This paper studies the outage probability minimization problem for a multiple relay network with energy harvesting constraints. The relays are hybrid nodes used for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer from the source radio frequency (RF) signals. There is a tradeoff associated with the amount of time a relay node is used for energy and information transfer. Large intervals of information transfer implies little time for energy harvesting from RF signals and thus, high probability of outage events. We propose relay selection schemes for a cooperative system with a fixed number of RF powered relays. We address both causal and non-causal channel state information cases at the relay-destination link and evaluate the tradeoff associated with information/power transfer in the context of minimization of outage probability.


We derive analytical solutions for the scattering of electromagnetic waves by a nanoparticle with nearly spherical shape and nonlocal dielectric function by using an extended Mie scattering theory with additional boundary conditions. A perturbation method is used to treat the correction due to deviation from the spherical shape. A surface characteristic function is introduced to describe the non-spherical surface profile of the nanoparticle, and it plays an important role in our analytical formulation. Complex surface plasmon modes are obtained. It is found that not only the transverse but also the longitudinal surface plasmon modes of the nanoparticle are excited due to the nonlocal effect. Our analytical formulation provides an alternative method for investigating the optical behaviors of the surface plasmon of nanoparticles with nearly spherical shape and nonlocal effect.


The island of Lipari (Italy) is characterized by calc-alkaline to potassic volcanism and a Mediterranean-type climate. The mineralogical and chemical features of two different soil profiles with ages of 92,000 and 10,000–40,000 y, respectively, have been investigated. There were no Andisols, but Vitric and Vertic Cambisols have developed at both sites. Although the morphology of the soils was similar, remarkable differences in the clay mineralogy between the two sites were observed. The site with the Vitric Cambisol was associated with the weathering sequence: glass → halloysite → kaolinite or interstratified kaolinite-2:1 clay minerals. Both sites had smectite in the clay fraction and, to a large extent, this smectite had a low charge and could be characterized as a dioctahedral montmorillonite. At the site with a Vertic Cambisol, smectite was the predominant mineral phase in the clay fraction. The smectites (predominantly montmorillonite) found in this soil were probably not of pedogenetic origin and are, therefore, inherited from the parent material. Their formation is due to hydrothermal alteration of glass particles during or immediately after the emplacement of the pyroclastic flow. The octahedral character of the smectites did not change from the C to the A horizon indicating that they are resistant to weathering processes. A high-charge expandable mineral was detected in small concentrations in the Vertic Cambisol and had a dioctahedral structure. In this case also, no signs of significant weathering or transformation could be detected in the soil profile. In contrast to many other investigations, no active smectite formation within the soil profiles could be measured. The subtropical and rather dry climate in Lipari might, therefore, favor the persistence of dioctahedral low-charge montmorillonites that are associated with a small amount of a high-charge expandable mineral in the soil.


Objective: In view of the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration's warning against the use of sildenafil in pediatric patients, we aimed to provide an updated overview of the dosing and safety of sildenafil in infants and to explore the relevance of the present safety concerns to the infant population. Data Source: The National Library of Medicine PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched using the following terms: Sildenafil AND (infant OR infants OR newborn OR newborns OR child OR children OR childhood OR pediatric OR pediatrics OR paediatric OR paediatrics). Study Selection: Studies presenting original clinical data regarding the dosing, use, or safety of sildenafil in infants with pulmonary hypertension would be included. Data Extraction: Of the 49 included studies, case reports and case series were the most common type of publications (n = 25). The identified trials included 625 children, with more than 140 infants. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and pulmonary hypertension associated with other conditions were the most common underlying diagnoses. Conclusion: There is currently no evidence of serious adverse event in infants exposed to sildenafil. Present safety concerns regarding the use of sildenafil in pediatric patients should be further explored before being applied to infant population. Sildenafil remains a valuable option for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in young infants. Prospective studies should be designed in such a way that they include a safety assessment to evaluate potential adverse outcomes of sildenafil therapy in this population.


The Coalition has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent on 2000 levels by 2020. It proposes to achieve this target with a "Direct Action Plan": a competitive grant scheme that would buy greenhouse gas reductions from businesses and farmers. Over the past decade various Australian governments have announced more than seven billion dollars of competitive grant schemes. The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and the Grattan Institute have reviewed competitive grant schemes in Australia and found that they: • Take far longer to achieve their objectives than originally planned • Achieve much less than expected • Cost far more than was budgeted. This analysis finds that the Coalition's Direct Action Plan will cost far more than is budgeted for and is unlikely to find sufficient greenhouse gas reduction projects in order to reach the Coalition's emissions reduction target. Image: RubyGoes / flickr


Here, we report on the synthesis, enzymatic stability, and antitumor activity of novel bioconjugates containing the chemotherapeutic agent daunorubicin attached through an oxime bond to various gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) derivatives. In order to increase the enzymatic stability of the bioconjugates (in particular against chymotrypsin), (4)Ser was replaced by N-Me-Ser or Lys(Ac). A compound in which (4)Lys was not acetylated was also prepared, with the aim of investigating the influence of the free ε-amino group on the biochemical properties. The in vitro cytostatic effect of the bioconjugates was determined on MCF-7 human breast, HT-29 human colon, and LNCaP human prostate cancer cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Their stability/degradation (1) in human serum, (2) in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate, and (3) in the presence of digestive enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin) was analyzed by liquid chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry. The results showed that (1) all synthesized bioconjugates had in vitro cytostatic effect, (2) they were stable in human serum at least for 24 h, and (3) they were hydrolyzed in the presence of lysosomal homogenate. All compounds were stable in the presence of (1) pepsin and (2) trypsin (except for the (4)Lys containing bioconjugate). In the presence of chymotrypsin, all bioconjugates were digested; the degradation rate strongly depending on their structure. The bioconjugates in which (4)Ser was replaced by N-Me-Ser or Lys(Ac) had the highest enzymatic stability, making them potential candidates for oral administration. In vivo tumor growth inhibitory effect of two selected bioconjugates was evaluated on orthotopically developed C26 murine colon carcinoma bearing mice. The results indicated that the compound containing Lys(Ac) in position 4 had significantly higher antitumor activity than the parent bioconjugate.


A series of cyanoiminopyrimidines were synthesized by the reaction of 1-(2-naphthyl)-3arylprop-2-en-1-ones with cyanoguanidine in the presence of sodium hydroxide in ethanol. The mechanism involves the 1,4 or 1,2-addition of cyanoguanidine to α,β-unsaturated ketone, heterocyclisation and subsequent tautomeric change of formed adduct with loss of water. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR and NMR spectral studies. The in vitro antimicrobial screening of synthesized compounds showed the significant antifungal activities compared to the standard fluconazole.


What if you woke up one morning, and everything changed? It's one week before Christmas Eve, and Haruhi and the S.O.S. Brigade (a club for her high school's strangest and most extraordinary students) are gearing up for holiday festivities. But just before the fun kicks off, Kyon, the only "normal" member, wakes up in a weird alternate dimension, one where Haruhi attends another school entirely, Nagato the time traveling robot is just an ordinary human, and Mikuru (the cute girl of Kyon's dreams) doesn't even recognize him-in other words, S.O.S. Brigade never existed. The only clue Kyon can find is a bookmark left by the robot version of Nagato, which leads him on a quest back in time, where he interacts with the storyline from "Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody", a short story from the previous Haruhi book, The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya. This fun and quirky holiday tale is reminiscent of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life.


Lontar is one area of the mud crab fishing in Serang Regency. The collapsible traps are commonly used by Lontar's fisherman to catch mud crab. This study aimed to describe the collapsible trap fishing unit, operation method and analyze the effect of different catching time in Lontar. The experimental fishing was conducted for 30 days. The result showed that the collapsible traps have size LxWxH= 42x29x17 cm with a frame diameter of 0,35 cm, using polyethylene multifilament with a mesh opening of 1 cm as a covered and operated by one fisherman. The main parts of the collapsible trap are body, funnel, frame, bait place and buoys. Operation methods divided into setting, soaking and hauling. The main catches consist of mud crab (Scylla serrata). By catch on the collapsible trap including swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) and spiral babylonia (Babylonia spirata). Result of t-test showed that fishing time has significant influenced to total weight and total number of catch. It means total weight and number of catch at the night higher than the day. Keyword: fishing, mud crab, time, trap


The principles of ecological restoration have been affirmed in river management in the Western world since the 1990s. The removal of artificial barriers to re-establish ecological continuity in rivers is one of the most typical operations. This has effects on the landscapes since they change water levels and transform the channel, sometimes even the structure of the alluvial plain. A comparative approach is proposed using examples of restored sites from north-west France, southern England and the east coast of the United States. The spatial extent of the zone covered is defined both longitudinally and transversely for each of the sites and all structures completed are inventoried. Relying mainly on field observations, analysis of the landscapes resulting from the restoration of ecological continuity as led to the differentiation of three categories of operations: occasional operations limited to the removal of the artificial structure, those resulting in channel reconfiguration and those proposing a reconfiguration of the entire valley bottom. The geographic distribution of these three types encourages discussion of the weight of national contexts as well as local specificities (e.g., urban/rural zones).


