichotomy occurred because the IRs, as professionals, struggled to simultaneously realize their caring mission and their obligation to enforce the values and rules of the institution, i.e. efficiency and rationality. Thus, IRs and patients were equally imprisoned within the institutional system. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL RESEARCH: This result illustrates how conflicting paradigms are imbedded and reproduced by healthcare professionals in their communicative praxis. Awareness of this is a prerequisite for improvements in working procedures congruent with a caring paradigm that support patient participation.


The 3D wave propagation simulation is suitable for the long‐period ground‐motion hazard analysis, because the realistic seismic source and velocity structure models are applicable and ground motion at any point can be obtained. However, large‐scale simulations for various scenarios are needed to adopt uncertainty due to the source model of a large earthquake. Here we show our approach to overcome a problem of heavy computational expense. We improve computation performance of the 3D finite‐difference method by using discontinuous grids and by adapting to multigraphics processing units technique. Then, we simulate long‐period ground motion of many scenarios of a hypothetical megathrust earthquake in the Nankai trough. We use the characterized source models based on the "recipe" in the simulation. Finally, we apply the simulation results based on about 400 scenarios to a technical framework of the probabilistic seismic‐hazard analysis. The hazard maps of velocity response spectra for a given conditional exceedance probability show that the long‐period ground motion is more significant with respect to the underground structure than is the distance from the source area.


Background: Marked associations between obesity and the development of knee symptoms have been well established. The prevalence of obesity in Western populations has continued to rise over the past decades, and this has been associated with a significant rise in the number of patients with debilitating knee symptoms who are obese. While these patients may be referred to orthopaedic surgeons for assessment and consideration of treatment options, they may lack intra-articular pathology amenable to orthopaedic surgical intervention such as a Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Laparoscopic roux-en-y gastric bypass (LRYGB) surgery is one of the more effective ways to induce and maintain weight loss, and while bariatric surgery has been reported to provide significant reductions in knee symptoms no studies have compared the magnitude of change is symptoms compared to TKA. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of LRYGB on knee-specific patient reported outcomes, and to compare these findings to a matched cohort of patients who underwent TKA for OA.
Methods and findings: Twenty patients who underwent bariatric surgery were matched on a one-to-two basis to forty patients who had previously undergone unilateral primary TKA at a single institution. WOMAC scores were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 month follow ups. The mean percentage improvement in knee-specific pain scores was similar between groups at both 6 month (49.9% vs. 58.3%; p=0.438) and 1 year (62.7% vs. 68.2%; p=0.576) follow-up intervals. Furthermore, patients who underwent LRYGB had significantly greater mean percent improvement in knee-specific WOMAC function scores at 6 month followup (66.3% vs. 46.8%; p=0.048), and a similar though marginally non-significant improvement at 12 month followup (68.4% vs. 51.6%; p=0.094).
Conclusion: The relative improvement in symptoms of a group of LRYBG patients was similar to that of a matched group of patients who underwent TKA for end-stage OA. While further work is needed to better delineate the contribution of elevated BMI to knee symptoms, as well as to ascertain whether these findings are maintained at longer-term follow-up, surgeons should consider bariatric consultation for obese patients with knee symptoms lacking either focal pathology amenable to orthopaedic management or degenerative changes sufficiently advanced to warrant joint arthroplasty.


Wireless networks are on the verge of a third phase of growth. The first phase was dominated by voice traffic, and the second phase, which we are currently in, is dominated by data traffic. In the third phase we predict that the traffic will be dominated by video and will require new ways to optimize the network to prevent saturation. This increase in video traffic is one of the key drivers of the evolution to new mobile broadband standards like WiMAX IEEE 802.16m and 3G LTE and LTE-Advanced, motivating the need to enhance the video service capabilities of future cellular and mobile broadband systems. Therefore, it is important to understand both the potential and limitations of these networks for delivering video content in the future, which will include not only traditional video broadcasts, but also video streaming and uploading in the uplink direction. In that vein this article provides an overview of technology options for enabling multicast and unicast video services over WiMAX and LTE networks, quantifies and compares the video capacities of these networks in realistic environments, and discusses new techniques that could be exploited in the future to further enhance the video capacity and quality of user experience.


ABSTRACT This article portrays the shift experienced in the role of acacia trees during environmental–political struggles as the entanglement of trees and people. Drawing on a four-year ethnographic study around Israel's Arava desert valley, the article narrates human interactions with these trees amid an environmental conflict fraught with personal and political conflict, opposing perspectives on natural preservation and scientific debate, as well as disputes among environmental organisations. Contrary to current approaches in anthropology that –theoretically at least – confer agency on the non-human, I refocus on the human practices that weave the non-human into the social fabric. In this article, I argue that the trees – not actors in their own right, yet inhabiting a tapestry of people and other elements – are essential to understanding a variety of social processes.


