The overall aim of this thesis is to provide knowledge of how everyday occupations with others can be understood as an on-going and evolving process in people's lives. This thesis includes four papers, all with a qualitative approach and a focus on everyday occupations with others from the perspective of people in different life situations. In Study I, nine persons with rheumatoid arthritis were interviewed on how they experienced the influence of others on their engagement in occupations. Data was analyzed using a constant comparative method, showing how everyday occupations with others could be understood as constructive collaboration or insufficient collaboration. These kinds of collaboration were related to different actions, undertaken by other persons, which created or restricted possibilities for occupational engagement and the experience of it, such as autonomy and meaning. Study II was conducted with five elderly persons living with late-life depression focusing on how they engaged in everyday occupations with others, over time, and how this was related to their experience of meaning. Repeated interviews and participant observations generated data that was analyzed using a narrative approach. Based on the analysis, the concept of enacted togetherness was constructed, comprehending togetherness as an acted relation, creating an acted belonging rather than just a feeling or sense of belonging. Being part of an enacted togetherness was a way for the participants to negotiate and create meaning in their everyday lives. Further, findings suggest that being part of an enacted togetherness created possibilities to enact agency. Study III explored how agency is enacted in everyday occupations with others and evolves over time for an older woman living with late-life depression. A contextualized in-depth story was created through narrative analysis based on interviews and participant observations. Findings provide an example of how conditions for agency is related to socially situated and embedded experiences rather than associated with the individual's capacity or ability to act independently in different situations. In Study IV focus group discussions was conducted with twelve old persons and a constant comparative method was used to explore and gain insight into how togetherness in everyday occupations with others was experienced and discussed. Findings show how everyday occupation with others can be comprehended as a multifold transactional process, emphasizing how an acted belonging was a situated experience connecting people and places through an unfolding story. In conclusion, this thesis contributes with an understanding of how everyday occupations with others can be comprehended as an arena where togetherness and belonging can be created. Engaging in occupations with others was a way to gain access to and become part of an unfolding story where issues related to meaning-making could be negotiated. Moreover, this thesis emphasizes how situated experiences connected to occupations with others promoteparticipation and enable change. Therefore, it is of importance to consider occupation as transactional and focus on the situations in which people's everyday occupations take place, in order to support agency and participation when empowering clients to achieve change.


The Ninth Review Conference of the 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC) presents a unique opportunity for States Parties to strengthen this important disarmament agreement. To make the most of this opportunity, this report offers practical insights and lessons from past Review Conferences to help States Parties and stakeholders prepare for a successful outcome.


Design, manufacture and installation of an irradiated fuel bundle discharge counter for the multi-unit CANDU Bruce NGS-B Generating Station involved contributions from the International Atomic Energy Agency (Agency), designers (AECL), contractors, manufacturers, utility and the regulatory agency. The installation at Bruce NGS-B was the first made by the Agency as a retrofit to a multi-unit CANDU reactor approaching its fist critical operation, where the whole project was the responsibility of the Agency and where the original design of the reactor had not had provision for the Agency equipment. The scheduling and integration of the installation into the normal activities involved in starting up a 3 000 MW(e) multi-unit generating station were successfully achieved. The Agency has demonstrated the capability and performance of the fuel discharge counter.


Biotechnology has had a major effect on improving crude oil displacement to increase petroleum production. The role of biopolymers and bio cells for selective plugging of production zones through biofilm formation has been defined. The ability of microorganisms to improve the volumetric sweep efficiency and increase oil recovery by plugging off high-permeability layers and diverting injection fluid to lower-permeability was studied through experimental tests followed by multiple simulations. The main goal of this research was to examine the selective plugging effect of hydrophobic bacteria cell on secondary oil recovery performance. In the experimental section, water and aqua solution of purified Acinetobacter strain RAG-1 were injected into an oil-saturated heterogeneous micromodel porous media. Pure water injection could expel oil by 41%, while bacterial solution injection resulted in higher oil recovery efficiency; i.e., 59%. In the simulation section, a smaller part of the heterogeneous geometry was employed as a computational domain. A numerical model was developed using coupled Cahn–Hilliard phase-field method and Navier–Stokes equations, solved by a finite element solver. In the non-plugging model, approximately 50% of the matrix oil is recovered through water injection. Seven different models, which have different plugging distributions, were constructed to evaluate the influences of selective plugging mechanism on the flow patterns. Each plugging module represents a physical phenomenon which can resist the displacing phase flow in pores, throats, and walls during Microbial-Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR). After plugging of the main diameter route, displacing phase inevitably exit from sidelong routes located on the top and bottom of the matrix. Our results indicate that the number of plugs occurring in the medium could significantly affect the breakthrough time. It was also observed that increasing the number of plugging modules may not necessarily lead to higher ultimate oil recovery. Furthermore, it was shown that adjacent plugs to the inlet caused flow patterns similar to the non-plugging model, and higher oil recovery factor than the models with farther plugs from the inlet. The obtained results illustrated that the fluids distribution at the pore-scale and the ultimate oil recovery are strongly dependent on the plugging distribution.


Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop descriptions and identify commonalities of current clinical education models used in physical therapy programs; then, using this information, to examine differences in first-time and ultimate pass rates among the derived formula from Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited programs in 2011-2013. Methods. This mixed methods study captured qualitative and quantitative data from the 204 PT programs located in the United States and Puerto Rico from 2011 to 2013. The data were coded into 11 different clinical education models which represented all programs. The models were then linked to first time and ultimate pass rates. Results. Twenty out of 204 (9.8%) PT programs reported first-time pass rates and 201/204 (98.5%) reported ultimate pass rates in the cited three-year cycle period stated in this study. The three most commonly occurring models make up 84% of all current existing models. All three frequently occurring models include both full time and clinical internship clinical experiences. Additionally, these models outperformed the national pass rate average by at least 3%. Conclusions. Our results are the first to provide an analysis of the various models in use in physical therapist education, as well as a preliminary outlook on how clinical education design is matched against a program's pass rate on the national exam. Since pass rate is one of the few standardized, modifiable outcomes for CAPTE approved programs, it was selected as the outcome to allow comparison of clinical education models. One of the driving forces behind this study was to illustrate clearly the tremendous variety of clinical education models and a better understanding of the scope of the variances that is occurring.


Continuations have received considerable attention lately as a possible solution to web application development. Other uses proposed in the past, such as cooperative threading, coroutines or writing iterators, made them an attractive feature of dynamically typed languages. We present issues involved in adding continuations to a statically typed, object-oriented language like Java, and its implementation in the Java Virtual Machine. We propose three different flavors of continuations, and study their interactions with the base language, focusing on Java's concurrency model. We describe our implementation in Ovm, a realtime Java Virtual Machine, and discuss open issues.


Bentazon herbicide is a post-emergent herbicide and a photosynthesis inhibitor in broadleaf weed. However, different parameters of Bean Kautsky curve changed significantly. Seeds were treated magnetically at three levels normal, 100 mT and 150 mT (3 hours) and weed control (weeding (by hand), weed free (untreated), control by 25 percent herbicide, or 0.6 l.ha-1, 50 percent herbicide or 1.2 l.ha-1, and 100 percent herbicide or 2.5 l.ha-1. Due to the major paramagnetic components of bean seeds, affected the parameter minimum quantum yield of PS Π (Fv/Fm) significantly (p<0/01) as in the treatment of magnetic field 150 mT and 2.5 l.ha-1 herbicide decreased significantly (0.61) although Bentazon is a selective herbicide of bean. However, besides posing damage to photo-oxidation and center PS Π, 150 mT magnetic fields lengthened the time to reach maximum fluorescence (493.3) and maximized the stress to the parameter Fo and Fo/Fm. In the case that no herbicide was applied, it amounted to the maximum fluorescence at the least time (183.3). Also, in the absence of herbicides (both weeding and weed free), basic quantum efficiency were always normal (0.14 to 0.21); however, by using the herbicides, it exceeded its normal range. Therefore, the selective of the herbicide did not mean the immunity of the plant against the herbicide completely. In general, 100 mT magnetic fields were known to be an effective treatment for plant's exposure to Bentazon herbicides and stronger field had the opposite effect.