Usually, marketing communication efforts in the agrifood sector address the end consumers and concentrate on products that are processed and ready for consumption, thus quality efforts often concentrate on the final product. Moreover, there's a widespread view that agricultural commodities like wheat aren't suitable neither for product focused marketing nor branding. However, recent developments in the in agrifood sector challenge this view. The increasing use of biotechnology, the globalisation of markets and changing consumer demands for quality, food safety and process attributes require improved communication concepts and information sharing along whole production chains. This paper considers the development of a quality communication system to support a regional wheat brand and prerequisites for quality management efforts.


In Part I of this paper the minimal regular covers of three Archimedean tilings were determined. However, the computations described in that work grow more complicated as the number of flag orbits of the tilings increases. In Part II, we develop a new technique in order to present the minimal regular covers of certain periodic abstract polytopes. We then use that technique to finish determining the minimal regular covers of the Archimedean tilings.


The flourishing of religious or spiritually-inspired music in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries remains largely unexplored. The engagement and tensions between modernism and tradition, and institutionalized religion and spirituality are inherent issues for many composers who have sought to invoke spirituality and Otherness through contemporary music. This volume provides a detailed exploration of the recent and current state of contemporary spiritual music in its musical, cultural, religious-spiritual and conceptual-philosophical aspects. At the heart of the book are issues that consider the role of secularization, the claims of modernity concerning the status of art, subjective responses such as faith and experience. It provides a new critical lens onto the music and thought of Cage, Ligeti, Messiaen, Stockhausen as spiritual music. The book surrounds these composers with studies of and by composers directly associated with the idea of spiritual music (Part, Harvey, Gubaidulina, MacMillan, Pott, and Tavener), and others (Adams, Birtwistle, Ton de Leeuw, Ferneyhough, Ustvolskaya, and Vivier) who have created original engagements with the idea of spirituality. The book should be essential reading for humanities scholars and students working in the areas of musicology, music theory, theology, religious studies, philosophy of culture, and the history of twentieth-century culture.


Combining an immunogenic cell death inducer with dendritic cell immunotherapy treats high-grade glioma in a preclinical model. DAMPening Glioma Dendritic cell (DC)–based vaccines have shown promise for treating high-grade glioma (HGG), but efficacy has been limited by antigenic heterogeneity of the tumors. Now, Garg et al. combine DC vaccines with hypericin-based photodynamic therapy–induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) to treat HGG in an animal model. They found that ICD-based DC vaccines improved survival, and that this effect was dependent on the cell-associated reactive oxygen species and release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) acting as danger signals. These ICD-based DC vaccines synergized with standard-of-care therapy to further improve survival in HGG-bearing mice and shifted the tumor immune signature from regulatory to TH1/TH17, which is associated with positive outcome in patients. The promise of dendritic cell (DC)–based immunotherapy has been established by two decades of translational research. Of the four malignancies most targeted with clinical DC immunotherapy, high-grade glioma (HGG) has shown the highest susceptibility. HGG-induced immunosuppression is a roadblock to immunotherapy, but may be overcome by the application of T helper 1 (TH1) immunity–biased, next-generation, DC immunotherapy. To this end, we combined DC immunotherapy with immunogenic cell death (ICD; a modality shown to induce TH1 immunity) induced by hypericin-based photodynamic therapy. In an orthotopic HGG mouse model involving prophylactic/curative setups, both biologically and clinically relevant versions of ICD-based DC vaccines provided strong anti-HGG survival benefit. We found that the ability of DC vaccines to elicit HGG rejection was significantly blunted if cancer cell–associated reactive oxygen species and emanating danger signals were blocked either singly or concomitantly, showing hierarchical effect on immunogenicity, or if DCs, DC-associated MyD88 signal, or the adaptive immune system (especially CD8+ T cells) were depleted. In a curative setting, ICD-based DC vaccines synergized with standard-of-care chemotherapy (temozolomide) to increase survival of HGG-bearing mice by ~300%, resulting in ~50% long-term survivors. Additionally, DC vaccines also induced an immunostimulatory shift in the brain immune contexture from regulatory T cells to TH1/cytotoxic T lymphocyte/TH17 cells. Analysis of the The Cancer Genome Atlas glioblastoma cohort confirmed that increased intratumor prevalence of TH1/cytotoxic T lymphocyte/TH17 cells linked genetic signatures was associated with good patient prognosis. Therefore, pending final preclinical checks, ICD-based vaccines can be clinically translated for glioma treatment.


Inclusion of dispersion effects in density-functional calculations is now standard practice in computational chemistry. In many dispersion models, the dispersion energy is written as a sum of pairwise atomic interactions consisting of a damped asymptotic expansion from perturbation theory. There has been much recent attention drawn to the importance of "many-body" dispersion effects, which by their name imply limitations with a pairwise atomic expansion. In this perspective, we clarify what is meant by many-body dispersion, as this term has previously referred to two very different physical phenomena, here classified as electronic and atomic many-body effects. Atomic many-body effects refer to the terms in the perturbation-theory expansion of the dispersion energy involving more than two atoms, the leading contribution being the Axilrod-Teller-Muto three-body term. Conversely, electronic many-body effects refer to changes in the dispersion coefficients of the pairwise terms induced by the atomic environment. Regardless of their nature, many-body effects cause pairwise non-additivity in the dispersion energy, such that the dispersion energy of a system does not equal the sum of the dispersion energies of its atomic pairs taken in isolation. A series of examples using the exchange-hole dipole moment (XDM) method are presented to assess the relative importance of electronic and atomic many-body effects on the dispersion energy. Electronic many-body effects can result in variation in the leading-order C6 dispersion coefficients by as much as 50%; hence, their inclusion is critical for good performance of a pairwise asymptotic dispersion correction. Conversely, atomic many-body effects represent less than 1% of the total dispersion energy and are much less significant than higher-order (C8 and C10) pairwise terms. Their importance has been previously overestimated through empirical fitting, where they can offset underlying errors stemming either from neglect of higher-order pairwise terms or from the base density functional.


In recent years the relationship between ImoneyI and the macroeconomy has assumed prominence in the academic literature and in Central Banks circles. Although some Central Bankers have stated that they have formally abandoned the notion of using monetary aggregates as indicators of the impact of their policies on the economy, research into the link between some kind of monetary aggregate and the price level is still prevalent. Attention is increasingly turning to the method of aggregation employed in the construction of monetary indices. The most sophisticated index number used thus far relies upon the formulation devised by Divisia. The construction has it roots firmly based in microeconomic aggregation theory and statistical index number theory. Our hypothesis is that measures of money constructed using the Divisia index number formulation are superior indicators of monetary conditions when compared to their simple sum counterparts. Our hypothesis is reinforced by a growing body of evidence from empirical studies around the world which demonstrate that weighted index number measures may be able to overcome the drawbacks of the simple sum, provided the underlying economic weak separability and linear homogeneity assumptions are satisfied. Ultimately, such evidence could reinstate monetary targeting as an acceptable method of macroeconomic control, including price regulation. We offer an exploratory study of the relevance of the Divisia monetary aggregate for Taiwan over the period 1978 to date. We adopt the principles of Ford (1997) by allowing both for a period of gradual learning by individuals as they adapt to the financial changes and secondly by incorporating a mechanism to accommodate the changing perceptions of individuals to the increased productivity of money. Individuals are thus assumed to adjust their holdings of financial assets until the diffusion of financial liberalisation is complete. The novelty of this paper lies in the use of evolutionary strategies (ES) to examine TaiwanIs recent experience of inflation. This is an unusual tool in this context and represents the first known application of its kind. Results are compared to those already produced for Taiwan using the Artificial Intelligence technique of neural networks to compare the explanatory power of both Divisia and simple sum measures of broad money as indicators of inflation. Evidence suggests that ESIs compete favourably in small samples with the neural network results we have previously reported, with the added benefit that the architecture is simpler and thus easier to implement. In addition, the variety of parameters is reduced and thus further limits the decisions that have to be made when implementing the algorithm. Our preferred inflation forecasting model is achieved using networks that employ a Divisia M2 measure of money that has been adjusted to incorporate a learning mechanism to allow individuals to gradually alter their perceptions of the increased productivity of money. The paper concludes with a discussion of the promise of artificial intelligence techniques as new tools in the macroeconomic policy arena.


AI research on meta-reasoning for agent self-adaptation has generally focused on modifying the agent's reasoning processes. In this paper, we describe the use of meta-reasoning for retrospective adaptation of the agent's domain knowledge. In particular, we consider the use of meta-knowledge for structural credit assignment in a classification hierarchy when the classifier makes an incorrect prediction. We present a scheme in which the semantics of the intermediate abstractions in the classification hierarchy are grounded in percepts in the world, and show that this scheme enables self-diagnosis and self-repair of knowledge contents at intermediate nodes in the hierarchy. We also discuss the implications of this scheme for an architecture for meta-reasoning.


