Previous studies on sprint training have shown subjects to improve not only sprint speed, but also aerobic fitness and body composition. However, it is unclear whether sprint training on the track is more effective in improving these variables compared to training on a high-speed treadmill. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week track (TR) vs. high-speed treadmill (TM) sprint training on maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), sprint speed and body composition. Twelve subjects were randomly assigned to the TR (n=6; 3 males, 3 females) or TM training group (n=6; 3 males, 3 females). All subjects performed 2 training sessions weekly, performing 4 maximal sprints with 3-4 minutes rest in between attempts. Four cones were placed along the track to simulate progression of speed to replicate treadmill conditions. TR started from an upright jog position and progressively increased speed at each cone (60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%) of maximal speed and 100% maximal speed through the recording zone (5-6 seconds). A treadmill speed test was applied increasing treadmill speed to the subjects' loss of control, while suspended in a safety harness. VO2max was measured by Parvomedics True Max 2400 metabolic cart and body composition was measured by Dual Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and after the 6 weeks of training. Treadmill sprint speed improved significantly in both groups (TR 16.36±0.54 to 17.79±0.52 miles/hr, p=0.0003; TM 17.13±0.84 to 18.63±0.93 miles/hr, p=0.0018). VO2 max was improved in both groups (TR 46.60±2.03 to 49.54±1.71 ml/kg/min, p=0.03; TM 47.59±4.152 to 51.05±4.445 ml/kg/min, p=0.04). There was no significant change in body mass index (TR 24.1±1.0 to 24.0±1.0 kg/m2; p=0.51; TM 24.5±0.7 to 24.1±0.8; p=0.30) or in lean mass (TR 44.08±3.12 to 43.80±2.62 kg; p=0.73; TM 48.41±5.29 to 44.55±7.49 kg; p=0.36) in either group. There was a significant decrease in percent body fat in the TR group (30.36±3.75 to 29.20±3.75%; p=0.01) but not in the TM group (27.83±5.50 to 27.20±5.95%; p=0.38). In summary, both the track and treadmill sprint training modalities appear to be effective to improve sprint speed and aerobic power after only 6 weeks of training. However, only track sprint training appears to be beneficial towards decreasing body fat.


Among all the environmental pollutants around people, road traffic noise plays a significant role. It is caused primarily by machines and transportation systems, and therefore disturbs or harms the balance of human life. Road traffic noise pollution affects the lives of millions of people. There is research and studies that show the direct links between traffic noise and health. Hearing impairment, sleep disturbance, and cardiovascular disease are all related to road traffic noise. However, these effects can be easily neglected. Within the quality of life uplifted, people are paying more attention to noise pollution and take a variety of public health measures to control and mitigate its harmful effects. This essay summarizes factors that influence road traffic noise, and compare mitigation measures of different areas. It also includes recommendations of future noise control measures.


This dissertation is a document based administrative study of the British occupation of Germany, 1945-49, and its impact on specific areas of the lives of German women who were living in the British zone. The study examines the effect of British occupation policy on the regulation of marriage, prostitution and venereal disease, and German women's organizations. British occupation strategies were unique; although the British worked with the Americans on many levels they maintained separate policy approaches. The British brought their own social perspectives and systems to Germany and attempted to impose them on German social and civil procedures. German women were often the targets of the re-ordering of German society and were viewed and treated as the embodiment of the failure of Germany. They were widely persecuted as prostitutes and the carriers of disease for example. Thus gender roles, victory/defeat and nationality can be seen to intersect in specific and traditional ways. British women involved in the occupation also endeavoured to impose systems of traditional British gender roles through distinctive approaches to women's voluntary organizations. The traditional model of social activism of middle-class British women, such as Townswomen's Guilds, were singularly offered to German women as the proper way to exercise power within society. Despite the British effort to re-model German women in a British image, German women contested these definitions and categories in many ways. The British were forced to adapt their methods and policies in the face of this opposition.


Robots are coming, but what does this mean for ordinary folks? First of all, don't believe all the hype. Lots of hobbyists and small ventures would have you believe that robots are already here, capable of a wide variety of interactions, including healthcare and monitoring medication compliance, security monitoring, education, errands, and entertainment. Robots are, of course, used in manufacturing, in search-and-rescue missions, and in the military. But when we get away from industry and the military and discuss machines that are reasonably priced, most of these so-called applications are more imagination than reality, with unreliable mechanisms barely able to get through demonstrations. For everyday home applications, the use of robots is restricted to entertainment, vacuum cleaners, and lawn mowers. Note, however, that the definition of "robot" varies widely, often being used for anything mobile, even though controlled by a human. Personally, I would classify intelligent home appliances as robots: my coffee maker, microwave oven, dishwasher, and clothes washer and dryer have more intelligence and actuators than robot vacuum cleaners—and they are also a lot more expensive. But they don't move around the room, which for many people disqualifies them from the label of "robot." Given that any successful product for the home must be affordable, reliable, safe, and usable by everyday people, what might a home robot do? And what would it look like? In the home, form probably will follow function. A kitchen robot might be built into the counter space, with dishwasher, pantry, coffee maker, and cooking units all arranged so that they can communicate with one another and pass items readily back and forth. An entertainment robot might take on a humanoid appearance (as in Wow Wee's Robosapien), or an animal-like one (as in Sony's Aibo). And robots that vacuum or mow lawns will look like, well, vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers. Making robots work well is incredibly difficult. Their sensory apparatus is limited because sensors are expensive and interpretation (especially commonsense knowledge) is still more suited for research than deployment. Robotic arms are expensive to build and not very reliable. This limits the range of possibilities. Mowing and vacuuming? Sure. Sorting laundry? Hard, but do-able. Picking up dirty items around the home? Doubtful. How about assistants for the elderly or those who need medical supervision? This is a booming area of exploration, but I am skeptical. Today's devices are not reliable, versatile, or intelligent enough-not yet, anyway. Moreover, the social aspects of the interaction are far more complex than the technical ones, something the technology-driven enthusiasts typically fail to recognize. Three likely directions for the future are entertainment, home appliances, and education. We can start with today's existing devices and slowly add on intelligence, manipulative ability, and function. Start small and build. The market for robots that entertain by being cute and cuddly is already well established. The second generation of vacuum cleaners is smarter than the first. Sony's dog gets smarter and less expensive with each new version. We don't yet think of washing machines, microwave ovens, and coffee makers as robots, but why not? They don't move around the house, but they are getting better and smarter every year. And when the coffee maker is connected to the pantry and dishwasher, that will be a home robot worthy of the name—same for the coupling of sorting, washing, drying, and storing clothes. Education is a powerful possibility. There is already a solid basis of educational devices that aid learning. Today's robots can read aloud in engaging voices. They can be cute and lovable-witness the responses to the multiple quasi-intelligent animals on the toy market. A robot could very well interact with a child, offering educational benefits as well. Why not have the robot help the child learn the alphabet, teach reading, vocabulary, pronunciation, basic arithmetic, maybe basic reasoning? Why not music and art, geography and history? And why restrict it to children? Adults can be willing and active learners. Now this is a direction worthy of exploration: robot as teacher. Not to replace school, not to replace human contact and interaction, but to supplement them. The beauty here is that these tasks are well within the abilities of today's devices. They don't require much mobility or sophisticated manipulators. Many technologists dream of implementing Neil Stephenson's children's tutor in his novel The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. Why not? Here is a worthy challenge. T H E W A Y I S E E IT


The understanding of the statistical properties and of the dynamics of multistable systems is gaining more and more importance in a vast variety of scientific fields. This is especially relevant for the investigation of the tipping points of complex systems. Sometimes, in order to understand the time series of given observables exhibiting bimodal distributions, simple one-dimensional Langevin models are fitted to reproduce the observed statistical properties, and used to investing-ate the projected dynamics of the observable. This is of great relevance for studying potential catastrophic changes in the properties of the underlying system or resonant behaviours like those related to stochastic resonance-like mechanisms. In this paper, we propose a framework for encasing this kind of studies and show, using simple box models of the oceanic circulation and choosing as observable the strength of the thermohaline circulation. We study the statistical properties of the transitions between the two modes of operation of the thermohaline circulation under symmetric boundary forcing and test their agreement with simplified one-dimensional phenomenological theories. We extend our analysis to include stochastic resonance-like amplification processes. We conclude that fitted one-dimensional Langevin models, when closely scrutinised, may result to be more ad-hoc than they seem, lacking robustness and/or well-posedness. They should be treated with care, more as an empiric descriptive tool than as methodology with predictive power.