Abstract. Numerical modeling has been carried out in a 2-D cylindrical shell domain to quantify the evolution of a primordial dense layer around the core–mantle boundary. Effective buoyancy ratio, Beff was introduced to characterize the evolution of the two-layer thermo-chemical convection in the Earth's mantle. Beff decreases with time due to (1) warming of the compositionally dense layer, (2) cooling of the overlying mantle, (3) eroding of the dense layer through thermal convection in the overlying mantle and (4) diluting of the dense layer through inner convection. When Beff reaches the instability point, Beff = 1, effective thermo-chemical convection starts, and the mantle will be mixed (Beff = 0) over a short time period. A parabolic relationship was revealed between the initial density difference of the layers and the mixing time. Morphology of large low-shear-velocity provinces and results from seismic tomography and normal mode data suggest a value of Beff ≥ 1 for the mantle.


Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) commonly occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-R) antagonists may be able to reverse LVH independent to the hypotensive effect in the ESRD setting. Thirty chronically hemodialyzed uremic patients with hypertension were randomly assigned to receive the AT1-R antagonist losartan (n = 10), the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACD) inhibitor enalapril (n = 10), or calcium antagonist amlodipine (n = 10). Left ventricular mass (LVM) index was measured by echocardiography before and 6 months after treatment. The baseline demographic and clinical characteristics did not differ between the three groups. The mean baseline LVM index also did not differ in the three groups. After 6 months of treatment, losartan treatment significantly reduced the LVM index (–24.7 ± 3.2%) than amlodipine (–10.5 ± 5.2%) or enalapril (–11.2 ± 4.1%) therapy. All three groups had a similar decrease in the mean blood pressure with treatment. The plasma angiotensin II concentration increased 5-fold with losartan treatment. In contrast, the plasma angiotension II concentration did not change with enalapril and only increased 2-fold with amlodipine. Thus, the present study indicates that losartan more effectively regresses LVH in patients with ESRD than do enalapril and amlodipine despite a comparable depressor effect between the three drugs.


Influenza is suspected to be endemic in tropical climates, with peaks during and/or following cold or rainy seasons. To date, only one study has been conducted examining the epidemiology and seasonality of influenza in Uganda. The focus of this analysis is to determine whether a change in the seasonality of influenza can been seen between three distinct regions of Uganda: Central, Northwest, and Western. Secondary data analysis was conducted on surveillance data collected by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) between April 2007 to September 2010 from 10 surveillance sites. Surveillance sites were grouped for this analysis into three regions: Central, Northwest, and Western. A total of 3,944 samples were collected and tested for any strain of influenza. The prevalence of influenza over the 4 years of surveillance was 10.1%. The majority of cases came from the Central region (81.7%) and the highest prevalence of influenza-positive samples were collected in the Central region (88.7 cases/1,000 persons). A clear difference in influenza activity was observed during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Uganda reported its first case of H1N1 in July 2009 (Relief Web). The Central region experienced its initial flux of influenza activity in July and August 2009 (Figure 1). However, the Northwest region did not experience a flux in activity until October 2009 (Figure 2). Influenza activity in the Central and Northwest regions appear to coincide with colder temperatures and both rainy seasons. The Northwest region was the only region to experience a peak corresponding with warmer weather. Results showed a slight change in the seasonality of influenza between the Central and Northwest regions of Uganda from surveillance data collected between April 2007 and September 2010.


The paper acknowledges a growing web of legal norms that regulate governance aspects of the Internet. Some of these norms are legally binding; others are closer to what some scholars call soft law. In order to take stock of these developments, I propose an explorative typology that can bring some systematic order into the plurality of Internet norms. Although my framework is not exhaustive, it already sheds some light into future challenges that we should expect. The prospective types that I provide are (a) positivation of soft law, whereby the latter enters the formalized procedures of statutory law; (b) legalization through complementarity, which refers to positive legal instruments belonging to cognate fields flanking the content of soft law; c) informal legalization, which is based on the reproduction, dissemination, and persuasiveness of legal discourses; d) conflicting legalization, a type that aims at highlighting the conflicts of laws that can arise due to the progressive legalization. The results reveal that different types of Internet norms also contain a considerable potential for mutual conflicts. Whenever this occurs, we will have to make some significant choices related to the prevalence of certain social goods over others. Since the Internet environment is not a democratic republic, we cannot resort to significant procedural rules that could ordinarily prescribe hierarchies. However, the results of my typology also seems to suggest that there is considerable room for ordering principles and values according to deliberative arrangements or public reasoning. Although research on Internet governance has provided valuable insights into actors, processes, and interests, the time seems right to focus on the proto-legal order that is already in place. The normative question is already waiting for us: How should we deal with this nascent web of Internet laws? The paper claims that unless we shut down the Internet, we will have to engage in dialogue about the "c" word; "c" as in constitution.


