This article examines how religion, including new religious movements as well as older options in new contexts, combines with ethnic and community attachments in shaping the identity of Guatemalan economic migrants in southern California. While the literature on transnationalism tends to view religion and ethnicity as different though sometimes overlapping means by which migrants seek incorporation into new social and political contexts, the ethnographic evidence presented here suggests more complicated dynamics. These are reflected in the experiences of three migrants from a single indigenous community in Guatemala, each with different backgrounds of faith and ethnic identity: a nominal Catholic in his early 20s who is sympathetic to Mesoamerican shamanism though ambivalent about Maya ethnic identity; a middle-aged Pentecostal Christian who is ambivalent about religious practice and belief in the United States and rejects the Maya ethnic label; and a convert to Mormonism in his 30s who has attenuated his ties to his home community while adopting a broader Maya ethnic identity. To interpret these experiences, I develop an analytical framework which draws upon some of Thomas Csordas' ideas about religion in globalization but stresses a renewed attention to community as a persistent, if ambivalent and perhaps inherently conflictive, site for identity formation, especially in the context of migration.


Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency accounts for 95% of all CAH cases and is one of the most common inborn metabolic conditions. The introduction of life-saving glucocorticoid replacement therapy 70 years ago has changed the perception of CAH from a paediatric disorder into a lifelong, chronic condition affecting patients of all age groups. Alongside health problems that can develop during the time of paediatric care, there is an emerging body of evidence suggesting an increased risk of developing co-morbidities during adult life in patients with CAH. The mechanisms that drive the negative long-term outcomes associated with CAH are complex and involve supraphysiological replacement therapies (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids), excess adrenal androgens both in the intrauterine and postnatal life, elevated steroid precursors and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels. Alongside a review of mortality outcome, we discuss issues that need to be addressed when caring for the CAH patient including female and male fertility, cardio-metabolic morbidity, bone health and other important long-term outcomes of CAH.


In the center of today's continued and rapid technological change and ever competitive environment of the next millennium, manufacturers must realize that unless they are ready to consider and evaluate new technologies brought onto them, they may fail to adequately respond to the challenges that lie ahead of them. This research was designed to determine the consistency of the perceptions of technical and non-technical administrators, in manufacturing environment, towards technological change and group technology as an advanced manufacturing system. This research has included a review of literature with references to technological change, justification and implementation processes, and various manufacturing systems including group technology and its benefits. This research has used the research method of empirical analysis (quantitative) and case studies (qualitative) to research perceptions of technical and non-technical administrators towards technological change and group technology. Sixty-four (64) technical and fifty-one (51) nontechnical administrators from fifty (50) manufacturing organizations in the United States of America responded to the mail survey questionnaire used in this research. Responses were analyzed using the Repeated Measures ANOVA procedure to compare mean responses of each group. Two correlation analyses, Cronback Coefficient Alpha and Pearson Correlation Coefficient, were also performed to determine the reliability of the questionnaire as well as the degree of correlation of perceptions between these two groups. This research, through the empirical analysis, has found that perceptions of the technical and non-technical administrators towards group technology were not consistent. In other words, they did not perceive the benefits of group technology in the same manner to the overall organizational performance. This finding was significant since it provided the first clear and comprehensive view of the technical and non-technical administrators' perception towards group technology and technological change, in Food Equipment Manufacturer Industry, in United States of America. In addition, a number of cases were analyzed and the results have supported those of the quantitative analysis. Therefore, this research not only has provided basic data, which was unavailable prior to this investigation, but it also provided a basis for future studies.


This study analyzes how market imperfections affect land productivity in a degraded low-potential cereal- livestock economy in the Ethiopian highlands. A wide array of variables is used to control for land quality in the analysis. Results of three different selection models were compared with least squares models using the HC3 heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator. Market imperfections in labor and land markets were found to affect land productivity. Land productivity was positively correlated with household male and female labor force per unit of land. Female-headed households achieved much lower land productivity than male- headed households. Old age of household heads was also correlated with lower land productivity. Imperfections in the rental market for oxen appeared to cause overstocking of oxen by some households. Conservation technologies had no significant positive short-run effect on land productivity. The main results were consistent across the different econometric models. .


This article examines how widely shared cultural values shape social problem construction and, in turn, can reproduce social inequality. To do so, we draw on a comparative case study of American news reporting on eating disorders and overweight/obesity between 1995 and 2005. In the contemporary United States, thinness is associated with high social status and taken as evidence of moral virtue. In contrast, fatness is linked to low status and seen as a sign of sloth and gluttony. Drawing on an original data set of news reports, we examine how such social and moral meanings of body size inform news reporting on eating disorders and overweight. We fnd that the news media in our sample typically discuss how a host of complex factors beyond individual control contribute to anorexia and bulimia. In that anorexics and bulimics are typically portrayed as young white women or girls, this reinforces cultural images of young white female victims. In contrast, the media predominantly attribute overweight to bad individual choices and tend to treat binge eating disorder as ordinary and blameworthy overeating. In that the poor and minorities are more likely to be heavy, such reporting reinforces social stereotypes of fat people, ethnic minorities, and the poor as out of control and lazy. While appreciation for bigger female bodies among African Americans is hailed as protecting against thinness-oriented eating disorders, this same cultural preference is partially blamed for overweight and obesity among African American women and girls. © 2010 by Society for the Study of Social Problems, Inc.


Background: Laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation is an integral part of general anesthesia. Endotracheal intubation involving conventional laryngoscopy produces a haemodynamic changes associated with increased heart and blood pressure. The aim of the present study was to compare the hemodynamic changes that occur during and after endotracheal intubation with either a conventional (Macintosh) laryngoscope or a video laryngoscope in patients who are ASA grade I and II. Methods: After getting approval from ethics committee and consent form from each patients 120 patients with age between 18-65 years of ASA-I, II grade were included in the study. They were divided into two groups. Group A was underwent with tracheal intubation with the Macintosh blade (size 3 blade and size 4) and group B with AWS (Pentax) video laryngoscope. The time taken to perform endotracheal intubation and haemodynamic changes associated with intubation were noted in both the groups at different time points. Results: The duration of laryngoscopy and intubation was significantly longer in group B (video laryngoscopy) when compared to group A patients. However, haemodynamic changes did not showed any significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: Video laryngoscopy did not offer any advantages in terms of haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation in patients when compared with conventional ones.


Abstract The aim of the study was to describe pollen morphology and its variability of four Linum species: L. perenne subsp. extraaxillare, L. hirsutum, L. flavum and L. austriacum, all derived from Poland, but occurring in few natural sites within the country. Light and scanning electron microscopy was used and statistical analyses of quantitative pollen traits were performed. All taxa shared pollen grains which were 3-zonocolpate, isopolar, radiosymmetric, spheroidal and medium to large in size. Grains were semitectate, with the sculptural elements of the exine as gemmae or clavae. Additionally, upper parts of gemmae and clavae had a microstriate pattern. Despite great similarity among the investigated Linum species in pollen morphology, distinguishing features were determined.


Environmental analysts are often hampered in communicating the risks of environmental contaminants due to the myriad of regulatory requirements that are applicable. The use of a qualitative, risk-based control banding strategy for assessment and control of potential environmental contaminants provides a standardized approach to improve risk communication. Presented is a model that provides an effective means for determining standardized responses and controls for common environmental issues based on the level of risk. The model is designed for integration within an occupational health and safety management system to provide a multidisciplinary environmental and occupational risk management approach. This environmental model, which utilizes multidisciplinary control banding strategies for delineating risk, complements the existing Risk Level Based Management System, a proven method in a highly regulated facility for occupational health and safety. A simplified environmental risk matrix is presented that is stratified over four risk levels. Examples of qualitative environmental control banding strategies are presented as they apply to United States regulations for construction, research activities, facility maintenance, and spill remediation that affect air, water, soil, and waste disposal. This approach offers a standardized risk communication language for multidisciplinary issues that will improve communications within and between environmental health and safety professionals, workers, and management.


The objective of this work is to design and implement a custom reconfigurable JTAG controller in Verilog. It can be directly inserted in to a new digital IC designs with little modifications. It is fully compatible with IEEE 1149.1 standards. Additional programmable private instructions can also be added in to the design. A secure access mechanism is provided in to the controller which helps in protecting the system by preventing the un-authorized users from interfering with the system functions. A locking and opening mechanism and a password key based access control were incorporated as part of the JTAG controller module. The controller was configured to fit into different ISCAS'89 digital VLSI benchmark designs and results are analysed. It is observed that as the design size increases the area and power overhead decreases but the number of boundary scan vectors increases. All the designs were written in Verilog and RTL simulations were performed using Cadence NC-Sim Simulator. Cadence Encounter Test Architect 13.1 was used to check the boundary scan flow and analysis. A line graph to depict the power and area overhead is also shown. Complete performance analysis of the ISCAS'89 designs with and without the JTAG controller was performed. The power and area overhead was found to be negligible as the size of the VLSI designs increases.


