The anti-microbial activity of a range of garlic products including dried garlic powder produced by different methods, commercial garlic products, and garlic oil was determined against a range of selected bacteria. The bacteria included food borne pathogens, spoilage agents, and health-beneficial agents, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, and a mixed lactic culture consisting of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The dried powders were produced using air-drying at both 60 and 80°C, vacuum-drying at 50 and 60°C, and freeze-drying at −20°C. In addition, five commercial products were tested, two of which are used as spices, and three as food supplements. Before testing, the moisture content of the dried garlic powders was raised to that of fresh garlic before drying. Garlic oil was used without any addition of water. In general, the results showed that the lactic culture was the most sensitive to the growth inhibitory active compound of garlic used in this study, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus demonstrated the greatest resistance to garlic. Generally, fresh garlic produced the greatest inhibition followed by freeze-dried powder. The anti-microbial activity decreased with decreasing dried garlic powder concentration. The results showed that both drying temperature and time have major effects on retaining the active components responsible for the inhibition of microbial growth. The anti-microbial substances in the moist fresh garlic were also affected by moist-heating temperatures and time. Higher heating temperatures caused faster loss of anti-microbial activity. The decrease in growth-inhibition zones for moist-heated fresh garlic followed zero-order kinetics.


The main theme of this paper is to develop a novel eigenvalue optimization framework for learning a Mahalanobis metric. Within this context, we introduce a novel metric learning approach called DML-eig which is shown to be equivalent to a well-known eigenvalue optimization problem called minimizing the maximal eigenvalue of a symmetric matrix (Overton, 1988; Lewis and Overton, 1996). Moreover, we formulate LMNN (Weinberger et al., 2005), one of the state-of-the-art metric learning methods, as a similar eigenvalue optimization problem. This novel framework not only provides new insights into metric learning but also opens new avenues to the design of efficient metric learning algorithms. Indeed, first-order algorithms are developed for DML-eig and LMNN which only need the computation of the largest eigenvector of a matrix per iteration. Their convergence characteristics are rigorously established. Various experiments on benchmark data sets show the competitive performance of our new approaches. In addition, we report an encouraging result on a difficult and challenging face verification data set called Labeled Faces in the Wild (LFW).


In industrialised and heavily populated regions of the world, air pollution has an important influence on vegetation, affecting the production, abundance and distribution of plants. The principal primary pollutants are reactive compounds of sulphur, nitrogen and hydrocarbons emitted during the combustion of fossil fuels in industry, transport and from intensive farming. Increasing in importance is the secondary pollutant ozone. The direct effect of pollutants on plants is strongly influenced by the extent of their uptake into the plant tissues. Pollution also affects soils through increasing soil acidity and altering the balance of soil nutrients affecting roots and plant nutrition. Air pollution affects plants interactions with pests and pathogens and the sensitivity of vegetation to cold and drought stress. Understanding the ecophysiological responses and mechanisms by which air pollutants affect plants helps policymakers to set guidelines for air pollution to protect vegetation, crops and ecosystems.

Key Concepts:

Fossil fuel combustion and intensive agriculture are the main sources of air pollutants, which may be transported over long distances to affect plant life on a global scale.

In developed nations, sulphur dioxide, smoke and acid rain were the main acute air pollution concerns in the past, but now ozone and reactive nitrogen may pose the greatest threats.

Pollutants are deposited to plants as dry deposition of gases and particles and wet deposition in rain and cloudwater.

Stomata and cuticle on plant's surfaces provide an important control on uptake by vascular plants.

Bryophytes and lichens are vulnerable to air pollution as they lack a protective cuticle.

Acid rain, ozone, SO2 and other pollutants can directly injure the physiology of above ground plant tissues such as leaf gas exchange, carbon transport or flowering.

Soils are affected by increased acidity and nitrogen deposition which have long term effects on plant nutrient uptake, root system health and species competition.

Biodiversity and structure of plant communities appears to be damaged by long term nitrogen deposition.

Air pollution increases plant attack from pests and pathogens and increases vulnerability to cold and drought stress.

More understanding is needed of damage mechanisms to inform air quality guidelines to protect plants and their ecosystems.

Keywords:

air pollutants;
wet and dry deposition;
acidification;
nitrogen;
ozone;
plant uptake;
plant physiology;
ecology


Abstract Theories concerning the optical properties of cationic dyes adsorbed on clay surfaces are analysed in detail. An investigation of the aggregation of methylene blue (MB) in montmorillonite dispersions is conducted using visible (VIS) spectroscopy. The effects of the dye/ clay ratio and of the swelling properties of the montmorillonite substrate on dye aggregation are compared in terms of the effect of clay layer charge. The observed influence on dye aggregation was almost negligible for both swelling and dye loading. The layer charge of the silicate determines the extent and the type of dye aggregation in freshly prepared MB/montmorillonite dispersions. Observed spectral changes with time indicate a rearrangement and redistribution of dye H-aggregates (band close to 570 nm) to monomers (660 nm), dimers (605 nm) and J-aggregates (760 nm). Dye aggregates are probably already formed during dye cation migration in the vicinity of clay colloid particles. The extent and the type of initially formed species are probably affected by the electric double layer of clay layers. After reaching the clay surface, dye cation assemblies are rearranged and decompose as described above. Reaching chemical equilibrium, dye cations adjust the distribution of the layer charge, in order that each cation could balance the charge due to one unequivalent substitution.


Recent legislative and policy changes to forestry and land-use decisions in British Columbia have resulted in considerable emphasis on economic values in decision making. Commercial grizzly bear viewing was examined to determine the potential for preserving high diversity old growth forest through the land-use planning process and to identify barriers to the success of these operations. A baseline economic survey of grizzly bear viewing operators was undertaken to assess the present impact using an input/output model (or National Accounting Standards). The design allowed for crosssectoral comparison and was compatible with land-use planning guidelines. A separate survey of participants was used to determine the importance of bear viewing to destination choice in order to apportion total vacation costs appropriately. Operators and industry experts were polled for factors affecting the success of bear viewing, and a follow-up survey ranked the compiled factors. Geographical attributes of existing bear viewing sites and the surrounding areas were compiled and compared with the BC government's GIS database to produce a map of potential viewing sites. Results provided information on a wide scope of viewing conditions and allowed for benchmarking best and worst-case economic scenarios. The economic impacts of the present industry were found to be relatively small, but can add significant value to low-elevation old-growth forest in regional planning. Commercial potential was found to be significantly underestimated in current tourism opportunities studies. A discussion of the barriers to success and concessions in a multi-stakeholder scenario is included.


Rapidly increasing global demand for electricity, heightened worries over energy and water security, and climate-change anxieties have brought the potential merits of nuclear energy squarely back into the spotlight. Yet worries remain, especially after the failure of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant to withstand the twin blows of an earthquake and a tsunami. And the idea of increasing the availability of nuclear power in a destabilized world rife with revolution and terrorism seems to many a dangerous proposition. Business and Nonproliferation examines what a dramatic increase in global nuclear power capacity means for the nuclear nonproliferation regime and how the commercial nuclear industry can strengthen it. The scope of a nuclear "renaissance" could be broad and wide: some countries seek to enhance their existing nuclear capacity; others will build their first reactors; and many more will seek to develop a nuclear energy capability in the foreseeable future. This expansion will result in wider diffusion and transport of nuclear materials, technologies, and knowledge, placing additional pressures on an already fragile nonproliferation regime. With the private sector at the center of this increased commercial activity, business should have an increased role in preventing proliferation, in part by helping shape future civilian use of nuclear energy in a way that mitigates proliferation. John Banks, Charles Ebinger, and their colleagues explore the specific emerging challenges to the nonproliferation regime, market trends in the commercial nuclear fuel cycle, and the geopolitical and commercial implications of new nuclear energy states in developing countries. Business and Nonproliferation presents and assesses the concerns and suggestions of key stakeholders in the nuclear community --commercial nuclear industry entities, nongovernment organizations, and government agencies and nuclear regulators. Its analysis addresses the broad question of how, given the global expansion of civilian nuclear power, the nuclear industry can become a more active, sustained partner in efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.


Background Population data on tobacco use and its determinants require continuous monitoring and careful inter-country comparison. We aimed to provide the most up-to-date estimates on tobacco smoking from a large cross-sectional survey, conducted in selected European countries. Methods Within the TackSHS Project, a face-to-face survey on smoking was conducted in 2017–2018 in 12 countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain, representing around 80% of the 432 million European Union (EU) adult population. In each country, a representative sample of around 1,000 subjects aged 15 years and older was interviewed, for a total of 11,902 participants. Results Overall, 25.9% of participants were current smokers (31.0% of men and 21.2% of women, P < 0.001), while 16.5% were former smokers. Smoking prevalence ranged from 18.9% in Italy to 37.0% in Bulgaria. It decreased with increasing age (compared to <45, multivariable odds ratio [OR] for ≥65 year, 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27–0.36), level of education (OR for low vs high, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17–1.48) and self-rated household economic level (OR for low vs high, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.74–2.42). The same patterns were found in both sexes. Conclusions These smoking prevalence estimates represent the most up-to-date evidence in Europe. From them, it can be derived that there are more than 112 million current smokers in the EU-28. Lower socio-economic status is a major determinant of smoking habit in both sexes.


