The Behavioral Impact of Knowledge on Breast Cancer Risk Reduction by Mia Hung BS, Andrews University, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University August 2015 Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral impact of knowledge regarding the relationship between breast cancer, vitamin D supplementation, and sunlight exposure considering levels of self-efficacy and response-efficacy. The study was based on protection motivation theory, which attributes behavior change to cognitive processes related to perceived threats and has demonstrated efficacy in promoting breast cancer risk-reducing behaviors. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design based on a survey using SurveyMonkey. Participants were New York Cityresiding women ranging in age from 25 to 74 who were recruited via an invitation from SurveyMonkey. Correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were performed on the data extracted from the survey in order to better understand the relationship of the variables in this study, and to test if any of the independent variables were significant predictors of vitamin D intake through supplementation and sunlight exposure. The results of this analysis showed that knowledge regarding the reduction in risk of breast cancer from sunlight exposure and through vitamin D supplementation was not related to changes in behavior involving increases in sunlight exposure and vitamin D intake through supplementation. Further, the results showed that those participants with higher levels of self-efficacy and response-efficacy regarding sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation had an increased amounts of vitamin D intake through supplementation on a daily basis. The results of this study can be used to help medical professionals understand the complexity involved in how their clients may or may not take action to reduce the potential for reducing the risk of breast cancer.The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral impact of knowledge regarding the relationship between breast cancer, vitamin D supplementation, and sunlight exposure considering levels of self-efficacy and response-efficacy. The study was based on protection motivation theory, which attributes behavior change to cognitive processes related to perceived threats and has demonstrated efficacy in promoting breast cancer risk-reducing behaviors. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design based on a survey using SurveyMonkey. Participants were New York Cityresiding women ranging in age from 25 to 74 who were recruited via an invitation from SurveyMonkey. Correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were performed on the data extracted from the survey in order to better understand the relationship of the variables in this study, and to test if any of the independent variables were significant predictors of vitamin D intake through supplementation and sunlight exposure. The results of this analysis showed that knowledge regarding the reduction in risk of breast cancer from sunlight exposure and through vitamin D supplementation was not related to changes in behavior involving increases in sunlight exposure and vitamin D intake through supplementation. Further, the results showed that those participants with higher levels of self-efficacy and response-efficacy regarding sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation had an increased amounts of vitamin D intake through supplementation on a daily basis. The results of this study can be used to help medical professionals understand the complexity involved in how their clients may or may not take action to reduce the potential for reducing the risk of breast cancer. The Behavioral Impact of Knowledge on Breast Cancer Risk Reduction by Mia Hung BS, Andrews University, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University August 2015


Modern Computer Vision systems learn visual concepts through examples (i.e. images) which have been manually annotated by humans. While this paradigm allowed the field to tremendously progress in the last decade, it has now become one of its major bottlenecks. Teaching a new visual concept requires an expensive human annotation effort, limiting systems to scale to thousands of visual concepts from the few dozens that work today. The exponential growth of visual data available on the net represents an invaluable resource for visual learning algorithms and calls for new methods able to exploit this information to learn visual concepts without the need of major human annotation effort. As a first contribution, we introduce an approach for learning human actions as interac- tions between persons and objects in realistic images. By exploiting the spatial structure of human-object interactions, we are able to learn action models automatically from a set of still images annotated only with the action label (weakly-supervised). Extensive experimental evaluation demonstrates that our weakly-supervised approach achieves the same performance of popular fully-supervised methods despite using substantially less supervision. In the second part of this thesis we extend this reasoning to human-object interactions in realistic video and feature length movies. Popular methods represent actions with low- level features such as image gradients or optical flow. In our approach instead, interactions are modeled as the trajectory of the object wrt to the person position, providing a rich and natural description of actions. Our interaction descriptor is an informative cue on its own and is complimentary to traditional low-level features. Finally, in the third part we propose an approach for learning object detectors from real- world web videos (i.e. YouTube). As opposed to the standard paradigm of learning from still images annotated with bounding-boxes, we propose a technique to learn from videos known only to contain objects of a target class. We demonstrate that learning detec- tors from video alone already delivers good performance requiring much less supervision compared to training from images annotated with bounding boxes. We additionally show that training from a combination of weakly annotated videos and fully annotated still images improves over training from still images alone.


Abstract. Geomagnetic storms, as part of the Sun-Earth relations, are continuously monitored with different indices and scales. These indices usually have some associated scale thresholds to quantify the severity or risk of geomagnetic disturbances. However, the most usual scale thresholds are arbitrarily chosen. In this work we aim to quantify the range of the thresholds through a new method. These new thresholds are based on statistical distribution fitting. We used different geomagnetic indices, as Dst, SYM-H, and Kp, since they are relevant for space weather purposes. The first two indices have been discriminated between their negative values and the whole dataset. We considered two periods: a short-term one, comprising data from 1997 to 2012; and long-term ones, which are from 1957–2012 for Dst and 1932–2012 for Kp. We look for the best fit for different statistical continuous distributions applied to these indices. The best fits and the data distribution functions yield to intersects that can be used to define thresholds. The best fit distribution functions are more coincidental between them when considering determined similar datasets, as non-central f-distribution for negative values, meaningful for geomagnetic disturbances; or non-central Student's-t, when the whole dataset is taken. The method yields different values for thresholds depending on the index. Thresholds for geomagnetic storms can be chosen by common values of SYM-H and Dst, as −75 nT for moderate storms; −150 nT for intense storms, and −330 nT for extreme storms. For the case of Kp, the value equal to 5 may mark the departure from quiet time to stormy time. The obtained values are close to those usually considered as thresholds for, typically, Dst and Kp; therefore the thresholds defined here may provide criteria to assess the vulnerability to geomagnetic activity on design or mitigation purposes.


The present article discusses the three main approaches to violence risk assessment, clinical judgement, actuarial assessment, and structured clinical judgement, informing the reader of the comparative benefits and short-comings of these methods of violence risk assessment. In particular, the present article highlights the controversy within the literature surrounding clinical judgement in comparison to actuarial assessments of violence risk, and proposes that the statistically significant 'improvements' of violence prediction when using actuarial scales in comparison to clinical predictions of dangerousness do not necessarily measure the skill of the clinician adequately. Specifically, an assessment of 'dangerousness' does not equal a prediction of violent recidivism. It is argued that clinicians are not predictive forecasters of risk, as in actuarial scales, but are, rather, trained to manage risk. In addition, suggestions for future research directions in the field of improving violence risk assessments are made.


Substances that accumulate to hazardous levels in living organisms pose environmental and human-health risks, which governments seek to reduce or eliminate. Regulatory authorities identify bioaccumulative substances as hydrophobic, fat-soluble chemicals having high octanol-water partition coefficients (KOW)(≥100,000). Here we show that poorly metabolizable, moderately hydrophobic substances with a KOW between 100 and 100,000, which do not biomagnify (that is, increase in chemical concentration in organisms with increasing trophic level) in aquatic food webs, can biomagnify to a high degree in food webs containing air-breathing animals (including humans) because of their high octanol-air partition coefficient (KOA) and corresponding low rate of respiratory elimination to air. These low KOW–high KOA chemicals, representing a third of organic chemicals in commercial use, constitute an unidentified class of potentially bioaccumulative substances that require regulatory assessment to prevent possible ecosystem and human-health consequences.


Abstract EEG studies have shown that interindividual differences in the electrophysiological properties of sleep spindles (e.g., density, amplitude, duration) are highly correlated with trait-like "reasoning" abilities (i.e., "fluid intelligence"; problem-solving skills; the ability to employ logic or identify complex patterns), but not interindividual differences in STM or "verbal" intellectual abilities. Previous simultaneous EEG-fMRI studies revealed brain activations time-locked to spindles. Our group has recently demonstrated that the extent of activation in a subset of these regions was related to interindividual differences in reasoning intellectual abilities, specifically. However, spindles reflect communication between spatially distant and functionally distinct brain areas. The functional communication among brain regions related to spindles and their relationship to reasoning abilities have yet to be investigated. Using simultaneous EEG-fMRI sleep recordings and psychophysiological interaction analysis, we identified spindle-related functional communication among brain regions in the thalamo-cortical-BG system, the salience network, and the default mode network. Furthermore, the extent of the functional connectivity of the cortical–striatal circuitry and the thalamo-cortical circuitry was specifically related to reasoning abilities but was unrelated to STM or verbal abilities, thus suggesting that individuals with higher fluid intelligence have stronger functional coupling among these brain areas during spontaneous spindle events. This may serve as a first step in further understanding the function of sleep spindles and the brain network functional communication, which support the capacity for fluid intelligence.


This book critically engages with the idea of transparency whose ubiquitous demand stands in stark contrast to its lack of conceptual clarity. The book carefully examines this notion in its own right, traces its emergence in Early Modernity and analyzes its omnipresence in contemporary rhetoric. Today, transparency has become a catchword outplaying other Enlightenment values like empowerment, sincerity and the notion of a public sphere. In a suspicious manner, transparency is entangled in the discourses on power, surveillance, and self-exposure. Bringing together prominent scholars from the emerging field of Critical Transparency Studies, the book offers a map of the various sites at which transparency has become virulent and connects the dots between past and present. By studying its appearances in today's hyper-mediated economies of information and by linking it back to its historical roots, the book analyzes transparency and its discontents, and scrutinizes the reasons why it has become the imperative of a supposedly post-ideological age.