The Richardson Island site, an early Holocene site located in Haida Gwaii, has produced an extensive lithic assemblage. The faunal assemblage from this highly stratified, raised beach site is derived from the contents of several hearth features and consists predominately of burnt fish bone. Compared to a roughly contemporaneous faunal assemblage from the nearby site of Kilgii Gwaay, the Richardson Island site has produced a paucity of large individuals for several common fish taxa – in particular, Sebastes sp. This paper describes an experimental approach to understanding the nature of the Richardson Island fish assemblage. Experimental burning of fish bones in a controlled laboratory setting and in simulated hearths was conducted to determine how the size, survivorship, and identifiability of fish elements would be affected by exposure to high temperatures and fire. The controlled burning of rockfish elements resulted in an average reduction in size of nine percent as well as the eventual disintegration of all otoliths. The experimental hearths illustrate the taphonomic complexity involved in the formation of burnt fish bone assemblages and in the quantification and interpretation of fish remains from hearth contexts.


Broadly, this thesis is concerned with the symbolic meanings and values of
places. In particular, my primary concern is to find out the meanings and values of
religious buildings for different groups of people and I have chosen to examine-this
using multi-religious but officially secular Singapore as a case study. Specifically, my
study objectives are as follows: first, to find out the symbolic meanings and values of
religious buildings for individuals of the major religious groups in Singapore, namely
the Muslims, Christians, Hindus and 'Chinese religionists'; second, to analyse the
state's conceptions of religious buildings in Singapore and the roles it plays in shaping
religious landscapes; and third, to examine the extent to which the state's conceptions
of religious places coincide, complement or conflict with the meanings invested by
religious individuals and groups, and with what effect.
The central argument of my thesis is that individuals invest a multitude of
meanings in their religious buildings which are intensely sacred, personal and social
in nature. Conversely, there are two levels at which the state deals with religious
buildings. They are political symbols in that they are used to endorse political rhetoric
about state support for religion. At the same time, religious buildings are also treated
within a functionalist framework of planning whereby provisions are made for
religious buildings within new towns just as provisions are made for schools, housing,
town centres, playgrounds and so forth. Demolition takes place as urban
redevelopment takes precedence over other values. When this happens, the state then
attempts to use ideologically hegemonic arguments to persuade people that these are
natural and rational ways of dealing with religious buildings. Clearly, sacred meanings
and personal and social attachments have no place in the state's scheme of things.
Individuals are then faced with a situation where they will have to resist and/or cope.
I examine both the strategies of resistance and the forms of adaptations adopted by various groups and individuals.
In conceptual terms, I draw from four broad research directions. From
humanistic geography, I adopt concepts related to human environmental experiences.
From the history of religion and the comparative study of religion, I derive conceptual
notions of religious experience and religious symbolism. Sociology, political studies
and in particular, the 'new' cultural geography, offer useful insights into cultural
politics and ideological landscapes. Finally, planning theory provides some of the
input necessary to an understanding of the production and annihilation of place.
Methodologically, I have used a variety of approaches. These include, first, an
extensive questionnaire survey to establish the broad trends in patterns of religious
worship in Singapore. Second, in-depth interviews were conducted with a much
smaller number of individuals from the various religious groups, including religious
functionaries, for more intensive information about meanings and values. Third,
official documents and transcripts of public discourses by state representatives were
analysed. Together with interviews with some state representatives (planners,
bureaucrats and a politician), they allow me to interpret state conceptions of religious
places.


This dissertation examines the renovation of public primary and secondary schools in the Lausanne region (Vaud, Switzerland). It aims to compare these interventions with the aim of identifying common architectural criteria to the renovation strategies adopted. It is considered relevant to evaluate the ability of existing schools to adapt to the challenges of current societies, exploring their consolidated position in an urban environment and contributing to school heritage conservation. The main objective of this work is to spatially and functionally examine school renovations, based on the definition of criteria that provide a global vision of each project, from an urban scale to the conception of school spaces. Seven case studies, corresponding to the renovation of primary and secondary schools included in the Lausanne region, are examined in this dissertation. The comparative analysis of the selected projects allows for the identification of common concepts as well as the study of the design strategies that enable their implementation. This analysis contextualizes each of the projects in relation to other contemporary school renovations, thus creating a unified interpretation of school renovations in the Lausanne region. Four criteria were established for the analysis of the renovations – urban integration, collective program implementation, circulation systems, and school space conception – allowing the study of each project from an urban scale to the internal spaces in the school itself. For each criterion, two conceptual strategies can be distinguished and the respective implementation is analysed, taking into account both the characteristics and constraints inherent to each school.


A framework providing a basis for comparing and evaluating software development methods (SDMs), which are systems of technical procedures and notational conventions for the organized construction of software-based systems, is presented. Using the framework, practitioners and methodologists can describe and rate an SDM's support for 21 properties. The application of the framework to two examples, OMT and R.J.A. Buhr's (1990) architectural design, is discussed. Several suggested uses of the framework include: comparing a group of SDMs with one another; defining a standard in terms of the framework and then using this as a basis for discussion; examining an SDM to discover its coverage and capabilities; and combining the properties of different SDMs to create a new SDM.<<ETX>>


This paper quantifies exposure to all the possible ways the Lebanese yield curve changed since 2006. It studies the interest rate risk impact on a portfolio consisting of interest-rate depending assets belonging to a Lebanese commercial bank using principal components analysis or risk decomposition strategy. TBs monthly yields are used with five different maturities since 2006. Deltas for the portfolio are calculated using partial duration and the DV01. The first factor identified corresponds to a parallel shift in the yield curve and the second to a change of slope of the yield curve. Both factors account for 95% of the variance. Delta exposure calculations showed absence of hedging against these shifts.


This research focuses on KwaZulu-Natal case studies of land reform projects that serve as

contributors to local economic development (LED). Key stakeholders and role players on LED matters

within the KwaZulu-Natal province serve as respondents. The study seeks to answer critical

questions regarding the success and viability of land reform projects.

"Rural development is one of the the signature projects that swept the African National Congress

(ANC) to power. It is supposed to distinguish the new administration from all that has gone before by

having a dedicated ministry specifically to look after the forgotten countryside", (Mabanga 2010, p.

36).

For communities operating registered companies, some of the major challenges, amongst others,

include a lack of farm management skills, business skills, financial skills and governance skills

(including corporate governance). Leadership challenges are experienced between community

members that ultimately may lead to the collapse of projects. There are also concerns regarding

state support for post settlement. This affects the operation and capitalization of the projects and is

required to kick-start projects after land transfers.

Other challenges include skills shortage amongst managers and post settlement support for specific

industries to ease transfer of skills to beneficiaries. The majority of the post-settlement support from

the National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has no, or limited, skills in specific

industries like forestry, sugarcane, crop farming and animal farming. Consequently there is a

shortage of proper advice to the community managers from inception and the incumbent official

then still has to learn the industry operating systems. Ultimately all the parties rely heavily on

consultants to provide assistance to newly emerging farmers or business entrepreneurs within the

communities.

The transfer of developmental grants is a major headache currently facing the majority of land

beneficiaries. The department of rural development still owes communities post-settlement grants

or development grants back-dated to the 2008/09 financial period. The objective of this study was to

arrive at some guidelines and recommendations that will contribute to the success of land reform

projects and thereby contribute to LED within KwaZulu-Natal province.


The problem of the density-dependent homogeneous broadening of microcavity polaritons due to exciton-exciton Coulomb interaction is addressed using the self-consistent Born approximation. The theoretical results predict that, for resonant pumping of the lower polariton, the dependence of its broadening on the density of excitations has a threshold behavior. Below the threshold density, scattering is strongly inhibited because it involves only the small region of k space where the polariton effective mass is very light. Above threshold, the region of k space with excitonlike dispersion becomes allowed, giving the dominant contribution to the collision broadening. [S0163-1829(98)52740-3].


Graph signals offer a very generic and natural representation for data that lives on networks or irregular structures. The actual data structure is however often unknown a priori but can sometimes be estimated from the knowledge of the application domain. If this is not possible, the data structure has to be inferred from the mere signal observations. This is exactly the problem that we address in this paper, under the assumption that the graph signals can be represented as a sparse linear combination of a few atoms of a structured graph dictionary. The dictionary is constructed on polynomials of the graph Laplacian, which can sparsely represent a general class of graph signals composed of localized patterns on the graph. We formulate a graph learning problem, whose solution provides an ideal fit between the signal observations and the sparse graph signal model. As the problem is non-convex, we propose to solve it by alternating between a signal sparse coding and a graph update step. We provide experimental results that outline the good graph recovery performance of our method, which generally compares favourably to other recent network inference algorithms.