Abstract Purpose: The article analyzes the possible methods of public debt management, which not only aim to meet regulatory requirements but also obtain a market premium in the form of an optimal level of the yield on government bond yields that will be profitable for the issuer. The study analyzes the situation in the public finance sector in the countries that form the Visegrád Group (V4). The authors evaluate the main regulatory requirements of EU law in the area of numerical fiscal rules and their impact on the yield on basic securities such as ten-year government bonds, which directly influences the cost of servicing long-term public debt. Methodology: The study uses desk research method for theoretical reasoning to verify the research hypothesis. The study seeks to answer the question of whether the application of national and EU fiscal rules in V4 budgetary frameworks contributes to lower yields on ten-year bonds and thereby reduces the cost of public debt. The authors utilize time series and cause-effect analysis as well as quantitative research for the systematization of statistical information and regression analysis for the examination of statistical dependencies. Findings: The basic parameters subject to financial assessment within the fiscal rules index are (1) the deficit of public finance sector and (2) public debt with its servicing costs. In 2005–2016, the ratio of the public finance sector deficit to GDP was shaped in such a way that most V4 countries required the institution of excessive deficit procedures and further disciplinary regulations. The assessment of the situation in the public finance sector in the area of budget deficit and public debt does not translate into the yield on government bonds of non-Eurozone countries. Model-based testing indicates that the financial markets – when deciding to evaluate or purchase government bonds of non-Eurozone countries – failed to acknowledge the implementation of fiscal rules in these countries and its possible effects. Originality: The study focuses on a unique comprehensive analysis of national fiscal rules employed in individual V4 countries and their impact on the yield on government bonds throughout the entire EU membership of the V4. What holds the greatest cognitive value in this article is the answer to the question of whether Eurozone membership impacts the valuation of a country's public debt.


Branding has been described as the defining industrial practice of television's recent past. This article examines publicly available industry documents, trade press coverage, and executive interviews to understand the place of traditional television network branding in subscription video on-demand (SVOD) portals as represented by Amazon and Netflix. Focusing on materials relating to licensed rather than original content and this content's role within the US domestic SVOD market, two distinct approaches emerge. For Amazon, the brand identities of some television networks act as valuable lures drawing customers into its Prime membership program. For Netflix, linear television networks are competitors whose brand identities reduce Netflix's own brand equity. Ultimately, Amazon's efforts to build a streaming service alongside network brand identities and Netflix's efforts to build its own brand at the expense of such identities demonstrate the need to think about contemporary television branding as an ongoing negotiation between established and emerging practices.


The purpose of this project was to create an effective website for the Cal Poly Rodeo Program in order to improve communication with key audiences and ensure continued success for the organization. This website was intended to remain consistent with other Cal Poly websites, such as those listed on the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) Student Life page under Clubs and Organizations, and was included on this page once created. A secondary purpose of the project was to give the Cal Poly Rodeo coach an easier way to recruit and contact potential student athletes. The project included research on the history of the program, content generation, collection and capture of photographs, edits of the website once it was created, and ensuring the website was included on the Cal Poly CAFES Student Life page under Clubs and Organizations. ii Acknowledgments


We report on a search for narrow-width particles decaying to a top and antitop quark pair. The data set used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 680 pb^{-1} collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab in Run II. We present 95% confidence level upper limits on the cross section times branching ratio. Assuming a specific topcolor-assisted technicolor production model, the leptophobic Z' with width \Gamma_{Z'}=0.012M_{Z'}, we exclude the mass range M_{Z'} < 725 GeV/c^2 at the 95% confidence level.


Background: In normal subjects, systolic longitudinal regional velocity profiles (SVP) (measured both based on pulsed or tissue Doppler) have a non-uniform pattern. SVP from the right ventricle (RV), the septal (Sep) and the inferior wall are similar in shape and tend to be monophasic. Their shape differs markedly from the lateral wall (LW), the posterior wall and the anterior wall, which are biphasic. We studied the hypothesis that the double-peaked SVP in the left ventricular free walls are caused by interventricular interaction. This might have additional implication in understanding the measurements of the timing of SVP maxima in pathology as, for example, used to determine intraventricular dyssynchrony in heart failure. Methods: 38 healthy individuals underwent a standard echo examination and a tissue Doppler study. SVP from the RV, Sep and LW basal segments were acquired in an apical four-chamber view. The amplitude and timing of the peak velocities were measured. If a double peak was present, the amplitude and timing of the dip was calculated. Results: RV and Sep had a single systolic velocity peak, while the LW had two peaks with a clear dip between both peaks. The first peak in the LW was the earliest event in the cycle (119 (19) ms) followed by the peak Sep (123 (20) ms; p = 0.34). Peak RV velocity occurred at the same time as the dip in the LW (200 (30) vs 203 (30) ms, respectively; p = 0.53). Conclusion: Our study suggests that the biphasic SVP in the free walls is probably caused by interventricular interaction. Therefore the timing of maxima on SVP should be used with great caution when looking for intraventricular dyssynchrony as the peaks are influenced by RV function.


Setuid system calls enable critical functions such as user authentications and modular privileged components. Such operations must only be executed after careful validation. However, current systems do not perform rigorous checks, allowing exploitation of privileges through memory corruption vulnerabilities in privileged programs. As a solution, understanding which setuid system calls can be invoked in what context of a process allows precise enforcement of least privileges. We propose a novel comprehensive method to systematically extract and enforce least privilege of setuid system calls to prevent misuse. Our approach learns the required process contexts of setuid system calls along multiple dimensions: process hierarchy, call stack, and parameter in a process-aware way. Every setuid system call is then restricted to the per-process context by our kernel-level context enforcer. Previous approaches without process-awareness are too coarse-grained to control setuid system calls, resulting in over-privilege. Our method reduces available privileges even for identical code depending on whether it is run by a parent or a child process. We present our prototype called PoLPer which systematically discovers only required setuid system calls and effectively prevents real-world exploits targeting vulnerabilities of the setuid family of system calls in popular desktop and server software at near zero overhead.


Pronounced paleotemperature variations associated with the carbon cycle perturbations of oceanic anoxic events (OAEs 1b and 1d) are known to have occurred during the early and latest Albian. However, reliable paleotemperature data spanning the 12 m.y. between these two events are sparse. Here we present ?18O, ?13C, and Mg/Ca data for the middle to early-late Albian based on analysis of unusually well preserved "glassy" foraminifers from a clay-rich sequence drilled in the boreal Lower Saxony Basin (northwestern Germany; ?45°N paleolatitude). Our records reveal pronounced variability in planktic ?18O (?1.5‰–2.5‰) on a 100 k.y. time scale that we interpret to indicate substantial changes in sea-surface temperature (to ?7 °C) and ?18O/salinity (to ?3 psu). Our findings attest to the climatic sensitivity of marginal basins in these boreal latitudes during the mid-Cretaceous and suggest that the heat and salt budgets of the Lower Saxony Basin were orbitally conditioned during the Albian, presumably through atmospheric or oceanic heat transport from lower latitudes where surface waters were warmer than today, in response to strong greenhouse gas forcing.


Introduction Giant Paraesophageal hiatal hernias (PEH) are most commonly associated with symptoms of chest pain, early satiety and GERD. However, Iron-deficiency anaemia is an under-appreciated condition associated with giant PEH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of iron-deficiency anaemia in a cohort of patients with giant PEH and assess the incidence of resolution associated with operative PEH repair. Methods Between 2000 and 2010, 270 patients underwent operative repair of PEH and were prospectively entered into an IRB-approved database. From this cohort, 123 (45.6%) patients demonstrated a pre-existing diagnosis of iron-deficiency anaemia. 77 patients had a documented pre-operative haemoglobin level (Hb) consistent with iron-deficiency anaemia and a follow-up Hb level at least 3 months following surgery and constituted the study population. Results From the cohort of 77 patients with documented pre-operative iron-deficiency anaemia, 72 (94%) underwent elective PEH repair, with a median age was 75 (range 39–91). Cameron erosions were endoscopically documented preoperatively in 25 patients (32%). The average preoperative Hb value was 11.8 (7.6–16). Postoperatively at 3–12 month follow-up, the average Hb level was 13.2 (10.7–17), and at more than 1 year follow-up it was 13.6 (9.2–17.2) (p<0.05). Furthermore 90% of patients had a rise in post-operative haemoglobin level by at least 1 g/dl. Anaemia was fully resolved postoperatively (Hb≥12.0 in females, ≥14.0 in males) in 55 (71%) patients. This resolution was observed more commonly in women (40/50, 80%) than men (15/27, 56%, p<0.05). Also younger patients (<70 years) were more likely to resolve their anaemia (29/33 vs 26/44; p<0.05) and have a greater post-operative Hb (14.0 vs 13.0 g/dl; p<0.05) than older patients. 40 patients required preoperative iron supplementation, 29 (73%) were able to discontinue iron following surgery. There was no significant difference in the resolution of anaemia in patients with or without Cameron erosions (19/25 vs 36/52, p=0.54). Conclusion This single institution study shows a high incidence of iron-deficiency anaemia (45.6%) in patients with giant PEH. Elective repair results in resolution of the anaemia and discontinuation of iron supplementation therapy, in more than 70% of patients. This improvement in Hb is independent of the presence of pre-operative Cameron erosions. This study demonstrates the clinical and potential economic benefits of elective PEH repair of patients with Giant PEH and iron-deficiency anaemia. Competing interests None declared.