We report on an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency band 20–475 Hz and with a frequency time derivative in the range of [−1.0,+0.1]×10−8  Hz/s. Such a signal could be produced by a nearby spinning and slightly nonaxisymmetric isolated neutron star in our galaxy. This search uses the data from Advanced LIGO's first observational run, O1. No periodic gravitational wave signals were observed, and upper limits were placed on their strengths. The lowest upper limits on worst-case (linearly polarized) strain amplitude h0 are ∼4×10−25 near 170 Hz. For a circularly polarized source (most favorable orientation), the smallest upper limits obtained are ∼1.5×10−25. These upper limits refer to all sky locations and the entire range of frequency derivative values. For a population-averaged ensemble of sky locations and stellar orientations, the lowest upper limits obtained for the strain amplitude are ∼2.5×10−25.


Action observation is central to human social
interaction. It allows people to derive what mental states drive others' behaviour and coordinate (and compete) effectively with them. Although previous accounts have conceptualised this ability in terms of bottom‐up (motoric or conceptual) matching processes, more recent evidence suggests that such mechanisms cannot account for the complexity and uncertainty of the sensory input, even in cases where computations should be much simpler (i.e.,
low‐level vision). It has therefore been argued that perception in general, and social perception in particular, is better described as a process of top–down hypothesis testing. In such models, any assumption about others—their goals, attitudes, and beliefs—is translated into predictions of expected sensory input and compared with incoming stimulation. This allows perception and action to be based on these expectations or—in case of a mismatch—for one's prior assumptions to be revised until they are better aligned with the individual's behaviour. This article will give a (selective) review of recent research from experimental psychology and (social)neuroscience that supports such views, discuss the relevant underlying models, and current gaps in research. In particular, it will
argue that much headway can be made when current research on
predictive social perception is integrated with classic findings from social psychology, which have already shown striking effects of prior knowledge on the processing of other people's behaviour.


This article argues that both flexible spectrum management and the concept of reconfigurability do not eliminate the need for certain centralized controlling entities, and even introduce a number of new entities performing regulatory, commercial and technical functions. One such entity, the Cognitive Pilot Channel (CPC), is presented, and different configurations of the CPC are outlined. Subsequently, the potential impact of different CPC configurations on business models for wireless services making use of such a channel is explored. The article concludes that a hybrid model combining a meta-level CPC with operatordeployed channels might provide the best mix of technical and strategic control for operators, and value for users.


The Fifth Amendment's Due Process of Law Clause adds nothing to the Constitution's original meaning. Every principle for limiting federal executive, judicial, and even legislative powers that can plausibly be attributed to the idea of "due process of law" – from the principle of legality forbidding executive or judicial action in the absence of law to the requirement of notice before valid judicial judgments to a limitation on arbitrary governmental action that today goes under the heading of "substantive due process" – is already contained in the text and structure of the Constitution of 1788. The Fifth Amendment Due Process of Law Clause confirms those principles but does not create them. Accordingly, originalist attention should be focused on the Constitution itself, not on the "exclamation point" added to it in 1791.
This article defends those claims and also briefly explores why and how modern doctrine has moved from this substantively-oriented account of limitations on governmental powers to a focus on executive and judicial procedures. That shift may result in some measure from doctrine under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process of Law Clause. The limitations on federal power built into the Constitution of 1788 obviously do not apply to state governments, so attributing the Fifth Amendment's meaning to the Fourteenth Amendment makes little sense (though if that really is what the original meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment does, that is just life). A proceduralist account of due process of law makes some sense under the Fourteenth Amendment, but it is a large mistake to read that proceduralist account back into the Fifth Amendment.
The bottom lines are that the Fifth Amendment's Due Process of Law Clause (1) is much more about substance than about procedure and (2) is basically irrelevant to the Constitution's original meaning.


We investigate the issue of "dangerous human-made interference with climate" using simulations with GISS modelE driven by measured or estimated forcings for 1880–2003 and extended to 2100 for IPCC greenhouse gas scenarios as well as the "alternative" scenario of Hansen and Sato (2004). Identification of "dangerous" effects is partly subjective, but we find evidence that added global warming of more than 1°C above the level in 2000 has effects that may be highly disruptive. The alternative scenario, with peak added forcing ~1.5 W/m 2 in 2100, keeps further global warming under 1°C if climate sensitivity is ~3°C or less for doubled CO 2 . The alternative scenario keeps mean regional seasonal warming within 2σ (standard deviations) of 20th century variability, but other scenarios yield regional changes of 5–10σ, i.e. mean conditions outside the range of local experience. We conclude that a CO 2 level exceeding about 450 ppm is "dangerous", but reduction of non-CO 2 forcings can provide modest relief on the CO 2 constraint. We discuss three specific sub-global topics: Arctic climate change, tropical storm intensification, and ice sheet stability. We suggest that Arctic climate change has been driven as much by pollutants (O 3 , its precursor CH 4 , and soot) as by CO 2 , offering hope that dual efforts to reduce pollutants and slow CO 2 growth could minimize Arctic change. Simulated recent ocean warming in the region of Atlantic hurricane formation is comparable to observations, suggesting that greenhouse gases (GHGs) may have contributed to a trend toward greater hurricane intensities. Increasing GHGs cause significant warming in our model in submarine regions of ice shelves and shallow methane hydrates, raising concern about the potential for accelerating sea level rise and future positive feedback from methane release. Growth of non-CO 2 forcings has slowed in recent years, but CO 2 emissions are now surging well above the alternative scenario. Prompt actions to slow CO 2 emissions and decrease non-CO 2 forcings are required to achieve the low forcing of the alternative scenario.


The cleavage of C–O bonds in phenol, catechol, and guaiacol has been explored with mono- and dual-functional catalysts containing Ni and/or HZSM-5 in the aqueous phase. The aromatic ring of phenol is hydrogenated in the first step, and the C–O bond of the resulting cyclohexanol is dehydrated in sequence. The initial turnover frequency (TOF) of phenol hydrodeoxygenation increases in parallel with the acid site concentration irrespective of the concentration of the accessible surface Ni atoms. For catechol and guaiacol conversion, Ni catalyzes the hydrogenolysis of the C–O bonds in addition to arene hydrogenation. For catechol, the hydrogenation of the aromatic ring and the hydrogenolysis of the phenolic –OH group occur in parallel with a ratio of 8:1. The saturated cyclohexane-1,2-diol can be further dehydrated over HZSM-5 or hydrogenolyzed on Ni to complete hydrodeoxygenation. Guaiacol undergoes primarily hydrogenolysis (75%) to phenol via demethoxylation, and the hydrogenation route accounts for only 25%. This is attributed to the steric effects arising from the adjacent sp3 hybrid O–CH3 group. 2-Methoxycyclohexanol (from guaiacol hydrogenation) reacts further either via hydrogenolysis by Ni to cyclohexanol or via acid catalyzed demethoxylation and rearrangement steps followed by the subsequent hydrogenation of the intermediately formed olefins. On Ni/HZSM-5, the hydrodeoxygenation activities are much higher for the phenolic monomers than for their respective saturated analogues, pointing to the importance of sp2 orbitals. The presence of proximal acid sites increases the activities of Ni in the presence of H2 by a synergistic action.


Many important decisions historically made by humans are now being made by algorithms - often learnt from data - whose accountability measures and legal standards are far from satisfactory. While model transparency is important, it is neither necessary nor sufficient. Accountability is arguably more important. However, accountability needs to carefully take into consideration the weaknesses of the original data, as well as the weaknesses of the model itself: indeed, robust datasets enable model robustness, and vice versa. In this paper we will focus on unfair datasets, as an example of the weaknesses in datasets. Fairness directly involves privacy problems, since learning without fairness can emphasize certain features or directions that generate private information leakage. For instance, a model may inadvertently reveal a persons age if age is a discriminating feature in a models decision making. Moreover, we will investigate the robustness of model in presence of adversarial activities. Indeed, we should strengthen our models by estimating what an adversary will do based on continuous dynamic learning, mindful of concealment and deception, and with a clear, explainable, insightful summary for the final decision makers. In this paper we will discuss how models based on unfair datasets can hardly be robust; and datasets used by weak models can hardly be fair.


The research on the role of women in the workforce of coffee farming in Huta Ginjang village, Muara District, Regency of  North Tapanuli have been  done. The purpose of this study was to see how big the influence of social and economic factors on women's labor pouring in every stage of coffee farming jobs such as maintnance, harvesting and post-harvest. The method used in this study is  survey method and simple regression analysis. Data and information collected in this study using primary  and secondary data. Secondary data is data obtained from government agencies and the information obtained in the field while the primary data obtained directly from respondents by conducting interviews using a questionnaire tool. To see the outpouring of female labor in coffee farming is done through a multiple regression analysis with  indicator used is hours of work, days of work, and labor standards. Furthermore  analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis to see the impact of social  and economic factors in the outpouring of coffe farming workers whether significant  or effect is not significant. The results showed that the work of women involved in farming coffee  work  with father  and children. However, the greatest percentage of time  provided by Mother  at 55,50 percent, followed by Father 34,75 percent and  smallest given by children at 9,75 percent. Social factors remained influence but not significant  on female labor force coffee farming  means that just under 7,8 percent. Economic factors  significant influence on coffee farming, meaning that the influence of economic factors above 67,7 percent in coffee farming. Keyword : Workforce , Farming, Women , Economic , Social.