The enormous growth during the last decade of outer space operations like direct broadcasting by satellite and the exploration of natural resources by remote sensing satellites have brought space law into dramatic prominence among the fields of international law. International, because the fundamental principle of space law since the cornerstone Outer Space Law of 1967 clearly requires that outer space and celestial bodies are free for exploration and use by all states in conformity with international law and are not subject to national appropriation. It is in light of the many new considerations now falling under the scope of international law because of their connection with space that this new edition of the best-known handbook in the field now appears.Among the many salient issues the legal implications of which are covered in this third edition are the following: the boundary problem arising because state sovereignty can no longer be accepted as unlimited in its vertical projection; prior consent of states to whom information is transmitted or whose territories have been sensed by satellites; beneficial or adverse effects on the environment caused inter alia by solar power satellites; increasing commercialization and privatization of outer space; space tourism; development of liability regimes for eventual commercial spaceflights; and, space traffic management. It also covers the increasing use of orbits, particularly the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Geostationary Orbit (GSO); the need for specific definition of vague terms like province of all mankind and peaceful purposes; search and rescue operations and the rescue and return of astronauts; liability for damage caused by space objects; purpose and functioning of spacecraft registration; and, the Moon Agreement and the common heritage of mankind.The latest developments in the field are closely monitored to provide the most updated information. Lawyers, students, and various businesses (especially in the telecommunications and aerospace industries) will find all the concise but comprehensive orientation and guidance needed to understand and deal with the legal problems and practical consequences arising from the main space treaties.


This contribution aims to focus on the change in interpersonal relations provoked by Internet-led changes in distant communication on one hand, and the availability of electronic/digital information for research and clinical practice on the other.
The statements ("axioms") of the important book "Pragmatics of Human Communication "by P.Watzlawick and his colleagues offer a very useful insight into the understanding of our behaviour.
In the light of this theory some aspects of our day to day interpersonal relations are considered, both in term of how we relate to the medical library users, and also considering the interpersonal communication of library staff.
In particular in this paper the following aspects are analysed:
a. change in the workplace: the physical and the virtual library
b. change in the relations with the users
c. change in the relations with the staff in the library
In conclusion some suggestions are given to improve communication and the visibility of our professional work.


As shown in recent research, deep neural networks can perfectly fit randomly labeled data, but with very poor accuracy on held out data. This phenomenon indicates that loss functions such as cross-entropy are not a reliable indicator of generalization. This leads to the crucial question of how generalization gap should be predicted from the training data and network parameters. In this paper, we propose such a measure, and conduct extensive empirical studies on how well it can predict the generalization gap. Our measure is based on the concept of margin distribution, which are the distances of training points to the decision boundary. We find that it is necessary to use margin distributions at multiple layers of a deep network. On the CIFAR-10 and the CIFAR-100 datasets, our proposed measure correlates very strongly with the generalization gap. In addition, we find the following other factors to be of importance: normalizing margin values for scale independence, using characterizations of margin distribution rather than just the margin (closest distance to decision boundary), and working in log space instead of linear space (effectively using a product of margins rather than a sum). Our measure can be easily applied to feedforward deep networks with any architecture and may point towards new training loss functions that could enable better generalization.


Avenida de La Marina is on the edge of the sea in a town on the edge of Spain, a nation on the edge of Europe. Its people are on the edge, too, of desperation and poverty. Ahmed and Rachid, the first characters we meet, have been on that edge since Esteban closed his carpentry shop for lack of business. Ahmed, who makes a little money as a busboy, has been listening to fundamentalists who are convinced that the Spanish are out for Muslim blood: "Abdeljaq had celebrated the bombings at Atocha station. He said he could see the face of Allah more clearly in the sky." Ahmed is just as resentful of rich Muslims as he is of the Europeans all around him—indeed, everyone in this book is resentful of anyone who has it better than they do. Meanwhile, the little town also swarms with Latin Americans, searching as well for better lives and certainly not finding them. There's some small common cause, but it's tentative and tenuous: "Because it's on my way," says one, "I usually buy coriander in that Arab greengrocer's next to the halal butcher. I would never buy meat from that butcher, of course." Esteban seethes with resentment of the newcomers, as do other españoles who tolerated them when things were good. Says one, queuing up for the dole, "just take a look at them— it's frightening. Gypsies, Romanians, Colombians, Italian mafia, Russians. Riffraff the lot of them." Prostitution, drug addiction, alcoholism: not much happens in Chirbes' pages, which are long instead on atmospherics, vitriol, and an attention to journalistic detail worthy of Orwell. There's a Spoon-River-with-flamenco quality to the proceedings as characters well up to talk, mostly indignantly and unhappily, mostly in monologue; from time to time their stories intersect, but more often they simply talk past one another.


External parameters such as temperature, pressure, and concentration are typically used to control chemical transformations in molecules and materials. Many classes of inorganic materials are also responsive to external stimuli, such as electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields. This Review article will explore examples of how light can guide the growth of metal and semiconductor nanostructures. Plasmon excitation in metals and electronic excitation in semiconductors mediate interfacial charge-transfer reactions to alter the growth rates of these materials at the nanoscale. Light-driven growth of inorganic materials provides a route to achieve morphological control over colloidal particles and nanostructured films for potential applications in solar energy conversion, photonic computing, and holography.


SynopsisThe primary object of the investigation is to derive a convergent series for the period of the bifilar pendulum corresponding to any feasible finite amplitude of vibration. The material is conveniently divided in three parts. In part (a) attention is called to the unsatisfactory state of the literature of the problem. Then a set of rigorous equations are given which lead to a hyperelliptic integral as the formula for the period.In part (b) this integral is expanded into two related series which depend upon a fundamental series the law of development of which is evident. It is shown that the second and third approximation terms of the two final series may be either independently or simultaneously positive, or zero, or negative. Numerical illustrations are then presented.In part (c) the domain of convergence of the series is discussed and shown to depend upon points lying between certain straight and parabolic lines in a Cartesian diagram.


Abstract. To advance our understanding of the stratosphere, high quality observational datasets of the upper atmosphere are needed. It is commonplace that reanalysis is used to conduct stratospheric studies. However the accuracy of the standard reanalysis at these heights is hard to infer due to a lack of in-situ measurements. Satellite measurements provide one source of temperature information. As some satellite information is already assimilated into reanalyses, the direct comparison of satellite temperatures to the reanalysis is not truly independent. Stratospheric lidars use Rayleigh scattering to measure density in the upper atmosphere, allowing temperature profiles to be derived for altitudes from 30 km (where Mie scattering due to stratospheric aerosols becomes negligible) to 80–90 km (where the signal-to-noise begins to drop rapidly). The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) contains several lidars at different latitudes that have measured atmospheric temperatures since the 1970s, resulting in a long running upper-stratospheric temperature dataset. These temper1ature datasets are useful for validating reanalysis datasets in the stratosphere, as they are not assimilated into reanalyses. Here we take stratospheric temperature data from lidars in the northern hemisphere for winter months between 1990–2017 and compare them with the European Centre for ECMWF's ERA-interim and ERA-5 reanalyses. To give confidence in any bias found, temperature data from NASA's EOS Microwave Limb Sounder is also compared to ERA-interim and ERA-5 at points over the lidar sites. In ERA-interim a cold bias of −3 to −4 K between 10 hPa and 1 hPa is found when compared to both measurement 15 systems. Comparisons with ERA-5 found a small bias of magnitude 1 K which varies between cold and warm bias with height between 10 hPa and 3 hPa, indicating a good thermal representation of the upper atmosphere to 3 hPa. At heights above this, comparisons with EOS MLS yield a slight warm bias and the temperature lidar yield a cold bias. A further comparison is undertaken to see the effects of the assimilation of the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A satellite data and the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate GPS Radio Occulation (COSMIC GPSRO) data on stratospheric temperatures. By comparing periods before and after the introduction of each data source it is clear that COSMIC GPSRO improves the cold bias in the 3 hPa to 0.5 hPa altitude range.


This study addresses the issue of intergenerational transmission of democratic values embedded in social choice rules. We focus on a few rules which have been the focus of social choice theory: plurality, plurality with a runoff, majoritarian compromise, social compromise and Borda rule. We confront subjects with preferences profiles of a hypothetical electorate over a set of four alternatives. Different rules produce different outcomes and subjects decide which alternative should be chosen for the society whose preference profile is shown. We elicit each subject's preferences over rules and his/her parents' and check whether there is any relationship; 186 students and their parents attended the sessions at Istanbul Bilgi University. Overall, we find support for the hypothesis of parental transmission of democratic values and gender differences in the transmitted rule.


The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) H-106 maintenance experiment and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) of Pavement Maintenance Materials Test Sites project studied two distinct asphalt concrete (AC) crack treatments: transverse crack sealing and longitudinal crack filling. Both activities are performed frequently in order to extend pavement life by preventing or substantially reducing the infiltration of water into the pavement structure. Highway agencies use different materials and methods to treat cracks in AC pavements, and some of these treatments are inherently better than others; however, the relative effectiveness of a treatment often depends on the situations or conditions under which they are used. The primary objective of the H-106/LTM crack treatment experiment, then, was to determine the most effective and economical materials and methods for conducting crack sealing and crack filling operations. Secondary objectives included the identification of both performance-related material tests and quicker, safer installation practices. This report documents the entire AC crack treatment study, including the installation of 31 unique crack treatments (i.e., combinations of sealant/filler materials and installation method) at 5 different test sites, the laboratory testing of experimental sealant/filler materials, and the 7-year performance monitoring of the various crack treatments. It also discusses the results of comprehensive statistical analyses conducted on material performance and laboratory testing data. The results of a detailed cost-effectiveness analysis are also presented.