Do trade reforms that significantly reduce import barriers lead to faster economic growth? In the two decades since Rodriguez and Rodrik's (2000) critical survey of empirical work on this question, new research has tried to overcome the various methodological problems that have plagued previous attempts to provide a convincing answer. This paper examines three strands of recent work on this issue: cross-country regressions focusing on within-country growth, synthetic control methods on specific reform episodes, and empirical country studies looking at the channels through which lower trade barriers may increase productivity. A consistent finding is that trade reforms have a positive impact on economic growth, on average, although the effect is heterogeneous across countries. Overall, these research findings should temper some of the previous agnosticism about the empirical link between trade reform and economic performance.


ABSTRACT If globalization is conceived as an outcome of negotiations between places and relational processes, how do researchers capture such amorphous complexity? Drawing upon the framework of assemblage theory this paper unpicks the plethora of processes and practices encompassed within the problematic term 'globalization'. Focusing on the 'banal' object of a can of Fanta, we demonstrate how this exists in an assemblage which maintains coherence across space (i.e. is universally recognizable) yet is spatially differentiated in its components. Shedding light on how these processes coalesce in place we argue for the acknowledgement of the 'ubiquitous' in making place and the importance of difference in underpinning the 'global'.


Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the impact of radiation therapy on outcomes for patients with uterine carcinosarcoma (UC). Methods/Materials We retrospectively reviewed the records of 155 women with stage I (98), II (11), or III (46) UC who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at our institution between 1990 and 2011. Survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. Results Seventy-six patients (49%) received radiation therapy: 38 (50%) had vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VBT) alone and 38 had external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) ± VBT. Seventy patients (45%) received chemotherapy (12 concurrent, 49 adjuvant, 9 both). The 5-year overall survival rate was 48.6% (stage I, 53.8%; II, 30.0%; and III, 42.5%). The disease-specific survival (DSS) rate was 57.2% (stage I, 60.9%; II, 44.4%; and III, 51.8%). Patients treated with EBRT had a higher 5-year pelvic disease control rate (88.3%) than did patients treated with VBT only (67.4%) or no radiation (71.2%; P = 0.04). In stage III patients, EBRT was associated with higher 5-year pelvic disease control (90.0% vs 55.5%, P = 0.046), DSS (64.6% vs 46.4%, P = 0.13), and overall survival (64.6% vs 34.0%, P = 0.04) rates. For all 155 patients, age at least 65 years, cervical involvement, and lymph vascular space invasion were correlated with lower DSS on univariate and multivariate analyses. In addition, treatment with concurrent chemoradiation therapy was independently associated with a higher DSS rate on multivariate analysis. Conclusions Patients with UC have a high rate of relapse in the regional nodes and distant sites. External beam radiation therapy improves locoregional control in all stages and may improve survival in stage III patients who are at the highest risk of pelvic relapse.


New biomedical technologies are used nowadays everywhere in the world, and thus in countries of different cultural and religious backgrounds. They constitute emerging technologies and promise a wide variety of benefits for humanity. They also caused much legal and theological debate. While some forms of its application were prohibited in the beginning, they have now started to be used in many countries. Application of these new methods of research and treatment in modern medicine makes new diagnostic and therapeutic interventions possible, but also often raises new complex bioethical problems, which cannot be discussed and judged independently of cultural attitudes. Recent advances in the field of cloning and stem cell research have introduced new hope for treatment of serious diseases. But this promise has been accompanied by enormous questions. Currently, cloning is a matter of public discussion. It is rare that a field of science causes debate and challenge not only among scientists but also among ethicists, religious scholars, governments and politicians. One important concern is religious arguments. Various religions have different attitudes toward the morality of these subjects; even within a particular religious tradition there is a diversity of opinions. This article briefly reviews Islamic perspectives on emerging technologies such particularly biotechnology (reproductive/ therapeutic cloning, stem cell research, genetically modified food). The discussions throughout the paper demonstrate that while some ethicists and religious scholars argue that some emerging technologies are unethical in the Islamic tradition, tradition permits them as long as such research are aimed at improving human health.
Keywords: Emerging Science; Reproductive Cloning; Embryo Research; Ethics; Stem Cell Research


In the discussion Ethics, Value Systems And The Professionalization Of Hoteliers by K. Michael Haywood, Associate Professor, School of Hotel and Food Administration, University of Guelph, Haywood initially presents: "Hoteliers and executives in other service industries should realize that the foundation of success in their businesses is based upon personal and corporate value systems and steady commitment to excellence. The author illustrates how ethical issues and manager morality are linked to, and shaped by the values of executives and the organization, and how improved professionalism can only be achieved through the adoption of a value system that rewards contributions rather than the mere attainment of results." The bottom line of this discussion is, how does the hotel industry reconcile its behavior with that of public perception? "The time has come for hoteliers to examine their own standards of ethics, value systems, and professionalism," Haywood says. And it is ethics that are at the center of this issue; Haywood holds that component in an estimable position. "Hoteliers must become value-driven," advises Haywood. "They must be committed to excellence both in actualizing their best potentialities and in excelling in all they do. In other words, the professionalization of the hotelier can be achieved through a high degree of self-control, internalized values, codes of ethics, and related socialization processes," he expands. "Serious ethical issues exist for hoteliers as well as for many business people and professionals in positions of responsibility," Haywood alludes in defining some inter-industry problems. "The acceptance of kickbacks and gifts from suppliers, the hiding of income from taxation authorities, the lack of interest in installing and maintaining proper safety and security systems, and the raiding of competitors' staffs are common practices," he offers, with the reasoning that if these problems can occur within ranks, then there is going to be a negative backlash in the public/client arena as well. Haywood divides the key principles of his thesis statement ethics, value systems, and professionalism – into specific elements, and then continues to broaden the scope of each element. Promotion, product/service, and pricing are additional key components in Haywood's discussion, and he addresses each with verve and vitality. Haywood references the four character types craftsmen, jungle fighters, company men, and gamesmen – via a citation to Michael Maccoby, in the portion of the discussion dedicated to morality and success. Haywood closes with a series of questions derived from Lawrence Miller's American Spirit, Visions of a New Corporate Culture, each question designed to focus, shape, and organize management's attention to the values that Miller sets forth in his piece.


Woodfuels constitute nearly 80% of Haiti's primary energy supply. Forests are severely degraded and the nation has long been considered an archetypal case of woodfuel-driven deforestation. However, there is little empirical evidence that woodfuel demand directly contributes to deforestation, but may contribute to degradation. We use MoFuSS (Modeling Fuelwood Sustainability Scenarios), a dynamic landscape model, to assess whether current woodfuel demand is as impactful as it is often depicted by simulating changes in land cover that would result if current demand continues unabated. We also simulate several near-term interventions focused on woodfuel demand reduction to analyze the land cover impacts of different energy trajectories. We find that current demand may contribute to moderate levels of degradation, but it is not as severe as is typically portrayed. Under a business-as-usual scenario, the simulated regenerative capacity of woody biomass is insufficient to meet Haiti's increasing demand for wood energy and, as a result, between 2017 and 2027 stocks of above-ground (woody) biomass could decline by 4% ± 1%. This is an annual loss of 302 ± 29 kton of wood and would emit 555 ± 54 kton CO2 yr−1. Aggressive interventions to reduce woodfuel demand could slow or even reverse woodfuel-driven degradation, allowing woody biomass to recover in some regions. We discuss the policy implications and propose steps to reduce uncertainty and validate the model.


We study numerically depressed-index cladding, buried, micro-structured optical waveguides that can be formed in a lithium niobate crystal by femtosecond laser writing. We demonstrate to which extent the waveguiding properties can be controlled by the waveguide geometry at the relatively moderate induced refractive index contrasts that are typical of the direct femtosecond inscription.


Drawing on English and Arabic Islamic State (IS) communiqués produced by its central media units, wilayat information offices and broader supporter base, this study examines the strategic logic of IS information operations (IO). It argues that the overarching purpose of IS's IO campaign is to shape the perceptions and polarise the support of audiences via messages that interweave appeals to pragmatic and perceptual factors. Pragmatic factors—such as security, stability and livelihood—are leveraged in IS messaging by promoting the efficacy of its politico-military campaign and denigrating its enemies' efforts via rational-choice (logic of consequence) appeals. Perceptual factors—which are tied to the interplay of in-group, Other, crisis and solution constructs—are leveraged via identity-choice (logic of appropriateness) appeals that frame IS as the champion of Sunni Muslims (the in-group identity), its enemies as Others complicit in Sunni perceptions of crisis, and IS as the only hope for solving this malaise. With this approach, IS seeks to resonate its message across a diverse 'glocal' constituency and supercharge supporters towards action. IS simultaneously targets its enemies with messaging that manipulates the inherent dualities underlying perceptual and pragmatic factors, vigorously counters criticisms and 'baits' opponents into ill-conceived IO responses.


Evidence is presented for a systematic text-length dependence of the power-law index γ of a single book. The estimated γ values are consistent with a monotonic decrease from 2 to 1 with increasing text length. A direct connection to an extended Heap's law is explored. The infinite book limit is, as a consequence, proposed to be given by γ=1 instead of the value γ=2 expected if Zipf's law is universally applicable. In addition, we explore the idea that the systematic text-length dependence can be described by a meta book concept, which is an abstract representation reflecting the word-frequency structure of a text. According to this concept the word-frequency distribution of a text, with a certain length written by a single author, has the same characteristics as a text of the same length extracted from an imaginary complete infinite corpus written by the same author.