We investigate the steady barotropic circulation patterns driven by inflow-outflow boundary conditions on a rectangular tI-plane domain. An inertial jet enters the domain in the southwest corner and a broad eastward outflow is prescribed at the eastern boundary. On the western wall there is no mass flux and no slip. With weak viscosity, v, the western boundary jet "overshoots" northward, beyond the latitude band of the eastern outflow. As the viscosity is reduced the length of this overshoot increases as V-2/3, before the jet gradually peels away from the western wall, plunges southward and eventually turns eastward. Away from the wall the current forms a damped stationary Rossby wave, as described by Moore in 1963. The initial northward overshoot and southward "plunge" is a distinct dynamical regime, and not merely the first and largest undulation of the Rossby wave. For instance the zonal length scale of the overshoot is just the Munk scale, (vltI)I/3, and inertia, planetary vorticity and viscosity are all important at leading order in the dynamical balance as v -+ O. All of the streamlines pass through this dissipative region and most of the Lagrangian potential vorticity alterations occur here, rather than in the Rossby wave. The preceeding scenario applies only when the northern boundary is distant, so that the overshoot peels away from the western wall before striking the northwest corner of the domain. If the jet reaches the northern boundary it drives an inertial recirculating gyre in the corner.


Why were women far more likely than men to be executed for witchcraft in the early modern period? Questioning approaches that focus narrowly on the male role in witch-hunting in England and Scotland, Deborah Willis examines the fact that women were also frequently the accusers.Willis draws on the strengths of feminist, new historicist, and psychoanalytic criticism and on such primary sources as legal documents, pamphlet literature, religious tracts, and stage plays. Both the witch and her female accuser, Willis concludes, were engaged in a complex, intricate struggle for survival and empowerment in a patriarchal culture, and they stood in uneasy relation to definitions of female identity that rewarded nurturing behavior.Malevolent Nurture disentangles popular images of the witch from those endorsed by male elites. Among villagers, the witch was most typically imagined as a malevolent mother, while elites preferred to view her as a betraying servant of Satan. Analyzing King James VI and I's involvement in the North Berwick witchcraft trials, Willis shows how his elite atittudes were nevertheless influenced by his relationships with his brith mother, Mary Queen of Scots, and another maternal figure, Queen Elizabeth I.Willis also shows that Shakespeare, in Richard III, Macbeth, and Henry VI, and other middle-class playwrights incorporated the beliefs of the ruling class and villagers alike in their representations of witches.


The current study analyzes 4,000 tokens of Spanish coda /s/ from both a discrete and continuous perspective. The data, drawn from the Otheguy-Zentella Corpus of Spanish in New York, are described categorically in terms of the presence or absence of frication, i.e., in terms of s-deletion. Data are also described in terms of two instrumentally measured gradient parameters: frication duration (in milliseconds) and spectral center of gravity (COG, in Hz). Results suggest that a unified methodology does more than simply increase the descriptive breadth of the analysis. Instead, it shows that certain patterns of variation are opaque at exclusively categorical or gradient levels. With respect to social factors, the data suggest that Spanish speakers born and raised in NYC produce /s/ in significantly different ways than their recently arrived counterparts from Latin America. The cause of these differences is very likely to be language and dialect contact. That is, generational shifts in /s/ production are due to native New Yorkers' extensive experience with English and also with multiple varieties of Spanish. However, it is impossible to draw this conclusion purely on the basis of either deletion rates or measurements of the spectrotemporal properties of fricatives. Instead it is necessary to examine both kinds of data to properly assess these trends. Similar findings emerge with respect to linguistic factors. While some linguistic factors robustly constrain deletion rates as well as variation in frication duration and COG, the predictive power of other factors is restricted to either the discrete or continuous domain of variability. For example, the morphemic status of /s/ strongly conditions the presence or absence of frication. However, this same constraint has no bearing on either the duration or COG of fricative moments. Such asymmetries in predictive power suggest that the conditioning effects of linguistic factors can be restricted to specific domains of variability. The theoretical implications of this finding are substantial, indicating that models of socio-phonetic variation that do not distinguish and relate discrete and continuous levels of expression may misconstrue the relative contributions of explanatory factors. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: http://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/ vol18/iss2/3 U. Penn Working Papers in Linguistics, Volume 18.2, 2012 Of Categories and Continua: Relating Discrete and Gradient Properties of Sociophonetic Variation Daniel Erker*


Mechanical movement or motion of a rotating machine normally causes additional vibration. A vibration sensing device must be added to constantly monitor vibration level of the system having a rotating machine, since the vibration frequency and amplitude cannot be measured quantitatively by only sight or touch. If the vibration signals from the machine have a lot of noise, there are possibilities that the rotating machine has defects that can lead to failure. In this experimental research project, a vibration structure is constructed in a scaled model to simulate vibration and to monitor system performance in term of vibration level in case of rotation with balanced and unbalanced condition. In this scaled model, the output signal of the vibration sensor is processed in a microcontroller and then transferred to a computer via a serial communication medium, and plotted on the screen with data plotter software developed using C language. The signal waveform of the vibration is displayed to allow further analysis of the vibration. Vibration level monitor can be set in the microcontroller to allow shutdown of the rotating machine in case of excessive vibration to protect the rotating machine from further damage. Experiment results show the agreement with theory that unbalance condition on a rotating machine can lead to larger vibration amplitude compared to balance condition. Adding and reducing the mass for balancing can be performed to obtain lower vibration level.


Time scale problems of nitrate behavior (i.e. seasonal variation and long-term trend) in headwater are closely related to its hydrological process. In a typical agricultural headwater catchment in the Chiba prefecture, Japan, the groundwater nitrate concentration showed an increasing trend, while for spring water, a substantial decreasing trend was observed during our monitoring period. Two key issues, (1) identification of multiple flow pathways and (2) evaluation of the residence time for different pathways, were emphasized to reveal the factors controlling the different patterns of nitrate trend. Three major flow pathways including vertical soil water flow (VF), lateral groundwater flow (LG) and deep groundwater flow (DG) along the upland-slope-valley were discriminated. Different time scale of three flow pathways was identified. The residence time of VF was calculated as 9–10 years based on the soil water budget equation and the apparent age of LG was estimated as 41 years by chlorofluorocarbons traces. The increasing trend of NO3− in groundwater agreed well with the historical nitrate loading. And the decreasing trend of NO3− in spring was mainly influenced by nitrate behavior of LF, which substantially decreased due to reduction of nitrogen fertilizer loadings since 2000.


This paper describes a new packet filter mechanism that efficiently dispatches incoming network packets to one of multiple endpoints, for example address spaces. Earlier packet filter systems iteratively applied each installed filter against every incoming packet, resulting in high processing overhead whenever multiple filters existed. Our new packet filter provides an associative match function that enables similar but not identical filters to be combined together into a single filter. The filter mechanism, which we call the Mach Packet Filter (MPF), has been implemented for the Mach 3.0 operating system and is being used to support endpoint-based protocol processing, whereby each address space implements its own suite of network protocols. With large numbers of registered endpoints, MPF outperforms the earlier BSD Packet Filter (BPF) by over a factor of four. MPF also allows a filter program to dispatch fragmented packets, which was quite difficult with previous filter mechanisms.


The multi-subunit alkene monooxygenase was studied by means of electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The measured relative molecular mass (RMM) values for the epoxygenase and reductase were in good agreement the predicted RMM values calculated by means of gene sequencing. Cleavage sites were identified by means ofESI-MS at the N- and C- terminus of the coupling protein. Cleavage at the Cterminus inactivated the protein but was shown to be prevented by the addition of a protease inhibitor, benzamidine.

The ceroid lipofuscinosis protein (CLP) was found to contain a +42.2 Da modification. Low energy tandem mass spectrometry confirmed 80% of the primary sequence of the CLP, indicating that the discrepancy in RMM is located on amino acid residues 30-46. Bovine heart mitochondrial subunit c was extracted as a control and was also found to contain the +42.2 Da modification. A study of the interaction ofCLP with its diagnostic inhibitor DCCD was performed. This indicated that the primary product of the reaction was an acetyl-CLP complex and not the expected CLP-DCCD complex.

The p-subunit of the soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) was investigated by means of ESI-MS to locate and identify a +126.3 Da discrepancy in RMM. A tryptic digestion of the protein indicated the discrepancy to be located in a small digest peptide consisting of amino acid residues 141-146. Low energy MSIMS was used to correct the primary sequence of this peptide. The revised sequence was supported by the close similarity between the DNA nucleotide sequence for the originally suggested amino acid residue sequence and the revised sequence.

The binding between a 17 amino acid micro-antibody (Micro-Ab) and two peptides which represent the V3 region of the gp 120 external glycoprotein of the HIV-l envelope protein were studied by means ofESI-MS. It was found that the interaction between the Micro-Ab and the two V3 peptides could be maintained and thus observed directly by ESI-MS. A rapid method of epitope identification was devised whereby the antigen was pre-digested before incubation with the Micro-Ab. The data identified a similar series of amino acid residues in both V3 peptides as the epitope with which the Micro-Ab interacts.