In the last years, neural networks (NN) have evolved from laboratory environments to the state-of-the-art for many real-world problems. It was shown that NN models (i.e., their weights and biases) evolve on unique trajectories in weight space during training. Following, a population of such neural network models (referred to as model zoo) would form structures in weight space. We think that the geometry, curvature and smoothness of these structures contain information about the state of training and can reveal latent properties of individual models. With such model zoos, one could investigate novel approaches for (i) model analysis, (ii) discover unknown learning dynamics, (iii) learn rich representations of such populations, or (iv) exploit the model zoos for generative modelling of NN weights and biases. Unfortunately, the lack of standardized model zoos and available benchmarks significantly increases the friction for further research about populations of NNs. With this work, we publish a novel dataset of model zoos containing systematically generated and diverse populations of NN models for further research. In total the proposed model zoo dataset is based on eight image datasets, consists of 27 model zoos trained with varying hyperparameter combinations and includes 50'360 unique NN models as well as their sparsified twins, resulting in over 3'844'360 collected model states. Additionally, to the model zoo data we provide an in-depth analysis of the zoos and provide benchmarks for multiple downstream tasks. The dataset can be found at www.modelzoos.cc.


SIR, Eosinophilic pustular dermatosis (EPD) was originally reported in Japan, and is characterized by pruritic follicular papules on the face and trunk; eosinophilia in the peripheral blood is also frequently present. Since the late 1980s, there has been an increasing number of reports of EPD associated with HIV infection, suggesting that EPD is a dermatosis related to immune dysfunction. Although the aetiology of EPD still remains unclear, it has been reported that interleukin (IL)5 could play a critical part. IL-5 is one of the Th2 cytokines, and potentially mobilizes, differentiates, activates and aids survival of eosinophils. A 31-year-old woman noticed pruritic erythematous macules on both cheeks in November 1995; follicular papules and pustules later developed over the pre-existing erythematous lesions. On admission in September 1996, she had circinate erythematous plaques on the cheeks and forehead accompanied by follicular papules, pustules and vesicles, some of which fused to form blisters (Fig. 1a). Histopathological examination of a biopsy of the cheek skin revealed a subepidermal bulla containing eosinophils and mononuclear cells, and dense perivascular and perifollicular in®ltration of mononuclear cells and eosinophils (Fig. 1b). Taken together, a diagnosis of EPD was made. Her peripheral blood white cell count was 6 ́3 ́ 10/L (normal 4±11 ́ 10) with 3 ́7% eosinophils (normal 0±8%). The serum IgE was elevated to 470 IU/mL (normal <165). She was negative for HIV antibody. Liver and renal function, serum electrolytes and urinalysis were normal. She was treated with a topical corticosteroid, oral minocycline and indomethacin for 4 weeks without clinical improvement. She was then given prednisolone 35 mg/day and dapsone 75 mg/day, which resulted in a gradual subsidence of the erythematous plaques and papules, pustules and vesicles. The oral prednisolone was tapered as the eruption improved and, after 3 months, it was discontinued. Before systemic administration of prednisolone, we collected and pooled blister ̄uid from her cheek to examine immunological activity. Her peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured for 72 h in vitro in the presence of the blister ̄uid (1 : 100, at ®nal concentration). Reverse transcription±polymerase chain reaction revealed that IL-5 mRNA was upregulated in PBMC treated with blister ̄uid, while no IL-5 mRNA was detected in PBMC treated with her serum. Representative results of two independent experiments are shown in Figure 2. At the same time, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected IL-5 protein in the culture supernatant of PBMC treated with the blister ̄uid, but not in the serum-treated PBMC culture supernatant. This result suggested that T lymphocytes in the PBMC were activated to produce IL-5 in response to a putative antigen in the blister. However, blister ̄uid from untreated bullous pemphigoid did not induce IL-5 mRNA in the patient's PBMC, and the patient's blister ̄uid did not induce IL-5 mRNA in a healthy donor's PBMC. Although HLA typing of the patient was not British Journal of Dermatology 1999; 141: 154±179.


This thesis describes the design and implementation process of two applications (PerMORFer and MoodifierLive) for the interactive manipulation of music performance. Such applications aim at closing the gap between the musicians, who play the music, and the listeners, who passively listen to it. The goal was to create computer programs that allow the user to actively control how the music is performed. This is achieved by modifying such parameters as tempo, dynamics, and articulation, much like a musician does when playing an instrument. An overview of similar systems and the problems related to their development is given in the first of the included papers. Four requirements were defined for the applications: (1) to produce a natural, high quality sound; (2) to allow for realistic modifications of the performance parameters; (3) to be easy to control, even for non-musicians; (4) to be portable. Although there are many similarities between PerMORFer and MoodifierLive, the two applications fulfill different requirements. The first two were addressed in PerMORFer, with which the user can manipulate pre-recorded audio performance. The last two were addressed in MoodifierLive, a mobile phone application for gesture-based control of a MIDI score file. The tone-by tone modifications in both applications are based on the KTH rule system for music performance. The included papers describe studies, methods, and algorithms used in the development of the two applications. Audio recordings of real performance have been used in PerMORFer toachieve a natural sound. The tone-by-tone manipulations defined by the KTH rules first require an analysis of the original performance to separate the tones and estimate their parameters (IOI, duration, dynamics). Available methods were combined with novel solutions, such as an approach to the separation of two overlapping sinusoidal components. On the topic of performance analysis, ad-hoc algorithms were also developed to analyze DJ scratching recordings. A particularly complex problem is the estimation of a tone's dynamic level. A study was conducted to identify the perceptual cues that listeners use to determinethe dynamics of a tone. The results showed that timbre is as important as loudness. These findings were applied in a partly unsuccessful attempt to estimate dynamics from spectral features. The manipulation of tempo is a relatively simple problem, as is that of articulation (i.e. legato-staccato) as long as the tone can be separated. The modification of dynamics on the other hand is more difficult, as was its estimation. Following the findings of the previously mentioned perceptual study, a method to modify both loudness and timbre using a database of spectral models was implemented. MoodifierLive was used to experiment with performance control interfaces. In particular, the mobile phone's built-in accelerometer was used to track, analyze, and interpret the movements of the user. Expressive gestures were then mapped to corresponding expressive music performances. Evaluation showed that modes based on natural gestures were easier to use than those created witha top-down approach.


Ebooks are coming of age in education, as this exciting collection commissioned by Jisc demonstrates.  Case studies, reflecting ebook success stories across the higher and further education sectors, include: An innovative app to encourage ebook take-up in a Welsh college; A partnership between a library and research centre to create open access monographs and midigraphs; Several examples of creative negotiations with ebook publishers. Insight chapters address hot topics in the ebook universe, including: The changing world of access to scholarly digital content in the mobile environment; The challenges faced by the library as online distance learning moves from margin to mainstream; How ebooks have the potential to meet a wide range of accessibility needs; Experimentation with ebooks as a shared service. This collection will provide inspiration and guidance to institutions as they develop projects and services to support students and researchers and will be of interest to library practitioners, publishers, ebook vendors, information professionals, teachers, lecturers and students.  Jisc, in collaboration with Ubiquity Press, is pleased to be making this publication available open access on a CC-BY licence.


Endorsements have become a part of most election cycles. They come from a variety of sources (civic organizations, elected officials, newspapers, etc.) and are intended to signal voters that one candidate is preferential to another. Yet, there is still a lot that we do not know about endorsements. In this article, we provide insight into the process of how organizations and newspapers endorse candidates, provide evidence that demonstrates candidates believe these endorsements are important, and test the claim that voters are aware of these endorsements even when controlling for factors such as partisanship, ideology, and education. We also test the claim that issue positions explain vote choice better than endorsements. We rely on interview data and exit poll data to test our claims. Using data from an at-large municipal election, in which voters selected up to three candidates, we find that awareness of endorsements explains vote choice better than issues.


It is a well known anomaly of corporation finance that initial public offerings (IPOs) tend to be underpriced. That is, it appears that shares tend to be offered at a price that is below what the market would bear. Scholars have offered several explanations, most of which focus on various sorts of underwriter opportunism (and insider acquiescence therein). But it is difficult to believe that competition among underwriters does not force offerings to be made at the highest possible price, particularly in view of the numerous alternatives to traditional underwriting methods that have arisen in recent years. The persistence of underpricing suggests that it may be attributable to market forces. In this paper, I consider the reasons why firms go public and how the reason for a public offering might affect the method used. Based on analysis of the reasons why firms go public and the means by which they do so, I surmise that underpricing may be attributable to an inherent discount imposed by the market as the price of access to liquidity. Indeed, the notion of underpricing is somewhat misleading. It would be more accurate to think of it as akin to a negative takeover premium. The fact that a bidder must pay a premium to acquire control of a target is unremarkable even if one assumes that the market is efficient. Similarly, it is only natural that a firm that wants to sell stock to the public must do so at something of a discount. In addition, this discount may be attributable to some extent to the need to persuade otherwise diversified investors - who largely eschew stock-picking and instead tend to buy and sell stocks with a view to portfolio balancing - to assume firm-specific risk in connection with an IPO. To test this hypothesis, I gathered data relating to the 34 IPOs made during October 1999. I find that the aggregate amount of underpricing for each offering - money on the table - as a percentage of market capitalization after the offering is relatively constant - averaging 6.04% with a standard deviation of 4.75%. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that underpricing may be related to offering size and total market capitalization. One possible explanation for how the market knows such things is that diversified investors who weight their portfolio holdings by market capitalization are willing to buy more shares of large capitalization issuers. If apparent underpricing is due to such factors, there is little reason for additional regulation of the new issues market.


