OBJECTIVES
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the main causes of vertigo. More than 90% of cases of positional vertigo and nystagmus can be associated with BPPV. There is no known specific laboratory test for BPPV. Because of the possible muscle activity in BPPV (especially result of nause, vomiting and increasing heart rate) we thought the CK-MB levels may change in this situation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between serum CK-MB levels and BPPV and attacks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The medical records of 35 patients with BPPV presenting to our clinic between November 2014 and November 2015 were investigated retrospectively. Thirty-two control patients with no vertigo, muscular or cardiac disease and with measured CK-MB levels were randomized into a control group. Both groups' existing CK-MB levels were obtained from the patient records. CK-MB values measured before BPPV attack from 11 patients in the patient group were also recorded.

RESULTS
The patient and control groups were similar in terms of demographic parameters. CK-MB values at time of attack in the patient group ranged between 5.4 and 38.9 (mean: 19.67 ± 6.81), while control group values ranged between 12 and 27.9 (mean: 20.31 ± 4.54). CK-MB values in 11 patients in the patient group measured before attack ranged between 8.9 and 24 (mean: 17.02 ± 4.97), and CK-MB values during attack ranged between 9 and 34 (mean: 19.74 ± 7.64).

CONCLUSION
Although CK-MB elevation at time of attack was determined in patients with BPPV, this was not statistically significant.


For the last several decades the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has been considered a major threat to international security. Both chemical and biological weapons are universally banned. Nuclear weapons, however, are regulated by a more complicated international regime. This essay begins with a general survey of the literature on nuclear proliferation. Specifically, in the first part the author addresses the question why countries seek to acquire nuclear weapons. To answer, the article examines five theoretical models: globalization and technological imperative; leadership/cognitive and psychological approaches; internal dynamics and domestic politics model; national pride and prestige; and security. The section that follows addresses the question of how countries are 'persuaded' or 'pressured' to give up their nuclear aspirations. Three models are discussed: change in the economic and political orientations; the international non-proliferation regime; and United States policy. Given recent development in Iraq, Iran, and Libya, references are made to nuclear proliferation and rollback in the Middle East. Key Words: Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD); Nuclear Weapons; Non-Proliferation Treaty; Nuclear Powers; Middle East; Israel; Iraq; Iran. For the last several decades the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has been considered a major threat to international security. The term 'weapons of mass destruction' refers to four types of destructive device. According to Article II of the Chemical Weapons Convention, chemical weapons (CW) mean "toxic chemicals and their precursors, munitions and devices specifically designed to cause death or other harm."2 More than the other types of WMD, chemical weapons had been used extensively during the First World War and to a limited extent in the second World War. In the Middle East, Egypt used chemical weapons in the Yemen war in the 1960s, Libya used them in Chad in the 1980s, and Iraq employed them against Iran and against its Kurdish population in the 1980s. Chemical weapons are much less lethal than biological and nuclear devices. Biological weapons (BW) are designed to "disseminate pathogens or toxins in an aerosol cloud of microscopic particles that can be readily inhaled and retained in the lungs of the exposed population."3 Thus, biological weapons are unique because they involve the use of living organisms as a weapon. Despite their huge potential lethality, biological weapons have not been used on a large scale in modern wars.4 Nuclear weapons (NW) release vast amounts of energy, most or all of which derives from "fission or a combination of fission and fusion processes."5 This energy is produced by splitting the nucleus of an atom, usually highly enriched uranium or plutonium, into two or more parts by bombarding it with neutrons. Nuclear weapons were detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of the second World War. Three characteristics of NW need to be highlighted. First, they are the deadliest type of WMD. Nuclear devices cause catastrophic damage due to the initial blast and the subsequent radiation. Second, they are the hardest to manufacture. They require substantial financial resources and sophisticated technical infrastructure. Third, unlike CW and BW, which are universally banned, NW are regulated by a more complicated international regime. Since 1968, the international community has acknowledged the possession of NW by five nations - China, France, the Soviet Union (Russia), the United Kingdom, and the United States. With few, but significant exceptions, the rest of the world has agreed not to seek nuclear devices. Finally, some analysts distinguish between nuclear weapons and radiological weapons. The latter disperse radioactive substances but do not produce a nuclear explosion. The simplest radiological weapon would consist of "a conventional explosive surrounded by a quantity of any radioactive material. …


This paper considers the choices facing the Asian tiger economies regarding growth strategies that foster trans-Pacific rebalancing. A review of historical data spanning 2000 to 2008 reveals only a slight widening of the overall current account surplus but that there is considerable variation across the countries, with Hong Kong, China exhibiting the biggest increase in the saving and investment (S-I) balance. Meanwhile, cross-correlation coefficient estimates tentatively suggest that changes in the real effective exchange rate do not seem to exhibit a consistent negative lead over changes in the S-I gap in the short run over the past decade. High import leakage, particularly for the ultra small, open economies of Hong Kong and Singapore, calls into question the scope for recalibrating growth drivers towards domestic demand. Nonetheless, the implementation of structural policies such as those aimed at raising the productivity and wages of workers in the services industry as well as the introduction of financial products that alleviates the need for precautionary saving can induce domestic consumer demand, especially for the larger economies of Korea and Taipei,China. Moreover, the rising affluence and living standards in fast growing regional economies such as the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) offers the Asian tigers the potential of gearing their trade structure in final goods towards markets in the region, thereby aiding the reduction in trans-Pacific imbalances.


In the complex and multi-layered process of migration and identity-building, classical migration theories and approaches of transnationalism seem no longer able to grasp how belonging and home are to be found in movement. This ethnography leads the reader into the lives of five Jamaican women in Montreal; their daily practices and experiences, their spaces of communion, their memories and projections for the future. Lisa Johnson sheds light on the mobile biographies and migratory agency of her interlocutors by following the intricate mental and physical trajectories of their deep-rooted yearning to return home.


Consider a push-out diagram of spaces C B, construct the homotopy push-out, and then the homotopy pull-back of the diagram one gets by forgetting the initial object A. We compare the difference between A and this homotopy pull-back. This difference is measured in terms of the homotopy fibers of the original maps. Restricting our attention to the connectivity of these maps, we recover the classical Blakers-Massey Theorem.


We present a method for discovering object models from 3D meshes of indoor environments. Our algorithm first decomposes the scene into a set of candidate mesh segments and then ranks each segment according to its "objectness" - a quality that distinguishes objects from clutter. To do so, we propose five intrinsic shape measures: compactness, symmetry, smoothness, and local and global convexity. We additionally propose a recurrence measure, codifying the intuition that frequently occurring geometries are more likely to correspond to complete objects. We evaluate our method in both supervised and unsupervised regimes on a dataset of 58 indoor scenes collected using an Open Source implementation of Kinect Fusion [1]. We show that our approach can reliably and efficiently distinguish objects from clutter, with Average Precision score of .92. We make our dataset available to the public.


We present the prototype design for a novel user interface, which extends the concept of tangible user interfaces from mostly specialized hardware components and studio deployment to commodity mobile devices in daily life. Our prototype enables mobile devices to be components of a tangible interface where each device can serve as both, a touch sensing display and as a tangible item for interaction. The only necessary modification is the attachment of a conductive 2D touch pattern on each device. Compared to existing approaches, our Active Commodity Tangible User Interfaces (ACTUI) can display graphical output directly on their built-in display paving the way to a plethora of innovative applications where the diverse combination of local and global active display area can significantly enhance the exibility and effectiveness of the interaction. We explore two exemplary application scenarios where we demonstrate the potential of ACTUI.


The study characterizes economic security as a set of conditions that are necessary to ensure the normal economic development of the country and restore the gap in development in comparison with European countries during Ukraine's integration into the EU. It is shown that ensuring economic security is an important function of the state. The problem of economic security arises not only from the definition of the internal policy of the state, but also determines the issues of foreign strategy. The necessity of calculating the main safety criteria has been proved, allowing to anticipate possible dangers, determine potential current and future damage and take preventive measures. Stability and development require a dynamic approach to solving the problem of economic security. This is mainly due to the rapid change in indicators of economic security and indicators with a change in the operating conditions of international, political, economic, market and other systems. The urgency of solving the problems of economic security is based on the need to get rid of the dependence of the national economy on the level of competition in world markets. This is due to the emergence of serious economic risks arising when the actual values of economic security indicators go beyond the threshold levels. The current level of economic security has been investigated by calculating indicators that characterize all sectors of the national economy. The most problematic areas requiring immediate response have been identified. The presented methodology for calculating the integral indicator of the economic security of Ukraine quite accurately describes the current state of the national economy and can be practically applicable to domestic and foreign government bodies in the analysis of critical vulnerabilities of national economic security.