Network structure has a significant role in determining the outcomes of many socioeconomic relationships, including the antagonistic ones. In this paper we study a situation in which agents, embedded in a network, simultaneously play interrelated bilateral contest games with their neighbors. Interrelatedness of contests induces complex local and global network effects. We first characterize the equilibrium of a game on an arbitrary fixed network. Then we study a dynamic network formation model, introducing a novel but intuitive link formation protocol. As links represent antagonistic relationships, link formation is unilateral while link destruction is bilateral. A complete k-partite network is the unique stable network topology. As a result, the model provides a micro-foundation for the structural balance concept in social psychology, and the main results go in line with theoretical and empirical findings from other disciplines, including international relations, sociology and biology.


Forecasts of the proportion of food retailing likely to be conducted over the Internet remain small, perhaps only contributing 2 percent of sales. One reason for this low market share is the challenge E-Grocers face in developing strategies which respond to four key areas of interest to consumers: signals of firm quality; signals of product quality; the range of products offered; and service, or customer-relationship management (CRM). Careful attention to these consumer concerns is important in all retail relationships-online or offline. This paper compares indicators of these factors across U.S. E-Grocers. A quantitative four-period ranking of online food-retailing strategies is presented for the nascent industry. Data from the third and fourth quarters of 2001, the fourth quarter of 2002, and the first quarter of 2004 provide the basis of this discussion. After initial setbacks, data show traditional ("bricks") grocery retailers successfully developing online strategies. Firms not primarily focused on groceries exited the E-Grocery sector, while the development of specialty food suppliers blurred the concept of online food retailing. Gaps in current strategies are indicated using content analyses of E-Grocery web sites.


: The interaction forces between clay micro-particles play an important role in the macroscopic strength behavior of clayey soils. Optical tweezers were used in the present study to explore the interaction between clay micro- particles. This technology uses a highly focused laser beam to manipulate small objects and can also be used as a force transducer for the measurement of forces on the order of pico-Newtons (pN). Polystyrene beads were first used to measure the surface interactions between polystyrene beads and clay particles for accurate calibration of the system because of their perfectly spherical shape and optical homogeneity, and were successful in obtaining force mea- surements within the range of 20 pN. Subsequently the interactive force was measured when a small clay particle was moved along the surface of a large clay particle. The force measured varies as the interaction of clay surfaces may evolve along their relative motion, leading to force measurements up to 40 ∼ 80 pN. The present study shows a promising potential of optical tweezers in exploring the complex micro-scale phenomena in clay minerals.


Abstract. This paper addresses a historical issue in Brazil that is that topographic mapping has been performed without application of the theories of cartography to local reality. With the lack of research on this subject, the rules and standards for topographic mapping in Brazil are based on solutions that have been developed in other countries. Even though topographic maps are not a frequent topic of cartographic research, as cited by Kent (2009), when the methods, techniques, and standards are imported from other countries, they are established by considering different natural, rural, and urban landscapes; different histories of land use and occupation; and different cultures. Consequently, it is essential to develop studies that address the theoretical issues of topographic mapping and to verify their suitability to Brazilian reality, considering the geographical aspects that must be represented in topographic mapping. Such a foundation of scientific knowledge is essential to producing solutions that are adapted to the environmental conditions and needs of Brazilian users and society.


Several statistical packages, either commercials or open-source, provide many methods for multi-factorial and discriminant analysis; such a software is poorly used by physicians. Appropriate models and tests have to be used pending on the kind of experiment scheme, adequate distribution assumption are needed for variables and parameters and proper data validation have to be verified for historical records. These are but a few of many critical aspects for a robust and trustable data interpretation needed in the Evidence Based Medicine era. Clinicians always wish to be able to quickly interpreter diagnostic records to discriminate, or alternatively correlate, coherent groups of patient's records according to either descriptive characters or variable units. Practically, patient's records are stored in spread-sheet or database which change pending on the clinical trial scope; moreover, data entry and its validation is usually poor, hence physician are used to send raw-data to the statistician without contributing, for instance, with parametric and non-parametric indication on usable distribution. We address this problem by introducing a simple "weighted" model approached with the Unique Factorisation Domain theory: records can be compare by matching each other through a score overlap and clinician can modulate tolerance of closeness stringency criteria. An intuitive paradigm of records matching method (RMM) is presented and discussed with example, computational design and programming prototyping model; freely available material concerning real-world application, are also provided by the authors. Laboratory of Experimental Microbiology and Epidemiology LSME, DISCAT, Institute of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy WORKING PAPER


American planners often prepare for disasters on the assumption that outages due to infrastructure damage can be resolved in a matter of days, but this will not always be the case. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, doing extreme damage to the power grid, the telecommunications infrastructure, and more. This left many residents of Puerto Rico without power, telephone and Internet service for a period of many months. The same could happen if a large earthquake hit Los Angeles, or a class 5 hurricane hit Miami. This paper characterizes approaches that have been adopted in Puerto Rico to restore some degree of telecommunications services during the long period before all damage could be repaired, and the impact these approaches have had. Some responses have been led by infrastructure operators. For example, mobile network operators have sometimes but not always cooperated in restoration of service, and these operators have begun relying heavily on providers of diesel generators and fuel. Some responses have been led by non-profit organizations that have filled critical gaps left by more traditional service providers. We analyze the Puerto Rican case through the lens of two constructs: improvisation and modularity. Improvisation, and other emergent behaviors, have been shown to be crucial element of effective disaster response in many contexts, including the water-born evacuation of lower Manhattan by boat owners after 9/11 [1] and the response to Hurricane Katrina [2]. In some cases, improvisation also plays a role in the technologies employed by emergency managers [3]. We also observe improvisation in the repair of the telecommunications infrastructure. As suggested by Mendoca et al. (2007), improvisation has both organizational and technological elements. Here, we examine the relationship between improvisation and modularity. The Puerto Rican case demonstrates how technological modularity creates opportunities to 'plug and play' with various technologies. For example, we witnessed cellular backhaul being provided via WiFi. That WiFi was provided by a non-profit organization operating in Puerto Rico only for the duration of the disaster response. We use this example as impetus for further exploration of organizational modularity, to understand the characteristics of both technologies and organizations as modular, and in turn open to interacting with different components or collaborators. Our findings, derived from field research conducted in January 2018, interviews with responding organizations, and secondary data reports, will have both theoretical and practical merit. The research provides insights into the relationship between emergent behaviors and the concept of modularity, suggesting modularity serves as precursor or accelerant to improvisation. Our research will also provide critical insights into telecommunications infrastructure recovery from catastrophic disasters in an area likely to plagued by storms in the years to come. [1] Kendra, J., & Wachtendorf, T. (2007). Improvisation, creativity, and the art of emergency management. Understanding and responding to terrorism, 19, 324-335. [2} Rodriguez, H., Trainor, J., & Quarantelli, E. L. (2006). Rising to the challenges of a catastrophe: The emergent and prosocial behavior following Hurricane Katrina. The annals of the American academy of political and social science, 604(1), 82-101. [3] Mendonca, D., Jefferson, T., & Harrald, J. (2007). Collaborative adhocracies and mix-and-match technologies in emergency management. Communications of the ACM, 50(3), 44-49.


Abstract. Are simulations and reconstructions of past climate and its variability consistent with each other? We assess the consistency of simulations and reconstructions for the climate of the last millennium under the paradigm of a statistically indistinguishable ensemble. In this type of analysis, the null hypothesis is that reconstructions and simulations are statistically indistinguishable and, therefore, are exchangeable with each other. Ensemble consistency is assessed for Northern Hemisphere mean temperature, Central European mean temperature and for global temperature fields. Reconstructions available for these regions serve as verification data for a set of simulations of the climate of the last millennium performed at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. Consistency is generally limited to some sub-domains and some sub-periods. Only the ensemble simulated and reconstructed annual Central European mean temperatures for the second half of the last millennium demonstrates unambiguous consistency. Furthermore, we cannot exclude consistency of an ensemble of reconstructions of Northern Hemisphere temperature with the simulation ensemble mean. If we treat simulations and reconstructions as equitable hypotheses about past climate variability, the found general lack of their consistency weakens our confidence in inferences about past climate evolutions on the considered spatial and temporal scales. That is, our available estimates of past climate evolutions are on an equal footing but, as shown here, inconsistent with each other.