We present a method that learns a spatiotemporal neural irradiance field for dynamic scenes from a single video. Our learned representation enables free-viewpoint rendering of the input video. Our method builds upon recent advances in implicit representations. Learning a spatiotemporal irradiance field from a single video poses significant challenges because the video contains only one observation of the scene at any point in time. The 3D geometry of a scene can be legitimately represented in numerous ways since varying geometry (motion) can be explained with varying appearance and vice versa. We address this ambiguity by constraining the time-varying geometry of our dynamic scene representation using the scene depth estimated from video depth estimation methods, aggregating contents from individual frames into a single global representation. We provide an extensive quantitative evaluation and demonstrate compelling free-viewpoint rendering results.


This position paper addresses current debates about data in general, and big data specifically, by examining the ethical issues arising from advances in knowledge production. Typically ethical issues such as privacy and data protection are discussed in the context of regulatory and policy debates. Here we argue that this overlooks a larger picture whereby human autonomy is undermined by the growth of scientific knowledge. To make this argument, we first offer definitions of data and big data, and then examine why the uses of data-driven analyses of human behaviour in particular have recently experienced rapid growth. Next, we distinguish between the contexts in which big data research is used, and argue that this research has quite different implications in the context of scientific as opposed to applied research. We conclude by pointing to the fact that big data analyses are both enabled and constrained by the nature of data sources available. Big data research will nevertheless inevitably become more pervasive, and this will require more awareness on the part of data scientists, policymakers and a wider public about its contexts and often unintended consequences.


We study employment and new hires among high-growth firms (HGFs) in the Swedish knowledge-intensive sectors 1999--2002. Using matched employer--employee data, we find that HGFs are more likely to employ young people, poorly educated workers, immigrants, and individuals who experienced longer unemployment periods. However, these patterns seem contingent on the stage of the firm's evolution. HGFs that have already realized some rapid growth are more likely to hire individuals from other firms, even though immigrants are still overrepresented among new hires. In the case of both HGF employees and HGF new hires, employment opportunities in HGFs are provided by young and small firms. Copyright 2014 The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.


This thesis is framed within the need of traffic data acquisition in urban areas and also in the secondary road network in order to determine accurately the traffic conditions without the installation of costly infrastructure. The goal of this project is to introduce and analyse the feasibility of the proposed solution, which consists in using Bluetooth technology in floating vehicles driving on the road network, this approach is called Floating Car Observer based on Bluetooth technology (FCO-¬‐BT). It is intended to describe the methodology to follow in order to achieve the description of the current traffic conditions, and the key parameter, which is the required level of equipment, which means the amount of Floating vehicles driving on the road network. In the first part is introduced the basic knowledge of traffic data collection and its relations with the main traffic variables. It is also explained the method of Floating Car Observer including its origin and the current research, and also the basics of Bluetooth technology. Finally, the proposed FCO-¬‐BT method is presented. In order to evaluate the proposal, in the second part of this project are carried out simulations in a certain area of Kassel's road network in function of the level of FCO vehicles, also known as penetration rate. The comparison of the results has been divided into three parts. The first one deals with the possibility to trace the trajectories of the vehicles from the detected points. In the second part is presented the methodology to calculate the travel times from the provided data. Furthermore, it includes an analysis of miscalculations. Due to the large amount of data, in the third part is performed a statistical calculation of the required subset of data. The obtained results showed that is needed a time interval of 45 minutes of the simulated time to draw conclusions of the overall traffic situation. The chapter is concluded with the description of the traffic state, which can be determined with the results of each level of equipment. In conclusion it can be said that FCO-¬‐BT method is a potential approach of traffic data collection to improve the traffic management. In this thesis has been traced trajectories as well as calculated accurate travel times. Concerning the level of equipment, the results do not show major differences. For this reason it is proposed for further researches to evaluate it for rates under 20%, to find the limit that provides right conclusions regarding the traffic state. This thesis ends with some perspectives for further study to enlarge the range of application of this method.


The abundance and distribution of mercury and methyl mercury were investigated at three sites in the lower Ouachita River in the summer of 2010 in an effort to provide the first characterization of the extent of mercury contamination in this river system, and to investigate the potential for mercury methylation in the water column of backwaters off of the main channel. Results showed that filtered methyl mercury was positively correlated to dissolved organic carbon (r=0.76) for water samples taken from the bottom 1 ft of the water column at three sites, suggesting the importance of dissolved organic carbon in mercury methylation. Concentrations of filtered methyl mercury and filtered total mercury in the bottom-water were significantly different (P=0.039 and P=0.022 respectively) at two of the sample sites located approximately 14 river miles apart. Sulfide concentrations of 74.0-142.7 micrograms/liter indicate sulfate reduction was occurring in the bottom water or at the sediment-water interface, yet filtered and particulate methyl mercury concentrations were not significantly correlated to sulfide concentrations. The occurrence of sulfides in the bottom-water is important as sulfatereducing bacteria are most commonly associated with mercury methylation. Water chemistry results for one site including total iron (39.8 milligrams/liter), high dissolved organic carbon (13.52 milligrams/liter), the highest filtered methyl mercury concentration observed for the study (1.90 nanograms/liter), and no detectable sulfate suggests the predominance of iron reduction at this site. Microbial iron reduction is also a known mercury methylation pathway. Total mercury concentrations for two of seven samples exceeded the Arkansas numeric water quality standard for total recoverable mercury in water (12 nanograms/liter), at concentrations of 13.76 and 13.99 nanograms/liter. These data provide evidence that availability of dissolved organic carbon affects mercury methylation at all three of the sites, and that iron reduction may contribute to mercury methylation at one of the sites. No correlation between sulfide and dissolved methyl mercury was observed, suggesting sulfate reduction may not be the driving process for mercury methylation at all our study sites, and indicating the presence of multiple controls on mercury methylation in this river system.


There are dense populations of inhibitory GABA neurones in regions of the primate hypothalamus that have been implicated in the neuroendocrine control of prolactin and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. A subpopulation of GABA neurones that express nuclear oestrogen and progestin receptors reside in the arcuate and infundibular nuclei. We questioned whether oestrogen or progesterone regulate the expression of GAD67, the rate limiting enzyme in GABA synthesis, in these regions. Female monkeys were spayed and treated with placebo, oestrogen, progesterone or oestrogen plus progesterone for 28 days and GAD67 mRNA was examined with single in situ hybridization. In the arcuate nucleus, there was no change in GAD67 mRNA expression with hormone treatment. However, in the infundibular region, oestrogen alone and oestrogen plus progesterone significantly suppressed GAD67 mRNA expression compared to spayed controls. In addition, expression of serotonin (5‐HT)2C receptor mRNA overlaps markedly with the expression of GAD67 mRNA in the same region. We tested the hypothesis that GABA neurones express 5‐HT2C receptors using double in situ hybridization. The highest concentrations of double‐labelled cells were detected in the medial preoptic region, the arcuate nucleus and the infundibular region. The suprachiasmatic and ventromedial nuclei contained predominantly 5‐HT2C mRNA expressing cells. The nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca and the globus pallidus contained predominantly GAD67 mRNA expressing cells. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the paraventricular and dorsomedial nuclei contained different ratios of single‐labelled cells. Together these data suggest (i) that oestrogen decreases expression of GAD67 mRNA in the infundibular region which could lead to decreased GABA synthesis, but addition of progesterone had no further effect and (ii) that GABA neurones in the same region also express mRNA for the stimulatory 5‐HT2C receptor which could promote GABA release during serotonin input.


A chromosomally encoded 66-kDa protein (P66) of Borrelia spp. that cause Lyme disease has previously been shown to be associated with the spirochetal outer membrane. A topological model of P66 predicts a surface-exposed fragment which links the N- and C-terminal intramembranous domains of the protein (J. Bunikis, L. Noppa, and S. Bergström, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 131:139-145, 1995). In the present study, an immunogenic determinant of P66 was identified by a comparison of the immunoreactivities of different fragments of P66 generated either by proteolytic treatment of intact spirochetes or as recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. The immune response to P66 during natural infection was found to be directed against the predicted surface domain which comprises amino acids at positions 454 through 491. A sequence comparison revealed considerable polymorphism of the surface domains of P66 proteins of different Lyme disease-causing Borrelia species. Five sequence patterns of this domain were observed in the B. garinii strains studied. In contrast, sequences of the relevant part of P66 of the B. afzelii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolates studied were identical within the respective species. In immunoblotting, 5 of 17 (29.4%) sera from North American patients with early disseminated or persistent Lyme disease reacted against P66 of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto B31. These sera, however, failed to recognize P66 of B. afzelii and B. garinii, as well as an analog of P66 in the relapsing fever agent, B. hermsii. In conclusion, the topological model of P66 is supported by the demonstration of an apparent surface localization of an immunoreactive domain of this protein. Furthermore, analogous to the plasmid-encoded borrelial outer surface proteins, the predicted surface-exposed portion of chromosomally encoded P66 appears to be antigenically heterogenous.


Limited research focuses on the entrepreneurial mindset of information and communication technology (ICT) firms, despite the opportunities in and importance of this sector for economic growth. In this article, the entrepreneurial mindset of ICT firms is described by using three indicators: entrepreneurial orientation, e-business initiatives and a supportive organizational climate. Data were obtained using structured telephone interviews with 144 ICT firms. The findings indicate that the three indicators of an entrepreneurial mindset are associated and can be linked to performance. It is recommended that managers create a supportive climate for entrepreneurship by offering rewards, empowering employees and providing leadership and support for initiatives.