After the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, more than a dozen countries undertook aggressive privatization programs. Proponents of economic reform championed such large-scale efforts as the fastest, most reliable way to make the transition from a state-run to a capitalist economy. The idea was widely embraced, and in the span of a few years, policymakers across the region repeatedly chose an approach that distributed vast amounts of state property to the private sector essentially for free - despite the absence of any historical precedent for such a radical concept. But privatization was not a panacea. It has, instead, become increasingly synonymous with collusion, corruption, and material deprivation. Why was privatization so popular in the first place, and what went wrong? In answering this question, Hillary Appel breaks with mainstream empirical studies of postcommunist privatization. By analyzing the design and development of programs in Russia, the Czech Republic, and across eastern Europe, Appel demonstrates how the transformation of property rights in these countries was first and foremost an ideologically driven process. Looking beyond simple economic calculations or pressure from the international community, she argues that privatization was part and parcel of the foundation of the postcommunist state. A New Capitalist Order reveals that privatization was designed and implemented by pro-market reformers not only to distribute gains and losses to powerful supporters, but also to advance a decidedly Western, liberal vision of the new postcommunist state. Moreover, specific ideologies - such as anticommunism, liberalism, or nationalism, to name but a few - profoundly influenced the legitimacy, the power, and even the material preferences of key economic actors and groups within the privatization process.


Importance sampling is a technique that can significantly reduce computer run-time in the estimation of bit error rate (BER). However, in the conventional implementation (CIS), the improvement reduces markedly for systems with long memory. An approach to recover the full improvement for such systems has been previously suggested, and is called 'efficient' important sampling (EIS). A report is presented on an extensive series of simulation-based experiments with CIS and EIS, both to compare theoretical predictions to experimental observations, as well as to gain insight into the conditions of applicability, especially for EIS. >


In applying linguistics to the task of analysing how agentivity is construed through verbal interaction, scholars often equate social agency with grammatical agency, and in particular with the grammar of transitivity. The difficulty I want to address in this paper is that we may miss other important, systematic and contrastive patterning in the agentivity with which social actors and other entities are depicted, because such agentivity is realized through a range of dispersed linguistic resources. Systemic Functional Linguistics can provide a useful framework for co-ordinating the contribution of these resources to the overall construal of agency in a text or set of texts. It does this best when it focusses on bringing out the particular stratal alignments that characterise different contexts. The paper draws on a study of treatment decision-making in HIV medicine as an example of a social context where choices in the construal of agency make a crucial difference to choices of professional and institutional practice. In this study the construal of agency was taken as a chief source of evidence about whether doctors and patients engage in shared decision-making, and it was also seen as a strategy which doctors and patients can use to open up or close down opportunities for shared decision-making. A key finding was that doctors and patients in HIV medicine often construe the agency of one participant as a resource for the agency of another, rather than construing the agency of one participant as competing with the agency of the other. In particular, it is where doctors and patients construe each other as semiotic agents that shared decisionmaking seems most likely to occur.


Some survey data are classified into pre-specified categories during a process known as coding. If a computer assigns codes without human interaction, then this is called automated coding. Manual coding, computer-assisted manual coding, and interactive coding all require some level of human interaction. The decision to employ automated coding in survey processing is not simple. There are many options and expenses to consider. Some of these are as follows: 1) who develops the software; 2) what is an acceptable error rate; 3) how will errors be controlled; 4) what percent of the cases must the automated coder classify; 5) how much maintenance will a production system require; and 6) what new resources must be developed to build an automated coder. These criteria and others are described in this paper. A cost model is developed along with a description of the interactions between the criteria. Finally, some examples are given to show how the model might be employed by a survey organization.


Organizational neuroscience—a novel scholarly domain using neuroscience to inform management and organizational research, and vice versa—is flourishing. Still missing, however, is a comprehensive coverage of organizational neuroscience as a self-standing scientific field. A foundational account of the potential that neuroscience holds to advance management and organizational research is currently a gap. The gap can be addressed with a review of the main methods, systematizing the existing scholarly literature in the field including entrepreneurship, strategic management, and organizational behavior, among others.


The focus of this study is on the altering and altered significations of categories of 'public' and 'private' in selected British writings of the thirties. Its aim is to explore and further delineate possible ways in which the decade's major writers struggled to reconcile the realm of the private self, with its range of individual drives, neuroses and incongruities, with the impersonal and frequently hostile forces of the public, socio-political domain, during a period in which historic circumstances brought relations between the two realms into sharp focus to a degree unique within twentieth-century literary history. Concentrating primarily on writing by Stephen Spender, Louis MacNeice, Christopher Isherwood, George Orwell and W.H. Auden, and using a range of interpretative models, this study seeks to determine and interrogate the distinct and distinctive ways in which such a reconciliation might have been conceived and rendered by the individual authors under discussion, and considers the difficulties inherent in imaginatively realising and articulating such a conception through any single aesthetic or linguistic programme, and, consequently, the multiplicity of conceptualisations and categories of writing marshalled in pursuit of such a project. Thus, whilst thirties' writing has frequently been characterised as a site of confrontation between the public and private realms (most famously in Samuel Hynes's seminal book, The Auden Generation (1976)) my investigation further qualifies existing accounts of the period through an emphasis on the range of concepts, beliefs and theorisations underpinning the self/world interface within the individual texts and authors examined. The original contribution to knowledge which emerges from this study is an enhanced appreciation of the range of literary-aesthetic, intellectual and theistic perspectives and traditions drawn upon by the decade's key writers in their attempts to negotiate and give voice to the newly-troubled encounter between the individual and history. In particular, attention is paid to ways in which thirties' writing relies upon differing and distinct models of the self or 'subject' in its dealings with contemporaneity, in ways which, crucially, are shown to lie beyond the scope of much of the dominant critical and generic debate surrounding the literature of the period.


This thesis examines the public policy outcomes in Australia in two distinct but related policy domains; Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) and Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research and cloning. Central to each policy domain is an important actor; the extra uterine human embryo. Without the surplus embryos created by default through ART, ESC research would not have eventuated. The possibility of cloned human embryos through Somatic Cell Nuclear Transplant (SCNT) technology represents the ultimate in ART. Each of these policy domains are characterised by divisive and irresolvable ethical conflicts over the moral status of the embryo or what it means to be human in the 21st Century. Each policy domain is also characterised by technological innovations which require policy solutions to new and complex policy problems. The central dilemma is how to elucidate policy when the problems are multidimensional, grounded in medicine, science and technology and deep conflicts over values exist.
The standard response of disaggregating complex policy issues into their constituent components and referring them to a technocratic elite for solution is unsatisfactory because the essential contestation is not over facts but over values. In each of these policy arenas, there are multiple actors who form distinct coalitions to promote a particular policy stance. The policy stances however are not informed by shared beliefs and values. Rather the policy outcomes emerge from the contest between competing narratives which allow interests with different values and beliefs to come together around a shared storyline.
Hajer's Discourse Coalition framework was used to identify the interests, discourses and narratives operating in each policy domain. In ART, particular health, science, ethics and industry interests form a discourse coalition around the dominant narrative of hope to promote public policies allowing increasingly wider access to ART for the involuntary childless. In this policy arena the extrauterine embryo is ambiguously constructed as both the desired child and a quality product. In the Australian context, ART policy remains within the private sphere of reproduction and the health policy domain under the jurisdiction of State and Territory governments despite efforts to place it on the national policy agenda.
In ESC research and cloning, specific ethical, health and wellbeing, science and industry interests form a discourse coalition around the dominant narrative of 'saviour science' to promote a relatively permissive policy position on embryo research and therapeutic cloning. The embryo moves out of the private sphere of reproduction into the public sphere of international biotechnology, and is thoroughly commodified as a scientific and economic resource. The ESC policy domain requires a national policy response because it impacts on Australia as a scientific innovator and producer in the globally competitive biotechnology arena. Thus, two very different policy outcomes emerge despite a shared essential actor in the extrauterine embryo.
The Discourse Coalition approach provides an alternative analysis of policy issues with seemingly irresolvable conflicts. It also provides a potential alternative policy making paradigm that allows interests with different norms and belief systems to form policy coalitions around a shared narrative to advance a particular policy position without sacrificing their underlying values.


Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine shareholders' reaction to the decision of the supervisory board to appoint a CEO in companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Methodology: An event study and the mean-adjusted model were applied. The abnormal returns were measured as the CAAR in the entire (-60, + 60) window and selected sub-windows. Findings: The obtained values of abnormal returns indicate the shareholder's negative reaction. Throughout the observation window, they oscillate slightly below zero, and in the window (0, +20) they are negative at -1.566%. Irrespective of the observation window, negative abnormal returns were obtained for over half of the observation (52–57%). Therefore, preliminary results indicate the predominance of the information effect over the real one. The decrease in market value as a result of the event may result from an increase in investors' uncertainty as to the effects of changes in strategy and skills of the new CEO. Originality: The research is a unique one. To date, no one has carried out research into shareholders' reaction to a CEO appointment in either the Polish or Central and Eastern European capital markets. They primarily bring the value of cognition of shareholders' behaviour in the analysed event, which is reflected in share prices. They extend the literature on the signalization instruments, i.e. the activities that boards can undertake due to the new information transmitted to the capital market participants and stakeholders. The market reaction to a CEO appointment will without a doubt interest investors; the institutions responsible for supervision (which in the case of Poland is the Financial Oversight Commission) and the legislator in charge of regulations that prevent insider trading while promoting corporate disclosure transparency.