Over recent years, as a result of energy policy at global, European and national levels, the prices and demand for bio-fuel, including forest fuel, have increased. This has lead to reductions in the marginal profits associated with the use of a range of forest fuel assortments. New and improved methods and techniques for extracting logging residues, stumps and whole-trees from young stands are therefore currently being investigated. Unlike final felling, revenues from forest fuel extraction during thinnings are expected to be of about the same magnitude as the revenue from thinning or the cost of pre-commercial thinning. This will probably influence the timing and type of all forest management activities throughout the rotation period of a stand. When estimating logging potential, forest management is simulated on the basis of assumptions about the forest and the behavior of the forest owner. Priority can be given to forest characteristics, economic or ecological aspects when specifying treatment variables and models can also incorporate probability functions for land owner behavior. Management simulations result in an estimate of the logging potential for the forest area at hand. Forest fuel logging potential is usually derived by appending forest fuel extraction to the roundwood extraction treatments, also taking into account economic and ecological constraints specific for the forest fuel extraction. In order to estimate the harvestable volume based on economic, ecological and practical criteria we must have some measures of the properties and influence of these criteria. This essay reviews productivity studies that could be of use when modeling thinning and forest fuel operations in Swedish forests. Furthermore it pinpoints areas of insufficient knowledge with respect to the productivity of forest fuel extraction from young forests. In the case of such young stands, there is practically no information about land owner behavior, and any logging potential estimates would currently have to rely on some kind of simulation based on a specific forest management goal. Assuming that forest fuel extraction affects forest management, the accuracy of estimates would be improved if such operations were modeled accurately and fully incorporated into the ordinary logging potential estimate. Comparative and correlation time studies are commonly used in forestry to evaluate the performance of different systems or techniques or to evaluate and price different working units within a system or technique. For roundwood logging, both the single-grip harvester and the forwarder are established technological systems, and hence there are many correlation time studies quantifying time consumption in different working environments for these systems. Whole-tree or tree-section logging, particularly in young forests, has been little used in Nordic forestry and hence most time studies that are available are comparative. The properties and influence of forest fuel harvesting in young stands therefore needs to be further investigated. This will ensure appropriate estimates of the amount of forest fuel that can be derived from young stands and will facilitate long-term forest management planning with forest fuel extraction included as a treatment. Harvesting productivity, expressed as number of trees processed per time unit, decreases with increasing tree size and for more processed, e.g. delimbed, assortments. Forest haulage productivity decreases with, among other variables, increasing transportation distance, decreasing load size, and decreasing grapple size. A theoretical, partially deductive, framework for the time associated with forwarding has been adapted to the specific environments described in a number of studies. Comparing the calculated time consumptions with the actual results from the studies shows that the theoretically-based time consumption model has a high level of accuracy. This indicates that the time consumption for forwarding under defined working conditions (e.g. pile size, proportion of solid volume) not yet studied or experienced can be modeled in advance with acceptable accuracy. A few questions still remain with respect to the way to adapt the theoretical model to specific situations, since different approaches seemed more or less successful in different cases.


The demonetisation that took place in India in November 2016 caused an unprecedented shock. Among its other objectives, the measure was championed as an efficient means to promote a less-cash economy, in order to formalise economic transactions and boost social protection. This paper draws on ground-breaking data from rural South India to voice serious reservations over those stated goals. In the short run, the importance of cash in the Indian economy resulted in this measure strongly affecting employment, daily financial practices, and social network use for over three months. People came to rely more strongly on their networks to sustain their economic and social activities. Demonetisation has not fought, but has largely strengthened the informal economy. It has also probably further marginalised those without supportive networks. In a context such as India, where state social protection is weak and governmental schemes are notoriously subject to patronage and clientelistic networks, dense networks of supportive relatives, friends and patrons remain key for safeguarding daily life and the future. It can only be counterproductive to eliminate such arrangements without offering alternative protection. With cashless policies flourishing in various parts of the world, we believe our findings have major implications, seriously questioning their merit, especially among the most marginalised segments of the population.


A common condition of supervised release requires a defendant, post-incarceration, to participate in a mental health treatment program. Federal district courts often order probation officers to make certain decisions ancillary to these programs. However, Article III delegation doctrine places limits on such actions. This Note addresses the constitutionality of delegating the "treatment program" decision, in which a probation officer decides which type of treatment the defendant must undergo; the choice is often between inpatient treatment and other less restrictive alternatives. The resolution of this issue ultimately depends on whether this decision constitutes a "judicial act." Finding support in lower court case law, this Note argues that a "judicial act" encompasses decisions affecting the defendant's significant liberty interests. The Supreme Court case law and the mental health literature make clear that significant liberty interests are at stake in these "treatment program" decisions. Thus, delegating the "treatment program" decision to probation officers is unconstitutional under Article III. The Note concludes by suggesting a constitutionally permissible scheme whereby the judge orders a maximally intrusive treatment while giving the probation officer the discretion to choose a less restrictive program.


"Climbing Walls" is the complete guide for instructors, administrators, and anyone responsible for supervising an indoor climbing wall in their recreation center, school or university, camp, or community setting. Instructors and administrators can use this book to- design and select equipment options for climbing walls based on up-to-date industry standards and guidelines;- customize their walls to accommodate the needs of their sites or situations;- operate and maintain their walls;- develop and implement operating procedures; and- teach basic climbing skills and 15 activities and games to diverse populations."Climbing Walls" also provides program leaders with information they can use to advocate for a climbing wall program: detailed descriptions of the health and social benefits of climbing wall programs and a wealth of reproducible forms that make it easy to administer the program for participants of all ages.Instructors get information on responsibilities, equipment, and planning and supervising activities for a diverse clientele. Administrators receive not only the current industry standards and details about designing a spectrum of walls, but also practical guidance on cost considerations, administrators' responsibilities, staff training and supervision, and risk-management plans. Wall climbing is a thrilling fitness activity that strengthens the body, challenges the mind, and lifts the spirit. "Climbing Walls" provides instructors and administrators with all the information they need to create their own climbing wall programs and challenge participants.


Loops with conditional branches have multiple execution paths which are difficult to software pipeline. The modulo scheduling technique for software pipelining addresses this problem by converting loops with conditional branches into straight-line code before scheduling. In this paper we present an Enhanced Modulo Scheduling (EMS) technique that can achieve a lower minimum Initiation Interval than modulo scheduling techniques that rely on either Hierarchical Reduction or If-conversion with Predicated Execution. These three modulo scheduling techniques have been implemented in a prototype compiler. We show that for existing architectures which support one bmnch per cycle, EMS performs approximately 18% better than Hierarchical Redwction. We also show that If-conversion with Predicated Execution outperforms EMS assuming one branch per cycle. However, with hardware support for multiple branches per cycle, EMS should perform as well as or better than If-conversion with Predicated Execution.


Polydiacetylenes (PDAs) comprise a class of chromatic polymers which have attracted significant interest over the past 40 years as a promising platform for chemo- and bio-sensing. Specifically, the unique colorimetric and fluorescent transformations of PDA, induced by varied external stimuli, are a core property of these polymers, and have been widely exploited for diverse applications. In this review, we focus on recent developments in PDA chemistry, materials, and practical applications. We summarize the progress in development of new synthetic routes and assembly methods resulting in enhanced chromatic properties and interesting molecular configurations. We further outline the challenges that still exist for practical utilization of PDA technology, and possible future directions.


BACKGROUND: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) have a well‐documented response to Gamma Knife® (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). However, there are limited data available regarding the volumetric response of cystic tumors. OBJECTIVE: This report correlates the radiographic appearance of VS before radiosurgery with the delayed volumetric response. METHODS: This study reviewed our SRS experience with 219 VS patients between 2003 and 2013. Patients were treatment naïve and had a significant extracanalicular tumor volume. Magnetic resonance imaging at the time of SRS identified 42 contrast‐enhancing macrocystic tumors, 45 contrast‐enhancing microcystic tumors, and 132 homogeneously enhancing tumors with no intratumoral cyst formation. The median follow‐up was 49.1 months. The median tumor volume was 2.6 cm3 (0.70–16.1 cm3) and the median dose was 12.5 Gy (11–13 Gy). RESULTS: The actuarial tumor control rate was 99.4% at 2 years and 96.4% at 5 years. A volumetric reduction of >20% occurred in 85.4% of macrocystic tumors, 76.1% of microcystic tumors, and 62.8% of homogeneously enhancing VS. The median volume decrease per year for macrocystic, microcystic, and homogenous tumors was 17.2%, 7.5%, and 7.9% per year respectively (P < .001). A 2:1 blinded volumetric case match showed a significant size reduction in macrocystic tumors compared to noncystic tumors (P = .007). Serviceable hearing was maintained in 61.5% of patients that had Gardner‐Robertson grade I‐II hearing before treatment. Surgical resection or repeat radiosurgery was performed in 8 patients (3.6%) who had sustained tumor progression. CONCLUSION: SRS provided VS tumor control in >95% of patients, regardless of radiographic characteristics. Tumor volume regression was most evident in patients with cystic tumors.


Directional ionogram and F -region drift observations were conducted at seven digisonde stations in South America during the COPEX campaign from October to December 2002. Five stations in Brazil, one in Argentina, and one in Peru, monitored the ionosphere across the continent to study the onset and development of F -region density depletions that cause equatorial spread F (ESF). New ionosonde techniques quantitatively describe the prereversal uplifting of the F layer at the magnetic equator and the eastward motion of the depletions over the stations. Three of the Brazilian stations were located along a field line with a 350-km apex over the equator to investigate the relation of the occurrence of ESF and the presence of sporadic E -layers at the two E -region intersections of the field line. No simple correlation was found.