The Internet has recovered from the dot-com crash of the early 2000's and now features an abundance of new, innovative technologies and services. We are also witnessing the emergence of a communication and computing infrastructure that encompasses millions of people with mobile devices, such as mobile phones, with Internet connectivity. This infrastructure will soon enable the Internet to go mobile. This paper describes the background and aspirations of a new research project that is concerned with data management aspects of innovative mobile Internet services. It is argued that mobile services will be context aware, and the project devotes particular attention to geographical context awareness. The project will adopt a prototyping approach where services are built and exposed to users, and where data management challenges are identified and addressed. The paper describes the evolving service platform that supports the approach chosen, it describes some of the data management techniques being integrated into the service platform, and it describes research guidelines that the project aims to follow.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Physician profiling methods are envisioned as a means of promoting healthcare quality by recognizing the contributions of individual physicians. Developing methods that can reliably distinguish among physicians' performance is challenging because of small sample sizes, incomplete data, and physician panel differences. In this study, we developed a hierarchical, weighted composite model to reliably compare primary care physicians across domains of care, and we demonstrated its use within a clinical system. We evaluated 199 primary care physicians from a large integrated healthcare delivery system using 19 quality and two efficiency measures taken from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set and existing pay‐for‐performance programs. Individual measures were calculated, compared to benchmarks, and grouped into two composites: one focused on quality and one on efficiency. Each composite was fitted to the model, assessed for reliability (signal‐to‐noise ratio), and weighted to create a single summary score for each primary care physician. The quality‐of‐care composite had a median reliability of .98, with 99.5% of all physician reliability estimates exceeding threshold. The efficiency composite had a median reliability of .97, with 94.9% of all physician reliability estimates exceeding threshold. Our results demonstrate that reliable physician profiling is possible across care domains using a hierarchical composite model based on multiple data. The model was used to distribute incentive payouts among primary care physicians but is adaptable to many settings.


Baseline and nicotine-modulated behaviors were assessed in mice harboring a null mutant allele of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit gene α2 (Chrna2). Homozygous Chrna2−/− mice are viable, show expected sex and Mendelian genotype ratios, and exhibit no gross neuroanatomical abnormalities. A broad range of behavioral tests designed to assess genotype-dependent effects on anxiety (elevated plus maze and light/dark box), motor coordination (narrow bean traverse and gait), and locomotor activity revealed no significant differences between mutant mice and age-matched wild-type littermates. Furthermore, a panel of tests measuring traits, such as body position, spontaneous activity, respiration, tremors, body tone, and startle response, revealed normal responses for Chrna2-null mutant mice. However, Chrna2−/− mice do exhibit a mild motor or coordination phenotype (a decreased latency to fall during the accelerating rotarod test) and possess an increased sensitivity to nicotine-induced analgesia in the hotplate assay. Relative to wild-type, Chrna2−/− mice show potentiated nicotine self-administration and withdrawal behaviors and exhibit a sex-dependent enhancement of nicotine-facilitated cued, but not trace or contextual, fear conditioning. Overall, our results suggest that loss of the mouse nAChR α2 subunit has very limited effects on baseline behavior but does lead to the potentiation of several nicotine-modulated behaviors.


A region calculus is a polymorphically typed lambda calculus with explicit memory management primitives. Every value is annotated with a region in which it is stored. Regions are allocated and deallocated in a stack-like fashion. The annotations can be statically inferred by a type and effect system, making a region calculus suitable as an intermediate language for a compiler of statically typed programming languages. Although a lot of attention has been paid to type soundness properties of different flavors of region calculi, it seems that little effort has been made to develop a semantic framework. In this paper, we formulate a syntactic equational theory, which is proven sound with respect to contextual equivalence. Soundness is achieved by introducing an appropriate notion of bisimilarity, which provides a co-inductive proof principle for showing equivalences in our region calculus. We show that bisimilarity includes the equational theory and that it coincides with contextual equivalence.