Background: Breast cancer is one of the most serious and life taking etiologies of the present time. The cause and treatment of breast cancer still remains the major concern of medical and health sciences. The Vitex agnus also known as Vitex agnus castus(VAC) or Vitex nirgundi is used for many reproductive problems of females and widely used for the treatment of pre-menstrual stress syndrome and cyclical breast pain. The Vitex agnus extract is used in the present study to see its anticancer effect in mammary tumors. The objective of the study was to investigate the in-vivo anticancer effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Vitex agnus in ameliorating the mammary tumor of the SD rats. Methodology: A 30 day old inbred Sprague dawley (SD) female rats of body weight 70-80 grams were taken for this study. The rats were induced with MNU for mammary tumor development. After the development of palpable and visible tumor the rats were given a hydroalcoholic extract of Vitex agnus. Serum MDA and GSH were measured to check the pro and antioxidant potential of Vitex agnus . Results: Histopathological findings showed the regression features in the tumor of the rats treated with Vitex agnus extract indicating the positive treatment of mammary tumor and improved oxidative status of the tissue was evident by increase in the levels of GSH and decreased levels of serum MDA levels which in turn is an indicator of reduced oxidative stress of the tissue. Conclusion: Therefore, this study suggests that Vitex agnus extract can be useful for the treatment as well as improvement of oxidative status of the mammary tumor tissue. Key words: Breast Cancer, Vitex agnus Castus, Histopathology, GSH, MDA, Sprague Dawley.


Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between job strain and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in Denmark, while accounting for changes of job strain. Methods: We included all employees residing in Denmark in 2000, aged 30–59 years with no prevalent CHD (N=1 660 150). We determined exposure to job strain from 1996–2009 using a job exposure matrix (JEM) with annual updates. Follow-up for incident CHD was from 2001–2010 via linkage to health records. We used Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between job strain and incident CHD. Results: During 16.1 million person-years, we identified 24 159 incident CHD cases (15.0 per 10 000 person-years). After adjustment for covariates, job strain in 2000 predicted onset of CHD during a mean follow-up of 9.71 years (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07–1.13). When analyzing changes in job strain from one year to the next and CHD in the subsequent year, persistent job strain (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10), onset of job strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.29) and removal of strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.28) were associated with higher CHD incidence compared to persistent no job strain. Associations were similar among men and women. Conclusions: Job strain is associated with a higher risk of incident CHD in Denmark. As we used a JEM, we can rule out reporting bias. However, under- or overestimation of associations is possible due to non-differential misclassification of job strain and residual confounding by socioeconomic position.


Ageing society opens up enormous economic potential. Whereas for a long time social interpretation homed in on the doomsday scenarios of demographic change, it is the economic potential that is now emerging with increasing clarity. Information and communication technologies stand a good chance of benefiting from this trend. Older people are not intrinsically technology refuseniks, as evidenced by the growing number of silver agers using the internet. Successful products will be far removed from disenfranchisement and stigmatisation. The challenge to product developers and marketing strategists is to create age-appropriate offers that older people do not perceive as encroaching on their autonomy or pointing up their physical infirmities. Particularly promising are offers enabling barrier-free use without seeming like segregational solutions for specific age groups. User friendliness, value systems and the legal framework are currently stymieing yet wider success. Technical fascination aside, the business potential hinges directly on regulations concerning data protection, teletreatment and cost reimbursement, on user friendliness and society's attitude towards the application of robotics in medicine and healthcare. The tasks involved are enormous. Product developers, marketing strategists, physicians, nurses and carers, politicians and older people in need of help themselves must be prepared to take the new routes. Assistance systems, e-Health and health games benefit from demographic change. The range of offers is highly diversified. They extend from 'intelligent' tablet dispensers, emergency bio sensor technology in motor vehicles and motion sensor technology through tele-monitoring and online consultations to brain jogging and exercise games.


Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon have been proven to be very interesting for low cost thin film photovoltaic devices. Usually these two materials are deposited using the same large area plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactors from silane and hydrogen gases. The transition from amorphous deposition regime to microcrystalline deposition regime is generally done by reducing the silane concentration in the input gas flow and the optimum deposition parameters to achieve high performance device stands just at the transition between the two microstructures. In the present work, a study of the transition width from amorphous to microcrystalline silicon is presented as a function of the input silane concentration. It is shown that the higher the input silane concentration, the wider is the microstructure transition. As a consequence, the process is less sensitive to fluctuations of the silane concentration when silane concentrations higher than 10 % are used and better uniformity and reproducibility can be then achieved.


Because a nurse's structured spiritual care may be different from that of a nursing student, the motivation of this study was to explore the definition of spirituality from the BSN students. This narrative study was supported by National Research Grant (MOST 103-2511-S-242 -001) with IRB approving by number FYH-IRB- 103-08-02 and conducted a teaching model of a spiritual nursing course for BSN program from August, 2014 to July, 2015. For BSN program, 36 nursing students would like to sign the consent form with 64.2% participating in the study out of 56 samples. The categories for the definition of spirituality included themselves, others, faith, soul, integration as well as the skills of listening, empathy, and accompanying for understanding the empty spaces of others and trying best to fulfill those spaces. The final definition of spirituality from the BSN students was the relationship among themselves, others, faith, soul. This study only explored the definition of spirituality, but lack of studies on the spiritual care from the nursing student's point of view. Since the literature has indicated the difficult teaching of spiritual care on nursing students due to many different factors, the author suggested to develop the nursing curriculum of training nursing students to self-aware and develop own and the patients's spiritual care by using various teaching strategies and activities.


The presence of a small parameter can reduce the complexity of the stability analysis of pattern solutions. This reduction manifests itself through the complex-analytic Evans function, which vanishes on the spectrum of the linearization about the pattern. For certain 'slowly linear' prototype models it has been shown, via geometric arguments, that the Evans function factorizes in accordance with the scale separation. This leads to asymptotic control over the spectrum through simpler, lower-dimensional eigenvalue problems.

Recently, the geometric factorization procedure has been generalized to homoclinic pulse solutions in slowly nonlinear reaction-di
ffusion systems. In this thesis we study periodic pulse solutions in the slowly nonlinear regime. This seems a straightforward extension. However, the geometric factorization method fails and due to translational invariance there is a curve of spectrum attached to the origin, whereas for homoclinic pulses there is only a simple eigenvalue residing at 0.

We develop an alternative, analytic factorization method that works for periodic structures in the slowly nonlinear setting. We derive explicit formulas for the factors of the Evans function, which yields asymptotic spectral control. Moreover, we obtain a leading-order expression for the critical spectral curve attached to origin. Together these approximation results lead to explicit stability criteria.


Innovations in traffic signal systems have generated a great deal of interest in the provision of preferential traffic signal strategies and treatments for transit buses and other vehicles at signalized intersections in cities of all sizes. The primary objective of this paper is three fold: 1) to synthesize the literature of the lessons learned associated with planning and deploying transit signal priority (TSP) strategies in small and medium-sized cities; 2) to demonstrate the application of a micro-simulation model, VISSIM, to assess transit priority impacts in small and medium-sized communities where the required VISSIM input data are often limited; and 3) to present guidelines to aid traffic engineers and transit planners who are considering TSP strategies in small and medium-sized cities. An underlying aim of this paper is to recognize the differences in transit priority planning and deployment in small and medium-sized cities as compared to major metropolitan areas.


The orphan receptor NR4A1 inhibits TGF-β signaling and is inactivated in fibrotic diseases. Fibrosis occurs when transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) signaling is not attenuated after wound healing and fibroblasts remain activated, resulting in tissue scarring. The mechanisms that turn off TGF-β signaling after wound healing and inhibit this pathway in general are not well-understood. Palumbo-Zerr et al. noted that the abundance of the orphan receptor NR4A1 (nuclear receptor 4A1) was increased at the mRNA and protein levels in the fibrotic skin of patients with systemic sclerosis and in the skin of mice overexpressing a constitutively active TGF-β receptor type I (TBRI), which are a model for fibrosis. TGF-β stimulated the increased expression of NR4A1 through a complex containing the transcriptional effectors SMAD3, SMAD4, and SP1. Global Nr4a1 deficiency enhanced the expression of TGF-β target genes and fibrosis in mice overexpressing TBRI, as well as in other mouse models of fibrosis, including pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin. Nr4a1-/- fibroblasts deposited more collagen and had greater expression of markers of myofibroblast differentiation in response to TGF-β compared to wild-type fibroblasts. TGF-β triggered the binding of NR4A1 to SP1 at SP1-binding sites in the promoter of COL1A1, which encodes a type I collagen. NR4A1-mediated repression of TGF-β target genes, including COL1A1, was reduced by knockdown of the transcriptional corepressors SIN3A (swi-independent-3 transcription regulator A) and REST corpressor-1, the histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), or the lysine-specific demethylase 1A (KDM1A; also known as LSD1). Phosphorylation of Ser351 inhibits NR4A1, and was higher in fibrotic human skin samples than in normal human skin samples. NR4A1 phosphorylation also increased with time in fibroblasts chronically exposed to TGF-β, and in the skin of mice overexpressing TBRI, an effect that required various histone deacetylases and AKT. Phosphorylated NR4A1 did not bind to SP1. The NR4A1 agonist Csn-B reduced the expression of TGF-β target genes and decreased skin fibrosis in mice overexpressing TBRI or pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice, as well as decreasing fibrosis in other mouse models. Thus, TGF-β signaling increases the expression of the gene encoding an inhibitor, a negative feedback loop that is attenuated in fibrotic diseases. K. Palumbo-Zerr, P. Zerr, A. Distler, J. Fliehr, R. Mancuso, J. Huang, D. Mielenz, M. Tomcik, B. G. Fürnrohr, C. Scholtysek, C. Dees, C. Beyer, G. Krönke, D. Metzger, O. Distler, G. Schett, J. H. W. Distler, Orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 regulates transforming growth factor-β signaling and fibrosis. Nat. Med. 21, 150–158 (2015). [PubMed]