This thesis focuses on developing scalable clustering and anomaly detection methods, with realistic assumptions and theoretically-sound guarantees, for analyzing high-dimensional data. It also studies the theory behind the performance of the proposed methods. Specifically, this thesis takes an inferential approach to searching for evidence that indicates the presence of two or more collections of data, with different distributions, in a single data set. It addresses two fundamental questions relating to this: (a) How can we perform clustering that results in statistically significant clusters? (b) In high energy physics, how can we detect new signals in experimental data, that are not explained by known physics models, without assuming a model for the new signal? In order to answer the first question, we consider clustering based on significance tests for Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs). Our starting point is the SigClust method developed by Liu et al. (2008), which introduces a test based on the k-means objective (with k = 2) to decide whether the data should be split intotwo clusters. When applied recursively, this test yields a method for hierarchical clustering that is equippedwith significance guarantees. We study the limiting distribution and power of this approach in some examplesand show that there are large regions of the parameter space where the power is low. We then introduce a newtest based on the idea of relative ?t. Unlike prior work, we test for whether a mixture of Gaussians provides abetter ?t relative to a single Gaussian, without assuming that either model is correct. The proposed test has a simple critical value and provides provable error control. We then develop several different versions of the test, one of which provides exact type I error control without requiring any asymptotic approximations. We show how the test can be applied recursively to obtain a hierarchical clustering of the data with significance guarantees. We also construct a sequential, non-hierarchical version of the approach that can additionally be used for model selection. We conclude with an extensive simulation study and a cluster analysis of a gene expression dataset. To answer the second question, we search for new signals that appear as deviations from known Standard Model physics in experimental particle physics data. To do this, we determine whether there is any significant difference between the distribution of background samples alone (generated from an assumed Monte Carlomodel according to the Standard Model) and the distribution of the actual experimental observations, which could be a mixture of background and signal samples. Traditionally, model-dependent methods are used to train a supervised classifier to detect hypothesized signals expected under models of new physics. In this thesis, we propose a model-independent method, that does not make any assumptions about the signal and uses a semi-supervised classifier to detect the presence of a signal in the experimental data. We use a test based on the likelihood ratio test statistic as well as one based on the area under the curve (AUC)statistic. The second test is based on the assumption that if the experimental data does not contain any signal then the classifier should find the experimental data indistinguishable from the background data. Additionally, we explore active subspace methods to interpret the proposed semi-supervised classifier tests in order to understand properties of the signal detected in the experimental data. We conclude by studying the performance of the methods on a data set related to the search for the Higgs Boson provided by theATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.


Recent trends in computer architecture make concurrency and parallelism an essential ingredient of efficient program execution. The actor model of concurrency allows you to express real-world concurrency in a natural way using concurrent processes that communicate via asynchronous messages. Scala is a programming language for the Java virtual machine, providing excellent support for both object-oriented and functional programming. By including a powerful actor framework in its standard library, Scala offers a compelling approach to tackle concurrent programming. Scala's actors let you apply the actor concurrency model to the JVM, enabling real-world solutions that are efficient, scalable, and robust. Published by Artima, this is the first book on Scala's actors, co-authored by the creator and lead maintainer, Philipp Haller, and Frank Sommers. Starting with the fundamentals of the actor concurrency model, this book offers a comprehensive tutorial on practical programming with actors in Scala. It enables you to leverage the full power of today's and tomorrow's multi-core processors by describing both basic and advanced features of Scala's actor framework in-depth.


A new analysis of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 84 data demonstrates that the dominant process controlling the Guatemala margin tectonic evolution since ca. 25 Ma is subduction-erosion. Data from benthic foraminifera, assemblages from upper-slope DSDP Sites 568, 569, and 570 indicate long-term, progressive subsidence from upper to middle bathyal depths (600–1000 m) ca. 19 Ma to modern abyssal depths (>2000 m). Rapid subsidence migrated landward starting at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary time under the current middle slope, where it increased sharply ca. 19 Ma, reached the current upper slope by ca. 15 Ma, and arrived at the uppermost slope ca. 2 Ma. Subsidence indicates crustal thinning by basal tectonic erosion of mass from the underside of the upper plate. Under the assumption that, in the Miocene, the morphology of the forearc was similar to that of today, landward migration of the trench was at a rate of 0.8–0.9 km/m.y. This linear rate corresponds to a tectonic erosion rate of the submerged forearc of 11.3–13.1 km3·m.y.−1·km−1. The evolution of arc magmatism and superfast spreading at the East Pacific Rise since early Miocene time may have caused slab shallowing and tectonic erosion that readjusted the forearc geometry.


Abstract A new idea for a binary clock is presented. It displays the time using a triangular array of 15 lamps each representing a certain amount of time. It is shown that such a geometric, triangular arrangement is only possible because our system of time divisions is based on a sexagesimal system in which the num- ber of minutes in 12 hours equals the factorial of a natural number (720 = 6!). An interactive applet allows one to "play" with the clock.


This paper analyzes Internet diffusion among a number of organizations and individuals, based on daily observation of second-level domain names registrations under the ".it" ccTLD. In particular, we analyzed domain names registered by associations, firms and individuals. The penetration rate, calculated according to the population, was computed for various widely separated geographic levels (provinces and regions). Results show that a "digital divide" exists in terms of geographical distribution (i.e., in macro-areas – Northern, Central, and Southern Italy at a regional level and at a provincial level) and that such geographical distribution is more concentrated compared to Italian population and total income, suggesting a diffusive effect.


Our understanding of the inner workings of the human brain is increasing exponentially. This is due in no small part to the rapidly advancing technology that has evolved from the application of engineering to neuroscience. This chapter reviews some of the more influential tools that are in widespread use in research institutes throughout the world. Beginning with the basics of electrophysiology, a broad overview of the current methods for resolving and modulating neural activity in the fields of imaging and brain stimulation is presented. Special attention is paid to temporal and spatial resolution, i.e., the capacity of the technologies to resolve small detail in time and space. The chapter concludes with a discussion of technical obstacles and future directions.


The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model was developed for use in whole farm/small watershed management. The model was constructed to evaluate various land management strategies considering sustainability, erosion (wind, sheet, and channel), economics, water supply and quality, soil quality, plant competition, weather and pests. Management capabilities include irrigation, drainage, furrow diking, buffer strips, terraces, waterways, fertilization, manure management, lagoons, reservoirs, crop rotation and selection, pesticide application, grazing, and tillage. Besides these farm management functions, APEX can be used in evaluating the effects of global climate/CO2 changes; designing environmentally safe, economic landfill sites; designing biomass production systems for energy; and other spin off applications. The model operates on a daily time step (some processes are simulated with hourly or less time steps) and is capable of simulating hundreds of years if necessary. Farms may be subdivided into fields, soil types, land scape positions, or any other desirable configuration.


Molecular analysis of Arabidopsis mutants displaying hypocotyl elongation defects in both the dark and light revealed recently that steroids play an essential role as hormones in plants. Deficiencies in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signalling permit photomorphogenic development and light-regulated gene expression in the dark, and result in severe dwarfism, male sterility and de-repression of stress-induced genes in the light. A cytochrome P450 steroid hydroxylase (CYP90) controls a rate limiting step in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and appears to function as a signalling factor in stress responses. Another key step in steroid biosynthesis is controlled by the Arabidopsis SNF1 kinases that phosphorylate the 3-hydroxy-3methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. The activity of SNF1 kinases is regulated by PRL1, an evolutionarily conserved alpha-importin-binding nuclear WD-protein. The prl1 mutation results in cell elongation defects, de-repression of numerous stress-induced genes, and augments the sensitivity of plants to glucose, cold stress and several hormones, including cytokinin, ethylene, auxin, and abscisic acid.


In multiple-task hidden-action models, the (mis-)allocation of effort may play an important role for benefit creation. Signals which capture this benefit and which are used in incentive schemes should thus not only be judged by the noise and the associated costs but also by the mis-allocation which they induce. How can mis-allocation be measured? This article presents two requirements for such a measure (invariance and monotonicity) and analyses whether they are met by proposed measures of mis-allocation. All examined measures assert that an unbiased signal for benefit leads to the lowest misallocation. Here, the signal leading to the lowest mis-allocation is computed and shown to be unbiased for the benefit only under restrictive assumptions on the cost function (equal marginal costs for different tasks). Generally, using an unbiased signal does not imply the lowest mis-allocation.


OBJECTIVE
To assess factors influencing perspectives on Brazil's national Family Health Program (PSF) by exploring satisfaction with PSF units and home-visit community health agents and perceptions about PSF unit accessibility among frequent users (primary caretakers of children under age 5) in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais.

METHODS
Data were collected though cross-sectional household surveys to determine programmatic and demographic factors affecting user satisfaction with the PSF. Multivariate logistic modeling was used to estimate users' satisfaction with PSF units and agents and perceived access to PSF unit services. Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to estimate statistical differences.