In the normal stratified squamous epithelium of the esophagus, only the third to the fifth layers of cells express the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21). Using immunohistochemical staining, we examined the topological distribution of cells expressing p21, p53, Ki67, and cytokeratin 10 (CK10), a differentiation marker of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), in 25 superficial SCCs and 72 dysplastic lesions of the esophagus. Image analysis of p21, p53, and Ki67 expression was also performed in 48 dysplastic lesions. In superficial SCCs, although Ki67- and p53-expressing cells were mainly distributed in the deep layers of tumors despite tumor differentiation, the distribution of p21 correlated with tumor differentiation. In dysplastic lesions, p53- and Ki67-coexpressing cells tended to locate in the same layers and expand in the lower layers of epithelium with the progression of dysplasia. p21-expressing cells shifted to the upper layers of the epithelium with the progression of dysplasia. However, this change was heterogeneous; in some lesions, p21-expressing cells were confined to the superficial layers of atypical cells (confined type), whereas in others, p21-overexpressing cells were scattered among atypical cells (scattered type). CK10 expression was observed in 25% of dysplastic lesions, and the frequency of CK10 expression was significantly higher in the scattered than in the confined type. Our results suggest that esophageal squamous dysplasia represents the earliest pathological process in esophageal squamous carcinogenesis. Our results also suggest that differentiation of esophageal SCC is determined at the stage of dysplasia, and that p21 plays a critical role in the differentiation process.


Climate change is causing extensive warming across arctic regions resulting in permafrost degradation, alterations to regional hydrology, and shifting amounts and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported by streams and rivers. Here, we characterize the DOM composition and optical properties of the six largest arctic rivers draining into the Arctic Ocean to examine the ability of optical measurements to provide meaningful insights into terrigenous carbon export patterns and biogeochemical cycling. The chemical composition of aquatic DOM varied with season, spring months were typified by highest lignin phenol and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations with greater hydrophobic acid content, and lower proportions of hydrophilic compounds, relative to summer and winter months. Chromophoric DOM (CDOM) spectral slope (S275-295) tracked seasonal shifts in DOM composition across river basins. Fluorescence and parallel factor analysis identified seven components across the six Arctic rivers. The ratios of 'terrestrial humic-like' versus 'marine humic-like' fluorescent components co-varied with lignin monomer ratios over summer and winter months, suggesting fluorescence may provide information on the age and degradation state of riverine DOM. CDOM absorbance (a350) proved a sensitive proxy for lignin phenol concentrations across all six river basins and over the hydrograph, enabling for the first time the development of a single pan-arctic relationship between a350 and terrigenous DOC (R2 = 0.93). Combining this lignin proxy with high-resolution monitoring of a350, pan-arctic estimates of annual lignin flux were calculated to range from 156 to 185 Gg, resulting in shorter and more constrained estimates of terrigenous DOM residence times in the Arctic Ocean (spanning 7 months to 2½ years). Furthermore, multiple linear regression models incorporating both absorbance and fluorescence variables proved capable of explaining much of the variability in lignin composition across rivers and seasons. Our findings suggest that synoptic, high-resolution optical measurements can provide improved understanding of northern high-latitude organic matter cycling and flux, and prove an important technique for capturing future climate-driven changes.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the population dynamics of Liza klunzingeri , in Hormouzgan province waters located in northern coasts of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. This study was carried out from October 2007 to September 2008. samples were collected from commercial stake traps. The relationship between weight and fork length was found to be W= 0.0214 F.L 2.8233 suggesting that Liza klunzingeri shows isometric growth. Lengthbased stock assessment using the FiSAT software package showed an asymptotic length (L �) of 20.3cm FL and growth coefficient of 0.6.yr -1 . These results gave a growth performance index (o) of 2.39. The total mortality coefficient was estimated to be 2.31, a natural mortality of 1.09 and fishing mortality of 1.22. The estimated total mortality which, in relative terms, is considered average (2.31.yr -1 ), coupled with the currently observed exploitation rate of 0.52 for L. klunzingeri , estimated from the mortality rates, suggested that the species is moderately exploited.


ABSTRACT Understanding the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake is important to inform policy decisions and plan vaccination campaigns. The aims of this research were to: (1) explore the individual- and country-level determinants of intentions to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, and (2) examine worldwide variation in vaccination intentions. This cross-sectional online survey was conducted during the first wave of the pandemic, involving 6697 respondents across 20 countries. Results showed that 72.9% of participants reported positive intentions to be vaccinated against COVID-19, whereas 16.8% were undecided, and 10.3% reported they would not be vaccinated. At the individual level, prosociality was a significant positive predictor of vaccination intentions, whereas generic beliefs in conspiracy theories and religiosity were negative predictors. Country-level determinants, including cultural dimensions of individualism/collectivism and power distance, were not significant predictors of vaccination intentions. Altogether, this study identifies individual-level predictors that are common across multiple countries, provides further evidence on the importance of combating conspiracy theories, involving religious institutions in vaccination campaigns, and stimulating prosocial motives to encourage vaccine uptake.