In modern capitalist societies such as Britain work performed by children outside school hours is invariably officially portrayed (and, indeed, widely perceived) as a harmless, and even educational activity. However, in recent years research has shown that this 'idealistic' conception of employment alongside learning is not necessarily accurate. In relation to the employment of school children, since the early 1970s a host of studies have been published, which suggest that the paid labour activities performed by children in Western European nations are frequently very demanding, arduous and sometimes dangerous.

In relation to the employment of undergraduate students, both Conservative and Labour governments have presided over changes to the funding the regime that have generated a significant increase in the employment of undergraduate students. Discussions about child employment have long centred on its supposed 'beneficial' aspects, with advocates claiming that it has the potential to enhance pupils' learning experiences. Since the cuts to student funding have been implemented, similar claims have been made about the 'educational potential' of work for undergraduate students. As with child employment, the evidence points to a far more nuanced picture regarding the impact of employment on the studies of undergraduate students, and this non-problematic conception of undergraduate employment has been challenged. Research suggests that students rarely undertake employment of any relevance to chosen studies, and that part-time work frequently appears to have a deleterious, rather than a positive impact upon academic performance.

The aim of this thesis is, using a historical perspective, to assess the competing claims that have been made about the educational utility of 'labour'. It will show, with regards to both child employment and the employment of undergraduate students, the recent fashionable emphasis placed upon the 'beneficial' aspects of 'work experience' alongside learning is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, it will be shown that this is a recurring, if unproven, theme throughout the history of debates about education reform and child employment. Likewise, that the notion that children (and indeed students) 'enjoy' working is not new. Nor is the insistence that employment teaches children and young people about rewards for hard work, value for money and the disciplines of getting up for work particularly novel. As will become evident, whenever further restrictions on school children's employment have been contemplated in major inquiries into the phenomenon, these same claims have been in defence of a deregulatory approach. Hence, throughout this thesis it will be shown that the arguments today to defend child employment in Britain, and indeed the employment of undergraduate students, have a long historical pedigree. A particular focus in the thesis will be upon those interests that have traditionally defended the 'right' of children and young people to work, and their claims about the 'educationally beneficial' aspects of employment will be tested by reference to historical evidence.


Chronic meningococcemia is a form of sepsis with frequent polymorphous skin lesions. Both in vivo and in vitro data suggest that, in these lesions, meningococci gain access from the capillary lumen to the peripheral extravascular compartment, in the absence of vascular dislocation, through a paraendothelial route.


BACKGROUND
Obesity is a dominant public health concern and risk factor for disability, with few studies examining its impact in spinal surgery. Patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) have lower functional status, increased pain, and worse physical condition than those with ideal weight.

OBJECTIVE
To determine associations between BMI categories on adverse patient outcomes after long-segment spinal fusions.

METHODS
Consecutive, open, elective fusions (interbody and/or posterolateral arthrodesis) of more than 5 levels from 2007 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed with follow-up of more than 1 year. Bivariate analyses examined outcome variables based on BMI categories. Linear regression analysis evaluated BMI, hospital stay, and complications at 1 and 2 years, controlling for confounders. Mean and median follow-up lengths were 2.1 and 2.0 years, respectively.

RESULTS
A total of 189 surgeries on 112 patients, with a mean age of 59.5 years and a mean BMI of 29.8 kg/m, were analyzed. Morbidly obese patients had longer hospitalizations, worse Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and more complications at 1 and 2 years than ideal weight patients. Multivariate linear regression modeling revealed sex, cardiac medications, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and BMI category of ideal vs nonideal influenced hospitalization length. Multivariate analysis showed BMI greater than 30 kg/m, preoperative ODI, and pedicle subtraction osteotomy influenced all complications at 1 year. Mean complications at 2 years for the morbidly obese were 3 times more than those underweight and 8 times more than those with ideal weight. Controlling for age, sex, and length of stay, obese and morbidly obese patients had more complications at 2 years; morbidly obese patients had a worse 2-year ODI.

CONCLUSION
BMI is an independent predictor of hospitalization length and all complications at 1 and 2 years in patients receiving long-segment fusions.


A range of transition research suggests that students undergo a dip in performance subsequent to an educational transition. In this paper, through consideration of ethnographic data and recent situated theoretical conceptualisations of learning and teaching, we explore the mechanism of this phenomenon. We argue here for the use of situated learning models where all knowledge is understood as being contextualised in the activities and practices of both the learning situation and the wider societal frameworks which construct that situation. We explore children in transition and the concomitant learning and teaching practices in a UK school. We demonstrate that knowledge and performance is mediated by the practices that the new students must acquire in order to participate in their new community. The data follow a group of year 7 children who are new to the school and their teacher over a three week period engaged in work on averages. In their efforts to adopt the practices dictated by the teacher, the data demonstrate that conceptual and procedural understanding shifts from one of confidence to one of hesitancy and questioning. Understanding of children in transition, school performance and the attendant teaching practices are discussed in light of the data.


Several compounds affect male fertility by disrupting the adhesion of germ cells to Sertoli cells, which results in the release of undeveloped germ cells into the seminiferous tubule lumen that are incapable of fertilising the ovum. Indazole carboxylic acids are one class of compounds exhibiting such effects and they have been investigated as non-hormonal contraceptives for potential human use. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of lonidamine-ethyl ester, an indazole carboxylic acid, on spermatogenesis and cell junctions, in particular, desmosomes. We found two doses of lonidamine-ethyl ester at 50 mg kg-1 to disrupt Sertoli-germ cell adhesion. By light and fluorescent microscopy, pronounced changes were observed in the distribution of actin microfilaments and intermediate filaments, as well as in the localisation of plakoglobin, a protein with structural and signalling roles at the desmosome and adherens junction at the blood-testis barrier. Furthermore, immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation experiments using testis lysates revealed a significant upregulation (P < 0.01) of plakoglobin and Tyr-phosphorylated plakoglobin. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed an increase in the interaction between plakoglobin and fyn proto-oncogene, an Src family non-receptor tyrosine kinase, after treatment, as well as an increase in the interaction between plakoglobin and α-catenin. Taken collectively, these data indicate that a disruption of Sertoli cell and spermatocyte-spermatid adhesion in the seminiferous epithelium by lonidamine-ethyl ester results in the phosphorylation of plakoglobin, thereby promoting its interaction with α-catenin at the blood-testis barrier.


Kv1-type K+ channels are protein complexes containing both voltage-sensing, pore-forming α subunits and modulatory Kvβ subunits. Although some Kvβ subunits include an amino-terminal region that allows them to transform noninactivating Kv1 channels into rapidly inactivating channels, the function of Kvβ subunits that do not possess these inactivating amino-terminal regions has been less clear. Recent research demonstrates that Kvβ2 acts as an NADPH (the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate)–dependent redox enzyme and that its catalytic activity can regulate the speed with which the Kv1.4-Kvβ2 complex undergoes inactivation, suggesting that Kvβ2 may link cellular metabolic activity and redox state with electrical signaling.


Seemingly ripped off the pages of dystopian novels, companies have experimented with celebrity stock markets — human equity trading markets in which investors can purchase "stock" in aspiring athletes, entertainers, and other celebrities and receive a share in the celebrity's future income. An "IPO" provides the aspiring celebrity with a large up-front payment in exchange for foregoing a percentage of future earnings, thus sharing both the risk and rewards of future successes with investors. Most prominently Fantex, commonly referred to as the athlete stock exchange, entered into contractual deals with nearly a dozen NFL players paying them an upfront, one-time fee in the millions of dollars. In exchange, the company received a set percentage of the athlete's future earnings both on and off the field forever. Fantex then held an IPO for tracking stocks in its share of the athlete's future income, which investors could buy and sell like traditional stock. Although Fantex did not succeed, its serious attempt to expand beyond athletes to include other aspiring entertainment celebrities demonstrates the need to address the many legal and ethical challenges raised by celebrity stock markets. This Article first identifies the legal and societal conditions that have combined to make celebrity stock markets a serious possibility going forward. It then considers the various concerns celebrity stock markets trigger, including privacy sorting concerns not yet addressed in the literature. Ultimately, it concludes that these legitimate concerns do not make celebrity stock markets demonstrably worse than alternative systems for funding aspiring celebrities. The Article thus proposes implementing some contractual limitations on celebrity stock markets designed to minimize the most serious concerns with such markets, rather than banning them entirely.