RESULTS
The majority of caretakers were satisfied with both their PSF unit and their PSF community health agent and had received at least one monthly home visit from the health agent. Satisfaction with both the health agent and the unit was positively associated with perceived access to the unit and frequency of agent home visits. Caretakers who reported that their PSF agent made one or more home visits per month were more likely to perceive the PSF unit as being "accessible" (or "sometimes accessible").

CONCLUSIONS
The current data are important indicators of population health in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and suggest that users' satisfaction with the PSF and perceptions about its accessibility can be improved by ensuring that all households receive at least one health agent home visit per month. These results could be applied to other parts of Brazil or Latin America to improve understanding of user perceptions of health systems.


Purpose: We consider the question of when teams are an asset at the negotiating table and when they are a liability. Methodology: We center our review on three key "empirical truths" about teams. First, teams are better than individuals at solving problems. Second, teams are more self-interested than individuals. Third, teams are trusted less and are less trusting than individuals. Findings: Teams have an advantage over solo negotiators when there is unshared information and multiple issues on the table. Teams have an advantage in these contexts because of their superior problem-solving abilities. However, teams are more likely than solos to suffer from costly and uncertain legal action due to failures in dispute resolution and earn lower profits than solos in negotiations with a prisoner's dilemma structure. Thus, because teams are more self-interested and less trusted than individuals, they can be a liability in negotiations in which the parties' interests are opposed. Implications: To the leverage the positive effects of teams in negotiation, it is critical that negotiators determine whether the context is one that allows for coordination and integrative tradeoffs, such as multi-issue deal-making negotiations, versus one that is characterized by noncorrespondent outcomes and incompatible interests, such as disputes and prisoner's dilemma interactions. Value of the paper: The term "negotiation" has been applied rather broadly to a complex assortment of mixed-motive tasks. Our review indicates that distinguishing among these tasks is paramount to meaningfully address questions of individual versus group performance in negotiation.


This study investigates primary school children's (7-8 year-old, N = 25) ideas of mixing of marbles and of heat, expressed in small-group predict-observe-explain exercises, and drawings representing the children's own analogies in a classroom setting. The children were typically found to predict that marbles of two different colours would mix when rocked back and forth on a board. This idea of mixing is slightly more advanced than previously reported in the literature. The children's ideas of heat included reference to warm objects, their own bodies when exercising, and the process of one warm solid object heating another object in direct contact. In addition, through scaffolding, some of the children expressed a substance view of heat. Finally, the potential and challenges in probing children's ideas through a combination of data collection techniques in a classroom setting are reflected upon.
Key words: heat, mixing, children's ideas, primary school, classroom setting.


This research work investigates diesel combustion and exhaust emissions with additives addition to conventional diesel fuel in a four-stroke naturally aspirated direct injection (DI) diesel engine. The additives include DGM, and liquid cerium. The results show that with the addition of DGM to diesel fuel, brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) and all diesel emissions are significantly reduced. The volumetric blending ratios of additives to diesel fuel are 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. All emissions including smoke emissions decrease with the increase in oxygen content in the fuel and it is noted that smoke emission completely disappeared at an oxygen content of 36 wt–%. The reason for improvement in BSEC with the addition of additives to base diesel fuel is the improvement of degree of constant volume combustion, and the reduction of the cooling loss. Engine noise and odor concentrations are remarkably reduced with diesel-additive blends. Significant improvement in BSEC and exhaust emissions is not only found at medium load condition but also at high load condition.
 Key words: Diesel engine, DGM, emissions, BSEC, and cooling loss


This article analyzes the effects of household-level activity choices on farm household welfare in a developing country affected by mass violent armed conflict. The study uses household survey data from postwar Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces in Northern Mozambique capturing many activity choices, including market participation, risk and activity diversification, cotton adoption, and social exchange, as well as income-and consumption-based measures of welfare. The study advances the literature on postwar coping and rural poverty at the micro level by estimating potentially endogenous activity choices and welfare outcomes using instrumental variables. The study finds that increasing the cultivated area and on-farm activities enhances postwar welfare of smallholders exploiting wartime survival techniques. Subsistence farming reduces income but does not affect consumption, while market participation has positive welfare effects. This suggests that postwar reconstruction policies should encourage the wartime crop mix but offer enhanced marketing opportunities for such crops. Cotton adoption, which was promoted by aid agencies in the postwar period, reduces household welfare per capita by between 16% and 31%, controlling for market access. This contradicts previous studies of postwar rural development that did not control for the war-related endogeneity. Hence, addressing the potential endogeneity of activity choices is important because the standard regression approach may lead to biased estimates of the impact of activity choice on welfare, which in turn may lead to biased policy advice. The article discusses and contextualizes these findings, concluding with a discussion of suitable pro-poor reconstruction policies for national governments and donors.


From Slave to Pharaoh: The Black Experience of Ancient Egypt. By Donald B. Redford. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Pp. i-x, 218; index, 4 maps, 38 figures. Pp. x, 218. $44.95. This book is a timely contribution to the rapidly growing literature on Nubian and Sudanese studies, not to mention study tours and museum exhibits that feature these areas. The realization that non-Egyptian Africa has "classical" traditions distinct from those in Egypt has also given rise to fascinating inquiries about the concepts of race and identity along the Nile valley as well as some of the controversies about a "Black Athena." This evolution is a function of expanded archaeological work, and multidisciplinary Nile valley studies, including more anthropology, history, and political documentation, especially in the wake of the Nubian relocation and salvage projects as well as the political independence of Sudan and civil rights movements in the world. On top of this, the varied disciplinary interests on which Nubian and Egyptian studies are founded will strongly influence the research paradigms and viewpoints. Thus, central to these inquiries is an awareness of the paradigms and viewpoints of many observers, from Nubiacentric to Egyptocentric, multicentric, and others. It is always important to know the background and training of an author, but in this case it is even more essential. Redford comes trained as an Egyptologist and archaeologist focused on the ancient Mediterranean and classics. His sources are mainly derived from epigraphy and excavation. Redford views Nubia though the lens of "dark-skinned" Nubians versus Egyptians. Thus the discussion of whether Egypt is in Africa, or Africa is in Egypt, is carried on. My own training is in the anthropology of Africa in general, and Nubia in particular. In this field "race" is scientifically considered clinical and sociocentric, but with a genetic foundation in phenotypes. I have long viewed Africa as multiethnic, multiracial, and multilingual. Professionally, I have spent about equal time in Egypt and Sudan, and I have broad firsthand knowledge of the principle sites in both lands as well as of the practice of archaeology without being a "dirt" archaeologist. I am self-taught in Egyptology but my graduate studies were in Nubian culture in both Sudan and Egypt. This is noted for the readers of this review to weigh these factors in what both Redford and I say. Anthropologists often state that they study society from the bottom up, and consider that written records, while important, reflect a small part of human interaction. Historians typically base their historiography on primary written documents, which, perhaps because of their rarity, are critical turning and reference points. Moreover, anthropologists of race and class consider that the unspoken and unwritten experience can be essential in understanding human relations, while some historians are understandably reluctant to read between the lines in carefully constructed texts that should be taken for what they very precisely say. I have no intention to adjudicate the merits of these various stances and indeed, I think that their intersection leads to a rich critical dialectic. The very title of this book presents something of this contrasting set of perspectives. The title, from "slave to pharaoh" tends to polarize or simplify the "Black Experience," or Nubian experience, by those two statuses. Then it is further homogenized by using the definite article for the Black experience. In fact, there are very many kinds of "black experiences" in Egypt and with its Nubian neighbors, not the least of which are those differentiated by gender and class as well as by diverse social and ethnic positions. All of these variables have also changed over time as well. Thus, with the heavy reliance on ancient Egyptian texts the more subtle understanding of social diversity in Nubia and in Nubio-Egyptian relations is less accessible. …


Hybridization has played a central role in the evolutionary history of domesticated plants. Notably, several breeding programs relying on gene introgression from the wild compartment have been performed in fruit tree species within the genus Prunus but few studies investigated spontaneous gene flow among wild and domesticated Prunus species. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of genetic relationships and levels of gene flow between domesticated and wild Prunus species is needed. Combining nuclear and chloroplastic microsatellites, we investigated the gene flow and hybridization among two key almond tree species, the cultivated Prunus dulcis and one of the most widespread wild relative Prunus orientalis in the Fertile Crescent. We detected high genetic diversity levels in both species along with substantial and symmetric gene flow between the domesticated P. dulcis and the wild P. orientalis. These results were discussed in light of the cultivated species diversity, by outlining the frequent spontaneous genetic contributions of wild species to the domesticated compartment. In addition, crop‐to‐wild gene flow suggests that ad hoc transgene containment strategies would be required if genetically modified cultivars were introduced in the northwestern Mediterranean.