There were two main aims to the thesis: (1) to develop a mobile 'in-field' pressure
measurement system to assess pressure at Body-Load Carriage System (LCS)
interfaces (shoulders and hips). (2) To evaluate and compare prototype LCS
designs in-field and to provide human factor requirements for design improvement. To satisfy the aims of the thesis in-field trials were carried out in a realistic military context. The purposes of these trials were to: (1) compare the standard issue British military LCS against a prototype LCS design in terms of pressure and subjective comfort; (2) increase the understanding of the properties of the shoulder and hip interfaces; (3) assess the relationship between loading at
the shoulder and hip; and (4) identify whether other ergonomic issues are also
important to consider. By assessing these areas human factors requirements for
design were then determined. An additional (minor) aim was to develop a new
prototype LCS with a greater degree of compatibility between the components of
a military LCS (backpack and webbing), incorporation of material advances, and
with a greater consideration for fit and posture.
Four main experimental trials were performed the first (n = 11) assessedth e affect
of clothing layers at the body-LCS interface on transmitted pressure. Results
showed that clothing layers even worn in multiple have no effect on pressure
transmission. Thus, no relief from pressure exists for the user. This highlighted the
importance of the materials in the shoulder and hip straps. The second trial (n =
10) was a laboratory based comparison of two backpacks, the first the standard
issue British military pack, the second a new prototype. Results found significant
difference in subjective comfort and also peak pressure at the shoulder interface.
The prototype backpack being associated with reduced peak pressure and
increased comfort. The third trial (n = 10) assessed whole LCSs (backpack +
webbing) in field with civilian participants. The standard issue LCS was compared
against a prototype LCS. No significant difference in pressure was identified
between the two LCSs, although differences in subjective comfort ratings were
still significant indicating a preference for the prototype LCS. The final trial (n =
30) was military in-field trial. Military personnel and loadings were utilised.
Again no significant difference in pressure data was identified although
differences in subjective ratings remained significant with the prototype LCS
design being preferred.
Research findings highlighted the continued need for subjective assessment. The
relationship between pressure loading at the shoulder and hip interfaces, along
with locations of peak pressure within each interface were found to be important
factors affecting comfort. Increased pressure distribution at the interfaces via new
materials and design was also associated with increased comfort. Other areas
which appeared important were the effect of posture and other physical forces not
measured (i.e. shear and friction). Human factors guidelines were created for
finiher LCS designs and future research ideas were presented.


This paper investigates China's land quota markets, a recent land policy innovation that virtually transfers urbanization permission from the countryside to cities. Local governments have created new land quotas by demolishing sparsely located farmhouses, and resettling peasants into high-density apartments. These quotas are then sold in new land quota markets to real estate developers. I find that China's land quota markets alter the traditional calculus of location and land use theory: the rural hinterlands have suddenly become valuable to urban land markets. These dramatic changes are the result of reconstructing property rights in land. The quotas traded on the market are a right to convert land use from rural to urban, separate from development rights to invest in specific properties. These institutional changes were initiated by recalibration of intergovernmental relationships: the Central Government delegates more autonomy to local governments and the municipality centralizes control over land by subordinating district and county governments. The implications of the new land quota markets are profound and many. They further draw land resources away from rural areas to urban areas, and reinforce the imbalances between big and small cities. The impact on peasants is rather mixed, and depends on the locations of the resettled peasants.


The common saying, "it is better to give than to receive", is so widespread that its truth is often merely assumed. But can this maxim withstand a careful analysis? The relevant concepts ("giving", "receiving", and "better") can be interpreted in too many ways to discuss thoroughly in a single essay. Instead, this essay classifies the various ways of interpreting the distinction between giving and receiving, then explores in depth one of the options, based on a pivotal distinction between active and passive types of both giving and receiving. I defend the controversial claim that there is at least one important sense (arguably the most important, for ethical purposes) in which it is not better to give than receive, but precisely the opposite. Indeed, the survival of the human race may depend on our willingness to receive.


Little is known about how hepatic vitellogenin gene (vtg) expression relates to oogenesis in fish, especially among fractional spawners. The objective of this study was to relate hepatic vtg 1A/B expression to stage-specific oocyte development in zebrafish (Danio rerio), an asynchronous spawning fish. Liver samples were collected at seven time points postspawning (1-32 days) and fish were preserved for subsequent histological analyses. Relative vtg 1A/B expression among liver samples was quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and oogenesis was evaluated following standard hematoxylin and eosin staining of serial ovarian sections. Histological analyses indicate that a subset of previtellogenic oocytes (stages 1-2) transitioned into postvitellogenic oocytes (stages 3-4) within 4 days (96 h) postspawning. By 8 days postspawning (192 h), the majority of the ovary was occupied by mature (stage 4) oocytes, a trend that continued through 32 days postspawning. Hepatic vtg 1A/B gene expression was upregulated 3.89-fold 1-h postspawning relative to the average gene expression across all time points, but was not correlated to stage-specific oogenesis. Follicular atresia among fish sampled 32 days postspawning highlights the importance of regular spawning in zebrafish and suggests that the event of spawning itself may be integral to the regulation of oocyte development.


Critics of the feasibility requirement set forth in 11 U.S.C. § 1129(a) (11) contend that the current bankruptcy system inadequately prevents repeat Chapter 11, or "Chapter 22," filings. Undoubtedly, there are instances of confirmed Chapter 11 plans that turn out to be unfeasible despite court findings to the contrary. Given the uncertainties of investment projections and capital markets, however, the occasional failure of Chapter 11 plans is not necessarily a greater evil than alternatives such as liquidation or excessively conservative capital structures. Chapter 11 is, by its very definition, a hit-or-miss venture; thus, it misses occasionally. Some confirmed Chapter 11 plans fail. So what?


The Bush administration has gone from one extreme to the other with regard to U.S. policy on Taiwan. During the early months of his administration, the president gave a seemingly unconditional pledge to defend Taiwan from attack by mainland China— going significantly further than his predecessors had. He followed that assurance by approving the largest arms sales package to Taiwan in nearly a decade. In marked contrast to the Clinton years, high-profile visits by Taiwanese leaders to the United States have been encouraged, despite Beijing's protests. That pro-Taiwan stance appeared to change dramatically in December 2003 during a visit by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. President Bush publicly admonished Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian for seeking to change the political status of the island unilaterally and emphasized Washington's opposition to any unilateral actions. At issue is the Taiwanese government's intent to hold referenda on sensitive issues, which Beijing believes is the latest installment in an ongoing campaign to achieve independence. Neither the earlier pro-Taiwan policy nor the latest pro-Beijing posture serves the best interests of the United States. It is not America's proper role to take a position on Taiwan's independence or other issues involving relations between Taipei and Beijing. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy, and the United States should respect that society's democratic prerogatives. At the same time, U.S. leaders should make it clear that Taiwan must bear all of the risks entailed in whatever policies it adopts. In particular, Washington should state that it will not intervene if an armed conflict breaks out between Taiwan and mainland China. March 15, 2004


Summary Maintenance drug treatment in bipolar disorder is a key component of management. There is clinical uncertainty about the relative efficacy of valproate, either alone or in combination, particularly in comparison to lithium. This month's Cochrane corner review aimed to summarise the best evidence available. This commentary puts the findings into their clinical context and updates them in the light of subsequent analyses and the recent revision of the NICE guidelines on bipolar disorder.


The recent introduction of redox mediators as soluble catalysts in electrolytes has aimed at overcoming the spatial constraint of solid catalysts in lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) batteries. The redox mediators show promise for improving electrochemical performance, for example, by decreasing the overpotential for oxygen evolution reactions. However, their catalytic activity degrades after a certain number of cycles, leading to an increase in overpotential with increasing cycle number. The shuttle effect of redox mediators has been considered to be associated with the failure of Li–O2 batteries containing the redox mediators, but, this effect does not fully explain the capacity fading observed with Li–O2 batteries. In this study, it is demonstrated that the failure of these types of Li–O2 cells occurs because of an irreversible decomposition of the redox mediators on Li metal, which both degrades Li metal and depletes the redox mediators. We also show that this decomposition occurs even though oxygen dissolved in the electrolytes forms stable protective layers of lithium oxides on the Li surface. One model redox mediator, 10-methylphenothiazine, is examined in a case study to clarify the failure mechanism of Li–O2 batteries.


Two compensating methods about solitons transmition systems at 40 Gb/s in a photonic crystal fiber are investigated. The maximum transmission distance of the system is calculated numerically by sliding filters and synchronic modulation technology. The maximum transmission distance increases evidently which occasionally is three times longer than before. The results show that the actions of high order dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, and high order nonlinearity are weakened by the two methods. The compensating effect of synchronic modulation technology is better than that of the other one. The capability of the compensated system is ameliorated, which is shown by eye patterns.


The operation of an optoelectronic dynamic neural model implementation is extended to higher frequencies. A simplified model of thermal effects in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers correctly predicts the qualitative changes in the nonlinear mapping implementation with frequency. Experiments and simulations show the expected resonance properties of this model neuron, along with the possibility of other dynamic effects in addition to the ones observed in the original FitzHugh-Nagumo equations. Results of optical coupling between two similar pulsing artificial neurons are also presented.