From the Book:
Preface The convergence of computing and communications has been predicted for many years. Today's explosion of a myriad of new types of personal computing and communications devices?notebook computers, personal digital assistants, "smart" phones, two-way pagers, digital cameras and so on?has resulted in new ways for people to communicate and gain access to data. The advent of this pervasive computing, especially via wireless communications, enables these devices to be used in new settings: not only can people make voice calls from their automobile using a mobile phone, but also they can access the World Wide Web from a wireless notebook or handheld computer while at the airport or a shopping mall. We are rapidly moving toward a world where computing and communications become ubiquitous?not only at work but also in the home, in public places and in personal surroundings.
Until recently, enabling all of these devices to communicate with each other has been cumbersome, often involving the use of special cables to connect the devices together along with device-specific software that might use proprietary protocols. To exchange information among all of her personal devices, a person might need to carry as many cables as devices and still lack assurance that all the devices could interconnect. The inability to share information among devices or the difficulty in doing so limits their usefulness.
The Bluetooth technology enables devices to communicate seamlessly without wires. While Bluetooth wireless communication is first and foremost a means for cable replacement, it also enables many new applications?the use of a single mobile telephone as a cellular phone, cordless phone or intercom and the use of a notebook computer as a speakerphone, just to name two. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed in early 1998 by Ericsson, Intel, IBM, Nokia and Toshiba to develop an open specification for globally available short-range wireless radio frequency communications. The SIG has published a specification for the Bluetooth radio and baseband along with a set of communication protocols comprising a software stack used with the Bluetooth radio hardware. The Bluetooth radio module design is optimized for very low power consumption, low cost, small footprint and use anywhere in the world. In addition to the core specification, the SIG has also published Bluetooth profiles that describe how to use the software protocols such that interoperability among all kinds of devices can be achieved, regardless of who manufactures these devices. Version 1.0 of the specification was published in July 1999. Today the Bluetooth Special Interest Group consists of nine promoter companies (joining the five founding companies noted above in the SIG's core group are 3Com, Lucent, Microsoft and Motorola) and well over 1,800 adopter companies from around the world, representing a diverse set of industries.
The specification and profiles continue to evolve as the SIG develops new ways to use the Bluetooth technology. The first products with Bluetooth wireless communications arrived in 2000 led by development tools, mobile telephones, audio headsets, notebook computers, handheld computers and network access points.
A great deal of interest, talent and energy has marshaled around this exciting new technology. Until now most of the information available about Bluetooth wireless communications has been from the SIG's official web site (bluetooth) or from brief press articles or newsletters. This book aims to be at once authoritative and accessible. Besides discussing background, history and potential future developments, Bluetooth Revealed: The Insider's Guide to an Open Specification for Global Wireless Communications delivers practical explanations of the specification by people who helped to develop it. It is a broad discussion of the topic, containing information that should be of value to industry practitioners, professionals, students and any others who are interested in this topic. No matter what your particular interest is, Bluetooth Revealed is intended to give you the information you need to become a "Bluetooth Insider."


[1] The mineralogical composition of 95 surface sediment samples from the Cariaco Basin continental shelf and Orinoco delta was investigated in order to constrain the clay-mineral main provenance and distribution within the Cariaco Basin. The spatial variability of the data set was studied using a geo-statistical approach that allows drawing representative clay-mineral distribution maps. These maps are used to identify present-day dominant sources for each clay-mineral species in agreement with the geological characteristics of the main river watersheds emptying into the basin. This approach allows (1) identifying the most distinctive clay-mineral species/ratios that determine particle provenance, (2) evaluating the respective contribution of local rivers, and (3) confirming the minimal present-day influence of the Orinoco plume on the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. The Tuy, Unare, and Neveri Rivers are the main sources of clay particles to the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. At present, the Tuy River is the main contributor of illite to the western part of the southern Cariaco Basin continental shelf. The Unare River plume, carrying smectite and kaolinite, has a wide westward propagation, whereas the Neveri River contribution is less extended, providing kaolinite and illite toward the eastern Cariaco Basin. The Manzanares, Araya, Tortuga, and Margarita areas are secondary sources of local influence. These insights shed light on the origin of present-day terrigenous sediments of the Cariaco Basin and help to propose alternative explanations for the temporal variability of clay mineralogy observed in previously published studies.


This paper extends earlier research into methods for estimating adult mortality from information on the recent incidence of orphanhood. It presents a series of regression coefficients for estimating female and male mortality from synthetic cohort data on the subsequent orphanhood of those who had a living mother or father at exact age 20. Such information can be obtained either where questions about parental survival have been asked in two inquiries or by asking retrospectively about dates of orphanhood in a single survey. Although the method is somewhat sensitive to errors in the reporting of ages and dates, it is a promising source of up-to-date estimates of adult mortality that are free from bias due to the underreporting of the orphanhood of young children ("the adoption effect").


This study focused on attitudes and sexual prejudice as part of a larger project on inclusive practice in sport and physical activity settings. Questionnaires were administered to a large sample of undergraduate students and to selected samples of upper-level preprofessional students and a campus pride group to investigate attitudes toward gays and lesbians, and other minority groups. Attitude scores were in the middle range, with females more positive than males toward gay men. Evaluation Thermometer scores were generally positive, but markedly lower for gay men and lesbians than for other minority groups. Upper-level preprofessional students were more positive than other undergraduates, but still expressed negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. These results confirm persistent sexual prejudice, suggest that attention to sexual minorities is particularly important for effective diversity management, and underscore the need for continuing research and educational programs to enhance cultural comp...


Objectives To compare the effect and cost effectiveness of bivalent and quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, taking into account differences in licensure indications, protection against non-vaccine type disease, protection against disease related to HPV types 6 and 11, and reported long term immunogenicity. Design A model of HPV transmission and disease previously used to inform UK vaccination policy, updated with recent evidence and expanded to include scenarios where the two vaccines differ in duration of protection, cross protection, and end points prevented. Setting United Kingdom. Population Males and females aged 12–75 years. Main outcome measure Incremental cost effectiveness ratios for both vaccines and additional cost per dose for the quadrivalent vaccine to be equally cost effective as the bivalent vaccine. Results The bivalent vaccine needs to be cheaper than the quadrivalent vaccine to be equally cost effective, mainly because of its lack of protection against anogenital warts. The price difference per dose ranges from a median of £19 (interquartile range £12–£27) to £35 (£27–£44) across scenarios about vaccine duration, cross protection, and end points prevented (assuming one quality adjusted life year (QALY) is valued at £30 000 and both vaccines can prevent all types of HPV related cancers). Conclusions The quadrivalent vaccine may have an advantage over the bivalent vaccine in reducing healthcare costs and QALYs lost. The bivalent vaccine may have an advantage in preventing death due to cancer. However, considerable uncertainty remains about the differential benefit of the two vaccines.


Maternal mortality is one of the indicators used to measure health status. In Indonesia, the 3 largest maternal deaths are caused by pre eklamsia / eclampsia caused by obesity during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of obesity pregnant women with pre eklamsia.
         The research design used was analytic correlation. The population of obese pregnant women as much as 72 people, And the sample amounted to 72 people with total sampling techniques. Test Analysis in this study using Chi squared with a significant level of 0.05 and closeness relationship using contingency coefficient.
          Results of the study of 72 obese pregnant women, 56 pregnant women (77.8%) had pre eklamsia and 16 pregnant women (22.2%) were not pre eklamsia. Results of analysis using SPSS Chi Square with significance value α = 0.05 obtained ρ = 0.002 so that α <0.05 it is a relationship of obesity pregnant women with the incidence of pre eclampsia. The results of contingency coefficients show 0.513 which means the closeness of the relationship is moderate.
            Obesity in pregnant women provides a significant relationship in the incidence of pre  eklamsia


Cognitive impairments are among the most frequently reported and least investigated components of the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). As part of a multifaceted study of the CFS, the present study investigated the cognitive functioning of chronic fatigue patients. The performance of 20 CFS patients was compared to that of controls (N = 20) on 4 tests of working memory (WM). Digit Span Forward was used to assess the storage capacity of WM. Multiple aspects of central executive functioning were assessed using several standard measures: Digit Span Backward, and Trails A and Trails B. More recently developed measures of WM were used to assess control of processing under temporal demands (working memory task) and resistance to interference (a sustained attention task). Deficits were restricted to more demanding tasks, requiring resistance to interference and efficient switching between processing routines. The overall results clearly implicate deficits in the control aspects of central executive function in CFS. (JINS, 2001, 7, 285–293.)


The first section of the present volume is a report of the Italian involvement in Southern Makr n and Khar n, its aims and objects, modus operandi. It is essentially restricted to the Islamic era and represents a discourse preliminary to the second section. The methodological approach of combining historical sources (written and manuscript, Persian and Arabic) with archaeological evidence and geo-morphological study has allowed for a re-reading of the traditional literature and the role played by Makr n and, in particular, the K j-u-Makr n region during the 10th-13th Centuries AD. Many questions put by this mystifying region still stand only partly answered, if not completely un-answered. After three seasons of archaeological field-work and research complemented with accurate geo-morphological surveys and studying we are still confronted with an elusive region and some crucial queries. Part Two of this study is the follow up of the archaeological and geo-morphological research-work: a historical study, which focuses on the 10th-13th Centuries AD."


In recent years, Aloe vera Linn. (Ghritokumari locally) has become a subject of interest because of its beneficial effects on human health. The present ethnopharmacological review was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic properties of A. vera by scientific evidences. It belongs to the family Liliaceae, is a perennial herb with 30-60cm long juicy leaves which is found all over Bangladesh. To date, more than 75 active ingredients including aloesin, aloeemodin, acemannan, aloeride, methylchromones, flavonoids, saponin, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals have been identified from inner gel of leaves. It has antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, immuneboosting, and hypoglycemic properties. Daily supplementation with this is effective against stroke, heart attacks, leukemia, anemia, hypertension, AIDS, radiation burns, digestive disorders etc. This study also covers its taxonomy, distribution, morphology, and monograph.