The rate and extent of transport of macromolecules and other solutes into cellulosic materials and fibers have important applications in such fields as papermaking, textiles, medicine, and chromatography. This review considers how diffusion and flow affect permeation into wood, paper, and other lignocellulosic materials. Because pore sizes within such materials can range from nanometers to millimeters, a broad perspective will be used, also considering some publications related to other porous materials. Factors that limit the rate or extent of polymer or other solute transport into pores can involve thermodynamics (affecting the driving motivation for permeation), kinetics (if there is insufficient time for the system to come to equilibrium), and physical barriers. Molecular flow is also affected by the attributes of the solute, such as molecular mass and charge, as well as those of the substrate, such as the pore size, interconnectedness, restricted areas, and surface characteristics. Published articles have helped to clarify which of these factors may have a controlling influence on molecular transport in different situations.


Nano-objects have unique properties due to their sizes, shapes and structure. When electronic properties of such nano-objects are used to build devices, the control of interfaces at atomic level is required. In this thesis, systems were built that can not only electrically characterize nano-objects, but also allow to analyze a large number of individual nano-objects statistically at the example of graphene and nanoparticle-molecule-nanoelectrode junctions. An in-situ electrical characterization system was developed for the analysis of free standing graphene sheets containing defects created by an acid treatment. The electrical characterization of several hundred sheets revealed that the resistance in acid treated graphene sheets decreased by 50 times as compared to pristine graphene and is explained by the presence of di-vacancy defects. However, the mechanism of defect insertion into graphene is different when graphene is bombarded with a focused ion beam and in this case, the resistance of graphene increases upon defect insertion. The defect insertion becomes even stronger at liquid N2 temperature. A molecular electronics platform with excellent junction properties was fabricated where nanoparticle-molecule chains bridge 15-30nm nanoelectrodes. This approach enabled a systematic evaluation of junctions that were assembled by functionalizing electrode surfaces with alkanethiols and biphenyldithiol. The variations in the molecular device resistance were several orders of magnitude and explained by variations in attachment geometries of molecules. The spread of resistance values of different devices was drastically reduced by using a new functionalization technique that relies on coating of gold nanoparticles with trityl protected alkanedithiols, where the trityl group was removed after trapping of nanoparticles in the electrode gap. This establishment of a reproducible molecular electronics platform enabled the observation of vibrations of a few molecules by inelastic tunneling spectroscopy. Thus this system can be used extensively to characterize molecules as well as build devices based on molecules and nanoparticles.


Consecutive serial sections of polyhedra obtained from gipsy moth larvae infected with P. dispar virus revealed bundles of viral rods scattered and oriented at random within the polyhedral body. Each bundle was entirely surrounded by a dense, sharply defined membrane. The rods measured 18 to 22 mµ in diameter and averaged 280 mµ in length. No spherical viral particles were encountered. The effects of variable compression and periodic distortion of the sections on the appearance of the virus are discussed.


The Tax Administration Bill (TAB) that will be tabled in parliament during this year will no doubt have a significant impact on the administration of all taxes. The drafting of the TAB was announced in the 2005 Budget Review as a project "to incorporate into one piece of legislation certain generic administrative provisions, which are currently duplicated in the different tax Acts". The scope of the project has since been extended so that it can now be seen as a preliminary step to the re-write of the Income Tax Act, 1962, since the administrative part of the Act comprises about 25% of the Act.


A high-quality low-timing-jitter 20-GHz optical pulse train is generated by using two cascaded sinusoidally driven electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) at very low bias voltage of -0.8 V in conjunction with a tunable distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser. An approximate transform-limited optical pulse, with the pulse width less than 7 ps, the spectral width of 0.3 nm, and the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) above 20 dB, is obtained by tuning the optical delay line.


The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early universe, the dynamics of the supernovae that produced the heavy elements necessary for life, and whether protons eventually decay—these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our universe, its current state, and its eventual fate. DUNE is an international world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions as it searches for leptonic charge-parity symmetry violation, stands ready to capture supernova neutrino bursts, and seeks to observe nucleon decay as a signature of a grand unified theory underlying the standard model. Central to achieving DUNE's physics program is a far detector that combines the many tens-of-kiloton fiducial mass necessary for rare event searches with sub-centimeter spatial resolution in its ability to image those events, allowing identification of the physics signatures among the numerous backgrounds. In the single-phase liquid argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC) technology, ionization charges drift horizontally in the liquid argon under the influence of an electric field towards a vertical anode, where they are read out with fine granularity. A photon detection system supplements the TPC, directly enhancing physics capabilities for all three DUNE physics drivers and opening up prospects for further physics explorations. The DUNE far detector technical design report (TDR) describes the DUNE physics program and the technical designs of the single- and dual-phase DUNE liquid argon TPC far detector modules. Volume IV presents an overview of the basic operating principles of a single-phase LArTPC, followed by a description of the DUNE implementation. Each of the subsystems is described in detail, connecting the high-level design requirements and decisions to the overriding physics goals of DUNE.


It is increasingly recognized that stress has negative effects on growing numbers of people. Stress assessment is a complex issue, but different studies have shown that monitoring user psychophysiological parameter during daily life can be greatly helpful in stress evaluation. In this context, the European Collaborative Project INTERSTRESS is aimed at designing and developing advanced simulation and sensing technologies for the assessment and treatment of psychological stress, based on mobile biosensors.In this study a wearable biosensor platform able to collect physiological and behavioral parameters is reported. The developed mobile platform, in terms of hardware and processing algorithms, is described. Moreover the use of this wearable biosensor platform in combination with advanced simulation technologies, such as virtual reality, offer interesting opportunities for innovative personal health-care solutions to stress.


Abstract Objectives: To assess the nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in our hospital using different assessment tools, and to assess the correlation between nutritional status and other parameters such as solute clearance. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on end-stage renal disease patients treated with CAPD at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. The nutritional status of each patient was assessed using subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometric parameters including body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skin fold (TSF), arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA), and biochemical parameters including serum albumin and total cholesterol levels. Dialysis adequacy was assessed by solute clearance measurement. Results: The mean age of the patients was 37.9 ± 13.4 years, 54% were males and 74 % were black. The mean BMI was 24.8 ± 3.5 kg/m2, mean MUAC was 28.5 ± 3.9 cm, mean TSF 85.6 ± 41.5 cm, mean serum albumin was 37.1 ± 7.6 mg/dl, while mean serum cholesterol was 5.32 ± 1.7 mmol/l. Based on SGA scores, 42% were well nourished, 50% moderately undernourished, while 8% were severely malnourished. We noted significant correlation between the SGA score and anthropometric parameters (BMI, MUAC) and there was no significant correlation between the nutritional parameters and the solute clearance. Conclusion: Malnutrition is common among CAPD patients in our centre, without a significant correlation between the nutritional status and the solute clearance. There is thus a need for ongoing nutritional assessment and support among these patients.


It is now over twenty years since queer theory first appeared, challenging academics and activists to question the very foundations of sexualities research. Queer theory provided a critical impetus that disconcerted as much as it enthused. Yet for some it remained an abstract, largely discursive approach that ignored many of the important insights made by earlier generations of sociologists. To what extent has this criticality remained imperative in studies of sexuality? More recently, new forms of materialist analysis have become more prominent. Intersectionality has become a defining feature of much sexuality research over the last ten years. Others still have continued to draw on micro-sociological theories, particularly interactionism, whilst psychoanalytic theories continue to be central for many. What use are these and other theories? Does sexuality research have any defining theoretical characteristics or is its diversity one of its strengths? Similarly, how is sexuality studied methodologically? What methods are in use? How are we innovating, methodologically, in the study of sexuality? Many sexualities studies within the social sciences have been dominated by qualitative research. Yet, what impact, if any, has the increase in mixed methodologies had on the study of sexuality? Is sexuality research still largely defined by qualitative approaches? To what extent, if any, do we promote participants' engagement with our studies, in line with emancipatory research? And how can our theoretical and methodological choices enable wider dissemination and social impact? This collection is being proposed as part of the 'Advances in Critical Diversities' series. With its focus on exploring sexualities through diverse theoretical and methodological lenses and with diverse practical applications and concerns the collection speaks to the aim of the series: to provide an exciting new publishing space to critically consider practices, meanings and understandings of "diversity," inequality and identity across time and place. In doing so, the proposed collection draws together an eclectic range of chapters written by key established academics and new and vibrant emerging scholars emanating from institutions in a diverse range of countries, including: the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. The book, therefore, has international appeal, and in order to extend this further it includes an afterward by leading North American scholars who will engage with the approaches adopted amongst the chapters in the collection. The book is divided into a number of sections. The chapters in the first section are primarily concerned with theoretical questioning. Chapters in the second section discuss methodological aspects of doing sexuality research, whilst those in the final section are concerned with the social and political impacts of researching sexualities.