This study explores how experience-based media messages featuring victims, survivors, and outperformers provide therapeutic benefits through the enjoyment and appreciation of the messages. Using the economic crisis as a context, our findings indicate that whereas distressed individuals were more likely to appreciate threat-related stories featuring victims and survivors over outperformers, nondistressed individuals were more likely to enjoy such stories featuring outperformers over victims and survivors. Appreciation and enjoyment of these threat-related stories predicted effective coping outcomes: positive reappraisal of the economic situation that also led to increased perceived control over the threat through positive affect. Health implications for enjoyment and appreciation of experience-based stories as motivators for coping outcomes are also discussed.


Pot experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of drought and salinity stresses and mulch amendment on Jatropha in sand dune soil under three conditions: glasshouse, shade house and open area. Plants were irrigated with freshwater and diluted seawater adjusted to two levels of electrical conductivity- 3 and 6 dS m-1. The results showed that experimental conditions remarkably affected the evapo-transpiration rate, soil moisture, salts accumulation and plant biomass production. Low temperature (23°C) conditions exhibited highest plant growth and soil moisture and lowest salts deposition. Plants showed no symptoms of heat stress in the glasshouse. The shade house and the open area profoundly reduced plant biomass and water content in the soil. Compared to the control, the mulch amended treatments had sufficient water for plant growth even in the high temperature of the open area. High salt content was found in salinity treated pots but the salinity level did not reduce Jatropha growth. Salt accumulated in the salinity treated pots helped retain more water, reduced the temperature and provided nutrients to the plants, with results which were almost similar to those from the mulch effect. The temperature conditions of the shade house and the open area (max>40°C) caused substantial water loss and induced death of plants. Jatropha is a succulent and drought tolerant plant and a close irrigation interval is not the best option for Jatropha growth. But, organic amendment is needed when there is a big loss of soil water due to heat stress condition.


Rational design and construction of the local environment of active sites on noble metal surfaces is a promising, but challenging, approach for developing high-selectivity catalysts. This study presents an effective approach, via engineering local active sites, aiming to solve the critical problem of H2S and CO poisoning of Pt catalysts for H2 electrooxidation, the anode reaction of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. A canopy-shaped molecular architecture was constructed by immobilizing an organic molecule, 2,6-diacetylpyridine (DAcPy), on Pt surface, which exhibits high H2S (1 ppm) and CO (100 ppm) tolerance. Through electrochemical, spectroscopic, and DFT studies, as well as comparative investigation of analogous structure molecules, it was revealed that DAcPy can be strongly adsorbed on Pt surface through tridentate coordination (two Pt–C and one Pt–N bonds), allowing it to compete with CO and H2S adsorption. The pyridine ring of DAcPy is in a tilted orientation, providing some protection underneath the ring for Pt atoms. Such a height-limited space is just accessible for small-sized H2, but not for relatively large H2S and CO. This study demonstrates that regulating steric hindrance to protect active sites is a promising approach for designing highly selective electrocatalysts.


A diffraction-limited lidar provides for effective rejection of background light. Characteristics of a monostatic system are computed. The range sensitivity is generally different from a square-law dependence. The effect of optical refractive turbulence is analyzed. There is a trade-off between background rejection and insensitivity to refractive turbulence. A monostatic system is much less sensitive to refractive turbulence than a bistatic system is.


We address the problem of comparing the risks of two given predictive models—for instance, a baseline model and a challenger—as confidently as possible on a fixed labeling budget. This problem occurs whenever models cannot be compared on held-out training data, possibly because the training data are unavailable or do not reflect the desired test distribution. In this case, new test instances have to be drawn and labeled at a cost. We devise an active comparison method that selects instances according to an instrumental sampling distribution. We derive the sampling distribution that maximizes the power of a statistical test applied to the observed empirical risks, and thereby minimizes the likelihood of choosing the inferior model. Empirically, we investigate model selection problems on several classification and regression tasks and study the accuracy of the resulting p-values.


Organ transplantation is a lifesaving procedure for many people. However, the lack of organs from deceased donors makes it unavailable for many additional people who need it. A commissioned study was undertaken to estimate deceased donor potential in the US. Organ procurement and transplantation take place in the context of a complex system of organizations and policies. This system can both constrain and enhance the realization of deceased donor potential. A system dynamics model is being developed to help identify how that system's behavior affects the availability of deceased donor organs and how particular strategic policy options might increase the number available for transplantation. The version described in this paper utilizes data for kidney procurement and transplantation for the entire US. The structure and data sources for the model are described along with illustrative tests of those strategic options.


Several novel 2-[(substitutedphenyl)-5-(1-phenyl-3-(piperazinyl)pyrido[3,2- f ] quinazolin-4(1 H )-yl]-1,3,4 thiadiazole derivatives have been designed and synthesised by incorporating  four  known moieties  such  as  2-methylquinolin-5-ol, acetophenone, urea and 3-substitutedphenyl-4-amino-5-mercapto triazoles by using multi-step conventional reaction strategy. The synthesized derivatives were characterized by IR, 1 H-NMR, Mass and elemental analysis (C, H, N). Furthermore the synthesized 2-[(substitutedphenyl)-5-(1-phenyl-3-(piperazinyl)pyrido[3,2- f ]quinazolin-4(1 H )-yl]-1,3,4-thiadiazoles 4a-g were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities. The bacterial panel consisted of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klabsiella pneumoniae , Proteus vulgaris while fungal panel included of Aspergillus fumigatus (plant isolate), Candida glabrata , Candida albacans , Candida krusei . Ampicillin trihydrate and fluconazole were used as reference drugs for antibacterial and antifungal activity respectively. Bacterial and fungal inhibition determined by disk diffusion and serial plate dilution method respectively. Pathogenic inhibitions were determined by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone in mm. Compound 4c demonstrated significant antibacterial and antifungal spectrum against all the tested microbes. Keywords - antibacterial, antifungal and substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazoles.


An analysis of the green industry of Virginia was completed in the year 2002 using a mail survey sent to industry participants. The survey was conducted by the Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service (VASS). This data was used to run an economic impact analysis of the industry using IMPLAN Professional software. Additionally, the software was used to determine the approximate affects of drought and water restrictions on the green industry. VASS received a total of 1,146 surveys for a response rate of approximately 27%. Of these responses, 42 surveys indicated that they plan to have future green industry sales but were not presently involved in the business. Another 525 responses claimed to be no longer actively involved in the industry. Therefore, the actual response rate was much closer to 15%. This necessitated the use of numerous alternative data sources to create a more complete model representation of the green industry as a whole. Two separate model scenarios were created, the first using purely survey response data, the second including data from additional sources and factoring out for possible double-counting errors. Direct employment generated from the industry was predicted to be between 29 and 36 thousand jobs, depending on which model scenario is consulted. The total economic impacts predicted from the different models are $2.03 billion and $2.41 billion, respectively. The analysis of the affects of drought and water restrictions predicted a decrease in overall impacts by 33% and 23%, respectively.


In many situations one has to choose between risky alternatives, knowing only one's past experience with those alternatives. Such decisions can be made in more – or less – benevolent settings or 'worlds'. In a 'good world', high payoffs are more frequent than low payoffs, and vice versa in a 'bad world'. In two studies, we explored whether the world influences choice behavior: Whether people behave differently in a 'good' versus a 'bad' world. Subjects made repeated, incentivized choices between two gambles, one riskier than the other, neither offering a sure amount. The gambles were held equivalent in terms of their expected value, differing only in variance. Worlds were manipulated both between- and within-subject: In Study 1, each subject experienced one world – good, bad or mediocre; in Study 2, each subject experienced both a good and a bad world. We examine the aggregate pattern of behavior (average choice frequencies), and the dynamics of behavior across time. We observed significant differences in the aggregate pattern: In a good world, subjects tended to choose the riskier alternative, and vice versa in a bad world. The pattern of the dynamics, i.e., the transitions from round to round, were best explained by a reaction to the counterfactual reward: When the unchosen alternative yielded a better payoff, the tendency to subsequently choose it was higher. We compared these two patterns to the predictions of three types of models: Reinforcement learning, regret-based and disappointment-based models. Behavior was in line only with the predictions of regret-based models.


The Wisconsin Lane Closure System (WisLCS) serves as the central acceptance and reporting system for Wisconsin DOT (WisDOT) lane closures and restrictions statewide. It was developed by the Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison through sponsorship by WisDOT Bureau of Highway Operations to address several emerging needs with respect to work zone operations and data reporting. In particular, the WisLCS will provide lane closure information to the Wisconsin 511 Traveler Information system when it launches in 2009. The WisLCS system was developed over 18 months and has been operational since April 1, 2008. This paper describes how the Wisconsin Lane Closure System (WisLCS) utilizes a datacentric approach to enhance the functionality of the lane closure process and open it up to related systems. The WisLCS was designed to enhance closure operations at WisDOT by tracking a wider range of closure types compared to existing systems and by providing more dynamic, realtime closure status information. Our challenge was to take the many different data needs arising from these requirements and build a system robust enough to handle a complex array of data elements at the same time developing user interfaces that both collect and present the data in a straightforward and logical fashion. The approach taken by WisLCS was in the development of a lane closure data model, implemented as a collection of closure data objects. These data objects encapsulate all the data elements necessary to capture every aspect of a closure, including traditional "static" elements such as time, location, and project details, and more dynamic elements such as status, history, and authorization attributes. An important feature of the WisLCS closure data model is its integration with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) State Trunk Network (STN) GIS. Developing WisLCS to the STN allows our system to 'push' lane closure information to other systems in a standardized and easily integrated format. It also facilitates integration with internal transportation applications at the Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Lab. For example, the WisLCS Capacity module utilizes STN-linked data from an established WisDOT vehicle volume data source and helps to determine appropriate thresholds for use in the lane closure decision making process. Moreover, the STN based data model is intended to facilitate future development of map-based reporting and interface tools.