Abstract Trait databases are invaluable sources of information in ecological studies exploring the links between species traits and their surrounding environment. While digital vascular plant trait databases are already numerous, sets of bryophyte trait data are not equally available online. To help fill in this gap, we present the BRYOTRAIT-AZO database, a trait dataset for the Azorean bryoflora which aims to gather and facilitate access to all the published morphological information for the archipelago's bryophytes. As an example of its applications we examined the variation of moss leaf size, orientation and nerve extension along Terceira Island's elevational gradient, testing hypothesis related with trait presence and function. We identified a shift from mosses with twisted and shorter but longly costate leaves at lower elevation to mosses with longer untwisted leaves, with short or absent nerves at higher ground. These changes reflect the transition from sunnier, warmer and drier conditions at low elevation to shadier, cooler and damper settings at the island summit, in accordance with the hypothesis that smaller, twisted and longly costate leaves are better adapted to more xeric environments. As exemplified, this database can be a valuable tool for future studies at a regional or even a global scale, coupling functional data with bryophyte distribution information to identify trait roles on ecosystem functioning, but also general diversity and species co-occurrence patterns and community assembly rules.


The distribution system is the primary cause of taste and odor complaints in drinking water. This research examined the ability of small diameter pipes used in home plumbing to affect drinking water quality. The properties of the materials were investigated in the absence of disinfectant and the presence of either chlorine or chloramines. A panel was trained in flavor profile analysis (FPA) according to Standard Methods 2170B and used to assess the sensory properties of all samples. Chemical analyses were performed to determine disinfectants, total organic carbon (TOC), pH and specific organic contaminants. The first part of this study investigated PEX pipes manufactured by the silane (PEX-b) and peroxide (PEX-a) cross-linking technology, using the utility quick test (UQT) method. Silane PEX-b had a greater effect on water quality properties such as odor, TOC and residual disinfectant demand than peroxide-linked PEX-a. Chemical analysis revealed that PEX pipes can contribute fuel oxygenates such as ETBE (PEX-b) and possibly MTBE (PEX-a) to drinking water. PEX pipes did not contribute any significant trihalomethanes to drinking water. This study showed that the type of PEX used in homes will determine the extent to which drinking water quality is affected. The second part of this study used simulated plumbing rigs to investigate seven different materials under low flow and stagnant conditions; chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, cross-linked polyethylene, polyethylene, epoxy-lined copper, copper, stainless steel, galvanized iron and glass (control). Results showed that these plumbing materials have the potential to affect water quality characteristics such as TOC concentrations, residual disinfectant and odor when newly installed in homes. A high TOC concentration was consistent with the presence of a distinct odor or a high FPA intensity rating. Galvanized iron produced the worst odors that were consistently described as "motor oil". Polyethylene generated more intense plumbing associated odors than PEX or cPVC plastic material. cPVC and copper generated the least odors. Both copper pipe and epoxy-lined copper consumed residual chlorine and chloramines.


In this article, global and other university rankings are critically assessed with regard to their unintended side effects and their impacts on the European and national landscape of universities, as well as on individual institutions. An emphasis is put on the effects of ranking logics rather than on criticising their methodology. Nevertheless, it is briefly outlined what rankings measure and whom they serve. The second part takes a look at impacts of rankings on the European, national and institutional level. A third part casts rankings as a particular form of transnational policy coordination which enabled the European Commission to design its own policy script with regard to rankings. In the conclusions it is argued that ranking results have, in turn, become indicators or proxies for the economic competitiveness of nations, thus making the actual reality of universities and what they are about disappear. Thus, rankings constitute a de-contextualised symbolic value which is truly postmodern and create a new material reality which is no longer related to its original.


CIV_ENV 328-0 Computational Forensics and Failure Analysis (1 Unit) The course will cover the use of the scientific method for accident investigation, hypothesis development, and the use of the finite element method to analyze the root cause of a failure. Practical application problems for both civil and mechanical structures will be analyzed using commercial finite element codes (Abaqus, Hypermesh, LS-Dyna) Prerequiste: CIV_ENV 327-0 or MECH_ENG 327-0.