Degradation of water resources due to anthropogenic activities is a major problem all over the world. Monitoring changes in water quality is expensive but essential for management of water resources. Diatom assemblages can serve as useful indicators of changes in water quality. In order to determine changes in stream water quality in an urban environment, densities of epilithic diatom communities on both natural and artificial substrates were sampled in Nairobi River, Kenya in September 2000. Sampling of water and diatoms was carried out in almost equidistant sites along a 60 km stretch of the Nairobi River. Environmental (water physico-chemical and nutrients) data was explored by Principal Correspondence Analysis (PCA) and sites split into three groups of upper-, mid- and lower stream. Most abundant diatom taxa on both substrates were selected and their relationship with environmental variables determined. On artificial substrates, Gomphonema parvulum , Nitzschia palea and Nitzschia umbonata were the most abundant and were significantly related with total dissolved solids, nitrate, conductivity and turbidity. Temperature, altitude and pH interacted significantly with dominant diatom species on natural substrates, which included Gomphonema parvulum , Nitzschia palea and Navicula subminuscula . Non-parametric analyses showed that diatom densities in natural and artificial substrates were significantly different and were affected by different environmental variables. Our results indicate that abundant diatom species can be used to describe major types of aquatic environmental gradients and can serve as good indicators of ecological conditions in tropical streams and rivers. This study also showed that diatoms from artificial and natural substrates can be used to provide complementary information.


The aim of the thesis was to study the phase behaviour of aqueous polyacrylonitrile/NaSCN solutions using a variety of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is the basis of the acrylic fibre industry, as such fibres contain at least 85% PAN. Despite this industrial importance, the available literature describing the phase behaviour of PAN in solution is far from comprehensive.
Bulk 1H NMR relaxation measurements were carried out over a wide range of concentrations and temperatures to probe the molecular dynamics of the PAN and water molecules. Both the T1 and T2 relaxation data was found to be bi-exponential decay for all samples, the relative amplitudes of which were shown to be equal to the ratio of PAN protons to water protons. Both species were found to be in the regime of rapid molecular motion.
Bulk 1H NMR self diffusion measurements, using the PFGSTE technique, exhibited a bi-exponential decay of the echo amplitudes. By careful selection of the observation time, Δ, it was possible to independently probe the water and PAN translational diffusion. A background gradient, resulting from inhomogeneities of the magnetic field, complicated the analysis of the data and a novel polynomial least squares fitting procedure was devised to overcome this effect. The measured attenuation of the water diffusion coefficients (D~10-6-10-5 cm²s-1) with increasing PAN volume fraction was modelled according to various theories, including free volume and scaling laws. The study of the PAN diffusion coefficient (D~10-7-10-6 cm²s-1) was limited by the experimental constraints of the NMR spectrometer.
A 1H NMR one-dimensional imaging technique was used to study the nonsolvent induced phase separation (coagulation) of a PAN solution. The time dependence of the measured profiles allowed observation of the coagulation process. A diffusion model was developed to fit the experimental data using a semi-infinite diffusion framework. The fitting parameters represented the diffusion coefficients of the water molecules in the solution/ coagulated PAN network, and in the bulk non-solvent/solvent.
PAN films were cast at a range of temperatures in non-solvent baths. This was a scaling up of the dimensions of the fibre spinning process and was used to investigate the range of morphologies which can be formed in the wet-spinning of acrylic fibres. Before any drying processes, water molecules were confined in the porous structure of the saturated films, and their NMR relaxation and self diffusion behaviour was investigated. Parameters describing the pore size and the tortuosity were derived from these studies and scanning electron microscopy was used as a comparative technique. The pore sizes predicted from the NMR data span a smaller spatial range than those observed from SEM. This is explained by the fundamental differences between the two techniques.


Many plants flower in response to environmental cues. Of particular significance in many plants species is initiation of flowering in response to seasonal changes in day length. An internal timing mechanism called the circadian clock enables measurement of daylength (a process called photoperiodism). As daylength changes throughout the year, photoperiodic control of flowering allows plants to develop flowers and reproduce in the appropriate season. Arabidopsis thaliana has become the species of choice in which to study the molecular-genetics of flowering-time control. This species is a facultative long-day plant that flowers much earlier under long days (LD, 16 hours light) than under short days (SD, 8 hours light); however the flowering time is intermediate if the period of light is between these extremes. A severe late flowering phenotype is caused by mutations in the GIGANTEA (GI) gene. This phenotype is at least in part caused by reducing the expression of the flowering-time gene CONSTANS (CO) and thereby delaying the time of flowering under long days. Apart from these effects, the loss-of-function gi mutant also shows shortened circadian rhythms in the expression of circadian controlled genes and lowers the expression of CCA1 and LHY, two genes thought to be closely related to the circadian clock. Additionally, mutations in GI impair the transduction of the red light signal from the photoreceptor phytochrome B. GI is a single copy gene in Arabidopsis and encodes a nuclear protein of 1173 amino acids that is highly conserved in seed plants, but no homologous proteins have been found outside the plant kingdom. The biochemical function of GI is unknown, it is expressed widely throughout the plant and its transcription shows a circadian rhythm with a peak in mRNA abundance 8 till 10 hours after dawn. The timing and duration of this peak is influenced by daylength. I addressed how GI regulates flowering time using three experimental approaches. By exploiting the yeast two hybrid system I screened for proteins interacting with GI from two libraries (total and apex from Arabidopsis). This identified 52 putative interacting proteins of which we selected 15 for further analysis. These 15 proteins were further tested for interaction with the C-terminal domain of GI, which is thought to be involved in flowering. One protein, ATA20, showed a strong interaction and 4 others (CSN6b, a CHD protein-like, a member of the TCP-family and GIP14, a ZZ-finger domain family protein) weaker interactions. Recent results demonstrated that the overexpression of GIP14 caused an elongated hypocotyl phenotype under red-light, suggesting that red-light perception was impaired. This is a similar phenotype to gi mutant plants and suggests that GIP14 might act as a negative regulator of GI protein function. To test the detailed spatial pattern of GI expression, a fusion of the GI promoter to the GUS marker gene was constructed (GI::GUS) and introduced into plants. Staining of whole seedlings, stem and leaves detected GI::GUS expression in young leaves and in the vascular tissue of the root, hypocotyl, cotelydons and leaves. Expression was also detected in the meristem of the root and shoot. This result demonstrated that GI is expressed widely in plants. To test in which tissues GI acts to regulate flowering, region specific promoters were used to misexpress GI in the gi-3 mutant. These experiments showed that expressing GI in the phloem companion cells rescues the late-flowering gi-3 mutant. Additionally, a genetic screen was performed to identify genes related to GI in function. GI increases the expression of LHY and CCA1 and the proteins encoded by these genes repress GI expression. Mutations in GI also suppress the early flowering phenotype of lhy-11 cca1-1 double mutants. An EMS mutagenesis was carried out with the lhy11cca1-1 double mutant and several late-flowering individuals were found under SD. The late flowering slc18 mutation was chosen for further study. Data on flowering-time and expression of GI, CO and FT show its significance in the flowering pathway. slc18 was mapped by using 1700 late flowering F2 plants and located to an interval of 114 kb on the lower arm of chromosome 3. This region contains no genes with a known function in flowering-time control, suggesting that SLC18 encodes a new floral regulator. The corresponding mutation will be finally identified by comparing the DNA sequence of genes in the region between the mutant and wild-type, and by complementation approaches.


IN THE EARLY 1980s, eight teachers from Indianapolis Public School #113 decided that they were not happy with the direction in which education was then heading. So they began sharing books and articles in a formal effort to inform and improve their practice. In the course of their study, they came upon Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner's groundbreaking work in which he introduced the notion of multiple intelligences. Kathy Sahm, one of the eight teachers, recalls: "Each of us had a story of a child who was successful in the classroom, but when you looked at standardized tests or the progress report, you did not see the success. When Pat [Bolanos] brought us Howard's work, it just made sense." It seemed obvious to these educators that students were smart in many different ways and that standardized tests just weren't giving the whole picture. While Frames of Mind was written for psychologists, not educators, the book nonetheless struck a chord with this group. Structuring a school around this theory, they hoped, would solve some of the problems created by the traditional practice of teaching to weaknesses, rather than strengths. The teachers wanted to broaden the narrow focus on standardized test scores in reading By Christine Kunkel In October of 1984, the teachers learned that Howard Gardner was scheduled to give a talk in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and they decided they needed to see what he thought of the idea of designing a school around his theory. They piled into their cars and drove from Indianapolis to northeastern Pennsylvania. When they met him and told him of their idea, Gardner said that he had never thought of using the multiple intelligences in the context of a school. "I remember thinking," he recalls in 2007, "these folks are serious. Pat [Bolanos] is like a force of nature. I will learn a lot more from them than vice versa. And I have." CREATING A SCHOOL The rest is history. The teachers returned to Indiana and began their work of developing a new theory-based school in earnest. They wrote a grant that allowed them to travel and visit progressive schools, talk to educational researchers, continue with their reading, and collaborate with administrators in the school district. They found the work of starting a school from scratch to be exciting and enriching, and they were energized by it. During the course of their study, they came upon the name "Key School" in John Goodlad's book A Place Called School. According to Goodlad, these "key" schools could be found in China. They are experimental schools "charged with the responsibility of developing exemplary practices extending beyond mere refinement of the conventional."(1) Beverly Hoeltke, one of the teachers now known as the Key Founders, recalls that the development of the school was always a team effort, and the job was certainly big enough that it needed eight people. Gardner had suggested that they contact Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "So we went on a quest to connect to him and other theorists," Hoeltke recalls. "We also went out into the community and sought businesspeople, cultural leaders, heads of neighborhoods. We asked lots of people what they thought [of our ideas]. I think that was a very important process." After their initial explorations, important pieces of the Key Founders' thinking began to come together. Right from the start, there was a strong commitment to build this new kind of educational opportunity within the public schools and to offer it to all children in Indianapolis. By the same token, it would be important for parents and students to make a commitment of their own. The original design thus included a promise from parents to attend three conferences each year and a promise from students to produce two high-quality projects per year. This essential element, which came to be known as the "Key Compact," remains a foundation of the school today. Project work, the Key Founders decided, must be a central part of instruction. …


IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGY AT CROSSWAY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, PELHAM, ALABAMA, TO DEVELOP MEMBERS WHO PRACTICE LIFESTYLE EVANGELISM Frederick Clay Muse, D.Min. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Faculty Supervisor: Dr. T. Vaughn Walker The purpose of this project was to meet the most prevalent need for the future survival of CrossWay Christian Fellowship. The project's purpose was to create a system to train future believers in how to practice lifestyle evangelism. The Scriptures are clear that being God's witnesses have a prominent place in the lives of believers. Chapter 2 describes people both in the Old and New Testament that become witnesses as a result of experiencing God's salvation. Chapter 3 explains the practical aspects of how believers impart the gospel through different approaches to witnessing. The goal of each of these approaches is to assist believers to embody lifestyle evangelism. Chapter 4 gives the details of the project implementation. This project utilized different tools to develop members to practice lifestyle evangelism. The different tools equipped and empowered CrossWay believers to practice intentional, relational, and servanthood evangelism techniques. The evaluation of this project is displayed in chapter 5, which involved analyzing the data obtained from CrossWay's participants who participated in the various surveys that were conducted during the fifteen week implementation phase. The research revealed strengths and weaknesses of the project.


The objective of this article is to know the profile and check the competencies, management attributions and abilities in the level of structure of Basic Attention; to identify the difficulties and easiness in relation to their attributions and management of people. The research is a subject of study. A semi-structured and a scale of Likert were used as the guide of research that was applied to the management of the basic units of health of Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, in November of 2006. It was evidenced that all managers have management skills that include communication, organization of tasks, planning of actions and negotiation. However, some described that the difficulty for the accomplishment of their attributions would be not having specific graduation in management. The problems in higher evidence were related to the bureaucracy excess, the overload of activities, the small physical area, the difficulties in manipulating and working with equipment as well as managing people. It has been noticed that there is a great need of computerizing the public system and enable professionals to work in programs, in order to accomplish the new assistance model and to recognize situations of social vulnerability and in health.


Abstract. In the context of image orientation, it is commonly assumed that the environment is completely static. This is why dynamic elements are typically filtered out using robust estimation procedures. Especially in urban areas, however, many such dynamic elements are present in the environment, which leads to a noticeable amount of errors that have to be detected via robust adjustment. This problem is even more evident in the case of cooperative image orientation using dynamic objects as ground control points (GCPs), because such dynamic objects carry the relevant information. One way to deal with this challenge is to detect these dynamic objects prior to the adjustment and to process the related image points separately. To do so, a novel methodology to distinguish dynamic and static image points in stereoscopic image sequences is introduced in this paper, using a neural network for the detection of potentially dynamic objects and additional checks via forward intersection. To investigate the effects of the consideration of dynamic points in the adjustment, an image sequence of an inner-city traffic scenario is used; image orientation, as well as the 3D coordinates of tie points, are calculated via a robust bundle adjustment. It is shown that compared to a solution without considering dynamic points, errors in the tie points are significantly reduced, while the median of the precision of all 3D coordinates of the tie points is improved.


In logistic regression, separation occurs when a linear combination of the predictors can perfectly classify part or all of the observations in the sample, and as a result, finite maximum likelihood estimates of the regression coefficients do not exist. Gelman et al. (2008) recommended independent Cauchy distributions as default priors for the regression coefficients in logistic regression, even in the case of separation, and reported posterior modes in their analyses. As the mean does not exist for the Cauchy prior, a natural question is whether the posterior means of the regression coefficients exist under separation. We prove theorems that provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of posterior means under independent Cauchy priors for the logit link and a general family of link functions, including the probit link. We also study the existence of posterior means under multivariate Cauchy priors. For full Bayesian inference, we develop a Gibbs sampler based on Polya-Gamma data augmentation to sample from the posterior distribution under independent Student-t priors including Cauchy priors, and provide a companion R package in the supplement. We demonstrate empirically that even when the posterior means of the regression coefficients exist under separation, the magnitude of the posterior samples for Cauchy priors may be unusually large, and the corresponding Gibbs sampler shows extremely slow mixing. While alternative algorithms such as the No-U-Turn Sampler in Stan can greatly improve mixing, in order to resolve the issue of extremely heavy tailed posteriors for Cauchy priors under separation, one would need to consider lighter tailed priors such as normal priors or Student-t priors with degrees of freedom larger than one.


Introduction The natural course of COPD is characterised by progressive airflow limitation and complicated by the development of systemic consequences and co-morbidities. Daily physical inactivity (DPA) is believed to mediate those systemic consequences or co-morbidities. Recent research demonstrates that even in the early stages of COPD, DPA plays a role in developing systemic consequences and co-morbidities. Hence, interventions that enhance or maintain DPA in this population, such as pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), should be considered. Due to the low accessibility and high cost of PR in a specialised care setting, rehabilitation in primary care could be an added value for patients with less advanced COPD. related problems. Despite the widespread believe in the benefits of PR in a primary care setting, it remains unclear if such PR programmes are (cost) effective for patients with less advanced COPD Objective To evaluate data from clinical trials assessing the effect of PR in primary care for patients with less advanced COPD on DPA, exercise capacity (EC) and quality-of-life (QoL). Methods The electronic databases PEDro, CENTRAL, Pubmed and EMBASE were searched. Only randomised and controlled clinical trials were eligible for inclusion, provided they investigated the effects of interdisciplinary PR in primary care for patients with less advanced COPD (GOLD I-II). Independent data extraction was performed by two authors. Risk of bias was rated using the Cochrane Collaboration 'Risk of bias' tool. Primary outcome is the level of DPA, secondary outcomes are EC and QoL. Results Eight studies were found and methodological quality is displayed in table 1. One study objectively measured DPA by a pedometer and showed a significant improvement in DPA. EC was significantly improved in 7/8 studies. QoL is measured in all 8 studies, 3/8 had a significant improvement and two revealed to have clinical relevant effect on QoL. Abstract S108 Table 1 Conclusions PR in primary care for patients with less advanced COPD improves EC and QoL and could be beneficial in improving DPA. Since recent insights in the systemic burden of COPD and the role of DPA in this matter, future research must focus on the transfer of PR benefits to DPA, including a cost-effective analysis.


There has been some recent work in the statistical literature for modelling the relationship between the size of primary cancers and the occurrences of metastases. While nonparametric methods have been proposed for estimation of the tumor size distribution at which metastatic transition occurs, their asymptotic properties have not been studied. In addition, no testing or regression methods are available so that potential confounders and prognostic factors can be adjusted for. We develop a unified approach to nonparametric and semiparametric analysis of modelling tumor size-metastasis data in this article. An equivalence between the models considered by previous authors with survival data structures. Based on this relationship, we develop nonparametric testing procedures and semiparametric regression methodology of modelling the effect of size of tumor on the probability at which metastatic transitions occur in two situations. Asymptotic properties of these estimators are provided. Procedures that achieve the semiparametric information bound are also considered. The proposed methodology is applied to data from a screening study in lung cancer.


BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer that carries a poor prognosis. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) offers the only potential cure, but the associated morbidity is high. The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) evidence‐based guidelines for perioperative care for PD can be used to reduce variations in practice. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim was to evaluate the feasibility of the ERAS guidelines for patients undergoing PD. Secondary aims were to assess length of stay (LOS), readmission within 30 days, 30‐day mortality, and total surgical complication rates. METHODS: Guideline feasibility was evaluated by percentage completion and compliance to each of the perioperative phases of the guideline. Hospital LOS, 30‐day readmission, 30‐day mortality, and total surgical complication rates were compared before and after ERAS implementation. FINDINGS: The ERAS guidelines were feasible and safely implemented with no change in LOS, readmission, morbidity, and mortality rates.