Background: In order to minimize the possibility of unsuccessful dental extraction procedure due to dental anxiety, there are several approaches that can be used, including music intervention. Objective: The objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of classical and religious Islamic music on reducing dental anxiety. Materials and methods: Two hundred and twenty-five muslim participants (105 males, 120 females) were recruited for this study and randomly assigned to three groups: classical music group, religious Islamic music group, and the group with no music intervention, equally in numbers. Participant's blood pressure (BP) and blood sample were taken prior to and after dental extraction to evaluate systolic and diastolic BP as well as nor-adrenaline plasma (NAP) level. All data were then analyzed by using t-test, ANOVA test, Mann-Whitney and Kruskawallis test. Results: There was a decrease in NAP level in the religious music group (0.110 ng/mL) and the control group (0.013 ng/mL) when initial NAP level was compared to post extraction NAP level, whilst the classical music group showed an increase of 0.053 ng/mL. There were significant differences found between the religious Islamic music group and the classical music group (p = 0.041) as well as the control group (p = 0.028) for the difference between pre and post NAP level, of which the NAP level of the religious Islamic group participants were lower. Conclusion: Religious Islamic music was proven to be effective in reducing dental anxiety in Muslim participants compared to classical music. Despite, further evaluation in a more heterogenous population with various religious and cultural background is needed.


Abolishment policy National Examination for the primary level/equivalent during the period of 2013-2014 have consequences on the growing position of the Examination Schools, particularly in the determination and measurement of competency graduation students. Therefore, as a preparation for the war against it, the author makes an application of artificial neural networks using back propagation method for predicting the value of the Examination Schools elementary school students. This research using case study design, located at SDN 1 Central Singkawang and using experimental methods. A research variable grades of Mathematics and Science subjects as well as the value of the Examination Schools on both these subjects. Methods of design and development using prototyping model. The results showed that the value of the Mean Square Error (MSE), the smallest in Mathematics obtained at 0.5100175 with a combination of parameters in the form of 26,000 training epochs and learning rate of 0.5. In science subjects, the smallest MSE value obtained through a combination of 0.1405143 1,000 epochs of training parameters and the value of learning rate 0.9. The average accuracy rate of the network output obtained for 80.15 %. It can be concluded that backpropagation neural network produced reliable enough to predict school test scores of elementary school students. Keywords: Artificial Neural Networks, Backpropagation, Prediction, Value of Exam Schools, MSE.


A major use of DFN models for industrial applications is to evaluate permeability and flow structure in hardrock aquifers from geological observations of fracture networks. The relationship between the statistical fracture density distributions and permeability has been extensively studied, but there has been little interest in the spatial structure of DFN models, which is generally assumed to be spatially random (i.e., Poisson). In this paper, we compare the predictions of Poisson DFNs to new DFN models where fractures result from a growth process defined by simplified kinematic rules for nucleation, growth, and fracture arrest. This so‐called "kinematic fracture model" is characterized by a large proportion of T intersections, and a smaller number of intersections per fracture. Several kinematic models were tested and compared with Poisson DFN models with the same density, length, and orientation distributions. Connectivity, permeability, and flow distribution were calculated for 3‐D networks with a self‐similar power law fracture length distribution. For the same statistical properties in orientation and density, the permeability is systematically and significantly smaller by a factor of 1.5–10 for kinematic than for Poisson models. In both cases, the permeability is well described by a linear relationship with the areal density p32 , but the threshold of kinematic models is 50% larger than of Poisson models. Flow channeling is also enhanced in kinematic DFN models. This analysis demonstrates the importance of choosing an appropriate DFN organization for predicting flow properties from fracture network parameters.


This research focuses on supporting the formation of strategic alliances through the concept of cooperative commerce, where suppliers and buyers work together to jointly optimize their businesses. The general goal of this research is to examine existing cooperative commerce models for obstacles that would hinder their successful implementation into modern industrial applications and to address those shortcomings. Total annual cost equations are formulated to capture the joint total relevant cost of cooperative commerce business relationships. These total joint relevant cost models will include terms that capture the ordering cost, holding cost, and cost of quality, as well as any applicable investment cost for process improvements, consistent with traditional economic order quantity and economic production quantity theory. This research corrects a modeling error of Affisco, et al. (2002) that led to underestimating the effectiveness of process improvements in joint economic lot size models. In addition, the models are expanded to accommodate a full range of product quality inspection policies, from zero to one hundred percent product inspections. Furthermore, the models are modified to account for the cost of scrap generation, as well as the effects of accepting non-conforming product and rejecting conforming product during quality inspections. Once the total cost models are expanded to account for these neglected costs, the joint total relevant cost equations are minimized to find the optimal batch sizes, and the effects of each model extension on the model solution are studied. Results indicate that these extensions do have a significant impact on the model results, such as reduced optimal batch sizes and increased optimal fraction conforming product. vii


The theory of computational complexity focuses on functions and, hence, studies programs whose interactive behavior is reduced to a simple question/answer pattern. We propose a broader theory whose ultimate goal is expressing and analyzing the intrinsic difficulty of fully general interactive behaviors. To this extent, we use standard tools from concurrency theory, including labelled transition systems (formalizing behaviors) and their asynchronous extension (providing causality information). Behaviors are implemented by means of a multiprocessor machine executing CCS-like processes. The resulting theory is shown to be consistent with the classical definitions: when we restrict to functional behaviors (i.e., question/answer patterns), we recover several standard computational complexity classes.


We study multi-objective reinforcement learning (RL) where an agent's reward is represented as a vector. In settings where an agent competes against opponents, its performance is measured by the distance of its average return vector to a target set. We develop statistically and computationally efficient algorithms to approach the associated target set. Our results extend Blackwell's approachability theorem (Blackwell, 1956) to tabular RL, where strategic exploration becomes essential. The algorithms presented are adaptive; their guarantees hold even without Blackwell's approachability condition. If the opponents use fixed policies, we give an improved rate of approaching the target set while also tackling the more ambitious goal of simultaneously minimizing a scalar cost function. We discuss our analysis for this special case by relating our results to previous works on constrained RL. To our knowledge, this work provides the first provably efficient algorithms for vector-valued Markov games and our theoretical guarantees are near-optimal.


This is the sixth volume of ancient cuneiform texts being prepared under the auspices of The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, and the first volume for the Babylonian periods. The purpose of the project is to locate and publish standard editions of the texts known as the Royal Inscriptions from ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria). Since the texts were first deciphered in the nineteenth century, the close affinity between them and events and people in the Bible has stirred great interest. The texts presented in this volume are from the important transitional period extending from the fall of the Kassite dynasty in the middle of the twelfth century BC to the collapse of Assyrian power towards the close of the seventh century. During these five centuries there were a number of short-lived dynasties in Babylonia, and for a time the area was controlled by its northern neighbour, Assyria. The first part of this period has been described as a 'Dark Age' in Babylonia's history, and the nadir of its political existence occurred in the early seventh century when the capital, Babylon, was captured and destroyed by the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib. Nevertheless, in the final century and a half of this period conditions in Babylonia improved and various forces built up the momentum that was to bring about the formation of the Neo-Babylonian empire and the shift of hegemony over western Asia from Assyria to Babylonia. This volume contains a short introduction for each ruler. Every inscription is accompanied by an introductory statement, a catalogue of exemplars, a brief commentary, a bibliography, a transliteration and translation, and notes. Appropriate introductory materials and indexes are included. 'Scores,' published on microfiche, are located in a pocket at the back of the book.


In recent years, economists have made increasing use of psychological measures of well-being. This paper argues that these data and models can make important contributions to human development. The paper begins by offering an overview of some key concepts, definitions and properties of subjective well-being measures, highlighting, particularly, overall assessments of life satisfaction, satisfactions with particular domains, eudaimonic measures and measures of human potential. It then moves on to consider some of the key empirical research findings concerning general psychological mechanisms underpinning subjective well-being, and drivers of domain satisfactions and well-being in youth and older age. The paper concludes with examples of subjective well-being applied to a range of human development issues and an assessment of ways in which such analyses can complement the Human Development Index as it has evolved over the past quarter decade.