The purpose was to investigate total cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients during treatment with second‐line chemotherapy and in healthy controls and patients with different comorbidities. Patient treated with second‐line irinotecan for metastatic CRC (n = 100), a cohort of healthy controls with and without comorbidity (n = 70 and 100, respectively) were included. cfDNA was quantified by an in‐house developed quantitative polymerase chain reaction from plasma samples drawn prior to the first cycle of chemotherapy and at time of progression. cfDNA levels were significantly higher in CRC compared to controls, with a clear capability for discriminating between the groups (receiver operation curve analysis; area under the curve 0.82, p < 0.0001). Patients with high levels had a shorter survival from irinotecan compared to those with lover levels. The cohort independent upper normal limit divided patients into high and low risk groups. The progression‐free survival (PFS) was 2.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0–3.4] and 6.5 (95% CI 4.2–7.2) months [hazard ratio (HR) 2.53; 95% CI 1.57–4.06, p < 0.0001] and overall survival (OS) 7.4 months (95% CI 4.3–8.7) and 13.8 months (95% CI 11.9–18.9; HR 2.52; 95% CI 1.54–4.13, p < 0.0000), respectively. Cox regression multivariate analysis showed a PFS HR of 1.4 (95% CI 1.1–1.7) for each increase in cfDNA quartile, p = 0.03 and 1.6 (1.3–2.0) for OS, p < 0.0001, respectively. A combined marker analysis with plasma KRAS mutations added further prognostic impact, which was consistent when performed on the samples drawn at time of progression. In conclusion, cfDNA measurement holds important clinical information and could become a useful tool for prediction of outcome from chemotherapy in mCRC.


The Nonlinear Auto-Regressive Moving Average with Exogenous Inputs (NARMAX) model is a powerful, efficient and unified representation of a variety of nonlinear models. The model's construction involves structure selection and parameter estimation, which can be simultaneously performed using the established Orthogonal Least Squares (OLS) algorithm. However, several criticisms have been directed towards OLS for its tendency to select excessive or sub-optimal terms leading to nonparsimonious models. This paper proposes the application of the Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) algorithm for structure selection of NARMAX models. The selection process searches for the optimal structure using binary bits to accept or reject the terms to form the reduced regressor matrix. Construction of the model is done by first estimating the NARX model, then continues with the estimation of the MA model based on the residuals produced by NARX. One Step Ahead (OSA) prediction, Mean Squared Error (MSE) and residual histogram analysis were performed to validate the model. The proposed optimization algorithm was tested on the Flexible Robot Arm (FRA) dataset. Results show the success of BPSO structure selection for NARMAX when applied to the FRA dataset. The final NARMAX model combines the NARX and MA models to produce a model with improved predictive ability compared to the NARX model.


To study characteristics of acoustic wave generated by Q-switched laser on dermal pigmented lesions, pieces of derma peeled from a cavy's body are plucked their hair. The pieces of derma are radiated by Q-switched laser with different energy intensities. Momentary signals of acoustic wave generated by the Q-switched pulsed laser on dermal pieces are detected isochronously with sensors connected to a multi-channel digital oscilloscope. The signal data are analyzed with a personal computor. Clear signal curves of acoustic waves are obtained in the experiment. The amplitudes of the signals present the positive correlation with the energy intensity of the single pulse laser. The acoustic wave signals have practical meanings of reference to the real-time control of laser energy intensity in the course of the therapy of Q-switched laser on dermal pigmented lesions.


ABSTRACT Purpose: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) who present with predominate superior rectus/levator complex involvement. Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective review was performed to identify patients with TED who presented with superior isolated or predominate rectus/levator involvement. Baseline and subsequent visits were reviewed to characterize the clinical course. Results: Nineteen patients were identified. All patients had imaging demonstrating an enlarged levator/superior rectus complex. At presentation, the mean clinical activity score (CAS) was 2.1 (range: 0–5). Nineteen (100%) patients had proptosis on the affected side. Lid abnormalities, including upper/lower eyelid retraction and ptosis were higher on affected side compared to the unaffected side. Eleven (58%) patients had vertical misalignment. Mean thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) was 3.7 (range: 1–7.1). Mean follow-up time was 18 months (range: 0–60 months). At last follow-up, the mean CAS was 1.3 (range 0–5). Ten (53%) patients had proptosis. Eleven (58%) patients had vertical misalignment. Repeat imaging in eight patients showed interval enlargement of other extraocular muscles. Conclusions: The presentation of TED with superior rectus/levator complex enlargement may be under-appreciated. Orbital imaging, as well as laboratory evaluation, may help support a diagnosis of TED. In the setting of abnormal TSI and/or thyrotropin receptor antibody, presence of upper eyelid retraction, and an otherwise unremarkable laboratory and systemic evaluation, a presumptive diagnosis of TED may be made, and the patient can be followed closely, as he/she is likely to develop involvement of other extraocular muscles, consistent with a more typical presentation of TED.


Conventional wisdom holds that the models used to stress test banks should be kept secret to prevent gaming. We show instead that secrecy can be suboptimal, because although it deters gaming, it may also deter socially desirable investment. When the regulator can choose the minimum standard for passing the test, we show that secrecy is suboptimal if the regulator is sufficiently uncertain regarding bank characteristics. When failing the bank is socially costly, then under some conditions, secrecy is suboptimal when the bank's private cost of failure is either sufficiently high or sufficiently low.


Most organizations in the developing world still rely on paper for record keeping, giving rise to many problems in aggregation, storage, transmission and analysis of data. Errors and time delays associated with paper data are particularly problematic in the domain of healthcare. We present a case study of CommCare, a low-cost mobile phone data collection solution deployed to enhance the paper-based record management system of a non-profit organization working in prevention of child malnutrition in rural central India. Through a three-month unsupervised field trial with ten rural health workers we report data management gains in terms of data quality, completeness and timeliness for 836 recorded patient cases, and demonstrate strong preference of the system by health workers. We found that the motivation for use and acceptance of the system was tied to respect and social power in local communities associated with using the device, as well as non-work-related uses of the phone.


The interface between nanoscale electronic devices and biological systems enables interactions at length scales natural to biology, and thus should maximize communication between these two diverse yet complementary systems. Moreover, nanostructures and nanostructured substrates show enhanced coupling to artificial membranes, cells, and tissue. Such nano–bio interfaces offer better sensitivity and spatial resolution as compared to conventional planar structures. In this work, we will report the electrical properties of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) interfaced with embryonic chicken hearts and cultured cardiomyocytes. We developed a scheme that allowed us to manipulate the nanoelectronic to tissue/cell interfaces while monitoring their electrical activity. In addition, by utilizing the bottom-up approach, we extended our work to the subcellular regime, and interfaced cells with the smallest reported device ever and thus exceeded the spatial and temporal resolution limits of other electrical recording techniques. The exceptional synthetic control and flexible assembly of nanowires (NWs) provides powerful tools for fundamental studies and applications in life science, and opens up the potential of merging active transistors with cells such that the distinction between nonliving and living systems is blurred.


OBJECTIVE
This study examines nurse-related clinical nonlicensed personnel (CNLP) in U.S. hospitals between 2010 and 2014, including job categories, trends in staffing levels, and the possible relationship of substitution between this group of workers and registered nurses (RNs) and/or licensed practical nurses (LPNs).

DATA SOURCE
We used 5 years of data (2010-2014) from an operational database maintained by Premier, Inc. that tracks labor hours, hospital units, and facility characteristics.

STUDY DESIGN
We assessed changes over time in the average number of total hours worked by RNs, LPNs, and CNLP, adjusted by total patient days. We then conducted linear regressions to estimate the relationships between nurse and CNLP staffing, controlling for patient acuity, volume, and hospital fixed effects.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
The overall use of CNLP and LPN hours per patient day declined from 2010 to 2014, while RN hours per patient day remained stable. We found no evidence of substitution between CNLP and nurses during the study period: Nurse-related CNLP hours were positively associated with RN hours and not significantly related to LPN hours, holding other factors constant.

CONCLUSIONS
Findings point to the importance of examining where and why CNLP hours per patient day have declined and to understanding of the effects of these changes on outcomes.


This paper discusses research findings on non-biological risk factors associated with illicit drug use. There is an established body of North American research in this field, and a growing European literature. We find that there is an interplay of individual and environmental factors associated with drug use, with the permeation of their interactions potentially limitless. Within the behavioural science literature, we identify three main analytical dimensions for understanding 'risk factors'. These are: 'intrapersonal'; 'micro-environmental'; and 'macro-environmental'. We note that it is not new to emphasize drug use as a social activity, involving social interactions within particular social environments, but that, despite this, the balance of focus in research tends towards 'extra-environmental' or 'individualistic' interpretations. We emphasize that future research is best oriented towards generating data of practical value for the development of interventions rather than attempting to delineate causative factors. The failure of most risk factors research rests in its incapacity to capture the variety of social and environmental influences on drug use, and the relevance of these for developing socially appropriate interventions. In addition to recognizing the importance of targeting interventions towards 'high risk' populations and 'high risk' forms of drug use, we emphasize throughout the importance of the 'risk environment' in mediating patterns of drug use.