Omi/HtrA2 is a mitochondrial proapoptotic serine protease that is able to induce both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death. After apoptotic stimuli, Omi is released to the cytoplasm where it binds and cleaves inhibitor of apoptosis proteins. In this report, we investigated the role of Omi in renal cell death following cisplatin treatment. Using primary mouse proximal tubule cells, as well as established renal cell lines, we show that the level of Omi protein is upregulated after treatment with cisplatin. This upregulation is followed by the release of Omi from mitochondria to the cytoplasm and degradation of XIAP. Reducing the endogenous level of Omi protein using RNA interference renders renal cells resistant to cisplatin-induced cell death. Furthermore, we show that the proteolytic activity of Omi is necessary and essential for cisplatin-induced cell death in this system. When renal cells are treated with Omi's specific inhibitor, ucf-101, they become significantly resistant to cisplatin-induced cell death. Ucf-101 was also able to minimize cisplatin-induced nephrotoxic injury in animals. Our results demonstrate that Omi is a major mediator of cisplatin-induced cell death in renal cells and suggest a way to limit renal injury by specifically inhibiting its proteolytic activity.


Major issues that this dissertation concerns itself with are: patriarchalisation of the church, societal valuation of women, changing culture and the changing images of women, and fmally unmasking the sin of patriarchy. The essay will be examining such issues as what makes patriarchy so strong? Why does the church hold dearly on patriarchal systems that exclude and undermine women yet preaching universality ofthe church which emphazises community of believers? In this community of believers all are believed to be equal in Christ Jesus. How then does the church's witness to the world remain" good news" and valid when the half or the majority of the community remain marginalised and subjugated? The study traces the background history of the status and role of women in the church. The historical background examines the place and images of women in the Hebrew culture. Women leadership during the patriarchal period is also examined. Christ being the head of the church, the concept of Christo logy is explored in relation to women. Biblical and Pauline attitudes towards women are also examined since they influence the place of women in the church. The attitudes towards women in the church leadership roles from both women and men are examined. The status and place of women in the church are influenced by religious, cultural, social and economic aspects. The study therefore, is concluded by raising suggestions that will bring about transformation for the betterment of women's place and status. This is in hope that, the church will become a community of believers where women and men will participate equally. Core to this is the investigation, exploration and examination of the leadership roles of women in the church. This is from different perspectives, for instance, how are women represented in church leadership positions? What are the numerical ratios between women and men? What role do the structures of the church play in maintaining this? What is the role played by men and women? Answers to these questions raise the challenges that the church should be prepared to face in the new millenium.


This thesis analyses the topic of rural-to-urban migration in the People's Republic of China, performing a legal, institutional and economic analysis of this phenomenon. Rural-to-urban migration constitutes an important issue for the Chinese authorities, since in many cities it entails relevant economic and social repercussions. The main goal of this analysis is to shed light on the flaws of the current legal frameworks regulating and affecting rural-to-urban migration, as well as evaluating the final impact exercised by rural migration on the long-term dynamics of urban economic growth. From the analysis, some useful findings emerge. Firstly, most of the legal tools affecting rural-to-urban migration result to be detrimental for rural migrants. Secondly, rural migration has a positive impact on long-run city growth, since rural migrants increase the level of human capital accumulation, and the latter boosts in turn urban economic growth through increases in the level of technology. Thirdly, important growth spillovers emerge at a provincial level for both human and physical capital, although resulting to be more pronounced for physical capital. Overall, it appears that a relaxation of the restrictions on migration imposed by the current hukou system might help increase the magnitude of human capital spillovers, and ultimately its total effect on growth.


This study explores the issue of forced and underage marriage in Aotearoa New Zealand. It documents the stories of survivors of actual and threatened forced marriage. It also records the survivors" analyses of their experiences and their recommendations for changes that may deter the practice in New Zealand. This study postulates that forced marriage is not a cultural issue per se, but a form of violence against women, shaped by socio-political forces and practised by some. It examines notions of "honour" and "shame" which are often inextricably linked to the issue of forced marriage. The study goes on to provide an overview of genderbased violence in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well as diaspora communities internationally and in New Zealand. This research study is heavily influenced by GAD thought and by various epistemologies including postcolonial feminism, subaltern studies and participatory action research. As such, it emphasises self-reflexivity and focuses on "gender relations" than "women" as the category of analysis. The views and potential contributions of eleven stakeholder agency participants in terms of addressing the issue of forced marriage are also included in this study. The study also examines relevant existing New Zealand legislation in light of the country"s international obligations regarding marriage. Specific recommendations on both social and legislative reforms are provided in an attempt to promote a collaborative, multi-sector response to address the issue from the perspectives of both intervention and prevention. In conclusion, this study, which is the first of its kind in New Zealand, hopes to shed light on an issue that is a human rights violation. It aims to promote action to deter the practice and to progress the rights of ethnic minority women in New Zealand without fuelling an anti-minority discourse. Finally, it attempts to fill a number of knowledge gaps in academic, policy and legislative literatures.