This thesis presents a model for assessing the research significance of Australian historical archaeological collections. It responds to problems being experienced in Australia and elsewhere in the long-term preservation of increasing numbers of archaeological collections: a consequence of important heritage legislation requiring the excavation of sites at threat from proposed development works. A 'curation crisis' is identified in the inadequate recovery, documentation, and legislative protection of historical artefacts and in the insufficient resources for their storage, conservation, and management. This has resulted in threats to both the physical condition of excavated collections and their accessibility for research, thus impacting on their research significance. After exploring the emergence and current context of these problems, the thesis proposes that assessing the research significance of historical archaeological collections is an important preliminary step that establishes a basis for making decisions about the long-term management of these collections. It is widely assumed that the significance of archaeological collections is contingent upon the research questions they can address. However, debate in the archaeological literature has stressed the subjective nature of significance, suggesting that links between archaeological collections and archaeological questions are almost impossible to determine with certainty. This reasoning has handicapped the significance decision-making process and certainly contributes to the fact that archaeologists and curators rarely identify the significance of the artefact collections they excavate and manage. Another important contributing factor has been the low level of training in the responsibilities of archaeologists towards the collections they create and the value of these collections for research. This has all resulted in the underutilisation of the collections in research, making it difficult to justify their value, and long-term preservation, to funding bodies and the general public. The study utilised a variety of methods to identify assessment criteria commonly perceived to impact on the significance of an artefact collection and then tested their relevance through the significance assessment of six Australian historical archaeological collections. The results of these assessments established that the criteria 'rarity', 'representativeness' and 'condition' have little impact on the research significance of a collection. Of most importance is establishing the diversity within a collection (based on the diversity of artefact materials, forms and diagnostic features) and the collections' archaeological context. Factors that impact on these are the size of a collection, whether artefacts have been discarded from the collection, and the quality of the collection's documentation. The study puts to test long-held assumptions about what defines the research significance of archaeological collections. The thesis acknowledges that the significance of archaeological collections is inextricably linked with the research questions for which they can provide data. However, it stands apart from previous approaches by bringing focus to the physical, quantifiable attributes of artefacts and collections that enable them to provide data for future research regardless of the research topic. Also unlike previous approaches, the model presented does not attempt to quantify the degree of significance in a collection. The model can be used to determine which collections have greater research significance than others, but the threshold that will result in particular management decisions about the collections must be determined by the institutions conducting the assessments, according to their needs and resources.


Optimal nutrition is critical in the management of the ever-increasing number of surviving small premature infants. Although the most appropriate goal of nutrition of the low-birth-weight (LBW) infant is not definitively known, achieving a postnatal growth that approximates the in utero growth of a normal fetus at the same postconception age appears to be the most logical approach at present.1 In uncomplicated cases, growth will usually begin by the second week after birth, after the initial changes in body water distribution have taken place, and after the infant has accommodated in a nonstressful way to the provision of enteral feeds and parenteral supplements. The fetal standards of growth that will be considered here include not only weight and length, but also values for rate of retention of individual nutrients and minerals (Table 1).2 The quality of postnatal growth may differ from the quality of fetal growth, depending on the type of milk consumed, eg, ex utero weight gain of a premature infant given formula includes more fat gain than that of a fetus of the same maturity.3
 CALORIC REQUIREMENT
 Energy expenditure for maintenance and growth determines the caloric requirements of the infant. The energy expenditure for growth includes both the energy value of the new tissue and the energy cost of the tissue synthesis. The estimated "basal" or maintenance metabolic rate of LBW infants, including an irreducible amount of physical activity, is lower in the first week after birth than later, and in a thermoneutral environment is approximately 50 kcal/kg/d by 2 to 3 weeks of age.4,5


Robust machine learning is currently one of the most prominent topics which could potentially help shaping a future of advanced AI platforms that not only perform well in average cases but also in worst cases or adverse situations. Despite the long-term vision, however, existing studies on black-box adversarial attacks are still restricted to very specific settings of threat models (e.g., single distortion metric and restrictive assumption on target model's feedback to queries) and/or suffer from prohibitively high query complexity. To push for further advances in this field, we introduce a general framework based on an operator splitting method, the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) to devise efficient, robust black-box attacks that work with various distortion metrics and feedback settings without incurring high query complexity. Due to the black-box nature of the threat model, the proposed ADMM solution framework is integrated with zeroth-order (ZO) optimization and Bayesian optimization (BO), and thus is applicable to the gradient-free regime. This results in two new black-box adversarial attack generation methods, ZO-ADMM and BO-ADMM. Our empirical evaluations on image classification datasets show that our proposed approaches have much lower function query complexities compared to state-of-the-art attack methods, but achieve very competitive attack success rates.


How do we know things? The question of epistemology – which drives both the sociology and philosophy of science – is also a crucial question for political sociology. Knowledge is essential to even the most basic and foundational of political processes and institutions. In 2000, for example, the transition of power in the US presidential election hung for 36 days on uncertainty over a seemingly simple question of fact: who won the most votes in Florida? A few years later, disputed factual claims about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction unraveled, calling into question key justifications of the US decision to invade Iraq in 2003 and significantly weakening perceived US legitimacy. Yet, surprisingly, sociologists and political scientists know relatively little about how knowledge gets made in political communities, nor how the making of knowledge is tied to other key aspects of political life, such as identity, authority, legitimacy, and accountability.


Patients older than 65 years who have experienced trauma in earlier years tend to present differently compared to the younger age group. This atypical or complicated presentation is sometimes masked by the presence of comorbid diagnoses, role changes and functional loss such as cognitive impairment. This is a case report of a 75-year-old female with a history of multiple traumatic events that presented with disorganized behavior and appeared internally preoccupied. On further evaluation, her symptomatology was found to be tied to re-experiencing memories of the traumatic events. In elderly patients like our patient, the clinical presentation may not meet the full DSM-5 criteria for Trauma and Stress-relatedDisorders; however, remembering or reliving the trauma could cause considerable distress and present as some other psychiatric illness. This makes it imperative that a thorough evaluation and exploration of the past psychiatric history of patients with the history of trauma be done for a definitive diagnosis, and effective management.


Vegetative propagation of trees remains understudied in Africa. Such methods however provide potential for producing trees and shrubs with high social and economic value. Air layering is one of these techniques and can be used in Uganda for the domestication of underutilized multipurpose trees. The main purposes of this trial were to compare the growth rates of 30 Solanecio mannii plants grown from seed and 30 plants grown from air layering, and to observe the main morphological differences that affected the growth and root system of those 60 plants. This 24-month preliminary and prospective trial was conducted to compare the growth characteristics of seedlings and air layers, by measuring their height, diameter, precocity to flower and fruit, and their root system quality. Air layers were stronger, quickly reaching maturity but showing weakness in their root systems, while seedlings seemingly smaller and slower showed more stability with a well-structured root system. Air layering could be used to reproduce desirable genotypes. Due to their unbalanced root system observed in the field after two years, the air layers, once transplanted into a nursery, should be propagated by cuttings or grafting only.


ABSTRACT A new test for financial market contagion based on changes in extremal dependence defined as co-kurtosis and co-volatility is developed to identify the propagation mechanism of shocks across international financial markets. The proposed approach captures changes in various aspects of the asset return relationships such as cross-market mean and skewness (co-kurtosis) as well as cross-market volatilities (co-volatility). Monte Carlo experiments show that the tests perform well except for when crisis periods are short in duration. Small crisis sample critical values are calculated for use in this case. In an empirical application involving the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, the results show that significant contagion effects are widespread from the US banking sector to global equity markets and banking sectors through either the co-kurtosis or the co-volatility channels, reinforcing that higher order moments matter during crises.


This paper explores the power of personality traits both as predictors and as causes of academic and economic success, health, and criminal activity. Measured personality is interpreted as a construct derived from an economic model of preferences, constraints, and information. Evidence is reviewed about the "situational specificity" of personality traits and preferences. An extreme version of the situationist view claims that there are no stable personality traits or preference parameters that persons carry across different situations. Those who hold this view claim that personality psychology has little relevance for economics. The biological and evolutionary origins of personality traits are explored. Personality measurement systems and relationships among the measures used by psychologists are examined. The predictive power of personality measures is compared with the predictive power of measures of cognition captured by IQ and achievement tests. For many outcomes, personality measures are just as predictive as cognitive measures, even after controlling for family background and cognition. Moreover, standard measures of cognition are heavily influenced by personality traits and incentives. Measured personality traits are positively correlated over the life cycle. However, they are not fixed and can be altered by experience and investment. Intervention studies, along with studies in biology and neuroscience, establish a causal basis for the observed effect of personality traits on economic and social outcomes. Personality traits are more malleable over the life cycle compared to cognition, which becomes highly rank stable around age 10. Interventions that change personality are promising avenues for addressing poverty and disadvantage.


Category detection is a lively area of research. While categorization algorithms tend to agree in using local descriptors, they differ in the choice of the classifier, with some using generative models and others discriminative approaches. This paper presents a method for object category detection which integrates a generative model with a discriminative classifier. For each object category, we generate an appearance codebook, which becomes a common vocabulary for the generative and discriminative methods. Given a query image, the generative part of the algorithm finds a set of hypotheses and estimates their support in location and scale. Then, the discriminative part verifies each hypothesis on the same codebook activations. The new algorithm exploits the strengths of both original methods, minimizing their weaknesses. Experiments on several databases show that our new approach performs better than its building blocks taken separately. Moreover, experiments on two challenging multi-scale databases show that our new algorithm outperforms previously reported results


The IEEE 802.15.4 technical standard has enabled low-power, low-cost and smart Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) capable of reliable multi-hop communications. The companies like International Oil and Gas Company (IOC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) have become the first multinational Oil and Gas Companies operating in the Nigeria Niger Delta region switched from wired to wireless sensor technology. Thus, eliminated the need for cables thereby allowing data collection in remote, swampy areas and enabling new applications. However, using these Wireless Sensor Networks, there are concerns such as reliability, standardisation, energy consumption, data and physical security issues especially in the monitoring of oil and gas installations and infrastructures such as pipelines, oil wells, oil rigs and flow stations. Vandalising and sabotaging of oil pipelines and other infrastructure is common by oil thieves in a region even after the Wireless Sensor deployment. In this paper, the mechanisms that can be carried out to secure oil facilities and wireless sensors being attacked physically or remotely and report incidents on time are discussed.