This study examines the way in which certain foreign policy decisions were made in the latter stages of the Republican-Royalist war of the 1960s. It seeks to explain how decisions were made, under what circumstances, who the decision-makers were, and what the influences were, internal as well as external, which bore on the foreign policy making of the Yemeni Republic. In addressing these questions four major decisions are analysed. These are: 1. The rejection of the Khartoum Agreement on Yemen concluded by the Egyptian President Djamal Abd al-Nasir and King Faysal of Saudi Arabia on 31 August, 1967; 2. The recognition of the independence of the People's Republic of South Yemen on 30 November, 1967; 3. The resumption of diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Germany on 15 July, 1969; 4. The acceptance of the proposed reconciliation agreement with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Royalists on 31 March, 1970. These decisions were all made in the second half of the war, beginning at a time when Egyptian influence in Yemen had receded and a more autonomous YAR policy was emerging. These decisions were made by different elites, in response to various stimuli, and under divergent settings and could thus be taken as representative of YAR decision-making in this period. This investigation confirms that in Yemen, as with other third world countries, the decision-making process was dominated by personalities, and in particular by the two heads of state, Marshal Abdallah al- Sallal and Kadi Abd al-Rahman al-Iryani. However, contrary to the assumption of the primacy in the decision-making process of the personal predispositions of the principal decision-makers, especially in stress situations, the personal predisposition of the two heads of the Yemeni Republic were largely subordinated to the supreme objective of the regime defined in terms of the survival of the Republican system. External factors helped to shape the decision-making process. The YAR, as a poor-resource developing state, had insufficient capacity to either defend itself against the Royalist military threat or achieve other less vital objectives such as economic development. For these, it had to rely on external assistance and as a result, other states, especially the UAR and USSR in the pre-1968 era, became important in the decision-making calculus. In another aspect, the Royalist threat dictated the need for solidarity within the YAR governing elite and facilitated the adoption of decisions on the crucial issue of security by consensus. Similarity of views and the existence of shared values among the post-November 5, 1967 government, ensured the perpetuation of this pattern of decision-making with respect to almost all issues. One of the objectives of the study is to contribute to analysing comparative foreign policy decision-making, and some conclusions are related to propositions pertaining to decision-making in third world countries. However, other conclusions show that, in the Yemeni situation, the existing theories have only limited applicability.


Biological organic compounds mixed with NaCl and other inorganic compounds in sea-salt aerosol particles react in air with oxidants such as ozone and hydroxyl (OH) radicals. Laboratory studies of model systems can provide insight into these reactions. We report here studies of the kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of unsaturated 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) on NaCl by gas phase OH in air at room temperature and 1 atm pressure using diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectrometry (DRIFTS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to identify possible structures of surface-bound reaction products. For comparison, some studies were also carried out on the saturated 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) on NaCl. The calculated concentration of hydroxyl radicals, generated by photolysis of isopropyl nitrite, was (1.6-6.4) × 10(8) radicals cm(-3). Surface-bound aldehydes, ketones, organic nitrates and nitrate ions were identified as products of these reactions and structures of potential products were proposed based on mechanistic considerations combined with the MALDI-TOF-MS and DRIFTS spectra. The loss rate of vinyl hydrogen, =C-H, at 3008 cm(-1) was used to obtain a lower limit for the rate constant (k1) for addition of OH to the double bond, k1 > (3 ± 1) × 10(-13) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (1s), corresponding to a reaction probability of γ(add) > (4 ± 1) × 10(-3) (1s). Assuming that abstraction from -CH2- groups in POPC is the same as for DPPC, the percentage of the reaction that occurs by addition is ~80%. This is similar to the percent addition predicted using structure-reactivity relationships for gas-phase reactions. Decreasing the amount of POPC relative to NaCl resulted in more nitrate ion formation and less relative loss of POPC, and increasing the OH concentration resulted in a more rapid loss of POPC and faster product formation. These studies suggest that under atmospheric conditions with an OH concentration of 5 × 10(6) radicals cm(-3), the lifetime of POPC with respect to OH is <6 days.


The article focuses on the current situation of Spanish case law on ISP liability. It starts by presenting the more salient peculiarities of the Spanish transposition of the safe harbors laid down in the E-Commerce Directive. These peculiarities relate to the knowledge requirement of the hosting safe harbor, and to the safe harbor for information location tools. The article then provides an overview of the cases decided so far with regard to each of the safe harbors. Very few cases have dealt with the mere conduit and the caching safe harbors, though the latter was discussed in an interesting case involving Google's cache. Most cases relate to hosting and linking safe harbors. With regard to hosting, the article focuses particularly on the two judgments handed down by the Supreme Court that hold an open interpretation of actual knowledge, an issue where courts had so far been split. Cases involving the linking safe harbor have mainly dealt with websites offering P2P download links. Accordingly, the article explores the legal actions brought against these sites, which for the moment have been unsuccessful. The new legislative initiative to fight against digital piracy – the Sustainable Economy Bill – is also analyzed. After the conclusion, the article provides an Annex listing the cases that have dealt with ISP liability in Spain since the safe harbors scheme was transposed into Spanish law.


The adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) are 2 major gatekeepers at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) that restrict brain distribution of several clinically used drugs. In this study, we investigated the suitability of the radiolabeled Pgp/BCRP inhibitors 11C-tariquidar and 11C-elacridar to assess Pgp density in the human brain with PET. Methods: Healthy subjects underwent a first PET scan of 120-min duration with either 11C-tariquidar (n = 6) or 11C-elacridar (n = 5) followed by a second PET scan of 60-min duration with (R)-11C-verapamil. During scan 1 (at 60 min after radiotracer injection), unlabeled tariquidar (3 mg/kg) was intravenously administered. Data were analyzed using 1-tissue 2-rate-constant (1T2K) and 2-tissue 4-rate-constant (2T4K) compartment models and either metabolite-corrected or uncorrected arterial input functions. Results: After injection of 11C-tariquidar or 11C-elacridar, the brain PET signal corrected for radioactivity in the vasculature was low (∼0.1 standardized uptake value), with slow washout. In response to tariquidar injection, a moderate but statistically significant rise in brain PET signal was observed for 11C-tariquidar (+27% ± 15%, P = 0.014, paired t test) and 11C-elacridar (+21% ± 15%, P = 0.014) without changes in plasma activity concentrations. Low levels of radiolabeled metabolites (<25%) were detected in plasma up to 60 min after injection of 11C-tariquidar or 11C-elacridar. The 2T4K model provided better data fits than the 1T2K model. Model outcome parameters were similar when metabolite-corrected or uncorrected input functions were used. There was no significant correlation between distribution volumes of 11C-tariquidar or 11C-elacridar and distribution volumes of (R)-11C-verapamil in different brain regions. Conclusion: The in vivo behavior of 11C-tariquidar and 11C-elacridar was consistent with that of dual Pgp/BCRP substrates. Both tracers were unable to visualize cerebral Pgp density, most likely because of insufficiently high binding affinities in relation to the low density of Pgp in human brain (∼1.3 nM). Despite their inability to visualize Pgp density, 11C-tariquidar and 11C-elacridar may find use as a new class of radiotracers to study the interplay of Pgp and BCRP at the human BBB in limiting brain uptake of dual substrates.


The Yangian characters (or q-characters) are known to be closely related to the classical W-algebras and to the centers of the affine vertex algebras at the critical level. We make this relationship more explicit by producing families of generators of the W-algebras from the characters of the Kirillov-Reshetikhin modules associated with multiples of the first fundamental weight in types B and D and of the fundamental modules in type C. We also give an independent derivation of the character formulas for these representations in the context of the RTT presentation of the Yangians. In all cases the generators of the W-algebras correspond to the recently constructed elements of the Feigin-Frenkel centers via an affine version of the Harish-Chandra isomorphism.


In the past ten years all transition economies have adopted modern bankruptcy legislation as part of their institution building efforts. But their approach to insolvency and their determination to use the insolvency process as a selection mechanism have varied widely. The aim of the paper is two fold. Firstly, we identify the role of insolvency procedures in TEs, particularly in the orderly handling of financial distress and restructuring. Secondly, we analyse the recent developments in insolvency legislation in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania, emphasising their inherent features and their impact on the restructuring process.


Research on the factors underlying sex offender recidivism has not considered the importance of the reintegration process through which the offender rejoins the community after prison. This thesis reports findings from 3 empirical studies designed to explore whether poor release planning might contribute to sex offender recidivism. In Study 1, a coding protocol was developed to measure the comprehensiveness of release planning for child molesters, which included items relating to accommodation, employment, pro-social support, community-based treatment, and Good Lives Model (T. Ward & C.A. Stewart, 2003) secondary goods. The protocol was retrospectively applied to groups of recidivist and nonrecidivist graduates of a prison-based treatment programme, who were matched on static risk level and time since release. As predicted, overall release planning was significantly poorer for recidivists compared to nonrecidivists. Study 2 was a validation and extension of Study 1. The original coding protocol, and some revised items, were applied to matched groups of recidivists and nonrecidivists from a different treatment programme. Consistent with Study 1 findings, overall release planning was significantly poorer for recidivists. Data from Studies 1 and 2 were pooled (total N = 141) and Cox regressions showed that accommodation, employment, and social support planning combined to best predict recidivism, with predictive accuracy comparable to that obtained using static risk models. Study 3 investigated whether release planning was associated with actual reintegration experiences, and additionally explored released child molesters' good lives plans. Release plans were rated for 16 child molesters, who were interviewed post-release about their reintegration experiences and good lives plans. As predicted, significant positive correlations were found between release planning and reintegration experiences 1 and Community Reintegration and Sex Offender Recidivism xv 3 months following prison release, and results suggested that effective reintegration might help facilitate living a good life. Overall, results from the 3 studies suggest that poor release planning and subsequent reintegration experiences contribute to sex offender recidivism. Implications for researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and community members are discussed. Community Reintegration and Sex Offender Recidivism