Pastoral care for the objectors and the impatient: a church growth perspective The aim of this article is to develop a pastoral theological perspective to a recent pastoral problem. This problem is the growing polarization within churches (with the focus on the Dutch Reformed Church) in South Africa today due to theological, church policy, social, economical and political factors. These factors are outlined and analysed systematically. Special attention is paid to the two poles - the objectors and the impatient. The "objector" is described as the church member who experiences an increasing concern and impasse with the church regarding new directions that are followed, and which are not correct according to his convictions and perceptions. The "impatient" is described as a church member who experiences an Increasing impasse with the church because according to him the church is not going far enough in concretizing the full consequences of church policy (as spelled out in Church and Society for example). The nature, symptoms and needs of both are examined and guidelines for a directed pastoral care are proposed.


Simultaneous measurements of the spatial covariance of intensity and the angular spectrum of plane waves have been made for a diverging He–Ne laser beam propagating over a 1-km horizontal path. Most of the data are taken during strong scintillation. The measured angular spectrum is used to estimate the wave-structure function D(s). The propagation equation for the intensity covariance depends on the medium only through the longitudinal derivative of D(s). Thus, for a homogeneous medium, D(s) is sufficient to calculate the intensity covariance, although such a calculation has not been done in general. The estimated D(s) is used to calculate the intensity covariance by using weak scintillation theory and also by using an asymptotic theory for strong scintillation. The measured intensity covariances are then compared with these calculations. In both cases there is qualitative agreement, but the quantitative comparison is poor. It is shown that the inner scale of the turbulence is an important factor in weak scintillation, and it is argued that this inner scale is a dominant factor in strong scintillation.


Purpose: To investigate and analyse the role of practice-assisting manpower in the emergency care centers of teaching hospitals for more efficient allocation of the workload in hospitals to provide better medical care.
Methods: We enrolled a total of eight practice-assisting manpower in four emergency care centers of teaching hospitals located in Daejeon Metropolitan City and Chungcheong Province areas. The current demographics and conditions of practice-assisting manpower and their work schedules were surveyed and collected. Board-certified emergency physicians from each hospital observed tasks performed by practice-assisting manpower for 60 minutes during both day and night shifts, and data collected were analysed by time-motion study method.
Results: The practice-assisting manpower participants were of certified first-ranked Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). The mean working hours per week were 42.5 ± 3.3 h. The total number of performed tasks during the study period was 275 items (day shift: 141, night shift: 134) in total observation time. Tasks performed were divided into three categories: procedure-assisting (87 items), treatment-assisting (169 items), and personal activities (19 items). The time consumed for procedure-assisting tasks, treatment-assisting tasks, and personal activities were recorded as 8 h 35 min 47 s, 4 h 27 min 41 s, and 2 h 56 min 32 s, relatively.
Conclusion: Though some items in both procedure-assisting and treatment-assisting tasks were classified as beyond the scope of work of EMT, it is observed that the role of practice-assisting manpower in emergency care is critical and significant for efficient patient care in the emergency care settings. This further suggests reconsidering the functions of practice-assisting manpower and reallocates duties among the workforce of emergency medical service providers for the present and future.


Introduction. Part I: Introducing Application Development. Chapter 1: Building Your Application. Chapter 2: Building in Application Security. Part II: Building a User Authentication Application. Chapter 3: User Authentication with HTTP. Chapter 4: User Login Application. Part III: Building Online Sales Applications. Chapter 5: Online Catalog Application. Chapter 6: Shopping Cart Application. Part IV: Building Other Useful Applications. Chapter 7: Building a Content Management System. Chapter 8: Hosting Discussions with a Web Forum. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 9: Ten Hints for Application Development. Chapter 10: Ten Sources of PHP Code. Part VI: Appendixes. Appendix A: Introducing Object-Oriented Programming. Appendix B: Object-Oriented Programming with PHP. Appendix C: The MySQL and MySQL Improved Extensions. Appendix D: About the CD. Index.