The authors discuss two studies that show that charter school leaders assemble and deploy their professional staffs in ways that aren't possible in traditional schools. And, since the heart and soul of any school is its teaching staff, few things that we are apt to learn about the operations of charter schools are more consequential than the realized opportunity they present for innovation-minded principals to do things differently on the personnel front. ARE CHARTER schools really different? Everyone knows that their governance is freer, their budgets leaner, and their longevity less certain than regular public schools, but how different is what actually goes on inside them? Is it anything that students, parents, and teachers would notice? Anything that might make them produce better results? Anything that the rest of American education might learn from? If not, the whole charter school enterprise may amount to little - a comet flashing across the sky, perhaps, but not the new education solar system that its boosters and backers claim. With the charter phenomenon barely a decade old, and with the average charter school only in its second or third year, the majority of America's 2,400 charters are still struggling with myriad start-up problems. It's too soon for definitive judgments on the innovativeness of charter schools - nor is that, in the long run, the most important thing to know about them. Frustrated education reformers are chiefly interested in whether charters boost pupil achievement. Parents mainly want to know whether their children will be safe in these schools and will learn to read, write, and cipher. Still, for the many educators and policy makers who view charter schools as beta sites for a broader effort to renew and reinvigorate U.S. education, keen interest attaches to the question of whether they're really different from standard-issue public (and perhaps private) schools. Evidence is trickling in, some of it anecdotal, some of it systematic. Two new studies conducted for the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation - one of them limited and anecdotal, the other wide-ranging and scientifically significant - contribute to that stream. Both address the question of whether people leading charter schools are taking substantive advantage of their freedom and are, in fact, innovating. The informal study - Autonomy and Innovation: How Do Massachusetts Charter School Principals Use Their Freedom? - was conducted by Bill Triant, a former teacher in the Boston Public Schools who is now studying education and business at Stanford University.1 He interviewed eight Bay State charter principals on five dimensions of school operations. The systematic study, by veteran economists Michael Podgursky and Dale Ballou, is a data-filled report on how 132 charter schools in seven charter-friendly states handle personnel matters.2 The two reports come to similar conclusions - conclusions that education reformers should find generally encouraging. Both studies suggest that charter schools are serving as exciting seedbeds for new approaches to finding, employing, and keeping better teachers. Triant says that "charter principals are using the freedom granted to them to create schools that would not be possible if the charter law did not exist." Podgursky and Ballou found that, "when given the opportunity, charter schools pursue innovative personnel policies that differ in key respects from those of traditional public schools and more closely resemble the practices of private schools." Though Triant also queried charter principals about finance, curriculum, school structure, and accountability, we focus here on what he discovered about teacher hiring, also the subject of the Podgursky/Ballou study. From his inquiries, we learn that, while seven of the eight principals "believed that the system of teacher hiring in their charter school is better than the system in comparable district schools," their reasons ranged all over the map. …


The objective of the research that I have undertaken was to develop two quantitative techniques used in analytical electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and to apply those techniques to a selected biological system. More specifically the aim was to develop a technique for quantifying, at high spatial resolution, trace concentrations of Al in mineralised bone. The Al was highly localised and therefore it was important to select the microanalytical technique with the required spatial resolution (m) compatible with the highest sensitivity. In practice, the choice was relatively simple because the signals from the trace concentrations could not be detected using EELS due to the combined effects of plural inelastic scattering in the sample, and a low signal to background ratio. The former problem resulted from the difficulty in preparing sufficiently thin samples, and the latter is an inherent problem of EEL spectroscopy. Therefore, EDX was chosen for the mineralised bone study. As is always the case, artefacts are introduced into the spectral data by the measurement system itself and it was necessary to first quantify these artefacts before attempting to process the EDX spectra. Standards of accurately known composition are often used to quantify the characteristic signals extracted from EDX spectra. Unfortunately, suitable standards were not available for the elements of interest. Therefore, a standardless quantitation procedure was used. Since the accuracy of the method was dependent upon the accuracy of the parameterised characteristic cross-sections, some time was spent determining the optimal parameterisation. Significant problems exist when attempting to extract the Al and Mg signals from the EDX mineralised bone spectra. Essentially these are due to the extensive overlap between the major P peak and the vanishingly small Al (and Mg) signals of interest. In addition it is difficult to model the bremsstrahlung background (for characteristic signal extraction) at the Al and Mg X-ray energies because of the combined effects of absorption in the detector and specimen, and incomplete charge collection in the detector. However, a technique was developed which greatly improves the accuracy of the characteristic signal extraction over existing methods. A new method of EEL spectral processing was developed in which the characteristic signals are separated from the background counts and quantified in a single process. This `single-stage' technique appears to have some advantages over the standard `extrapolation' method of spectral processing: e.g. when dealing with adjacent edge signals or small signals on relatively large backgrounds. A detailed investigation was made into all the problems associated with the application of EELS to the mineralised bone study of interest here; i.e. the difficulties of EEL mineralised bone specimen preparation and the very low Al signal/background ratio which is predicted, even if suitable mineralised bone samples could have been prepared. Finally, a brief investigation was made into the physiological implications of the mineralised bone atomic ratios obtained in the EDX study.