Mutual information is a widely used similarity measure for aligning multimodal medical images. At its core it relies on the computation of a discrete joint histogram, which itself requires image samples for its estimation. In this paper we study the influence of the sampling process. We show that quasi-random sampling based on Halton sequences outperforms methods based on regular sampling or on random sampling. Our results suggest that sampling itself—and not interpolation, as was previously believed— is the source of two major problems associated with mutual information: the grid effect, whereby grid-aligning transformations are favored, and the overlap problem, whereby the similarity measure exhibits discontinuities. Both defects tend to impede the accuracy of registration; they also result in reduced robustness because of the presence of local optima. By estimating the joint histogram by quasi-random sampling, we solve both issues at the same time.


We attempt to model and visualize the main characteristics of cracks produced on the surface of a desiccating crusted soil: their patterns, their different widths and depths and their dynamics of creation and evolution. In this purpose we propose a method to dynamically produce three‐dimensional (3D) quasi‐static fractures, which takes into account the characteristics of the soil. The main originality of this method is the use of a 3D discrete propagation of 'shrinkage volumes' with respect to 2D precalculated paths. In order to get realistic cracks, we newly propose to take into account a possibly inhomogeneous thickness of the shrinking layer by using a watershed transformation to compute these paths. Moreover, we use the waterfall algorithm in order to introduce in our simulation a hierarchy notion in the cracks appearance, which is therefore linked with the initial structure of the surface. In this paper, this method is presented in detail and a validation of the cracks patterns by a comparison with real ones is given.


Making small robots stick Aerial views offer the chance to observe a wide range of terrain at once, but they come at the cost of needing to stay aloft. Graule et al. found that electrostatic forces could keep their insect-sized flying robot stuck to the underside of a range of surfaces (see the Perspective by Kovac). They mounted an electrostatically charged pad to the top of their robot, which could then reversibly stick to existing elevated perches—including a leaf—using less power than would be needed for sustained flight. Science, this issue p. 978; see also p. 895 Electrostatic adhesion enables a robotic insect to efficiently perch on and take off from natural and artificial structures. For aerial robots, maintaining a high vantage point for an extended time is crucial in many applications. However, available on-board power and mechanical fatigue constrain their flight time, especially for smaller, battery-powered aircraft. Perching on elevated structures is a biologically inspired approach to overcome these limitations. Previous perching robots have required specific material properties for the landing sites, such as surface asperities for spines, or ferromagnetism. We describe a switchable electroadhesive that enables controlled perching and detachment on nearly any material while requiring approximately three orders of magnitude less power than required to sustain flight. These electroadhesives are designed, characterized, and used to demonstrate a flying robotic insect able to robustly perch on a wide range of materials, including glass, wood, and a natural leaf.


We study the role of firms in the political economy of trade agreements. Using detailed information from lobbying reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, we find that virtually all firms that lobby on free trade agreements (FTAs) support their ratification. Moreover, relative to non-lobbying firms, lobbying firms are larger, and more likely to be engaged in international trade and to operate in comparative advantage sectors. To rationalize these findings, we develop a model in which heterogeneous firms decide whether to lobby and how much to spend in favor or against a proposed FTA. We show that the distributional effects are asymmetric: the winners from the FTA have higher stakes in the agreement than the losers, which explains why only pro-FTA firms select into lobbying. The model also delivers predictions on the intensive margin of lobbying. In line with these predictions, we find that firms spend more supporting agreements that generate larger potential gains - in terms of the extent of the reduction of tariffs on their final goods and intermediate inputs, the depth of the agreement, and the export and sourcing potential of the FTA partners - and when politicians are less likely to be in favor of ratification.


This paper proposes a methodology that explores the tradeoff between increasing component reliability and utilizing component redundancy as the strategy to meet space transportation reliability requirements. This technique would be employed by design engineers to make decisions about a reliability approach. The tradeoff between component redundancy and making parts more reliable warrants more investigation. System level reliability decisions are being made without a thorough exploration of cost saving opportunities. The impact of using redundancy on a system, including how it affects metrics such as development and operations cost, is presented. Additionally, there is little understood about the resources required to improve component reliability to acceptable levels. The process of making parts more reliable is studied and quantified. To incorporate the uncertainty that exists from reliability applications, a stochastic approach is used. Case studies of historical space systems are presented to demonstrate how this methodology is applicable. The findings show how a different reliability approach may have resulted in significant cost reductions. Conclusions are drawn about how to best meet reliability requirements while remaining within strict budgetary guidelines.


The purlin-sheeting system has been the subject of numerous theoretical and experimental investigations over the past 30 years, but the complexity of the problem has led to great difficulty in developing a sound and general model. The primary aim of the thesis is to investigate the failure behaviours of cold-formed zed and channel sections for use in purlin-sheeting systems. Both the energy method and finite strip method are used to develop an approach to investigate cold-formed zed and channel section beams with partial-lateral restraint from the metal sheeting when subjected to a uniformly distributed transverse load. The stress analysis of cold-formed zed and channel section beams with partially-lateral restraint from the metal sheeting when subjected to a uniformly distributed transverse load is investigated firstly by using the analytical model based on the energy method in which the restraint actions of the sheeting are modelled by using two springs representing the translational and rotational restraints. The numerical results have showed that the two springs have significantly different influences on the stresses of the beams. The influence of the two springs has also been found to depend on the anti-sag bar and the position of the loading line. A novel method is presented for analysing the elastic local buckling behaviour of cold-formed zed and channel section beams with partial-lateral restraint from metal sheeting when subjected to a uniformly distributed transverse load, which is carried out by inputting the cross sectional stresses with the largest compressive stress into the finite strip analysis. By using the presented novel method, individual influences of warning stress, partially lateral restraints from the sheeting and the dimensions of the cross section and position of the loading line on the buckling behaviour are investigated.


This paper was included in the ninth issue of Excavations, Surveys and
Heritage Management in Victoria and was presented at the annual Victorian
Archaeology Colloquium held at La Trobe University on 1 February 2020.


This letter deals with the problem of nondata-aided carrier frequency offset estimation of noncircular modulations transmitted through unknown frequency-selective channels. By exploiting the unconjugated cyclostationary statistics induced by oversampling in the received waveform, an optimized carrier frequency offset estimator is proposed and its asymptotic (large sample) performance analyzed. In order for the proposed frequency estimator to achieve the minimum mean-square estimation error, it is shown that the oversampling rate need not be larger than twice the symbol rate. It is also shown that the proposed synchronizer is asymptotically jitter-free, admits a feedforward structure that may be implemented in digital form, and is suitable for burst transmissions.


Background. Statins are an important part of the treatment plan for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, patients who are prescribed statins often take less than the prescribed amount or stop taking the drug altogether. This suboptimal adherence may decrease the benefit of statin initiation. Objective. To estimate the influence of adherence on the optimal timing of statin initiation for patients with type 2 diabetes. Method. The authors use a Markov decision process (MDP) model to optimize the treatment decision for patients with type 2 diabetes. Their model incorporates a Markov model linking adherence to treatment effectiveness and long-term health outcomes. They determine the optimal time of statin initiation that minimizes expected costs and maximizes expected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results. In the long run, approximately 25% of patients remain highly adherent to statins. Based on the MDP model, generic statins lower costs in men and result in a small increase in costs in women relative to no treatment. Patients are able to noticeably increase their expected QALYs by 0.5 to 2 years depending on the level of adherence. Conclusions. Adherence-improving interventions can increase expected QALYs by as much as 1.5 years. Given suboptimal adherence to statins, it is optimal to delay the start time for statins; however, changing the start time alone does not lead to significant changes in costs or QALYs.


PURPOSE
To present our experience with helical computed tomographic (CT) arteriography as the initial diagnostic examination in patients suspected to have focal arterial injuries of the proximal extremities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
During 19 months, 142 arterial segments in the proximal portions of the extremities of 139 patients with trauma were evaluated with helical CT arteriography. CT arteriograms were interpreted on site by the radiologist in charge of emergency procedures and retrospectively with consensus interpretation between two radiologists. CT study quality and the presence of arterial injuries were noted. CT arteriographic findings were compared with those of surgery, conventional arteriography, and/or clinical follow-up.