Theobroma cacao is one of the most important tropical crops, due to its socio-economic implications. In spite of being an acclimatable crop to diverse conditions it is susceptible to diseases and pests. Currently in Peru, Carmenta foraseminis, named cocoa fruit borer is an insect pest of economic importance in cocoa plantations, in this way, it is necessary to understand the relationship between susceptibility and fruit growth. To obtain data and information processing, the measures of 305 cocoa pods from eight international cocoa clones were used, such measurements they were analyzed under four mathematical models (Logistic, Richards, Gompertz and Beta). Richards function fitted better in the description of pod growth since it shows a portion of asymptotic curve. One of the clones such as SCA 6 is cropped in Peru, that, these results will be used to contrast with the data obtained from the study. This paper analyzes comparatively the growth mathematical models of the cocoa pod. Furthermore, knowing that larvae of Carmenta foraseminis affect the pod between 80 - 120 days of the phenological state of cocoa; through the Richards Model, the evaluation of the risk or susceptibility of infestation of the cocoa pods can be determined, promoting to optimize the control strategies and a prompt intervention against this phytopathogen, avoinding the quality of the overall harvest at risk.


The transition from sequential to parallel computation is an area of critical concern in today's computer technology, particularly in architecture, programming languages, systems, and artificial intelligence. This book addresses central issues in concurrency, and by producing both a syntactic definition and a denotational model of Hewitt's actor paradigm -- a model of computation specifically aimed at constructing and analyzing distributed large-scale parallel systems -- it substantially advances the understanding of parallel computation.Contents: Introduction. General Design Decisions. Computation in ACTOR Systems. A More Expressive Language. A Model for ACTOR Systems. Concurrency Issues. Abstraction and Compositionality. Conclusions.


CCNA Video Mentor Second Edition More than four hours of personal, visual instruction CCNA 640-802 Wendell Odom, CCIE® No. 1624 CCNA Video Mentor is a unique video product that provides you with more than four hours of personal visual instruction from best-selling author and instructor Wendell Odom. In the 20 videos presented, Wendell walks you through common Cisco® router and switch configuration topics. Designed to develop and enhance hands-on skills, each video guides you through essential configuration tasks for both the CCENT and CCNA® certification exams, including router and switch configuration, IP subnetting, RIP, OSPF, and EIGRP configuration, configuring VLANs, IPv6, PAT, PPP and CHAP, and access lists. Lab Layout: Each video lab presents suggested reading lists, detailed objectives, lab diagrams, and video captures. Audio instruction throughout offers tips and shortcuts that truly make learning easy. Network Animation: Animated network diagrams show you lab setup, device addressing, and how traffic flows through the network. Command-Line Interface (CLI) Video: Video screencasts of router and switch CLI demonstrate command entry, configuration techniques, and device response. "The real-time examples and explanations were right on target with the subjects at hand." -Justin Loucks, Senior Network Engineer "I was quite impressed with the teacher's presentation and how well the dialog was thought out in advance." -John Ainsworth, Network Administrator "Wendell did a great job...I think you have hit a home run with this one!" -Bob Conner, Channel Account Manager ICND1 Lab 1: Navigating a Router/Switch Command-Line Interface (Video Length: 12:50) Lab 2: Router Configuration and Managing Configuration Files (Video Length: 12:15) Lab 3: Switch Basics: Learning, Forwarding/Filtering, and Interface Settings(Video Length: 10:32) Lab 4: Finding the Subnet Number (Video Length: 6:03) Lab 5: Finding the Broadcast Address and Range of Addresses in a Subnet(Video Length: 8:44) Lab 6: Finding All Subnets of a Network with Less Than 8 Subnet Bits (Video Length: 7:15) Lab 7: IP Subnet Design and Implementation (Video Length: 15:13) Lab 8: Static and Connected Routes (Video Length: 13:15) Lab 9: RIP Configuration (Video Length: 13:54) ICND2 Lab 1: Configuring VLANs (Video Length: 10:10) Lab 2: VTP Servers and Clients (Video Length: 15:44) Lab 3: RIP with Split Horizon, Route Poisoning, and Poison Reverse (Video Length: 12:22) Lab 4: Single Area and Multi-area OSPF Configuration (Video Length: 18:02) Lab 5: EIGRP Configuration and Operation (Video Length: 11:33) Lab 6: Understanding EIGRP Metric Calculations (Video Length: 12:26) Lab 7: NAT Overload (PAT) (Video Length: 13:27) Lab 8: IPv6 Subnetting and Address Configuration (Video Length: 18:16) Lab 9: PPP and CHAP Configuration (Video Length: 12:25) Lab 10: Access Lists (Video Length: 9:32) Lab 11: Access Lists II (Video Length: 10:43)


The growth and increasing popularity of 'low-fee' private schooling across many parts of India has attracted much research and policy attention. This paper broadens the discussion by drawing attention to the increasing heterogeneity of the educational landscape in many communities. Our specific focus is on the consequences for school choices made by households across rural and urban Andhra Pradesh. The paper draws on longitudinal data for two cohorts comprising approximately 3,000 children, collected as part of Young Lives research, together with a qualitative sub-study involving a purposively selected sample of Young Lives parents and children. Trends in school choice are discussed, as well as the factors that underlie the schooling decisions that households make as they navigate the complex school hierarchies within their communities. The paper offers new evidence of an increasing trend for households to make successive choices of school for their children, as household circumstances change and school options are re-evaluated. Household survey data from 2009 show that 16% of a sample of eight-year-olds had moved school at least once during the early grades of primary school, an increase from 5% of a comparable sample of eight-year-olds in 2002. The consequences of a dynamic and more market-driven school system are explored, and implications discussed.


This thesis explores academics' epistemic-pedagogic identities in the context of neoliberalism. Specifically, the research investigates different academics' experiences of change in relation to their ways of knowing (i.e., epistemologies) and teaching (i.e., pedagogies). There are four research questions: (1) What is neoliberalism in the context of higher education? (2) Why are epistemological and pedagogical dimensions important in understanding academic identity, within the context of neoliberalism? (3) How do different academics' experience neoliberalism in relation to their epistemic-pedagogic identities? (4) How can epistemic-pedagogic identities develop to engage more adaptively but critically in higher education? The purpose of this research is to explore new directions in today's higher education environment, and to represent and interpret diverse academics' responses to the epistemic drift represented by neoliberalism. This study fills a gap in the literature by offering a unique relational and contextual insight and consequential representation of academic experiences.

The research study consists of a single ethnographic case study of academics (n = 70) in one institution in New Zealand. Data collection was carried out for 6 months in 2013 and involved questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and artefact collection. Data interpretation and analysis was informed by a synthesis of complementary models of epistemological development (Haerle, 2006; King & Kitchener, 1994; Perry, 1970) and pedagogical styles (Mosston & Ashworth, 1990), to enable an inductive thematic process using theory-led coding. Findings were synthesised and represented using thematic interpretative vignettes and visualised in a conceptual model.

The findings revealed academic identity within the neoliberal environment is suffering from unrest; essentially it is "squashed," "hindered, and constrained." The right to academic freedom, as mentioned in The Education Act 1989 in Aotearoa/New Zealand, seems to be curtailed, with participants stating "that they stay out of harm's way," "there is no point in questioning or challenging the status quo because you would not be thanked for it," and also that stating unpopular opinions is frankly and openly mentioned as a "no, no." This could be attributed to not just the institution but societal change towards a lack of trust that has permeated alongside the neoliberal way that no establishment (or institute) has complete freedom or trust within a democratic society. It could be said that historically there was once an unquestionable respect for institutional establishments (for example, the banks, the Church, the medical profession, teaching profession). Even though this is the current situation within society, recruiting and taking into account experienced academics' voices within the neoliberalised higher education sector is vital for educational change.

The primary conclusions are that a) neoliberalism is understood and experienced by some academics as a form of organisational epistemic drift that influences their ways of knowing and teaching; b) academics' experience this drift in various ways, for example many try to resist, others feel strongly about the changes but state the best way to address them is to "fly under the radar" (become invisible) or ignore the changes while others have chosen have chosen to be silent getting on with their work quietly; and c) the recent epistemic changes have caused what the researcher has coined a 'loud disquiet' (strong educational commentary that could also be described as silent screams'), through hearing voices from participants' narratives in relation to their epistemic-pedagogic identities within higher education.

The study contributes to a broader professional conversation concerning the changes experienced by academics in a rapidly evolving higher education environment. The study argues for a curriculum review in professional development training courses for experienced academics, to not only have a safe space to articulate and hear others' voices and provide support, but also to provide a conduit to filter views to the institution, government and society at large. The study acknowledges that neoliberal hegemony threatens epistemological diversity and desirable dialectics in the academy. Therefore, the response to the impact of epistemic changes (the loud disquiet) could be better heard and disseminated thus providing essential considerations and review in the future for the professional educator programme.