In 1963, the full-scale engineering study for the development of an Iron, Steel, and Vanadium plant was initiated. This was the birth of Evraz Highveld and its process flow as it is known today. Highveld started out as a steel works that produced steel and vanadium-bearing slag by using a titaniferous magnetite iron ore mined from its own mine site near Steelpoort. The process utilized co-current rotary kilns for pre-reduction, and submerged-arc furnaces for the production of pig iron with approximately 1.15% vanadium. Because of various technical challenges that the submerged-arc furnaces experienced over the years, a decision was taken in 2004 to convert the furnaces to Open Slag Bath (OSB) operation, in order to enable the maximum production of iron and vanadium while improving the control over operational parameters. The conversion proved to be highly successful and, since 2005, three furnaces have been converted to OSB operation. The fourth furnace will be converted in the first half of 2011. The conversion to OSB furnaces not only yields higher vanadium recovery to the metal at the iron plant, but also improves the overall throughput of the steel plant. This is the result of a higher carbon content of the liquid iron from the OSB furnaces, eliminating the need for anthracite addition to the shaking ladle process. This reduces the blowing time by approximately 60%. The conversion of the furnaces to OSB configuration is seen as an enabling technology change and a prerequisite to the implementation of other plant improvements that are envisaged. The long-term vision of EHSV is to convert five furnaces to OSB mode, and permanently decommission the two remaining submerged-arc furnaces. This will allow EHSV to maintain current steel and vanadium production but at a significantly improved overall efficiency.


Guide to U.S. Economic Policy shows students and researchers how issues and actions are translated into public policies for resolving economic problems (like the Great Recession) or managing economic conflict (like the left-right ideological split over the role of government regulation in markets). Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the guide highlights decision-making cycles requiring the cooperation of government, business, and an informed citizenry to achieve a comprehensive approach to a successful, growth-oriented economic policy. Through 30 topical, operational, and relational essays, the book addresses the development of U.S. economic policies from the colonial period to today; the federal agencies and public and private organizations that influence and administer economic policies; the challenges of balancing economic development with environmental and social goals; and the role of the U.S. in international organizations such as the IMF and WTO. Key Features: *30 essays by experts in the field investigate the fundamental economic, political, social, and process initiatives that drive policy decisions affecting the nation's economic stability and success. * Essential themes traced throughout the chapters include scarcity, wealth creation, theories of economic growth and macroeconomic management, controlling inflation and unemployment, poverty, the role of government agencies and regulations to police markets, Congress vs. the president, investment policies, economic indicators, the balance of trade, and the immediate and long-term costs associated with economic policy alternatives. * A glossary of key economic terms and events, a summary of bureaus and agencies charged with economic policy decisions, a master bibliography, and a thorough index appear at the back of the book. This must-have reference for students and researchers is suitable for academic, public, high school, government, and professional libraries.


Contemporary biomedical ethics and environmental ethics share a common ancestry in Aldo Leopold's and Van Rensselaer Potter's initial broad visions of a connected biosphere. Over the past five decades, the two fields have become strangers. Public health ethics, a new subfield of bioethics, emerged from the belly of contemporary biomedical ethics and has evolved over the past 25 years. It has moved from its traditional concern with the tension between individual autonomy and community health to a wider focus on social justice and solidarity. Public health has a broad focus that includes individual, community, and environmental health. Public health ethics attends to these broad commitments reflected in the increasing concern with the connectedness of health of individuals to the health of populations, to the health of animals, to the health of the environment; it is well situated to reconnect all three "fields" of ethics to promote a healthier planet.


TRELKA, T., W. BRES, B. POLITYCKA and J. STARZYK, 2016. Infl uence of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate on zonal pelargonium and microorganisms colonizing root environment. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 401–407 Increasingly often we may observe soil and substrate contamination with sodium. Excess of sodium in root environment causes physiological disorders in plants affecting their quality. To assess the effect of sodium salts on the quality of zonal pelargonium two-year experiments were established. Increasing doses of NaCl or Na2SO4 were applied, raising sodium contents in the substrate to 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg Na·dm–3. Substrate with no sodium salt added comprised the control. An increase in sodium contents had a negative effect on all biomorphological features of pelargonium. However, low content of sodium in the peat substrate may be benefi cial for zonal pelargonium. Sodium chloride has a stronger negative effect on zonal pelargonium than sodium sulfate. Up to 200 mg Na·dm–3 in the substrate pelargonium retains its high decorative value. Salinity also affects microorganisms colonizing the peat substrate. Both bacteria and actinomycetes are sensitive to sodicity. Increased sodium salts contents in the peat substrate caused only a slight change in CFU of fungi in the substrate.


Health insurance confers benefits to the previously uninsured, including improvements in health, reductions in out-of-pocket spending, and reduced medical debt. However, because the nominally uninsured pay only a small share of their medical expenses, health insurance also provides substantial transfers to nonrecipient parties who would otherwise bear the costs of providing uncompensated care to the uninsured. The prevalence of uncompensated care helps explain the limited take-up of heavily subsidized public health insurance and the evidence that many recipients value formal health insurance at substantially less than the cost to insurers of providing that coverage. The distributional implications of public subsidies for health insurance depend critically on the ultimate economic incidence of the transfers that they deliver to providers of uncompensated care.


Abstract. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) is the largest source of potential sea-level rise, containing approximately 52 m of sea-level equivalent. To constrain estimates of sea-level rise into the future requires knowledge of ice-sheet properties and geometry and ice-penetrating radar offers a means to estimate these properties (e.g. ice thickness, englacial temperatures). One of the regions that have been extensively surveyed using ice-penetrating radar from the Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (ICECAP) project in East Antarctica is Law Dome, a small independent ice cap situated to the west of Totten Ice Shelf. The ice cap is slow-moving, has a low melt-rate at the surface and moderate wind speeds, making it a useful study site for estimating the radar attenuation. A new method is proposed for the estimation of attenuation rate from radar data which is mathematically modelled as a constrained regularised l2 minimisation problem. In the proposed method, only radar data is required and the englacial reflectors are automatically detected from the radar data itself. To validate our methodology, attenuation differences at flight crossover points are calculated and statistical analyses performed to assess the accuracy of the results. For spatial analyses, the errors are of the order 22.6 %, 15.2 %, and 32.8 % for mean absolute error, median absolute error, and root mean square error respectively. Also, for the depth analyses, up to the depth of 800 m, the errors are under 29.9 %, 24.2 %, and 38.8 % for mean absolute error, median absolute error, and root mean square error respectively. A final product of 3D attenuation rates and uncertainty estimates is provided. The generated dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.25959/5e6851e266f4a (Abdul Salam, 2020).


Multienvironment trials (MET) generate two types of two-way data: genotype x environment data for a target trait and genotype x trait data in individual or across environments. These data can be visually analyzed by a GGE biplot and a genotype X trait biplot, respectively. This paper describes a third type of biplot, the covariate-effect biplot, and illustrates its tandem use with the other biplots to achieve a fuller understanding of MET data. The covariate-effect biplot is generated on the basis of an explanatory trait × environment two-way table consisting of correlation coefficients between the target trait (e.g., yield) and each of the other traits in each of the environments. This biplot displays the yield-trait relations in individual environments and addresses whether and how the genotype X environment interactions (GE) for yield can be explored by indirect selection for the other traits. These other traits are treated as genetic covariables and can be replaced by other genetic covariables such as genetic markers, QTL, or genes. The biplot methodology was demonstrated by MET data of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) conducted across North America. Both the GGE biplot and the covariate-effect biplot showed that the environments fell into two (eastern vs. western) megaenvironments. The covariate-effect pattern explained 81% of the GGE pattern, suggesting that the GE pattern for yield can be effectively explored by indirect selection for these traits. Specifically, barley yield can be improved by selecting for larger kernel weight, earlier heading, and better lodging resistance in the eastern megaenvironment. In contrast, the yield-frait relationship in the western megaenvironment was highly variable, and yield improvement can be achieved only by selecting for yield per se across environments. We suggest that the GGE biplot, the genotype × trait biplot, and the covariate-effect biplot be used jointly to better understand and more fully explore MET data.


Shocks to income and wealth decrease the household's monetary budget available. As a consequence, households respond by decreasing consumption spending. Income shocks, such as unexpected unemployment and retirement, also increase the time-budget available in addition to decreasing the monetary budget available. Some research has suggested that the additional time available enables households to substitute home production for purchased goods and services, effectively increasing their well-being beyond what a measure of spending would indicate. We aim to expand on this research by using data on time-use with data on categories of spending, which has the potential to be much more informative than data on time-use alone: the combination can show substitutions or complements of time for spending. We use wealth shocks in house values induced by the Great Recession to show the extent to which households adjusted home production in response to those wealth shocks. We found some adjustment in the population age 65 or older, but none in the population age 51-64. This implies that younger households experiencing a wealth shock only find very little opportunity, if any, to buffer the welfare losses resulting from reductions in spending on market-purchased goods by increases in home production. Older households were able to compensate modestly.


Fishbone from the settlement site at Emily Bay and excavations in West Emily Bay was identified on the basis of five mouth parts, checked against eight paired bones and some multiple and unique bones. The number of specimens (NISP) was counted and the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) calculated to display relative abundance of families. Lethrinidae dominate all assemblages, with Carangidae, Labridae and Serranidae as significant secondaries. Many specimens are large examples of the species. The domination of benthic feeders implies baited hooks, used over submerged reefs close to shore, were probably the most common technology. There are no deep water species present. Norfolk Island fishing appears to be very like that of prehistoric New Zealand.