RESULTS
Five (3.6%) patients had nondiagnostic studies and underwent conventional arteriography. In the remaining 137 arterial segments in 134 patients, helical CT arteriography demonstrated arterial injuries in 61 segments and normal arteries in 76 segments. These segments were treated initially with surgery (55 segments) or endovascular intervention (four segments) or were observed (78 segments); 77 of the 78 observed segments remained stable at 3-18 months (mean follow-up, 5.2 months). There were no differences between the on-site and consensus interpretations (kappa = 1.0). The sensitivity of CT arteriography was 95.1%, and the specificity was 98.7%.

CONCLUSION
Helical CT arteriography can be performed as the initial diagnostic method in most patients suspected to have focal arterial injuries of the proximal portions of the extremities.


Seventy one species of amphibians (55 salamanders, 16 anurans) and 46 species of reptiles (15 turtles, 8 lizards, 23 snakes) inhabit a five state area (Kentucky, Nort:11 Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) in the southern Appalachian region bordered by the Potomac River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the western margin of the Appalachian Plateau. Of these, 4 7.9% of the amphibian fauna and 52.2% of the reptilian fauna are listed as being of conservation concern by federal, state, and Natural Heritage programs in all or a portion of their ranges in this region. The Shenandoal1 salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is listed as Endangered and the Cheat Mountain salamander (Plethodon nettingi) is listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Nine others are classified as federal species at risk. State endangered species number 1-3 (per state), threatened 1-4, and special concern or declining 6-19. Three to 6 species per state are additionally listed as natural heritage Sl and 2-13 as S2. We review the existing and potential threats to species and populations (e.g., timbering, urbanization, collection for the wildlife trade, acid precipitation, introduced species) and provide an assessment of the conservation status of the southern Appalachian herpetofauna based on land ownership. Presented in the Appalachian Biogeography Symposium, June 25-29, 1995, 14 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE


"This paper finds that standard asset pricing models fail to explain the significantly negative delta hedging errors that occur as a result of the purchase of options on foreign exchange futures. Foreign exchange volatility does influence stock returns, however. The volatility of the JPY/USD exchange rate predicts the time series of stock returns and is priced in the cross-section of stock returns." Copyright (c) 2008 Financial Management Association International..


We used a dense seismic network to test the P / S amplitude ratio discriminant for earthquakes and explosions at distances from 20 to 200 km in a complex tectonic setting. We used data from several hundred seismic stations in northern Wyoming to observe 22 earthquakes, 37 mining blasts, and 24 borehole shots and compared their P / S amplitude ratios. Frequencies of 6–8 Hz and above achieved the best discrimination results for single‐shot borehole explosions, whereas 6–8 and 8–10 Hz passbands were best for mining blasts. The P / S method appears valid for 50–200 km but fails at distances <50  km. Geologic heterogeneities and path effects have a large effect on amplitude measurements, even after magnitude and distance amplitude corrections are applied. Geologic boundaries between source and receiver that cause sharp lateral discontinuities in seismic velocity can alter the measured P / S ratio, to the point that an event could be misidentified. The source geology is a factor as well, with noticeable amplitude differences between shots in bedrock and shots in sediment. We tested the discrimination performance of the average log( P / S ) values of a network of seismometers, which should reduce the discrimination errors caused by these heterogeneities relative to a single station, by bootstrapping the single‐station measurements over varying sample sizes. We found that averaging three or four stations achieved significantly better discrimination than just one or two stations. Finally, we corrected the signal amplitude to remove prephase noise to improve P / S discrimination results. This shows promise for improving event discrimination with only simple corrections.

Online Material: Table of event information and figure showing waveforms overlaid with amplitude windows.


The distribution of wintering humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, was investigated during the 1997-2002 period with most data coming from dedicated small boat surveys. In complement, sightings were collected systematically during an opportunistic large vessel survey in 1999, and a sighting program was set up with the French Armed Forces in 2001 and 2002. Every year, dedicated surveys were organized on a 12-m sailboat during the September to November period: a three-observer standard sighting protocol was maintained, with systematic hydrophone sampling to detect singing males. Surveys took place in the Society Islands (the Societies) (1997-2002), Australes Islands (1999 and 2000), Marquesas Islands (2000), and Tuamotu Archipelago (2002). These surveys totaled 12,695 km of effective effort and 2,594 acoustic samples. A total of 129 on-effort sightings were collected, with groups numbering up to six animals, including a calf or juvenile, on 38 occasions. Singers were detected acoustically in three archipelagos, averaging 20.7% of hydrophone stations, with a maximum of 27.0% (Windward group of the Societies) and a minimum of 9.4% in the Tuamotu; no whale was heard in the Marquesas. Although survey effort included offshore waters, whales were mostly (83%) found less than 2 km from the shoreline. All surveyed islands sheltered at least one male humpback, and female/calf pairs were seen in three archipelagos, suggesting that mating occurs over a wide area. The extensive distribution range was confirmed by 29 complementary sightings from the Armed Forces and 17 sightings from the opportunistic survey vessel. The distribution range of whales embodies three archipelagos and a total area of nearly 2,000,000 km 2 , but humpback whales are marginally present in the Marquesas. The sighting rate for individuals were estimated for inshore waters of different archipelagos from visual data: a maximum of 1.54 whale/100 km was found in the Windward Islands, 1.48 whale/ 100 km in the Australes, 0.72 in the Tuamotu, and a minimum of 0.35 whale/100 km around the Leeward Islands. These results suggest that humpback whales winter around more than 84 islands in French Polynesia, mostly away from scientific monitoring.


Some companies think that adopting devops means bringing in specialists or a host of new tools. With this practical guide, youll learn why devops is a professional and cultural movement that calls for change from inside your organization. Authors Katherine Daniels and Jennifer Davis provide several approaches for improving collaboration within teams, creating affinity among teams, promoting efficient tool usage in your company, and scaling up what works throughout your organizations inflection points. Devops stresses iterative efforts to break down information silos, monitor relationships, and repair misunderstandings that arise between and within teams in your organization. By applying the actionable strategies in this book, you can make sustainable changes in your environment regardless of your level within your organization. Explore the foundations of devops and learn the four pillars of effective devopsEncourage collaboration to help individuals work together and build durable and long-lasting relationships Create affinity among teams while balancing differing goals or metrics Accelerate cultural direction by selecting tools and workflows that complement your organization Troubleshoot common problems and misunderstandings that can arise throughout the organizational lifecycleLearn from case studies from organizations and individuals to help inform your own devops journey


Japanese gods, too numerous to count, are known collectively as yaoyorozu-no-kamigami-the eight million. They are the cast of a vast, complex mythology that encompasses two religions, three cultures, and three millennia, one whose ancient deities are still hard at work today. Handbook of Japanese Mythology makes it easy to travel this vast yet little-known mythological landscape. The book reveals the origins of Japan's myths in the very different realms of Buddhism, Shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the Ainu and Okinawan cultures and recent myths arising from Japan's encounters with modernization. It then offers vivid retellings of the central Shinto and Buddhist myths, plus descriptions of major historical figures, icons, rituals, and events. For students or long-time enthusiasts, it is the ideal guide for investigating Japanese reverence for the sun, the imperial family, and the virtues of purity and loyalty. Readers will also learn why sumo wrestlers stomp before each match, how a fussy baby creates thunder, why Japan has a god for soccer, and much more.


A sweet slipstream stew, a call and response to Hemingway's In Our Time, Geoff Schmidt's debut collection Out of Time is a meditation on meaning and mortality, and the ways that story and the imagined life can sustain us. In these stories, vengeful infants destroy and rebuild the world, rivalrous siblings and their mother encounter witches and ghosts and the possessed, Barack Obama and Keith Richards smoke their last cigarettes, men and women with cancer variously don gorilla suits or experience all time simultaneously. Time is running out for all of the people in these stories, yet the power of language, the human ability to tell, to imagine and invent, is a redemptive force. "The stories in Out of Time chase after the secrets and sorrows of families, revealing the lengths people will go, and the harm they will do, to keep their worlds together. These characters are not crazy, they are in love and afraid. Geoff Schmidt writes a lucid, new mythology in prose that's limned with fear and awe. To read these stories is to feel the force and urgency of a new and vital literary voice."—Ben Marcus, author of Age of Wire and String, and judge


We describe the structure and application of an acoustic room simulator to generate large-scale simulated data for training deep neural networks for far-field speech recognition. The system simulates millions of different room dimensions, a wide distribution of reverberation time and signal-to-noise ratios, and a range of microphone and sound source locations. We start with a relatively clean training set as the source and artificially create simulated data by randomly sampling a noise configuration for every new training example. As a result, the acoustic model is trained using examples that are virtually never repeated. We evaluate performance of this approach based on room simulation using a factored complex Fast Fourier Transform (CFFT) acoustic model introduced in our earlier work, which uses CFFT layers and LSTM AMs for joint multichannel processing and acoustic modeling. Results show that the simulator-driven approach is quite effective in obtaining large improvements not only in simulated test conditions, but also in real / rerecorded conditions. This room simulation system has been employed in training acoustic models including the ones for the recently released Google Home.