Public military expenditure (PME); has been analysed very little in the region, mainly for political reasons, which also limit access to the relevant information. Because of various events, however, it is beginning to be the subject of economic analysis both by governments and by multilateral bodies, especially with regard to its most appropriate level (how much is enough?);, its opportunity cost (what are its direct and indirect economic impacts?);, and its cost-effectiveness as a system of acquiring arms (what is its effect per monetary unit?);. According to the most conservative estimate, based on the official information on defence spending of the countries where this information is available, the Latin American and Caribbean PME amounted to 1.3% of GDP (nearly US$ 25 billion); in the mid-1990s, and its average share of total central government expenditure in the region came to 9.7%. The central governments of the region spend an average of one dollar on defence for every 1.1 dollars of direct expenditure on education or 0.9 dollars on health. As in the case of any other kind of public expenditure, a debate is called for on the efficacy and efficiency of PME in relation to the development process in general and its economic impact in particular. Although there is no precise answer to the question of how to provide the exactly necessary amount of the public good represented by defence, excessive provision of this good undoubtedly represents improductive expenditure. It is hard to justify the importation of sophisticated arms if this merely serves to restore the balance with a country's neighbours or with the rest of the region, albeit at a higher level of expenditure than before. Moreover, the opportunity cost of PME is clearly high, while the positive externalities that it generates could be achieved through other forms of public expenditure which render different and more specialized services.


DUSHKOVA, M., S. KOZLUDZHOVA, K. DINKOV, M. MITEVA-PETROVA and S. PETROV, 2016. Multifactorial mathematical model for the fl ux during ultrafi ltration of cow's milk. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 492–496 Combined effects of working pressure, temperature and fat content on the fl ux during ultrafi ltration of cow's milk with a polyacrylonitrile membrane UF10-PAN through full factorial experimental design were studied. Multi-factorial mathematical model for the infl uence of working pressure, temperature and fat content of milk on the fl ux was created. The model and response surfaces show that the highest value of fl ux is obtained at high level of the working pressure and temperature, and low level of the fat content of milk.


Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among adolescent and adult females. Many components are involved in the pathophysiology of the syndrome, especially markers of insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism. Although adult diagnostic criteria have become more refined; adolescent diagnosis remains obscure regardless of Base Metabolic Index (BMI). The aim of this paper is to inquire if there is an underdiagnosis of PCOS in normal weight adolescent females, identify potential underlying reasons and seek out clinical guidelines for practice. A review of the literature was completed and four overall themes emerged: a) hormones and their effects on treatment; b) glucose tolerance and/or insulin resistance; c) treatment options; and d) the need for increased awareness, early recognition, and a multidisciplinary approach to adolescent diagnosis and treatment. Weight as a variable factor was interspersed throughout majority of the studies. Results indicated that medications such as metformin and oral contraceptives are beneficial for treatment of insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, and menstrual abnormalities. However, the primary treatment is a healthy diet and regular exercise. Implications for practice included; a need for increased awareness, early recognition, comprehensive screening, prompt treatment, and frequent follow-ups for all PCOS adolescents to prevent future morbidities. The final implication was the need for more research involving adolescent females with PCOS. PCOS ADOLESCENT FEMALES Alaina Matzke 3 The Underdiagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Normal Weight Adolescent Females


Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) measure the faint flashes of Cherenkov light emitted
by air-showers that are produced when charged particles or gamma rays hit the atmosphere.
Therefore, the atmosphere above the IACT is an integral part of the detector. Variations in the
performance of the IACT itself, but also changes in the absorption and scattering of Cherenkov
light due to clouds or dust affect the interpretation of measured signals. Therefore, information
about the status of the full system is crucial to combine measurements from different time periods.
The First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) is using for the first time solid state photosensors
(so-called G-APDs or SiPM) to measure the flashes of Cherenkov light. Based on the stability of
these sensors, we showed in the past that it is possible to identify the existence of strong clouds or
calima when measuring the intrinsically constant flux of cosmic ray particles at different trigger
levels. This necessitated dedicated measurements, preventing normal data taking in parallel. We
have now improved the method to use instead those cosmic ray events that are recorded during
normal data taking as dominant background. By applying a fixed virtual trigger threshold in
software, we measure the rate of charged cosmic ray particles. A deviation from the expected flux
allows to identify data sets with reduced performance of the complete system in quasi real-time,
without the need for any additional device.
Applying the method to a data set when one of the 30 mirror tiles of FACT was missing, we show
that a change of total yield of the Cherenkov light by few percent can be identified within few
minutes of standard data taking. This nicely demonstrates that the hadron rate determined from
standard data taking with FACT can be used for monitoring of the data quality.