Leo Braudy.The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon. Yale University Press, 2011. 215 pages; $24.95.In this delightful little book on the Hollywood sign originally constructed in 1923, Leo Braudy, a cultural historian who is Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California, provides readers with a lively and insightful history of an American icon, the film industry, the city of Hollywood, and the image of Hollywood in the American mind. Accessible both to scholars and general readers, Braudy's work is a valuable contribution to Yale University Press's Icons of America series.Braudy begins his work by observing that the film industry was initially situated on the East Coast and lured to the West by the climate and a desire to move beyond the reach of the Edison Trust. As a subdivision of Los Angeles, Hollywood originally appeared to offer a rather inhospitable home for the film industry. As developed by wealthy socialite Daeida Wilcox Beveridge, Hollywood was a somewhat isolated community for the wealthy and artists who wanted to escape from the vices of Los Angeles and industrial America. But Hollywood was consolidated into Los Angeles in 1910, and business leaders began to welcome the commercial possibilities represented by filmmakers. Tulle's Punctured Romance (1914) was filmed at the Hollywood mansion of Dr. A. G. Schloesser, and the following year Charlie Chaplin received permission to open a studio in Hollywood.By the early 1920s, Hollywood was already being perceived as a beacon for those who wanted to flee the conformity of life in the Midwest and assume the persona of a celebrity on the silver screen. Thus, as Braudy suggests, Hollywood was already more than just a place; it was becoming a brand. The influx of dream chasers, however, also brought scandal: the murder of director William Desmond Taylor in 1922 closely followed the previous year's allegation that comedy star Fatty Arbuckle had raped and murdered a starlet during a party. In response, the industry formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association to provide some selfregulation, and film colony residents demonstrated their piety by supporting the Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise services.For those seeking a separation from the film community, boosters, such as Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler, began to promote the development of Hollywoodland in the upper Beachwood Canyon above the Hollywood community. To highlight this project, the original Hollywood sign reading Hollywoodland was created. The letters were fifty-feet tall in blocky sans serif typeface and anchored on telephone poles. The sign was illuminated by four thousand light bulbs and a curator lived on the premises to replace the bulbs as they burned out. Braudy argues that the Hollywoodland development and its sign were products of California's growing automobile culture, the prominence of billboard advertising, and an increasing affluence, which was strictly circumscribed by racial covenants. The transportation problems associated with reaching the heights of the development and the expense of clearing the land also restricted the growth of Hollywoodland.Yet, the cultural significance of the sign was suggested by the apparent suicide on September 18, 1932 of aspiring starlet Lillian "Peg" Millicent Entwistle, who allegedly leaped to her death from the letter H to the ravine below. The suicide provided a cautionary fable about the dangers inherent in the Hollywood quest for stardom. Braudy, however, suggests that Entwistle's death might have been a murder rather than suicide, and that the actress was more upset by a failed love affair than a disappointing career. Nevertheless, the myth persisted, and the sign was becoming something more than a commercial real estate venture. …


We studied the capacity of an API-rHBsAg purification process to eliminate DNA contamination from yeast-host cell. Firstly, was demonstrated consistency of manufacturing purification process to remove DNA, from (3.9 ± 1.9)10 8 pg/dose in starting material to (3.4 ± 1.6) pg/dose, equivalent to 8.2 log in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), measuring DNA quantity in several unit operations along manufacturing process for twenty batches, five consecutive in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. These values for API, lower than 10 pg/dose, accomplish current WHO requirements for Hepatitis B vaccines obtaining by recombinant DNA technology ( WHO, 1989 ; European Pharmacopoeia, 2001a ). The main removal factor for manufacturing process, equivalent to 6.4-log, was reached in negative anion-exchange chromatography. Then, the capacity of immunoaffinity chromatography and positive anion-exchange chromatography to remove chromosomal DNA purified from yeast-host cell was assessed using a scaled-down chromatographic process which was shown to yield product meeting purity criteria set for the manufacturing process. Log 10 reductions for DNA through the immunoaffinity chromatography and positive anion-exchange chromatography were 7.3 ± 0.1, and 5.8 ± 0.1 respectively. Overall, these studies indicate that total DNA clearance factor for API-rHBsAg manufacturing process was 19.4 log, 2.4 times higher than the real DNA contamination, indicating that API-rHBsAg manufacturing as described here have sufficient DNA reducing capacity to achieved a high margin of DNA safety.


The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) monitors infrasound in the Netherlands with a series of microbarometer arrays. Infrasound is inaudible sound; its lower frequency cut-off is limited by the thickness of the atmosphere. The KNMI has developed a microbarometer capable of measuring infrasound between 500 seconds and 40 Hz. Wind noise reduction is of major concern in infrasound measurements. Arrays are deployed to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (snr) by averaging out the incoherent wind signals. Wind noise is also reduced at each array element, the microbarometer, by applying eg. porous hoses or pipe arrays. Doing so, the wind noise is further reduced at each element by sampling the atmosphere over an area rather than at one point. The direction of arrival and apparent sound speed can also be determined by the array to characterize the signals. Multiple arrays are used for localization of the source. KNMI operates four infrasound arrays varying in aperture between 35 and 1500 meters while 6 to 16 elements are used. Sources of infrasound are: explosions, severe weather, meteors, sonic booms, sea waves, volcanoes, nuclear tests, .. Coherent infrasound of unknown origin is also detected at the arrays. The motivation for measuring infrasound is twofold. Firstly, as Seismology Division one has to discriminate between sources causing vibrations from the solid earth, earthquakes, and from the atmosphere, eg. sonic booms. Secondly, infrasound is applied to verify the Comprehensive Nuclear-TestBan Treaty (CTBT). Worldwide 60 arrays are currently constructed to monitor the atmosphere for clandestine nuclear tests. Infrasound can travel over large distances with minimal damping due to its low frequency contents. This paper describes the technique of infrasound measurements and the use of array processing techniques, like beamforming, and detection algorithms. These subjects will be exemplified with infrasound from a sub sonic air plane.


Testing a Psychological Readiness Training Intervention on PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, & Stress in First Responders by Renee D. Kosor MBA, Liberty University, 2010 BS, Liberty University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Family Studies and Intervention Strategies Walden University January 2017 Abstract Exposure to traumatic events is rare for the general public but common for first responders. However, there is little proactive emotional health care occurring inside the first responder community. No preventive treatment for depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD exists. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a psychological readiness training intervention on 361 police officers and firefighters in a medium-size Midwestern city. A combined positive psychological capital and cognitive behavior therapy approach was used to frame the study. This study used a pretest, posttest quasiexperimental design. The participants were a convenience sample of 119 volunteers from a population of 361 first responders. The participants were first administered pretests using the DASS-21 and the Civilian PTSD Self-Report Scale which measured depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress. They were then exposed to the psychological readiness training (PRT) intervention, after which the same posttests measuring depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress were again administered. T-test results indicated a significant decrease in all 4 symptom categories post training intervention. Implications include providing first responders with the tools needed to process traumatic events to maintain mental health throughout their careers.Exposure to traumatic events is rare for the general public but common for first responders. However, there is little proactive emotional health care occurring inside the first responder community. No preventive treatment for depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD exists. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a psychological readiness training intervention on 361 police officers and firefighters in a medium-size Midwestern city. A combined positive psychological capital and cognitive behavior therapy approach was used to frame the study. This study used a pretest, posttest quasiexperimental design. The participants were a convenience sample of 119 volunteers from a population of 361 first responders. The participants were first administered pretests using the DASS-21 and the Civilian PTSD Self-Report Scale which measured depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress. They were then exposed to the psychological readiness training (PRT) intervention, after which the same posttests measuring depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress were again administered. T-test results indicated a significant decrease in all 4 symptom categories post training intervention. Implications include providing first responders with the tools needed to process traumatic events to maintain mental health throughout their careers. Testing a Psychological Readiness Training Intervention on PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, & Stress in First Responders by Renee D. Kosor MBA, Liberty University, 2010 BS, Liberty University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Family Studies and Intervention Strategies


Finally! A book that lays out a thorough yet workable path to collaborative innovation! With a highly readable style and using great examples, Frederich and Andrews describe the process by which IBM makes collaborative innovation work from a process, company, and customer standpoint. By following the guidelines in this book, those with aspirations of collaborative innovation can learn from the lessons of IBM and maximize their probability of success. A+! Gregory S. Dawson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and former Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Innovation Passport goes directly to the heart of how companies can speed up the transition from research to revenue. This books combination of insight and actionable detailderived over a dozen yearsprovides a roadmap for companies to accelerate the commercialization of ideas and technologies. Moreover, this best practice is based on collaboration with external partners, an approach that is even more critical given strained economic times. Keith OBrien, VP, Best Practices Research, Frost & Sullivan Get Inside IBMs Breakthrough FOAK Program for Delivering Profitable Innovation! Learn from one of the worlds most successful innovation initiatives Align researchers, clients, and partners behind innovation that matters Get the right innovations to market fast How can you promote innovation that delivers real, profitable business valueagain and again, year after year? For 14 years, IBMs FOAK program has done just that. In Innovation Passport, FOAKs leaders share the powerful lessons theyve learned. Through actual project examples, youll discover how to craft more effective processes for making innovation happen...encourage collaboration...manage innovation portfolios...protect intellectual property...and systematically improve the chances of marketplace adoption. Whatever your role in innovation, this book will help you do it better, faster, and more profitably.