The United States Constitution is currently the subject of a heated political debate. Tea Party activists have invoked the constitution as the foundation of their conservative political philosophy. These activists are engaged in "popular originalism," using popular constitutionalism, constitutional interpretation outside of the courts, to invoke originalism as constitutional method. The Tea Party movement thus highlights the relationship between originalism and popular constitutionalism, two prominent trends in constitutional theory. Both fields study legal history to illuminate constitutional meaning, but originalists and popular constitutionalists draw diverging lessons from that history. Originalists look to history to determine fixed original meaning, which they hold to be binding on contemporary interpreters regardless of subsequent historical or political developments. Popular constitutionalists study how constitutional interpretation has been influenced by historical developments, and explore the use of constitutional theory to bolster constitutional arguments. This essay explores the convergence and divergence between originalism and popular constitutionalism, and questions whether popular originalism is feasible given originalists' fidelity to the original text. The essay concludes by asking what popular originalism can teach about us constitutional interpretation and democracy. While modern originalism began as a critique of judicial over-reaching into the political process, it has evolved into a justification for courts to overturn democratic measures. Paradoxically, then, the popular originalism of the Tea Party may achieve its only success, not through the democratic process, but in the federal courts.


Relaying is a very promising technique to improve the reliability of data transmission in wireless (industrial) networks. With relaying, relay nodes support source nodes in carrying out retransmissions. A common assumption is that relayers should be placed at "good" positions (e.g. in the middle between source and destination) to achieve benefits. In this paper we tackle the question of whether it is strictly necessary to place relayers at "good" positions (which often requires extensive measurements). We present results indicating that the benefits of relaying are achievable even with randomly placed relayers, as long as enough of them are deployed. Specifically, we present results suggesting that with a sufficient (and still not too high) number of randomly deployed relayers, the probability that all packets, sent by source nodes to a central controller in a TDMA round, reach the controller is larger than for the case with source-only retransmissions. This finding holds true both in the absence and the presence of feedback.


Purpose: To describe the designing and implementation of a Management and Special Pharmacy Services course. Methods: According to the typology of teaching activity established by the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba a course was designed. The course was focus on the development and management of innovative practices in all areas of pharmacy practice. To assess the students' perceptions related to the course a 9-item survey was distributed to 25 students. Results: All students returned the survey. Of the respondents, 91% strongly agreed or agreed that the objectives for student learning were met and 71% agreed that the course furthered their understanding of the impact of managed care and pharmacy management, and increased their competency to practice pharmacy. Conclusion: Management education experiences such as this course will help better prepare our next generation of community and hospital pharmacy managers.


A workbook to help children work out feelings about death. Heegaard provides a practical format for allowing children to understand the concept of death and develop coping skills for life. Children, with the supervision of an adult, are invited to illustrate and personalise their loss through art. When Someone Very Special Dies encourages the child to identify support systems and personal strengths.


Complex physical tasks entail a sequence of object interactions, each with its own preconditions -- which can be difficult for robotic agents to learn efficiently solely through their own experience. We introduce an approach to discover activity-context priors from in-the-wild egocentric video captured with human worn cameras. For a given object, an activity-context prior represents the set of other compatible objects that are required for activities to succeed (e.g., a knife and cutting board brought together with a tomato are conducive to cutting). We encode our video-based prior as an auxiliary reward function that encourages an agent to bring compatible objects together before attempting an interaction. In this way, our model translates everyday human experience into embodied agent skills. We demonstrate our idea using egocentric EPIC-Kitchens video of people performing unscripted kitchen activities to benefit virtual household robotic agents performing various complex tasks in AI2-iTHOR, significantly accelerating agent learning. Project page: http://vision.cs.utexas.edu/projects/ego-rewards/


The central problem of this study was to investigate and give an understanding of the situation on the ground about the efficiency in inclusive education at the secondary school level in Kenya. The objective of this study was to find out the approaches used in handling students with special needs in integrated regular classrooms to uncover the efficiency and effectiveness of the strategies used in teaching and to evaluate these strategies. The research adopted a case study of secondary schools in Rongo district and targeted all the 34 public secondary schools in the district.· The sample consisted of 5 students with special educational needs per school. This is 10.0% of the target population. The study involved principal, teachers, students with special needs and an interview for the district education officer (DEO). Data was collected using interviews for the principals, questionnaires for the students with special needs and an interview for the education officer (DEO). Data collected was analyzed through the use of statistical package for social science (SPSS). Qualitative data was analyzed by arranging them according to the main objectives, research questions and after that inferences, conclusions and recommendations were drawn according to the research questions and objectives. The study established that school heads were facing major challenges in the implementation of inclusive designs, lack of text books for special education needs, inadequate funds and lack of trained teachers in the required special educational skills as teachers have not been trained on such skills. This has affected efficiency in the provision of inclusive education .


Viral myocarditis is a well-recognised complication of many viruses leading to subsequent cardiomyopathies (dilated type). There are limited data available with respect to dengue virus involvement, 1,2 an infection which can be asymptomatic and can lead to undifferentiated viral fever syndrome, dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic syndrome or dengue shock syndrome. Dengue has probably been endemic in Sri Lanka for a long time 3 although no cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever was reported until 1965. Now, several hundred cases a year have been reported annually from 1991. 4 The only two published articles from Sri Lanka on myocardial involvement described cardiac sequelae, diagnosed quite late, retrospectively, in the non-active phase of the illness.56 Recent epidemics of the disease in Sri Lanka led us to design a study to look at myocardial involvement in clinically and serologically confirmed cases of dengue infection.


A groundbreaking history of the FBI, from its anti-terrorist roots in the Reconstruction era to the 9/11 attacks This fast-paced history of the FBI presents the first balanced and complete portrait of the vast, powerful, and sometimes bitterly criticized American institution. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, a well-known expert on U.S. intelligence agencies, tells the bureau's story in the context of American history. Along the way he challenges conventional understandings of that story and assesses the FBI's strengths and weaknesses as an institution. Common wisdom traces the origin of the bureau to 1908, but Jeffreys-Jones locates its true beginnings in the 1870s, when Congress acted in response to the Ku Klux Klan campaign of terror against black American voters. The character and significance of the FBI derive from this original mission, the author contends, and he traces the evolution of the mission into the twenty-first century. The book makes a number of surprising observations: that the role of J. Edgar Hoover has been exaggerated and the importance of attorneys general underestimated, that splitting counterintelligence between the FBI and the CIA in 1947 was a mistake, and that xenophobia impaired the bureau's preemptive anti-terrorist powers before and after 9/11. The author concludes with a fresh consideration of today's FBI and the increasingly controversial nature of its responsibilities.


This paper examines gradients of attention in relation to aesthetic appreciation. My main claim is that we should leave open the possibility that aesthetic response might be triggered by stimulations taking place far from the centre of one's focused attention. In support of this claim I first discuss the notion of 'periphery of attention' and the challenges that it poses to contemporary psychological theories of aesthetics. I provide four criteria for differentiating between several types of attentional processes and then proceed to single out the characteristics of non-focal types of attention(-related) processes with varying intensity such as pre-attentive processing, the mere exposure effect and psychic overtones. Finally, I reassess the periphery of attention in the light of its relation to aesthetic appreciation. I hold that given certain constraints such as repeated exposure, perceptual learning, encoding in long-term memory, and possibility of retrieval, subdued, inconspicuous forms of stimulation can elicit aesthetic responses.


"Five-Plus Tools" is a scouting term that refers to a rare and elite type of amateur baseball prospect. A player with five-plus tools grades out well above average in all five skill areas, known as tools: hitting, power, running, throwing, and fielding. While most baseball fans critique players who are already on the professional level, a scout needs to find raw talent and figure out if they're the "future." In Five-Plus Tools, Dave Perkin, who was a professional scout and is currently the Major League Baseball Draft correspondent for Sports Illustrated, breaks down not only what all scouts are looking for, but also how amateur players are evaluated and recognized. Broken up into three sections, Perkin teaches the inner details of amateur scouting, using field reports on athletes he's scouted over the years. Once the understanding of what a scout looks for is understood, Perkin delves into the current major leaguers and gives scouting insight on their game, skills, and influence on the sport. Finally, the hot-button issues in baseball are covered, including such points as Sabermetrics, baseball analysis, and an explanation of why few of yesterday's heroes could succeed in modern baseball. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports--books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.


ADP-ribosylation of proteins alters their function or provides a scaffold for the recruitment of other proteins, thereby regulating several important cellular processes. Mono- or poly-ADP-ribosylation is catalyzed by different ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) that have different subcellular localizations and modify different amino acid acceptor sites. However, our knowledge of ADP-ribosylated proteins and their acceptor amino acids is still limited due to the lack of suitable mass spectrometry (MS) tools. Here, we describe an MS approach for the detection of ADP-ribosylated peptides and identification of the ADP-ribose acceptor sites, combining higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) on an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The presence of diagnostic ions of ADP-ribose in the HCD spectra allowed us to detect putative ADP-ribosylated peptides to target in a second LC-MS/MS analysis. The combination of HCD with ETD fragmentation gave a more comprehensive coverage of ADP-ribosylation sites than that with HCD alone. We successfully identified different ADP-ribose acceptor sites on several in vitro modified proteins. The combination of optimized HCD and ETD methods may be applied to complex samples, allowing comprehensive identification of ADP-ribosylation acceptor sites.