"The earth's surface and the figments of the mind have a way of disintegrating into discrete regions of art…One's mind and the earth are in a constant state of erosion, mental rivers wear away abstract banks, brainwaves undermine cliffs of thought, ideas decompose into stones of unknowing, and conceptual crystallizations break apart into deposits of gritty reason."

A Sedimentation of the Mind,in 'Robert Smithson The Collected Writings,' edited by Jack Flam, University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 2nd Edition 1996, pp. 100-1

The primary intention and function of this performance-lecture is to create a time-based homage to the artist Robert Smithson (i.e. not to his artworks although they count, of course). As the above quotation testifies, Smithson's practice was as much an adventure in thinking (resulting in philosophical writings/the conceptual framework for 'non-sites') as it was in material construction (resulting in art objects/earth works). Of primary significance – and linked to my on-going research concern with what I term 'artist-substance' – is Smithson's call for 'muddy thinking' which embraces matter and mind as continually co-evolving and affecting one another, an evocative forerunner to current investigations into the value of plasticity (PHILOSOPHICALLY, NEUROLOGICALLY AND POLTICALLY). Smithson's words above implicate him, the living creature, into his own account but not as a personality or driver of a digger truck about to dump molten asphalt. Rather, the artist, described as one needing to exist within a "physical abyss," is reformulated as the caretaker of a carnal, creative aptitude to risk one's 'being' (hence succumbing to the force of Being per se), an aptitude that is the gift of Smithson's particular making-as-thinking/thinking-as-making based practice. This aptitude is less a 'doing' and more an allowance of being 'un-done' on the micro level of being an individual body-consciousness. That this is possible, is also to speak of an ontological substance that is capable of receiving the changes, like an untranslatable imprint of Being which nonetheless has repercussions for the future shape of lived life. This is no longer to underline 'Smithson the sculptor' but to extoll 'Smithson the sculpted.'


This brief highlights some current initiatives in operation in Australian courts which seek to make the court process more responsive to the needs of Indigenous participants, along with some examples from New Zealand and Canada. Further sources of support, for example Aboriginal legal and victim support services and judicial education, including judicial benchbooks, are also considered, along with issues around language and communication. While it is acknowledged that most of the initiatives described have not been formally evaluated, some initiatives have been identified as examples of good or promising practice which can provide lessons for policy makers.


In this paper we present the first public, online demonstration of MaxTract; a tool that converts PDF files containing mathematics into multiple formats including LTEX, HTML with embedded MathML, and plain text. Using a bespoke PDF parser and image analyser, we directly extract character and font information to use as input for a linear grammar which, in conjunction with specialised drivers, can accurately recognise and reproduce both the two dimensional relationships between symbols in mathematical formulae and the one dimensional relationships present in standard text. The main goals of MaxTract are to provide translation services into standard mathematical markup languages and to add accessibility to mathematical documents on multiple levels. This includes both accessibility in the narrow sense of providing access to content for print impaired users, such as those with visual impairments, dyslexia or dyspraxia, as well as more generally to enable any user access to the mathematical content at more re-usable levels than merely visual. MaxTract produces output compatible with web browsers, screen readers, and tools such as copy and paste, which is achieved by enriching the regular text with mathematical markup. The output can also be used directly, within the limits of the presentation MathML produced, as machine readable mathematical input to software systems such as Mathematica or Maple.


The main goal of the thesis is to develop a monitoring instrument for climate policy that is based on the Kyoto Protocol and the IPCC guidelines. The instrument developed is based on a "Full Carbon Accounting" approach which takes into account the carbon flows of the biosphere as well as those related to society's metabolism. Conceptually the analysis is based on the epistemological concept of society nature interaction comprising society's metabolism and colonisation of nature as main starting points. This leads to the empirical concept of material flow analysis. The thesis quantifies the carbon flows and the related uncertainties of the Austrian economy for 1990 for selected areas in a consistent way. The thesis also tries to build up a framework for system of indicators that would allow evaluating climate policy. (author´s abstract)


In this volume, Matthew L. Jockers introduces readers to large-scale literary computing and the revolutionary potential of macroanalysis--a new approach to the study of the literary record designed for probing the digital-textual world as it exists today, in digital form and in large quantities. Using computational analysis to retrieve key words, phrases, and linguistic patterns across thousands of texts in digital libraries, researchers can draw conclusions based on quantifiable evidence regarding how literary trends are employed over time, across periods, within regions, or within demographic groups, as well as how cultural, historical, and societal linkages may bind individual authors, texts, and genres into an aggregate literary culture. Moving beyond the limitations of literary interpretation based on the "close-reading" of individual works, Jockers describes how this new method of studying large collections of digital material can help us to better understand and contextualize the individual works within those collections.


OBJECTIVE To assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of a titrated dose of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol (BAY m 1099) in Hispanic NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A 1-year double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study in which diet-treated or diet plus sulfonylurea-treated Hispanic NIDDM patients received either placebo (n = 131) or miglitol in doses of 50, 100, 150, 200 mg t.i.d. (n = 254), up-titrated and down-titrated based on tolerability. Efficacy parameters included changes from baseline in HbA1c, fasting and 2-h postprandial plasma glucose and serum insulin, fasting serum lipids, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Safety assessments consisted primarily of tabulation of adverse events and intercurrent illnesses, and of periodic laboratory determinations. RESULTS Reductions from baseline in HbA1c levels at the 6-month (primary efficacy) endpoint were significantly greater by 0.83% in the miglitol group than in the placebo group. HbA1c reductions in the miglitol treatment group significantly exceeded those in the placebo group by 0.63, 0.73, and 0.92% at 3, 9, and 12 months of treatment, respectively. Reductions in 120-min postprandial glucose and insulin levels were significantly greater in the miglitol group than in the placebo group at all postbaseline visits. There was little difference between treatments for changes in fasting insulin or lipid levels. Miglitol-associated reductions versus placebo in fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.0587 at 6 months) and in ACR (P = 0.0541 at 1-year) were nearly statistically significant. These efficacy results were not notably different between the 6-month endpoint, at which time the mean miglitol dose was 100 mg t.i.d., and the 1-year visit, when the mean miglitol dose was 149 mg t.i.d. Notable adverse events seen significantly more often in the miglitol group than in the placebo group were flatulence and diarrhea (or soft stools). The incidence of these gastrointestinal adverse events appeared to be dose dependent. CONCLUSIONS Miglitol treatment of non-insulin-requiring Hispanic NIDDM patients at doses from 50 to 200 mg t.i.d. produced statistically and clinically significant reductions of HbA1c, primarily associated with reduction of glucose and insulin levels in the postprandial period, which were sustained over a year of treatment. Adverse events related to the drug's mechanism of action were common, but generally well tolerated. Doses above 100 mg t.i.d. were not associated with notably enhanced efficacy in most patients.


Sixty percent of the Southern United States landscape is forested (Wear 2002). Forest types vary greatly among the five subregions of the South, which include the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Appalachian-Cumberland, Mid-South, and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Current inventory data show upland hardwood forests being the predominant forest type in the South (>30 million ha) followed by planted pine (>15 million ha), natural pine and bottomland hardwoods (~13 million ha), and oak-pine (>3 million ha) forest types (Huggett et al. in press). These forest ecosystems provide a multitude of ecosystem goods and services including clean water and air, wildlife habitat, recreation and aesthetics, timber and fiber production, and CO2 sequestration. Southern forests play an important role in meeting the current and future timber and fiber needs across the United States, as harvesting has substantially decreased, in other regions of the country. As a whole, the South's forest sector produces approximately 60% of the total U.S. wood production, more wood than any other single nation (Prestemon and Abt 2002).


Background: One common arrangement in the Norwegian child welfare system is the interprofessional collaborating team, not unlike the English core group. This team is often referred to as the 'responsible team' (RT) and is arranged when a child has needs that call for several services. Few studies about interprofessional collaboration focus on views of service users and, in particular, those of child and adolescent service users. Aims and objectives: The present study aims to explore adolescents' subjective views about their participation in RTs. This study contributes further knowledge about the field of interprofessional collaboration, especially regarding the participation of adolescents. Design: Non-experimental, exploratory research design. Methods: Q-methodology was used to explore 26 adolescents' subjective views about their collaboration within the responsible teams that were formed to support their welfare. Q-methodology is known as being particularly suitable for revealing vulnerable people's nuanced subjective views and perspectives. The adolescents in this study were asked to rank order a set of 42 statements (Q-set). PQMethod was used to analyse the data. Results: Four factors emerged and revealed patterns of shared views among the adolescents. Factor 1: Optimistic and engaged despite bad experiences , Factor 2: Strive to not be defeated by their helpers , Factor 3: Battle weary and resigned, and Factor 4: Content, positive and full of trust . Implications: The present study may be relevant to researchers, health and social policy makers, in addition to professionals working in services that aim to improve children's situations through interprofessional collaboration.