1. INTRODUCTION Despite the downturn following Y2K implementations and claims of increased outsourcing, the overall job market for Information Technology professionals has remained relatively strong. In fact, according to a 2007 report sponsored by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, Information Technology remains central to economic growth since it is used in virtually every sector of the economy from farming to manufacturing and from services to government (Atkinson and McKay, 2007). Supporting the continued importance of Information Technology, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has reported that the average starting salary offer made to 2008 computer and information science graduates was up almost 13%, from $51,992 to $58,677 (NACE, 2008). Additionally, Information Technology related jobs represent 5 of the top 25 identified fastest growing occupations (NACE, 2008). Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that Network Systems and Data Communication Analysts will be the top occupation in the United States between now and 2016 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008). According to predictions for 2005 in a Computerworld article, the most sought after positions will be systems auditors, sales consultants, and programmer/ analysts (Lee, 2005). External forces will also keep demand strong for systems auditing. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has fueled the need for the audit side of Information Technology as the business world has strived to address widespread scandals as evidenced by the downfall of corporate giants such as Enron, WorldCom, and Global Crossing. All these signs of strong Information Technology demand seem to be at odds with the widely reported declines in Information Systems (IS) program enrollments around the country. A number of reasons have been posited for this decline--many of them being beyond the control of the academic community. That said, at least one study argues that declining enrollments may, in part, be caused by IS curriculums that are out-of-date (McGann et al., 2007). Given that IS departments should be reviewing their curricula on a regular basis anyway, addressing this possible cause of the enrollment downturn should be considered low hanging fruit. Essentially, up-to-date curricula are not only critical to the preparation of qualified Information Technology professionals, they may also be an effective way to attract more students into IS programs. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to gather information on the most commonly required courses in undergraduate IS programs in the United States in order to offer guidance and insight to curriculum developers. Additionally, the paper compares current course offerings to those discussed in previous research in order to identify changes that have occurred and the development of new trends. 2. METHODOLOGY 2.1 Study Design In order to keep up with the fast-paced changes in technology, IS programs must continually assess their curricula and teaching methods. The accreditation process exists, in part, to help monitor programs to make sure they meet minimum curricular standards which are periodically reviewed and updated. Although the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is the only organization which specifically accredits IS programs, the majority of IS programs do not have this standalone accreditation. Instead, the majority of IS programs reside within schools of business that are accredited by the International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) or the Association of Collegiate Business Programs (ACSBP). Therefore, in order to ensure a sufficient sample frame, this study draws its sample from IS programs from AACSB and ACBSP accredited schools of business. The data were collected during the 2007-08 academic year by accessing each university's course catalog via their website. The decision to use the Internet as the primary data source was based on the belief that web-based catalogs would be the most accurate and up-to-date. …


Abstract This paper evaluates the impact of austerity measures on national social protection mechanisms and on the European Social Model. The study is based on an in-depth analysis of austerity measures adopted in Italy and Portugal and the evolution of several indicators, such as unemployment rates and the percentage of citizens at risk of poverty. The analysis demonstrates that measures adopted in the field of new economic governance have had an impact on the organization and provision of SGEIs and have affected the solidity of the national welfare state. It will be argued that in this context the promotion of a social dimension of the EU requires innovative methods for the regulation of new economic governance.


Will Charlie Brown ever get to kick the footballs? Will Schroeder finally return Lucy's love? Will Linus give up his security blanket? Will Peppermint Party ever pass a test? And, most importantly will Snoopy--that canine literary ace--ever be published? "To take a blank piece of paper and draw characters that people love and worry about is extremely satisfying. It really does not matter what you are called or where your work is placed as long as it brings some kind of joy to some person some place." -- Charles SchulzPeanuts: A Golden Celebration honors the momentous 50th anniversary of Charlie Brown and the gang with over 1,000 carefully selected strips that tell the story of Peanutslike no other book before. In Schulz's own words we learn how he came to create the world's most popular comic strip characters from nostalgic and sometimes painful memories of growing up--such as the agony of classroom Valentine exchange and the longing for a little red-haired girl. From the debut of Peanuts on October 2, 1950, to the golden jubilee, here are fifty years of the favorite episodes and the..."firsts," such as the first time Lucy pulled the football away from Charlie Brown. Included are scenes from the beloved Charlie Brown television. specials and the latest revival of the Broadway musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. These are the strips and events that have made Peanuts an awesome phenomenon, appearing in 2,600 newspapers worldwide everyday. Not bad for a round-headed kid called Charlie Brown. Let the celebration begin!


Research Problem: There are no prior studies comparing modes of communication for virtual teams working over a substantial period of time that combined an initial synchronous desktop audio or video meeting with subsequent text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC). Research Questions: Does the initial medium condition impact decision-making quality, creativity, group development, and process satisfaction? Literature Review: Previous literature on media richness (the ability of a medium to carry and reproduce information based on feedback, multiple cues, language variety, and personal focus) and group outcomes (the level of creativity and quality of the work delivered by the group) suggests that ad-hoc groups using asynchronous CMC alone (without any initial meeting) or asynchronous CMC combined with an initial face-to-face (FTF) meeting have significantly higher levels of creativity and decision quality, compared to single-mode synchronous CMC groups or FTF groups. Methodology: In this study, a laboratory experiment was conducted with 136 participants from 14 countries. All teams used asynchronous CMC for two weeks for a software requirements task, following an initial synchronous meeting in one of four conditions: FTF, desktop audioconferencing, desktop videoconferencing, or text only. Results and Discussion: Results suggest that there are no significant differences among the four conditions. This research indicates that it does not matter what medium is used for an initial short meeting of a group that is to subsequently work together via asynchronous text communication.


South Africa and its surrounding maritime zones are continuously being threatened by activities such as illegal fishing, illegal immigration, smuggling, piracy, terrorism and oil pollution. In most cases, these activities are difficult to observe, as these forces choose to work at night, in bad weather or in deserted places. The country has a 1,5 million square kilometre economic exclusion zone (EEZ), but its naval and coast guard forces available for patrolling this vast area are relatively small considering the area to be secured.


Objective: The aim of this study was to discover the stages of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
Study design: Descriptive cross sectional study.
Place and Duration: It was conducted in medical teaching institute Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. Duration of study was from October 2015 to 0ctober 2016.
Material and Methods: 208 participants with type 1 and 2 diabetes having diabetic nephropathy were included in the study. Patients either requiring or not requiring hemodialysis, were also included. The data was analyzed with statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) 16.0. Frequency of different variables was calculated in percentage.
Results: Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were found in 102 cases (49%) while proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) was in 79 cases (38%) and normal fundi were found in 27 patients (13%). Among 69 patients who required hemodialysis, 65.2% were having PDR, 31.88% having NPDR and 2.89% normal fundi. Among 139 patients who were stable 34 had PDR (24.46%). NPDR was seen in 80 (57.55%) and normal fundi were observed in 25 (17.98%) patients. Among 184 hypertensive patients 41.84% had PDR, 54.34% had NPDR and 3.80% had normal fundi. Out of 24 normotensive patients 8.33% had PDR, 8.33% had NPDR and 83.33% had normal fundi. In 32 type 1 diabetic patients, 62.50% had PDR, 25% had NPDR and 12.5% had normal fundi. Out of 176 type 2 diabetic patients 33.52% had PDR, 53.40% NPDR and 13.06% normal fundi.
Conclusion: Most of the diabetic patients who had nephropathy had diabetic retinopathy.
Key words: Diabetic Nephropathy; Diabetic Retinopathy; Hemodialysis; Non proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy; Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.


Antenatal syphilis is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Programmes to control syphilis in developing countries are hampered by lack of laboratory services, delayed diagnosis and doubts about the accuracy of the current screening methods. In Kenya, the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test is currently used as the primary screening test for syphilis in health facilities. This method is labour intensive in the screening of large numbers of serum specimens and is carried out in a laboratory setting resulting in delays in identification and treatment of infected pregnant mothers. In addition, the reagents for the VDRL test require cold storage and electricity to operate a centrifuge, most of which are unavailable at the periphery of the health care systems. The limitations associated with VDRL testing at clinics have led to the development of technologically simple immunochromatographic strip (ICS) tests. This study sought to evaluate the performance of a rapid simple point-of-care ICS test and the VDRL test as a gold standard with Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) as a confirmatory test to screen antenatal clinic attendants for syphilis. One hundred and fifty women were drawn from a population of pregnant women aged 18 years to 42 years old making their first antenatal visit or follow-up visits but without a previous syphilis test during that pregnancy. Using a gold standard of the VDRL test, the prevalence rate of syphilis was shown to be 3%. In addition, the results of this study demonstrate that there was no significant difference between the ICS and the VDRL tests (P>0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of the ICS test was 80% and 98.62% respectively while the negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were both 100%. In conclusion, the diagnostic accuracy of the ICS compared favourably with the gold standard. The use of the ICS test in Kenya may improve the diagnosis of syphilis in health facilities with or without laboratories and allow community health care workers to make rapid diagnosis of the disease and consequently make immediate therapeutic decisions.