This presentation will describe results from two studies examining the impact of chronic conditions and labour market participation, using two different representative population data sets in Canada. The first study examined the relationship between seven physical chronic conditions and labour market participation in Canada between 2000 and 2005 using repeated cross-sectional data from the Canadian Community Health Surveys (N = 122,106). The second study created a dynamic longitudinal cohort from the Canadian National Population Health Survey, to examine the relationship between the initial incidence of five different conditions and labour market participation, both concurrently and two years later. In the first study all conditions were associated with an increased probability of not being able to work due to health reasons. Heart disease was associated with the greatest probability of not working due to health reasons. Arthritis was associated with the largest population attributable fraction. In addition, particular combinations of chronic conditions (heart disease and diabetes; and arthritis and back pain) were associated with super-additive risks of not working. In the second study the onset of all conditions (with the exception of hypertension) was related to work loss concurrently (Time 1) and two year subsequently (Time 2). The relationship between chronic diseases and work loss at Time 2 was completely mediated through Time 1 work status. The results of the first study demonstrate that chronic conditions are associated with labour market participation limitations, but to differing extents. Using a stronger longitudinal design, the second study demonstrates that chronic disease diagnosis is associated with immediate and prolonged work loss. Strategies to keep older workers in the labour market in Canada will need to address barriers to staying at work that result from the initiation and continued presence of chronic conditions, and particular combinations of conditions.


Many organizations process personal information in the course of normal operations. Improper disclosure of this information can be damaging, so organizations must obey privacy laws and regulations that impose restrictions on its release or risk penalties. Since electronic management of personal information must be held in strict compliance with the law, software systems designed for such purposes must have some guarantee of compliance. To support this, we develop a general methodology for designing and implementing verifiable information systems. This paper develops the design of the History Aware Programming Language into a framework for creating systems that can be mechanically checked against privacy specifications. We apply this framework to create and verify a prototypical Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) expressed as a set of actor components and first-order linear temporal logic specifications in assume-guarantee form. We then show that the implementation of the EMRS provably enforces a formalized Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) policy using a combination of model checking and static analysis techniques.


We investigate the Rabi oscillation of an atom placed inside a quantum cavity where each mirror is formed by a chain of atoms trapped near a one-dimensional waveguide. This proposal was studied previously with the use of Markov approximation, where the delay due to the finite travel time of light between the two cavity mirrors is neglected. We show that Rabi oscillation analogous to that obtained with high-finesse classical cavities is achieved only when this travel time is much larger than the time scale that characterizes the collective response of the atomic chain. Therefore, the delay must be taken into account and the dynamics of the problem is inherently non-Markovian. Parameters of interest such as the Rabi frequency and the cavity loss rate due to photon leakage through the mirrors are obtained.


We present non-linear self-consistent global simulations of the SOL plasma dynamics using the Global Braginskii Solver (GBS) code. The code solves on the drift-reduced Braginkii equations, with cold ions. Studied originally for the simulation of the Simple Magnetized Torus (SMT) experiment TORPEX (CRPP, Lausanne), the GBS code has been recently upgraded to describe the SOL turbulence with the introduction of the variable curvature along the magnetic field lines, the magnetic shear, and the electromagnetic effects. The code peculiarity lies in the capability of evolving self-consistently equilibrium and fluctuations as a results of the interplay among the sources, the turbulent transport and the plasma losses at the limiter plates. The non-linear simulations have been interpreted by means of linear analysis of the fluid equations modeling the system. This points out the presence of two main instabilities driving turbulence: the Drift Wave and the Resistive Balloning instabilities. The dependence of the instabilities growth rate and of their properties on the physical parameters of the system, for example the typical length of variation of the plasma density, the safety factor and the magnetic shear have been explained and we identify the regions where each instability dominates.


I present a language for specifying planning problems in which there are external events, that is, events beyond the direct control of the planner which may happen while a plan is being executed. The language is based on Miller and Shanahan's representation of narratives in the situation calculus. I describe an implemented planner that produces correct plans for this language, and discuss how some aspects of the language affect the efficiency of the planner.


Dean, Suzanne Lee. M.S., Department of Psychology, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology Program, Wright State University, 2008. How Openness to Experience and Prejudicial Attitudes Shape Diversity Training Outcomes. This study investigated the effectiveness of diversity training on a diversity training outcome measure when considering participant levels of Openness to Experience, sexism, and racism. Because past literature has demonstrated a positive relationship between Openness to Experience and training outcomes and a negative relationship between prejudicial attitudes and diversity training outcomes, these variables were treated as main effects in Multiple Regression equations. This study demonstrated that diversity awareness training increases participant understanding of legal issues related to workplace diversity. However, diversity training outcomes were not greatly affected by implicit or explicit prejudicial attitudes or Openness to Experience.


Abortion is a sensitive issue around the world. Acting as a clear dividing line in American politics, countries around the world treat abortion policy with a range of approaches. From near complete prohibition to encouraging its use as a tool of population control, countries utilize a variety of approaches to abortion policy. An abortion and technological issue of ethical concern is the practice of parental sex selection of the fetus. Ignoring basic questions of incentives for agents has overlooked key factors of the factors driving sex selective abortion. The economic incentives and clear decision making principles behind sex selective abortion, access to family planning, and reproductive services has not been widely studied. In this paper, I provide a theoretical economic defense to the practice of sex selective abortion given the existing ethical framework. Rather than proceeding from a moral position, this paper will defend the practice of sex selective abortion using the accepted ethical precepts of society and the economics of family planning.Analysis of the practice of sex selective abortions fails to account for value discrimination of human life and choice fungibility. I find that opposition to sex selective abortion establishes significant inequalities based upon inconsistent standards between individual agents, fetuses, technological standards, and income levels. This has four primary implications. First, agents in societies which engage in sex selective do so out of economic incentives not gender preference. Second, in developed economies which do not face the economic constraints of parents in lesser developed countries, parents have distinct non‐distortionary aggregative gender preferences. Third, the ethical dilemma of gender preferences of potential parents in developed countries concerns the methods by which they seek to obtain their preferred gender or other characteristics. Fourth, at its core, ethical arguments against the practice of sex selection abortion are not arguing against sex selection, abortion, or sex selective abortion. Critics of sex selective abortion are arguing against societal gender imbalance.


Context. Recent analysis of stellar populations in barred galaxies have focused on the spatial distribution of stellar population ages and metallicities. However, barred galaxies are complex objects where dynamical instabilities play a leading role in shaping any spatial distribution. Aims. The age distribution of stellar populations should thus be analyzed from the two points of view of stellar population evolution and dynamical secular evolution. Methods. Chemodynamical simulations of single barred galaxies with simple but realistic star formation and feedback recipes are used to produce face-on mass-weighted maps of stellar population ages. Luminosity-weighted maps in V-band are also displayed after calibrating the simulation with mass-to-light ratios provided by a synthesis population model. Results. It is shown that inside a stellar bar two persistent diametrically opposed regions display a mean age lower than the surrounding average. These two low-age regions are due to the accumulation of young stellar populations trapped on elliptical-like orbits along the bar, near the ultra-harmonic resonance. Age gradients along the bar major-axis are comparable to recent observations. Another low-age region is the outer ring located near the Outer Lindblad Resonance, but the presence and strength of this structure is very time-dependent.


Department of Water Management, Civil Engineering and Geosciences Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands Stevinweg 1 , PO Box 504, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands Tel.: +31 15 2782168 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com Abstractaeaeaeae Delta is a low-lying area which can be found at the mouth of a river. Nowadays, concentration of flooding occurs in many deltaic areas due to combination of several factors. Meanwhile, a big number of people live on flood plain of main rivers and river deltas which will be threatened by flooding. Land subsidence and deforestation are two phenomena which had been occurring very high until recently in SEE Asia region. Increasing of population strongly influences the natural hydrological processes. Due to pressure for land, substantial areas of peat swamps in SEE Asia have been presently are being reclaimed for agriculture or for other land use. In natural conditions swamp areas functioned as a retention area by adsorbing flood water, thereby preventing or mitigation flooding in downstream areas. But unfortunately, large areas of the original forests in large peat swamp forests have disappeared due to human activities such as illegal logging and fires. In other side increasing population, industries, agricultures and plantations will increase water demand. Activities of ground water extraction will be increasing as well. It can cause land subsidence and furthermore tide can easily propagate into deltaic areas moreover compounded by lowering of land surface due to land subsidence. Since flooding is an issue has been identified then these two phenomena need to be identified as well. Keywordsaeaeae delta, flood, land subsidence, deforestation, fires.


Background. Primary tumours of the gastrointestinal tract are very uncommon in children. They can present with anaemia caused by gastrointestinal acute or chronic bleeding. One of the most common gastrointestinal tumours is Burkitt lymphoma. This lymphoma is a highly aggressive, rapidly growing B-cell neoplasm, making survival without treatment possible only for a few weeks. For this reason it requires immediate hospitalization and treatment. Case report. We report a case of a gastric Burkitt lymphoma in an adolescent girl who presented with anaemia due to gastrointestinal bleeding. She received out-patient care with iron medications orally due to suspected iron-deficiency anaemia but there was no sufficient effect. The patient was referred to Children's Oncohematology Department with a progression of symptoms (weakness, fatigue, sound in the ears, and nausea) five months after anaemia was diagnosed in the complete blood count. The imaging tests showed a massive solid tumour with bleeding in the stomach. The final diagnosis was a histologically atypical Burkitt lymphoma. Chemotherapy treatment was started according to NHL-BFM 2004 paediatric protocol. Conclusions. Non-Hodgin's lymphoma is the most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract in children and about 75% of these tumours are Burkitt lymphomas. They can present with anaemia in the complete blood count due to bleeding. Reticulocyte test and serum ferritin level test help to differentiate pathophysiological origin of anaemia. Combination chemotherapy according to standardized protocols is the best current standard of care and has a very good clinical response without unfavourable risk factors.