The number of rotator cuff repairs performed in the UK and worldwide is increasing every year. However, there are still controversies regarding when rehabilitation after surgery should start. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the effectiveness of early rehabilitation compared to conservative after rotator cuff repairs.
First, a systematic review was performed to critically analyse and discuss the current literature. The systematic review demonstrated that early rehabilitation may be beneficial to improve ROM but not function; however, due to high risk of bias of existing primary studies further RCTs are still needed for consensus. Based on the systematic review findings an RCT was planned. The aim of the trial was to assess and to compare clinical and biomechanical outcomes of patients who were allocated to early or conservative rehabilitation after rotator cuff repairs. The objectives of the RCT were: to compare and to detail EMG and kinematic changes that occur during the rehabilitation period between groups, and to compare how much residual impairment patients still show after 6 months of surgery in comparison to a normal population. Ninety-nine patients were screened for inclusion, and 42 patients agreed to participate and had a baseline biomechanics assessment. Twenty-two patients who had the initial biomechanics assessment were excluded from the trial because they did not fit the inclusion criteria based on surgical requirements. Twenty patients were randomised to treatment with 10 in each group. The biomechanics assessments were performed before surgery and after 3 and 6 months. 3D kinematics and EMG activity of 5 muscles (upper trapezius, anterior deltoid, medium deltoid, posterior deltoid and biceps brachii) from six movement tasks. In addition, the Oxford Shoulder Score and EQ-5D-5L were also recorded. Overall, no differences were found between the Early and Conservative groups for biomechanical and clinical outcomes. However, at 6 months the post-operative patients in the Early group had better ROM than those in the Conservative group.
A further exploration of the data indicated that at 3 months patients who responded to treatment were those who used the sling for a shorter number of hours per day, independent of which group they were allocated to, had fewer surgical procedures and a shorter period between first symptoms and surgery.
The data from the 22 patients who underwent the initial assessment but did not meet the inclusion criteria were used in a third study to explore whether the biomechanics assessment used in the trial was capable of discriminating patients with different levels of tissue damage and therefore potentially support surgery planning. The discriminant analysis showed an accuracy of 91.9% of correct classification based on the tasks proposed.
In conclusion, early rehabilitation does not seem to improve outcomes more than a conservative protocol, although the amount of sling usage appears to be an important factor in recovery. The conclusions of the RCT must be considered carefully due to limitations. The RCT of this thesis was the first on the topic to use biomechanics to detail how patients progress from pre-surgery until 6 months post-surgery, therefore contributing to a thorough understanding of patients' rehabilitation and recovery processes. In addition, the method of assessment proposed showed important discriminatory capacity, which can aid surgery planning by identifying different movement patterns.


Calculating hydrocarbon components solubility of natural gases is known as one of the important issues for operational works in petroleum and chemical engineering. In this work, a novel solubility estimation tool has been proposed for hydrocarbon gases—including methane, ethane, propane, and butane—in aqueous electrolyte solutions based on extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm. Comparing the ELM outputs with a comprehensive real databank which has 1175 solubility points yielded R-squared values of 0.985 and 0.987 for training and testing phases respectively. Furthermore, the visual comparison of estimated and actual hydrocarbon solubility led to confirm the ability of proposed solubility model. Additionally, sensitivity analysis has been employed on the input variables of model to identify their impacts on hydrocarbon solubility. Such a comprehensive and reliable study can help engineers and scientists to successfully determine the important thermodynamic properties, which are key factors in optimizing and designing different industrial units such as refineries and petrochemical plants.


The article deals with the problem of diagnosis of atherosclerotic alterations in abdominal aorta wall in order to reduce atherosclerosis-related mortality. Targeted treatment requires determining the exact mechanism of development of atherosclerosis. Infrared Fourier spectroscopy is suggested as the most rapid and accurate method of diagnosis and analysis of the content of various organic compounds playing a particular role in the development of the atherosclerotic process. Presented herein are the results of studying various types of fluctuations, whose absorption bands correspond to such organic compounds as collagen, elastin and cholesterol esters. A peculiar feature of this technique consists in a new method of the preparation of the material, including preparation of samples to be studied, with no stage of fixation. Analysed herein is one of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of the atherosclerotic process, consisting in accumulation in the vascular intima of low and very low density lipoproteins which are detected at a frequency of 1745 cm(-1), corresponding to stretching vibrations of the C=O bond. These organic compounds saturate from the inside the vascular wall, thus leading to formation of a lipid nucleus of an atherosclerotic plaque, whose centre is located at a certain depth. The authors present the results of studying the level of the centre of the lipid nucleus of an atherosclerotic plaque in abdominal aorta in perished 70-74-year-old people. It was determined that for this age group the level of the lipid nucleus is concentrated at a depth of 200-240 μm. Besides, presented are the results obtained while studying the abdominal aorta in 23-26-year-old deceased people whose vessels were not affected by atherosclerosis. Obtained are comparative results on the shift in bandwidth of amid I and amid II in studying the intima of the healthy aorta and atherosclerosis-affected aorta. This peculiarity may later on become an identifier of the degree of the development of atherosclerosis in man. The results of such studies provide possibility to influence namely the centre of the lipid nucleus as one of the initial stages of the development of atherosclerosis in order to slow down the progression of the disease concerned.


The popularity of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models and the ubiquity of CPUs imply that better performance of CNN model inference on CPUs can deliver significant gain to a large number of users. To improve the performance of CNN inference on CPUs, current approaches like MXNet and Intel OpenVINO usually treat the model as a graph and use the high-performance libraries such as Intel MKL-DNN to implement the operations of the graph. While achieving reasonable performance on individual operations from the off-the-shelf libraries, this solution makes it inflexible to conduct optimizations at the graph level, as the local operation-level optimizations are predefined. Therefore, it is restrictive and misses the opportunity to optimize the end-to-end inference pipeline as a whole. This paper presents \emph{NeoCPU}, a comprehensive approach of CNN model inference on CPUs that employs a full-stack and systematic scheme of optimizations. \emph{NeoCPU} optimizes the operations as templates without relying on third-parties libraries, which enables further improvement of the performance via operation- and graph-level joint optimization. Experiments show that \emph{NeoCPU} achieves up to 3.45$\times$ lower latency for CNN model inference than the current state-of-the-art implementations on various kinds of popular CPUs.


Abstract Indigenous peoples are today contesting the universalisation of Western intellectual property law, in which intellectual property rights have expanded to materialise abstract ideas so that individuals can gain private ownership of them. It is argued here that the application of Western property law threatens the social and cultural integrity of indigenous peoples. These issues are considered within the context of the San and their struggle to gain cultural and land rights in the landscape of the Kalahari in Southern Africa. Policy in the international community towards indigenous peoples has evolved to an acceptance of the recognition of indigenous peoples' self determination rights in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In the light of these developments the paper examines the case of Hoodia and the San. Hoodia, an edible wild plant which can serve as an appetite suppressant was long known to the San before it was scientifically investigated by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). CSIR filed a patent application for its use without consulting or obtaining the consent of the San, and then signed a licence agreement for its further investigation and use with a foreign company. Publicity later encouraged the CSIR to enter into benefit sharing agreements with the San. However, when the focus shifted from using Hoodia as a drug to using it as a natural food supplement, the total market value and thus the absolute benefit share declined, while the international demand for Hoodia as a natural product exploded and poaching and illegal harvesting of the product became a problem. The San were able in 2007 to negotiate a new benefit sharing agreement specifically with the Hoodia farmers organized in the Southern African Hoodia Growers Association. Today it seems that a Hoodia growers' benefit sharing agreement, while still bringing relatively modest benefits. might potentially be more lucrative than the initial benefit sharing agreement, but with proceeds distributed just to the farmers rather than the San as a wider community. The paper explores the implications of these developments, using a socio-legal, anthropological and legal pluralist perspective, which allows for an exploration of how overlapping legal systems can interact with each other. This approach also encourages researchers to embrace the idea of a hybrid legal space where law-making consists of a praxis that interlocks a whole range of legal actors ranging from international institutions to daily localised legal actors.


Data acquisition in large-scale scenes regularly involves accumulating information across multiple scans. A common approach is to locally align scan pairs using Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm (or its variants), but requires static scenes and small motion between scan pairs. This prevents accumulating data across multiple scan sessions and/or different acquisition modalities (e.g., stereo, depth scans). Alternatively, one can use a global registration algorithm allowing scans to be in arbitrary initial poses. The state-of-the-art global registration algorithm, 4PCS, however has a quadratic time complexity in the number of data points. This vastly limits its applicability to acquisition of large environments. We present SUPER 4PCS for global pointcloud registration that is optimal, i.e., runs in linear time (in the number of data points) and is also output sensitive in the complexity of the alignment problem based on the (unknown) overlap across scan pairs. Technically, we map the algorithm as an 'instance problem' and solve it efficiently using a smart indexing data organization. The algorithm is simple, memory-efficient, and fast. We demonstrate that SUPER 4PCS results in significant speedup over alternative approaches and allows unstructured efficient acquisition of scenes at scales previously not possible. Complete source code and datasets are available for research use at http://geometry.cs.ucl.ac.uk/projects/2014/super4PCS/.


Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, national governments have introduced a range of policy measures designed to steer their economies along a more sustainable path. Yet how are we to know how successful these have been? This significant new book discusses the ways in which sustainable development indicators can be improved in order to both assess the impact of past policies and avoid the repetition of previous failings.


This study is about the mechanical design of structures for a small satellite of the CubeSat type. CubeSat frames are usually made of aluminum alloys, this study looks into the possibilities of using polymers and polymer based composites in a custom structural design for the NTNU test satellite (NUTS). This is done for the potential weight reductions of the structural framework and supporting structures. This can be beneficial also in other CubeSat project that has a thigh weight budget. The satellite will use backplane circuit board layout in contrast to common stacking using spacers. The design integrates these parts in the structural support. At the same time it aims to make a frame that is flexible and compatible with different layouts and internal components. The study also covers the component layout, general mechanical concept development and materials selection of the satellite primary and secondary structures. This includes integration of components like magnetorquers, solar cells, batterypack, antenna structures and small required components like launch deployment - switches and ?springs. The environment parameters and loads of the launch and orbit stages combined with requirements to CubeSats and spacecraft structures are reviewed. This entails the effect the environment has on polymers and polymer composite materials. In the launch phase this includes thermal changes, wear and friction and also quasi-static loads, vibrations and shocks. In the orbit environment it includes thermal changes, radiation, erosion, micrometeorites, outgassing and surface charging. These effects are considered in the further design and sizing of the structures. Relevant materials are suggested based on listed requirements, collected material properties recorded in space experiments and recommendations from standards. Issues with using composite and polymer materials in design of small structures are discussed. Structural analyses are researched and applied using FEM based analyses. Some advanced analysis methods were researched as tools to run response analysis in relation to shock and vibration loads and also orbit thermal loads. Work is also done looking at relevant production, prototyping and testing methods for the different structures. This has included vacuum bagging , press molding and milling of aerospace carbon/epoxy prepreg. The results of the study presents new design concepts for parts in the assembly, and some candidate materials like glass and carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, cyanate and bismaleimide resins. A detailed CAD model of the CubeSat concept assembly is produced along with drawings and prototypes of parts of the concept. The results of the FEM analysis show that the structure should support the defined loads using the current geometry and materials, some higher stressed areas were also identified. An advanced thermal model was built and its function is explained along with how to attain better results. The functions of setting up dynamic response analyses are also explained, to get satisfying results from these models more knowledge of the damping characteristics of the materials are needed. Modal analyses show responses of some parts, and how their natural frequencies can be increased. The main findings in designing with composites are challenges with fasteners and combinations with mixed material assemblies due to thermal expansion and galvanic corrosion. Issues in using polymer materials in a CubeSat is related to surface properties and wear effects during launch, and also the materials reaction to the space environment related effects. There is potential for mass savings, but the concept needs some further refinement. The production methods explored are thought to be applicable in further work.


Abstract Rock coatings have been observed on Mars by Mars Pathfinder, Viking and the Mars Exploration Rovers. Although rock varnish has been studied for its potential as a biosignature, other types of rock coating have been largely ignored. In Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland, sulphate crusts, aluminium glazes and Fe/Mn films occur with mineralogies mimicking those observed on the surface of Mars. Molecular analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the bacterial communities associated with these rock coatings. Molecular techniques revealed differences in community structure and metabolisms associated with the production of secondary minerals between the three coating types. SEM analysis showed evidence of encrustation in mineral coatings in the Fe/Mn films and aluminium glazes, and evidence of abundant microbial communities in all three coating types. These observations provide evidence for bacterial participation in the genesis of rock coatings. For astrobiology on Mars, rock coatings are an attractive biosignature target scientifically and logistically: they are surface environments easily accessible by rovers, endoliths are afforded protection from surface conditions, and evidence of life could potentially be preserved through biomineralization and lithification. This study describes the bacterial communities from rock coatings compatible with martian mineralogy, explores the potential for biologically facilitated rock-coating formation, and supports rock coatings as targets of astrobiological interest on Mars.


The horror of genocide and civil war have turned the world's attention to Rwanda over the last year. But before and beyond that conflict, there was hunger and the slow grinding poverty of small holder agriculture meeting with severe land scarcity and degradation. This report is about reversing the spiraling decline of the land and the economy in rural Rwanda. Three things conspire to accelerate this decline: unsustainable land use practices, insufficient non-farm employment, and rapid population growth. We focus on the forces behind productivity decline in Rwandan agriculture. This report examines how erosion, organic input use, soil conservation investments, use of fertilizer and lime, and land use strategies affect productivity. We then examine what determines farmers; productivity and conservation investments. The results are based on collaborative research between the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) and Michigan State University. The data derive from a detailed farm-level survey, one of the most comprehensive in Africa, conducted by the Division des Statistiques Agricoles (DSA/MINAGRI). The survey covered a nationwide random sample of 1248 households, and was undertaken of 11 years, from 1984-1994. DSA has been, and we hope will be again, one of the national treasures of Rwanda. Our key findings are that Rwandan framers need to sustainable intensify their farming by protecting the soil against erosion, and by enhancing soil fertility through the use of organic matter, and chemical fertilizer, and lime. Without more input access and use, inevitable intensification of farming, as holding grow smaller, will be based only on adding more labor and cropping more intensely, both of which will degrade soils and lead to greater hardship. Where farmers are now making these investments, we report successes. We find success is often predicted on confidence in the future, knowledge from extension services, cash and labor resources from off-farm earnings, holding livestock that provides manure, and planting perennial cash crops. The contributions of this report are: (1) in underscoring and focusing on priority strategies and questions regarding the many issues that have come in and out of development debate in the highland tropics of Africa, and (2) in the systematic application of detailed, nationwide survey data to these key questions. Moreover, the report points to the great value of excellent national agricultural statistics services and national capacity to analyze data and provide insights for policy debate.


The fundamental structures that underpin business activities must evolve and change in order to equip companies to thrive in a market whose characteristics are increasing competition and instability. The incremental advances in applied computing technology and business methodologies which focus on improving one aspect of company operations ignore the need for an underlying structure and model through which to engage any and all functions in a consistent and integrated fashion. Indeed, many exacerbate the problem through closed architectures, isolationist views of entity data storage and rigid methodologies imposed on the company that employs them.

The Product Model proposed fulfils that role. It is a model of the processes and entities that a company uses to conduct its business, at all levels and across all departments. Two other concepts are exposed: product model data and the design history record. Product model data are the values of instances of product model entities and relations, created to represent a particular design, artefact or object. The design history record captures the data and functions used in a transaction and the order and context in which they are used.

To exercise these concepts, a software suite was written, the Glasgow Utility for Integrated Design, Guide. It supports the definition of a proud model and its subsequent use in the creation of product model data. Each interaction with the system is recorded, thus capturing the design history record, which can subsequently be processes to various advantageous ends. The major such uses are for re-use of part information in other designs and the extraction of design best practice with which to augment the company's design methodology. It is a comprehensive record, since all business processes are supported by, and can be transacted through Guide.

Guide has been used to validate the adequacy of the product model and has established many benefits through its use. Applications in many spheres are possible; engineering has been the primary focus for exemplars and case studies. The development was carried out under the scrutiny of constant validation and testing in live situations with several industrial partners. Guide is built on industry standard tools and uses relational database technology to store frame-based representations of entities, methods and relationships.

The design of project plans is carried out on the same platform used to support the project itself; the design data are not dissociated from the project controlling mechanism. Resources, including staff, are engaged according to requirements and audit mechanisms allow for constant re-evaluation of the project development. Control and communication mechanisms support applications in an extended enterprise environment and the distribution of resources that this entails.


The ethics of invasive mechanical ventilation for children with the neurodegenerative disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I (SMA I) is highly debated, and wide variability in clinical outcomes exists internationally. We conducted this international survey to identify physician characteristics associated with recommendation for tracheostomy and ventilation for SMA I. A cross‐sectional online survey was distributed to 1,772 pediatric pulmonologists and pediatric intensivists from online membership directories of American Thoracic Society, American College of Chest Physicians, and European Respiratory Society. Questions explored physician demographics, attitudes and experience with SMA and end‐of‐life care, knowledge of consensus guidelines, and recommendations for respiratory care of SMA I. A logistic regression model assessed the independent effects of physician variables on the recommendation for invasive ventilation for SMA I. A total of 367 (21%) physicians completed the survey; 82% were pediatric pulmonologists; and 16% pediatric intensivists. Seventy percent of respondents were from the U.S. Fifty percent of physicians were aware of SMA consensus guidelines. Physicians from Commonwealth countries (U.K., Canada, Australia, etc.) were less likely to recommend tracheostomy/ventilation than U.S. physicians (7% vs. 25%, P = 0.005). Logistic regression modeling identified years of experience, pediatric pulmonology specialty, agreement with a pro‐life statement, and recommendation for non‐invasive ventilation as predictive of recommendation for long‐term invasive ventilation for SMA I. In the largest international survey on this topic, we identified regional differences in physician recommendation for invasive ventilation for children with SMA I. Our data demonstrate a need for increased awareness of consensus guidelines and further dialog about the physician role in variability of care for children with SMA I. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012; 47:606–611. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.