This book reviews certain of the most important archaeological finds of textile tools, in order to draw a picture of the spinning and weaving technologies adopted in the Levant and Egypt from the Neolithic to the Persian period. A brief description of the objects found at several sites is provided to highlight differences of materials and tool design in order to better understand developments in weaving technology across this region. Textile tools housed in the Museo Egizio di Torino are also examined here for the first time. These include spindles and spindle whorls, bone spatulae and needles, which for the most part originate from Schiaparelli's excavations at the Workers' village of Deir el-Medina. A general analysis is provided, which compares these objects to the tools known from other sites in Egypt, as well as a catalogue, which provides further description and exact measurements for each object of the collection.


When the machine-tractor unit (MTU) performs agricultural operations, there are significant fluctuations in the hook load, that is, the load of the tractor engine is unsteady in its characteristics, and the degree of unevenness of the moment of engine resistance during this period can reach 30-40%. To reduce the fluctuations of the hook load and eliminate the unevenness of the moment of engine resistance, the most promising direction is the increase in the moment of inertia of the MTU. The technical solution can be the installation of an additional device in the form of a flywheel driven by a power take-off shaft. The presence of an additional flywheel will contribute to smoothing the load oscillations, which will lead to an increase in the working speed, and, consequently, to an increase in the productivity of the machine and tractor unit. This particularly applies to the conditions of the Amur region, since the soils of this region are mainly loaming of varying degrees of severity, while the presence of a permafrost base during the spring field works strengthens the influence of the unsteady character of the hook load on the tractor output indicators. This is explained by the fact that the process of thawing the soil according to the depth is fairly uneven due to high daily temperature changes, which ultimately increases the uneven nature of the hook load of power resources in field work. Especially clearly its manifestation with increasing of working speeds of the agricultural unit. The foregoing shows that the problem of reducing the unstable character of the hook load on the output parameters of mobile energy equipment is currently topical, and the solution is in demand in engineering and agro-industrial production. In this connection, the purpose of the proposed studies is to reduce the influence of the unsteady nature of the traction load on the output indicators of the power facility when installing an additional device in the form of a flywheel. In the present work, we propose the construction of a perspective device for reducing the influence of unsteady load on the output indicators of the power tool (wheeled tractor) and the results of studies of the influence of the regime parameters of the additional flywheel on the operational performance of the power tool.


This paper discusses textual uses of modality and mood forms in English and Japanese and claims that they all represent a shift from subjective through intersubjective to the textual. As the shift towards textual function is difficult to define in terms of either subjectification or intersubjectification, it is suggested that shift towards the textual needs to be acknowledged as equal to the shift towards the subjective and the intersubjective. These three kinds of shifts are understood as together forming the larger tendency of change labeled as 'speech-act orientation'. Furthermore, the cases discussed in this paper provide evidence for the fact that textual functions, which have often been conceived as an intermediate stage in change towards subjective and intersubjective elements, are in fact sometimes the endpoints of grammatical change, beyond subjective and intersubjective functions.


Real software, the kind working programmers produce by the kLOC to solve real-world problems, tends to be "natural", like speech or natural language; it tends to be highly repetitive and predictable. Researchers have captured this naturalness of software through statistical models and used them to good effect in suggestion engines, porting tools, coding standards checkers, and idiom miners. This suggests that code that appears improbable, or surprising, to a good statistical language model is "unnatural" in some sense, and thus possibly suspicious. In this paper, we investigate this hypothesis. We consider a large corpus of bug fix commits (ca. 7,139), from 10 different Java projects, and focus on its language statistics, evaluating the naturalness of buggy code and the corresponding fixes. We find that code with bugs tends to be more entropic (i.e. unnatural), becoming less so as bugs are fixed. Ordering files for inspection by their average entropy yields cost-effectiveness scores comparable to popular defect prediction methods. At a finer granularity, focusing on highly entropic lines is similar in cost-effectiveness to some well-known static bug finders (PMD, FindBugs) and ordering warnings from these bug finders using an entropy measure improves the cost-effectiveness of inspecting code implicated in warnings. This suggests that entropy may be a valid, simple way to complement the effectiveness of PMD or FindBugs, and that search-based bug-fixing methods may benefit from using entropy both for fault-localization and searching for fixes.


I build a dynamic general equilibrium model of a small economy specialized in tourism where visitors are attracted by the stock of existing environmental assets, and the stock of tourism and leisure facilities. Residents, at any date, choose the level of consumption, the number of visitors, and the quantity of resources to be devoted to abatement of pollution, the latter being generated by the existing stock of tourism facilities and by the flow of tourists. I analyze the balanced growth path properties of this economy, and focus on the sensitiveness of its qualitative dynamic behaviour, according to different subsets in the parameters space. The model is able to perform both endogenous growth and sustainability of the environmental resource. We analyse the condition for this result to hold and we find that when tourists preferences are greener (i.e. they care for environmental quality and they are crowding-adverse), the economy generally grows faster. Finally, we develop the transitional dynamics analysis in the case of constant environmental quality in the long-run. Given its generality and flexibility, we believe our model may serve as a workhorse model suitable to be used as an instrument to perform for many relevant policy exercises.


This thesis is broadly concerned with the effects on human resources, in the Victorian health system specifically, arising from a fundamental shift in economic policy from a philosophy of universal coverage and free care, to one of economic rationalism and the free hand of the market. This change in policy, evidenced in reduction in the amount of public expenditure, rationalization of services, case-mix funding, increased managerialism in the senior ranks of the public service, and an emphasis on service-delivery and user payment, combined with a policy of amalgamation of hospitals, caused major disruptions within the health system, which were reported to have extremely adverse effects on the survivors of these changes within the hospital system. Contrary to expected performance improvements, survivors reported negative feelings and behaviours, with detrimental consequences for morale and productivity. The present research was constructed with the aim of exploring over time, and in a single case-study format, the effects on a group of survivors, of a forced amalgamation of two culturally-diverse hospitals. A second aim was to contribute knowledge in a sector of the economy under-researched to date. The predominant method utilized for data collection was that of narrative, an excellent method to use where a close examination of the complexities and patterns of employment experiences of small groups of workers is required. It is assumed that by allowing each individual to tell the story of their own unique experience, a rich data can be collected for analysis, which, once analyzed, can assist with a broader understanding of the issues involved. In this case, both the data and the supporting literature suggest that the management of change is complex and difficult, i although the cultural conflict and emotional turmoil experienced by organizations undergoing amalgamations can be ameliorated. The thesis concludes that there is a need, for organizations managing change, to draw up an implementation plan; to offer appropriate support systems not only for those about to leave, but also, importantly, for those who are to stay; to communicate openly, honestly, and in a timely manner; for managers to offer genuine acknowledgement of their own and others' pain and to assist in the grieving process; and for there to be an authentic search for both an enabling metaphor that can guide individuals' behaviour and feelings as they strive to make sense of the change, and a new narrative to symbolize the newly-emerged organization.


Traditionally, the concept of quality of life has been viewed through objective indicators. Beyond Facts looks at quality of life through a new lens, namely, the perceptions of millions of Latin Americans. Using an enhanced version of the recently created Gallup World Poll that incorporates Latin America-specific questions, the Inter-American Development Bank surveyed people from throughout the region and found that perceptions of quality of life are often very different from the reality. These surprising findings have enormous significance for the political economy of the region and provide a wealth of information for policymakers and development practitioners to feast upon.


This thesis reports an investigation of how acid-base models are taught and understood in Swedish upper secondary school. The definition of the concepts of acids and bases has evolved from a phenomenological level to an abstract (particle) level. Several models of acids and bases are introduced in Swedish secondary school. Among them an ancient model, the Arrhenius model and the Bronsted model. The aim of this study was to determine how teachers handle these models in their teaching. Further, to investigate Swedish upper secondary students' ideas about the role of chemistry models, in general, and more specific, of models of acids and bases. The study consisted of two parts. First, a study was performed to get an overview of how acids and bases are taught and understood in Swedish upper secondary schools. It consisted of three steps: (i) the most widely used chemistry textbooks for upper secondary school in Sweden were analysed, (ii) six chemistry teachers were interviewed, and, (iii) finally also seven upper secondary school students were interviewed. The results from this study were used in the second part which consisted of two steps: (i) nine chemistry teachers were interviewed regarding their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of teaching acids and bases, and (ii) a questionnaire was administered among chemistry teachers of 441 upper secondary schools in Sweden. The results from the interviews show that only a few teachers chose to emphasise the different models of acids and bases. Most of the teachers thought it was sufficient to distinguish clearly between the phenomenological level and the particle level. In the analysis of the questionnaire three subgroups of teachers were identified. Swedish upper secondary chemistry teachers, on the whole, had a strong belief in the Bronsted model of acids and bases. However, in subgroup one (47 %) teachers' knowledge of how the Bronsted model differs from older models was limited and diverse. Teachers in subgroup two (38 %) and three (15 %) seemed to understand the differences between the Bronsted model and older models, but teachers in subgroup 2 did not explain the history of the development of acids and bases in their teaching. Instead they (as teachers in subgroup one) relied more on the content in the textbooks than teachers in the third subgroup. Implications for textbook writers, teaching, and further research are discussed.