In this paper, I am using panel data of merged datasets that include coffee bean hectares of cultivation, coca leaf cultivation, massacres, and selective assassinations to study the relationship between coffee bean production and the level of homicide rates in Colombia during 2002-2010. This is a departmental level analysis across six coffee-growing departments: Antioquia, Caldas, Cauca, Huila, Tolima, and Cauca Valley. I use a fixed effect regression model to analyze the relationship between coffee bean production, coca leaf production and the two types of homicides. My results do not show a direct link between coffee bean production and levels of homicides reported. However, there is a significant negative correlation between the dummy year variables and both types of homicides. Thus, demonstrating that other factors had a significant influence on the reduction of homicides across the 8 years, such as the election of a new president and the establishment of international coffee prices. Moreover, the results also show that encouraging farmers to cultivate an alternative crop is not always enough to completely halt the cultivation of coca crops. Most of the literature on coffee bean production and crime rate, studies general crime in Colombia during one period of time or before the years 2000. My study adds to the current literature by analyzing the effect of coffee bean cultivation on specific crimes, massacres and selective assassinations, across the years 2002-2010. Coffee Bean, Coca Leaf, and Crime in Colombia 3


The Work in this thesis is concentrated on the study of discrete curvature as an important geometric property of objects, useful in describing their shape. The main focus is on the study of the methods to measure the discrete curvature on polyhedral surfaces. The curvatures associated with a polyhedral surface are concentrated around its vertices and along its edges. An existing method to evaluate the curvature at a vertex is the Angle Deficit, which also characterises vertices into flat, convex or saddle. In discrete surfaces other kinds of vertices are possible which this method cannot identify. The concept of Total Absolute Curvature (TAC) has been established to overcome this limitation, as a measure of curvature independent of the orientation of local geometry. However no correct implementation of the TAC exists for polyhedral surfaces, besides very simple cases.For two-dimensional discrete surfaces in space, represented as polygonal meshes, the TAC is measured by means of the Polyhedral Gauss Map (PGM) of vertices. This is a representation of the curvature of a vertex as an area on the surface of a sphere. Positive and negative components of the curvature of a vertex are distinguished as spherical polygons on the PGM. Core contributions of this thesis are the methods to identify these polygons and give a sign to them. The PGM provides a correct characterisation of vertices of any type, from basic convex and saddle types to complex mixed vertices, which have both positive and negative curvature in them.Another contribution is a visualisation program developed to show the PGM using 3D computer graphics. This program helps in the understanding and analysis of the results provided by the numerical computations of curvature. It also provides interactive tools to show the detailed information about the curvature of vertices.Finally a polygon simplification application is used to compare the curvature measures provided by the Angle Deficit and PGM methods. Various sample meshes are decimated using both methods and the simplified results compared with the original meshes. These experiments show how the TAC can be used to more effectively preserve the shape of an object. Several other applications that benefit in a similar way with the use of the TAC as a curvature measure are also proposed.


Electrical conduction through molecular junctions are measured in different local environments through two test beds that are ideal for single/few molecule and molecular monolayer systems. A technique has been developed to realize Au films with approximately 1.5 A surface roughness comparable to the best available techniques and suitable for formation of patterned device structures. The technique utilizes room temperature e-beam evaporated Au films over oxidized Si substrates silanized with (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The lateral (single/few molecule) and vertical (many molecules) device structures are both enabled by the process for realizing ultraflat Au layer. Lateral metal-molecule-metal (M-M-M) device structures are fabricated by forming pairs of Au electrodes with nanometer separation (nano-gap) through an electromigration-induced break-junction (EIBJ) technique at room temperature and conductivity measurements are carried out for dithiol functionalized single molecules. We have used the flat Au layer (using the current technique) as the bottom contact in vertical M-M-M device structures. Here, molecular self-assembly are formed on the Au surface, and patterned (20 x 20 microm2) top Au contacts were successfully transferred on to the device using a stamping technique (where the Au is deposited on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pad and following a physical contact on the thiolated Au layer). The single molecular property of XYL, a highly conductive molecule and many molecular property of HS-C9-SH, an insulating molecule in its molecular monolayer form are measured. Observation of enhanced conduction following molecular deposition, and comparison of conductance-voltage characteristics to those predicted theoretically, confirms the success of trapping single/few molecules in the nano-gap. The observed approximately 10(2) less conductance through the molecular monolayer of HS-C9-SH compared to the estimation of a linear sum of single molecule conductances over large area indicate that either all the molecules are not in physical contact with the top stamping electrode or electrode-molecule coupling has a less broadening in presence of it own environment or both.


We explore the links between migration of labour and location specific (urban) pollution, suggesting a sense in which pollution can be welfare improving. In a conventional Harris-Todaro model of urban-rural migration, individuals migrate so as to equate the expected urban wage (given a downward rigid real wage in the urban sector) to the real wage. Unemployment is endogenously determined. Interpreting unemployment as damage, urban pollution (damage denoted in units of labour) can also support the same equilibrium with the value of damage equal to the value of resources otherwise lost through unemployment. However, if the damage function implies an uninternalized externality (due to urban congestion, for instance), an internalization gain can be realized through the use of a Pigouvian tax (or instrument) that discourages migration. Thus if pollution is introduced into a Harris-Todaro model with no such features, environmental damage displaces unemployment to support a similar outcome. Internalizing the externality then yields a welfare gain. We characterize the optimal Pigouvian tax in such a case and show that it is, in general, non-zero. In this sense, then, pollution can be welfare improving perhaps suggesting an alternative view of congestion and other adverse environmental effects facing urban dwellers in the developing world.


Hashing, or learning binary embeddings of data, is frequently used in nearest neighbor retrieval. In this paper, we develop learning to rank formulations for hashing, aimed at directly optimizing ranking-based evaluation metrics such as Average Precision (AP) and Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG). We first observe that the integer-valued Hamming distance often leads to tied rankings, and propose to use tie-aware versions of AP and NDCG to evaluate hashing for retrieval. Then, to optimize tie-aware ranking metrics, we derive their continuous relaxations, and perform gradient-based optimization with deep neural networks. Our results establish the new state-of-the-art for image retrieval by Hamming ranking in common benchmarks.


In female sheep and goats, exposure to males can be used to induce ovulation and thus control and synchronise fertility. This 'male effect' offers simple, cost-effective, and hormone-free management of reproduction in flocks and herds but, despite decades of research, significant gaps in our knowledge impede commercial application. Many of these gaps can be traced back to misconceptions in the early documentation of the male effect, and others are the result of uncontrolled factors in experimental design. Consequently, it is often difficult to draw conclusions from past research, to further our understanding of the phenomenon, and to make recommendations for industry application. Here, we describe 2 aspects of the male stimulus used to elicit the male effect that are often uncontrolled - the novelty of the stimulus males and factors that contribute to variability in the potency of the male stimulus. We discuss the physiology that underpins novelty, including the individual specificity of the sociosexual signals emitted by the male, and the concomitant ability of females to distinguish among individual males and remember them. Importantly, an understanding of the issue of novelty can make it easier to use the male effect in commercial practice. We also discuss difficulties in interpretation caused by variation in endpoints of the male effect (from neuroendocrine reaction to birth). We conclude that more rigour is needed in the control and reporting of male novelty, in preexperimentation separation of the sexes, and in extrapolation from detection of early responses to the male stimulus to reproductive outcomes.


We have evaluated enthalpies of formation, or dissociation, for hydrates of CO2 and CH4. The exothermic heat released when a CO2 hydrate is formed could be 9 10 kJ/mol of guest molecule more than the heat required to dissociate a CH4 hydrate to methane gas and liquid water. The implication is that the heat released is available for dissociating the surrounding CH4 hydrate to CH4 gas and liquid water. In addition to the free pore water additional free water will become available for new CO2 hydrate to form in place of the original CH4 hydrate. The released CH4 will migrate upwards due to buoyancy. The pressure–temperature projection is not what is essential to replace in situ methane hydrate with carbon dioxide. The difference in free energy of the two hydrates (CO2 and CH4 hydrates) and the heat of crystallization of CO2 hydrate relative to the heat of dissociation (or formation) of the CH4 hydrate is what is vital. This is based on the combined first and second laws of thermodynamics. Carbon dioxide hydrate is thermodynamically more stable than methane hydrate in respect of free energy. The free energy of CO2 hydrate may be 1.8 2.0 kJ/mol lower than that of CH4 hydrate.


Digital forensics investigations aim to find evidence that helps confirm or disprove a hypothesis about an alleged computer-based crime. However, the ease with which computer-literate criminals can falsify computer event logs makes the prosecutor's job highly challenging. Given a log which is suspected to have been falsified or tampered with, a prosecutor is obliged to provide a convincing explanation for how the log may have been created. Here we focus on showing how a suspect computer event log can be transformed into a hypothesised actual sequence of events, consistent with independent, trusted sources of event orderings. We present two algorithms which allow the effort involved in falsifying logs to be quantified, as a function of the number of 'moves' required to transform the suspect log into the hypothesised one, thus allowing a prosecutor to assess the likelihood of a particular falsification scenario. The first algorithm always produces an optimal solution but, for reasons of efficiency, is suitable for short event logs only. To deal with the massive amount of data typically found in computer event logs, we also present a second heuristic algorithm which is considerably more efficient but may not always generate an optimal outcome.