For
improving the sensor performance of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), the modification of surface properties is essential. In
this study, the surfaces of MoS2 nanoparticles with a mixture
of 1T (metallic) and 2H (semiconductor) (1T/2H-MoS2) prepared
solvothermally were modified by O2 plasma irradiation to
enhance their humidity-sensing properties. The O2 plasma
irradiation of MoS2 induced MoO3 formation on
the surfaces. The amount of MoO3 increased with increasing
O2 plasma irradiation time. The specific surface area,
as well as total pore volume, increased after O2 plasma
irradiation from 28 m2/g and 0.089 cm3/g to
185 m2/g and 0.279 cm3/g, respectively. The
pore size distribution shifted to a lower value after O2 plasma irradiation. These results suggest that the O2 plasma irradiation can modify the surface nature of 1T/2H-MoS2 nanoparticles. The humidity-sensing properties of the obtained
samples were evaluated with various relative humidity (RH) values.
When the O2 plasma-irradiated MoS2 sensor was
exposed to a higher RH, a higher response was obtained. The sensor
response of the O2 plasma-irradiated MoS2 nanoparticles
was significantly enhanced to around 100% at 95% RH compared with
the sample before the O2 plasma irradiation. As a demonstration
of a practical application, the materials were used for the sensing
of human breath. The breath testing indicated a good response, and
the sensor also distinguished wet and dry hands clearly. These results
strongly suggested that the O2 plasma-irradiated MoS2 can be applied for breath testing as well as in skin monitoring
devices.


This report presents the results of a study on asphalt pavement (RAP) mixtures. The report includes a literature review on RAP and a summary of past research. The research focuses on the use of resilient modulus and complex modulus testing to compare mixtures compacted with only virgin materials to those compacted with varying amounts of RAP. The addition of RAP makes the mixture stiffer, as evidenced by an increase in resilient modulus and complex modulus measurements, according to the research. The addition of RAP also decreases the mixture phase angle, which corresponds to an increase in the elastic properties and a decrease in the viscous mixture properties. The report includes recommendations regarding the proper temperatures and loading frequencies for use in the complex modulus test. It also gives the percentage of RAP and the respective asphalt binder grade necessary to yield the stiffness similar to a virgin mixture.


The Shuswap terrane of the northwest Cordillera owes its distinctive characteristics to deformation and high-grade regional metamorphism that occurred primarily during the Mesozoic. Within the terrane, the Monashee Complex, the overlying Selkirk allochthon, and the intervening Monashee decollement record strain and metamorphism that occurred in Middle to Late Jurassic time, during and subsequent to the accretion of a western allochthonous terrane. The Selkirk allochthon moved eastward across the Monashee Complex after emplacement of the western allochthonous terrane but before late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic telescoping of the Rocky Mountain Belt. In this latter event, the Monashee Complex and overlying allochthonous slices were transported eastward relative to the North American craton on a sole fault that developed during listric thrusting of the Rocky Mountain foreland. Synmetamorphic to late-metamorphic elongation lineations and associated fabrics of the mylonitic rocks of the Monashee decollement zone were generated by shear strain during the Middle Jurassic emplacement of the Selkirk allochthon and are not related to any upper crustal extension that occurred in the Tertiary. Uplift, normal faulting, brittle reactivation of the mylonitic decollement zone, widespread resetting of K-Ar and Rb-Sr mineral dates, and arching of the terrane are events that culminated in the Eocene.


Aim: A scoping review was conducted to map the literature related to gender equity in disability sport. Design: Six databases relevant to the sport sciences were searched, yielding an initial 1,543 records; after two phases of screening and data extraction, 61 records were selected for synthesis. Descriptive statistics were generated on information related to the record contexts, approaches, and results. Qualitative descriptive analyses were used to group data inductively into themes in line with addressing the research question. Results: Most records examined the experiences, participation, and representation of adults in elite contexts. Insights across records pointed to gender inequities in participation and experience, often influenced by the intersection of ableist and masculinity notions. Limited research also pointed to strategies that can contribute to advancing gender equity. Conclusions: Implications were discussed to advance understandings of disability sport and enhance participation across levels (e.g., coaching, athletic) and contexts (e.g., elite/Paralympic, recreational).


The study aims to assess the opportunities and challenges of the health insurance program carried out by Health Insurance Board as a social insurance program by Government of Nepal. Data have been collected through in-depth interview with 21 persons including the social health insurance policyholders, and non-policyholders who are inhabitants of Rantanagar Municipality- 6, and Bharatapur Metropolitan City- 10 of Chitwan district. Besides, experts in insurance and senior managers of insurance companies were also interviewed. It has followed the interpretive-naturalistic approach with the method of interviewing. As per the opinion of respondents HIP is effective in cost reduction of rich, and access to health service for poor. In government hospitals policyholders suffer from prolonging waiting, lack of facilities and experts and in private hospitals there is undue expenditure and discrimination in expert service. Even though the objective of the social health program is established social justice, cash-payer and insurance-payers are discriminated; corroborating the nature of neoliberal society. There are still uninsured persons because of ignorance, lack of premium, and distrust of HI service. The study suggests that HI service should be delivered through non-profit hospitals, the highest quality without discrimination of cashpayer and insurance-payer, and prolonged waiting.


Introduction: Injury to both the primary and permanent dentitions and their supporting structures is one of the most common problems. Avulsion of permanent tooth is one of the serious dental injuries and a prompt and correct emergency management is very important for prognosis. Studies evaluating medical professionals′ knowledge about tooth avulsion and its management are rare. Aim: To assess the knowledge and attitude of medical professionals working in a teaching medical hospital in Khammam Town toward management of an avulsed tooth. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted with a sample of 192 medical professionals including teaching staff, postgraduates, and house surgeons. A standard self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, which was done over a period of 1-month. Chi-square test was used for data analysis with a P < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant. Results: Among the study participants 64% were aware of the meaning of avulsed tooth. About 54% of respondents preferred saline as the best storage medium to store the tooth in case professional care is not possible immediately. There was varied opinion regarding the replantation time. In this study, 41% of the participants felt 45 min as the ideal time for replantation. Conclusion: Most of the participants showed a fair knowledge on the emergency management of an avulsed tooth and their dilemma pertaining to some aspects of this procedure that can be solved by providing required awareness and knowledge.


Language is an important aspect of communication. The success in communication is determined by the language ability, including the expressive language. Children with hearing impairment have obstacles to conduct expressive language due to the lack of auditory experience. Thus, maternal reflective method can be used to improve the expressive language ability. This method is applied in a structured natural conversation by presenting the language fairly through conversation, visualization, deposit and reflection in order to retrieve the linguistic aspects. The findings showed that the method was effective for improving the ability of expressive language. This research was conducted by the pre-test and post-test values using the Mann Whitney U test, it was obtained that U = 6 and Utab = 2 with n = 5 at a significant level of 95% and α = 0.05. As U was higher than Utab, the alternative hypothesis was accepted.


In 1984 Ronald Gilson published Value Creation by Business Lawyers: Legal Skills and Asset Pricing. It began: "What do business lawyers really do? Embarrassingly enough, at a time when lawyers are criticized with increasing frequency as nonproductive actors in the economy, there seems to be no coherent answer." He dismissed lawyers' own answer that "they 'protect' their clients, that they get their clients the 'best' deal." He also rejected the academic literature which offered a laundry list of roles the business lawyer plays: "a counselor, planner, drafter, negotiator, investigator, lobbyist, scapegoat, champion, and, most strikingly, even as a friend." Dissecting the corporate acquisition as his specimen, Gilson concluded that lawyers add value as "transaction cost engineers." In particular, lawyers bridge the parties' divergent expectations about returns on the asset to be transferred by drafting an earnout which makes the price contingent on its returns between the signing of the deal and the closing; and overcome lack of information (principally of the buyer) by arranging efficient production and verification of information. From these findings Gilson also recommended that legal education for business practice downgrade traditional subjects (like analysis of appellate cases and knowledge of relevant regulatory law) in favor of corporate finance and transaction cost economics. In the succeeding 24 years Gilson and others refined his thesis, but no one fundamentally challenged it. This literature about what corporate lawyers do (the "received model") is too narrow. This article takes a wider and deeper perspective. Part I describes the received model. Part II exposes several problems with that model. Part III offers a fuller vision showing that business lawyers perform a greater range of activities using a larger set of skills than in the received model. Although these activities and skills are extremely varied, it is less accurate to say that business lawyers are transaction cost engineers than that they are enterprise architects. Part IV discusses the implications of this revised model for legal education. It argues that, although a knowledge of corporate finance and transaction cost economics is useful for some business lawyers, it is more important that they understand the obstacles to optimizing the performance of business entities and the contractual mechanisms available to overcome these obstacles. They also need specific behavioral skills, including how to negotiate when all parties are trying to build mutual trust and confidence.