Early medieval women exercised public roles, rights, and responsibilities. Women contributed through their labor to the welfare of the community. Women played an important part in public affairs. They practiced birth control through abortion and infanticide. Women committed crimes and were indicted. They owned property and administered estates. The drive toward economic growth and expansion abroad rested on the capacity of women to staff and manage economic endeavors at home. In the later Middle Ages, the social position of women altered significantly, and the reasons why the role of women in society tended to become more restrictive are examined in these essays.


o f Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Studies Office of The University o f Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment o f the Requirements for the Degree o f Doctor o f Philosophy


Computer art and Islamic art, the two largest bodies of aniconic art, share a surprising number of formal properties, two of which are explored here. The common properties of computer art and classical Islamic art can be understood in light of moments in the history of Islamic philosophy. In these two cases, Islamic Neoplatonism and Mu'tazili atomism are shown to parallel, respectively, the logic of relations between one and infinity, and the basic pixel structure, that inform some historical monuments of Islamic art as well as some contemporary works of computer art. It is suggested that these parallels are in part a result of Islamic influences on Western modernism and thus that the genealogy of computer art includes classical Islamic art and the philosophies that informed it.


Two east-west seismic reflection profiles crossing Antelope Valley, Smokey Valley, Railroad Valley, and Big Sand Springs Valley in east-central Nevada demonstrate the evolution of Tertiary basin extension in the Basin and Range Province from broad sags to narrow, fault-bounded basins. Reprocessing of a 480 channel, 60 fold, dynamite-source experiment enabled good imaging of basin stratigraphy. These data suggest two distinct phases of basin development occurred, separated by a regional unconformity. The early phase is characterized by development of a broad symmetric basin riddled with many small offset normal faults. The later phase shows a narrowing of the basin and subsidence along one dominant structure, an apparent planar normal fault. The unconformity separating the two phases of extension marks a transition from broad subsidence to local asymmetric tilting that took place over a short period of time relative to sedimentation rates. Antelope Valley, Smokey Valley, and Railroad Valley clearly show evidence for two-phase development. Big Sand Springs Valley represents only the later phase of extension. The absence of dating of stratigraphic units within the basins precludes us from determining if the abrupt tectonic transition within the basins resulted from differences in local strain rates or amounts, or was due to changes in regional stress fields.


Two types of sesamol oligomers, ortho methylene-bridged and direct-linked oligomers, were prepared and their antioxidant effects on the autoxidation of lard and tetralin were evaluated. The methylene-bridged oligomers were prepared by the reaction of sesamol, a major antioxidative compound in sesame seed, with ethylmagnesium bromide and subsequent oligomerization with paraformaldehyde. During the reaction, methylidenedioxy moieties of the sesamol oligomers were partially cleaved and the addition of hydroxyl groups was observed. The methylene-bridged oligomers had much stronger antioxidant effects on the autoxidation of lard than the sesamol monomer. And the oligomers, having a larger average number of hydroxyl groups per sesamol unit, were a more efficient antioxidant for lard. Direct-linked oligomers were synthesized by an oxidative coupling of sesamol by hydrogen peroxide using horseradish peroxidase as a catalyst. Molecular structures of the direct-linked oligomers were influenced by the pH of the buffer solution in which the oxidations were carried out. Oligomers having a larger number of hydroxyl groups were prepared under more acidic conditions. The direct-linked oligomers prepared in acidic conditions were better antioxidants of lard than the sesamol, whereas oligomers prepared under neutral and alkaline conditions did not improve the antioxidant effect. Both methylene-bridged and direct-linked oligomers inhibited the autoxidation of tetralin; but, in contrast to the lard results, almost all of the oligomers were less effective antioxidants for tetralin than the sesamol monomer.


Abstract Using Feferman-Vaught techniques we show a certain property of the fine spectrumof an admissible class of structures leads to a first-order law. The condition presented is best possible in the sense that if it is violated then one can find an admissible class with the same fine spectrum which does not have a first-order law. We present three conditions for verifying that the above property actually holds. The first condition is that the count function of an admissible class has regular variation with a certain uniformity of convergence. This applies to a wide range of admissible classes, including those satisfying Knopfmacher's Axiom A, and those satisfying Bateman and Diamond's condition. The second condition is similar to the first condition, but designed to handle the discrete case, i.e., when the sizes of the structures in an admissible class K are all powers of a single integer. It applies when either the class of indecomposables or the whole class satisfies Knopfmacher's Axiom A#. The third condition is also for the discrete case, when there is a uniform bound on the number of K-indecomposables of any given size.


Prussian blue (PB) and its analogues are widely studied because of their interesting and promising magnetic and optical properties. The pigment Prussian blue, found in different types of artworks (paintings, watercolors and photographs), is also studied in the area of heritage science, where its capricious fading behavior under light or anoxia treatment poses problematic conservation issues. PB fading is due to the reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) and depends significantly on the artefact. This paper focuses on the roles of the substrate in affecting the PB structure and modifying the redox process. In particular, X-ray absorption experiments at the Fe K-edge of unfaded and faded PB–paper samples show that changes in the PB structure can happen by simple contact with the substrate, prior to the fading treatment. Spectrophotometric measurements on a series of model PB–paper samples further demonstrate the multiple influences of the substrate and show that not only its chemical composition but also its role as a dispersion and textured medium significantly alter the fading behavior of PB. A potential roadmap is proposed to rationally investigate the complex fading process of Prussian blue on a substrate.


We simulate short positive and negative streamers in air at standard temperature and pressure. First, double-headed streamers in homogeneous electric fields of 50 kV cm−1 are briefly studied, and then we analyse streamers that emerge from needle electrodes with voltages of 10–20 kV in more detail. The streamer velocity at a given streamer length depends only weakly on the initial ionization seed, except in the case of negative streamers in homogeneous fields. We characterize the streamer evolution by length, velocity, head radius, head charge and maximal field enhancement. We show that the velocity of positive streamers is determined mainly by their radius and in quantitative agreement with recent experimental results both for radius and velocity. The velocity of negative streamers is dominated by electron drift in the enhanced field; in the low local fields of the present simulations, it is little influenced by photo-ionization. Initially it is puzzling that negative streamers can be slower than positive ones under similar conditions, both in experiment and in simulation, as negative streamer fronts always move at least with the electron drift velocity in the local field. We argue that this drift motion broadens the streamer head, decreases the field enhancement and ultimately leads to slower propagation or even extinction of the negative streamer.


It is well believed that video captioning is a fundamental but challenging task in both computer vision and artificial intelligence fields. The prevalent approach is to map an input video to a variable-length output sentence in a sequence to sequence manner via Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). Nevertheless, the training of RNN still suffers to some degree from vanishing/exploding gradient problem, making the optimization difficult. Moreover, the inherently recurrent dependency in RNN prevents parallelization within a sequence during training and therefore limits the computations. In this paper, we present a novel design — Temporal Deformable Convolutional Encoder-Decoder Networks (dubbed as TDConvED) that fully employ convolutions in both encoder and decoder networks for video captioning. Technically, we exploit convolutional block structures that compute intermediate states of a fixed number of inputs and stack several blocks to capture long-term relationships. The structure in encoder is further equipped with temporal deformable convolution to enable free-form deformation of temporal sampling. Our model also capitalizes on temporal attention mechanism for sentence generation. Extensive experiments are conducted on both MSVD and MSR-VTT video captioning datasets, and superior results are reported when comparing to conventional RNN-based encoder-decoder techniques. More remarkably, TDConvED increases CIDEr-D performance from 58.8% to 67.2% on MSVD.


Purpose: This paper describes the perceived effects of implementing lean production in a Swedish SME contract manufacturer. Especially focused are the effects on, and possible trade-offs between, cost-efficiency and flexibility. Design/methodology/approach: SME suppliers need basic capabilities of qualitative production performance which may then be stepping-stones to develop more system supplier capabilities for added customer value: leadership to manage systems and processes, SCM, communications and relations management. Development of stable production processes is seen as a way to reach stable basic performance, efficient and with higher resource utilization. Quality is a precursor to delivery performance as well as to cost reduction and flexibility. This is a longitudinal single case study of a SME supplier striving to become a system supplier. Two main sources of data collection are used: interviews and the main author's presence as employee and business developer, participating in and following up the ongoing change process. Findings: Two specific findings appeared: (1) An initial effect was an important "eye-opener" for the balance between cost efficiency and flexibility in the organization. (2) Process orientation, as the basis of both lean and agile approaches, allows many improvements without any conflicts or trade-offs between these two goals. Stability in the production leads to increased controllability, initially resulting in both higher cost-efficiency and higher flexibility. As the organization develops however, strategic considerations relating to the chosen market strategy might occur: cost leadership or differentiation. Research limitations/implications: These results reflect the experiences of one SME supplier and further studies are needed for generalizability. Originality/value: The study increases the understanding of how a SME may develop stable processes in its different supplier-customer contexts. The study points at some necessary basic components of this process approach as a first step for the transition to system supplier.