In the North African nation of Mauritania, women are expected to maintain large, voluptuous bodies to the point of morbid obesity. This tradition has been kept alive for countless generations, starting centuries ago with nomads who respected those men who could keep their wives plump. In recent history, the pressure to gain weight has led to excessive force-feeding for young girls, who are often urged to ingest up to 16,000 calories per day. In addition to the initial weight gain, women in Mauritania will oftentimes resort to the abuse of pharmaceuticals in order to maintain their figures. This is an intensive process that demands massive amounts of time and energy throughout the lifespan. When women are expected to gain weight and maintain this image of excess, they are tethered to the home and are unable to engage in the community. For this reason, their voices have effectively been silenced in Mauritanian politics. At the beginning of the century, Mauritania saw a lapse in the trend of feminine obesity, which was accompanied by the entrance of more women into the public sphere. However, a recent military coup has set forth a "return to tradition" and has effectively undone this progress. This shows that body image is a defining factor in a Mauritanian woman's place in society. The demanding task of putting on weight blocks women from the political sphere as well as from the community as a whole.


In Bachmann [Aufbau der Geometrie aus dem Spiegelungsbegriff, Die Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften, Bd. XCVI (Springer, Berlin–Göttingen–Heidelberg, 1959)], it was shown that a finite metric plane is a Desarguesian affine plane of odd order equipped with a perpendicularity relation on lines and that the converse is also true. Sherk ['Finite incidence structures with orthogonality', Canad. J. Math. 19 (1967), 1078–1083] generalised this result to characterise the finite affine planes of odd order by removing the 'three reflections axioms' from a metric plane. We show that one can obtain a larger class of natural finite geometries, the so-called Bruck nets of even degree, by weakening Sherk's axioms to allow noncollinear points.


Submarine meandering channels are conduits that transport gravity-driven flows and sediments into the deep sea. Such channel systems form distributive networks across submarine fans, ultimately forming the largest sedimentary deposits on Earth. Despite this, our understanding of flow processes and the sedimentary evolution of sinuous submarine channel systems remains poor, primarily due to a lack of, thus far elusive, direct field observation and measurements of flows within submarine channel bends. In the absence of direct field measurements, our understanding of these systems has necessarily been speculative, relying until very recently on bend flow theory derived from research in subaerial river channel bends. Although recent measurements and results from scaled laboratory experiments and numerical modeling of submarine channel bends have advanced our understanding of some of the relations between flows, forms, and the implications for sedimentary deposits, key results from this recent research have been contradictory. Notably, several studies have indicated that the helical flow structures within submarine bend flows closely match those found ubiquitously in subaerial river channels, while conflicting research has reported a reversal of this helical flow structure, with associated far-reaching implications for deep-sea sedimentology. This paper presents the first direct three-dimensional measurements of the flow field in a natural submarine channel bend. The results, from a submarine channel bend on the Black Sea shelf, demonstrate for the first time that a reversed helical flow structure can occur in seafloor channel bends. Such findings have major implications for process sedimentology in these environments, because the direction and strength of helical flow fields are known to impart a significant influence on cross-stream sediment sorting in bends and thus the stratigraphy of the deposits produced by these channel systems.


Fusarium wilt of oil palm, caused by a soil-borne fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis (Foe), is a major problem to oil palm cultivation and palm oil yield in Africa, Asia, and parts of North America. There is currently a shortfall in palm oil to meet local and international demands. Thus, factors constraining maximum yield are critical to address. This research was done to find potential methods of controlling Foe in Ghana and if possible extended to other countries experiencing similar problems. Effective disease control will come from understanding the genetic variability of Foe, a combination of selection and release of resistant germplasm, and rapid detection of Foe. In-depth molecular fingerprinting via AFLP, SSR, ISSR as well as using the "housekeeping" genes (TEF and ITS) and effector proteins specifically SIX genes as molecular markers revealed genetic variations among different isolates of Foe from Africa (Ghana, Ivory Coast, DR Congo) and South America (Suriname) as shown in the various constructed phylogenetic trees in the study. This research has introduced improved measures to obtain resistant oil palm germplasm from the high local genetic diversity via pathogenicity studies. Pathogenicity assessment under green-house conditions through different inoculation techniques revealed four Foe isolates could cause infection in oil palm genotypes from Ghana and Malaysia. Effectors based on fourteen SIX genes were studied and primers with higher specificity designed for the LAMP technique for only Foe detection or diagnosis on site developed. Different LAMP primer sets were developed in this study to distinguish or discriminate only Fusarium oxysporum isolates from other pathogens. A P-450 cytochrome gene LAMP primer was also successfully developed in this research. Survey of the disease was conducted in four different oil palm plantation fields in Ghana. Tissue samples were collected from symptomatic oil palm trees neighbouring asymptomatic oil palm trees in fields of Ghana as part of the survey. All tissue samples from both symptomatic and asymptomatic oil palm tested positive for Foe infection via PCR. General observations in the oil palm plantations in Ghana showed that infection of Foe occurred in clusters among oil palm trees. Application of different control mechanisms against Foe with biological agents (Trichoderma sp.), chemical (sodium silicate pentahydrate - Na2O3Si.5H2O) or photochemical (Conventional UV or High Intensity Pulsed Polychromatic source) techniques all proved to be potential methods to suppress or totally inhibit Foe. Among the three Trichoderma sp. used in the study, Trichoderma harzianum (T3) was the most suppressive to the four Foe isolates, though the other two Trichoderma isolates, T. cerinum (T1) and T. atroviride (T2) showed potential as biological control agents (BCAs). The three different concentrations of Na2O3Si.5H2O test yielded varying results as increasing concentrations increased the percentage inhibition in all four Foe isolates used. The lethal dose for Foe spores with either a High Intensity Pulsed Polychromatic or Conventional UV sources was 60 KJ but oil palm pollen exposed to this dose did not germinate. Generally, the higher the dose of UV, the lower the percentage germination of the oil palm pollen in this study.


Abstract The article explores America's evolving policy towards BRICS in the context of the Trump administration's new 'America First' global strategy. Even though the BRICS grouping has not become an anti-systemic or anti-liberal force, its attempts to form an alternative centre of global power has prompted the US to manage multipolarity. The Trump administration has continued America's previous policies of hedging potential BRICS consolidation and enhancing its regional engagement in the era of sovereignty revivalism and deglobalisation. To preserve its group identity, the BRICS needs to secure each country's coordinated development capabilities and retain the group's common economic, political, and security agendas.


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Ninety percent of patients with psychiatric disorders are seen in the general medical sector. Two-thirds of these patients receive no treatment for their psychiatric illness. Of the one-third that does, only one-tenth is provided minimally adequate treatment.1 Furthermore, nontreatment or nonevidence-based treatment of psychiatric disorders in the primary care setting is associated with at least double the total health care costs for patients, mainly from increased general medical care and nonpsychiatric prescriptions.2,3


Series of undrained compression (UUC), undrained extension (UUE), consolidated undrained compression (CU), and uniaxial compression (UC) tests were carried out on samples of Chalk Marl from the Channel Tunnel. The analysis of the results of these tests has shown that the Chalk Marl is characterised by slightly non-linear stress-strain behaviour, very brittle failure, a substantial loss of post-peak strength and small strains to failure. Mohr failure envelopes in terms of effective stress for vertical and horizontal specimens were found to be straight lines within the range of stresses investigated. The stress-strain relationships are characterised by hysteresis of residual strain upon removal of stress. A series of isotropically consolidated drained tests on specimens of different orientations was carried out. The effect of anisotropic consolidation was studied by carrying out some anisotropically consolidated drained tests using the modified Hoek Cell. Strength and deformation characteristics measured lateral deformations, Poisson's ratio and the range of the elastic behaviour were studied in detail. Values of the elastic parameters required for the isotropic mathematical model were determined. The anisotropic behaviour of Chalk Marl in drained and undrained conditions was analysed and the five elastic parameters required to describe the complete anisotropic stress-strain relationships were determined. It was found that Chalk Marl exhibits a marked degree of deformation anisotropy, with a degree of anisotropy n = E'h/E'v = 1.5. The undrained and drained strengths were nearly isotropic. The effect of stress path on the undrained deformation behaviour was studied both under isotropic and anisotropic consolidation conditions. A series of multi-stage stress path tests on vertical and horizontal specimens was carried out.. The testing technique followed was to subject the same specimen to three stages of consolidation and after each stage, the specimen was subjected to three or more different stress paths, simulating the-stress changes experienced by different soil elements around the tunnel excavation during tunnelling operation. It was found that the stress path followed has a significant effect on the deformation behaviour and the pore pressure response. The long term time-dependent deformation behaviour was studied under different states of stress including onedimensional, uniaxial, drained triaxial and undrained triaxial conditions. It was shown that the relationships between creep strains and log time are generally non-linear with only a limited range of linearity during the early periods of creep. The behaviour is characterised by limited strain instabilities and the absence of secondary and tertiary creep phases, i.e. creep being of primary nature only.