Over time, the structure of the Australian economy has gradually shifted away from agriculture and manufacturing towards services, with the mining industry growing in importance recently. Economic activity has also shifted towards the resource-rich states of Queensland and Western Australia. Changes in the structure of the economy have been driven by a range of factors including rising demand for services, the industrialisation of east Asia, economic reform and technical change. In recent years, the rate of structural change appears to have increased, driven by the rise in resource export prices and mining investment.


The current-voltage characteristics of a new range of devices built around Weyl semimetals
has been predicted using the Landauer formalism. The potential step and barrier have been reconsidered for a three-dimensional Weyl semimetals, with analogies to the two-dimensional material graphene and to optics. With the use of our results we also show how Veselago lens can be made from Weyl semimetals, e.g. from NbAs and NbP. Such lens may have many practical applications and can be used as a probing tip in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Because of the ballistic character of Weyl fermion transport inside the semimetal tip and ideal focusing of the Weyl fermions by Veselago lens on the surface of the tip one may create a very narrow electron beam from the tip to the surface of the studied material. With such Weyl semimetal probing tip the resolution of the present STMs can be improved significantly, and one may image not only individual atoms but also individual electron orbitals and chemical bonding and therewith to resolve the long-term issue of the chemical and hydrogen bonds formation. We show that applying a pressure to the Weyl semimental having no centre of spacial inversion one may model a matter at extreme conditions such as that arising in vicinity of a Black Hole. As the materials Cd3As2 and Na3Bi show an asymmetry in their Dirac cones, a scaling factor was used to model this asymmetry. The scaling factor created additional regions of no propagation and condensed the appearance of resonances. We argue that under external pressure there in Weyl semimetals may arise a topological phase transition, where the electron transport changes character and becomes anisotropic. There a hyperbolic Dirac phases occurs where there is a strong light absorption and photo-current generation.


Ultrathin single- and three-stage Cu(In,Ga)Se2 absorber layers were analyzed with room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra. An anomalous blueshift was observed upon increasing carrier injection for both samples. This blueshift was attributed to the presence of bandgap fluctuations that are of the same order as the minority carrier diffusion length. From time resolved measurements, a diffusion length of a few 100 nms was deduced. The single-stage spectrum consists of two peaks, and the sample was, therefore, also analyzed by hyperspectral imaging, providing lateral PL and reflectance data with 1 μm resolution. Marginal variations were observed in the PL yield and spectra. This homogeneity could again be attributed to an intermediate scale of the bandgap fluctuation with an upper limit of 1 μm for the scale of the lateral bandgap fluctuations. The two peaks in the PL spectra of the single-stage sample could be attributed to interference, and correction methods were applied. The bandgap fluctuations were extracted for the three-stage and single-stage sample and were 45 meV and 72 ± 3 meV, respectively. It is suggested that this difference is attributed to the smaller grains and larger amount of grain boundaries in the single-stage sample.


This symposium article recounts recent litigation by several states over a provision of the Medicare Modernization Act Part D prescription drug benefit: The clawback, which requires states to pay the a potentially substantial portion of new federal program. I then examine the unique federalism implications of the clawback for ongoing state and federal health reform initiatives. In spring 2006, several states petitioned the United States Supreme Court for original jurisdiction to hear a challenge to one provision of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug law. The federal government, while taking over prescription drug coverage for dually eligible beneficiaries, required states perpetually to pay the cost of certain Medicare beneficiaries' drugs. The Petitioner States raised various constitutional objections to the mandatory payment, based in federalism and intrusion on state sovereignty. I along with several other health law professors and practitioners filed an amicus brief in support of the States' petition. The Supreme Court denied review in August 2006, and the States have not pursued further litigation, perhaps because of other enforcement priorities. In addition, the actual state budgetary impact of the clawback during the first year of Part D implementation was less severe than anticipate. Although the clawback may no longer have saliency for the litigant States, the provision warrants closer examination as a unique example of cooperative federalism. Issues of state-federal cooperation are especially important as both state and federal governments pursue wide-ranging health care reform agendas. My article (1) describes the Part D benefit and the operation of the clawback, (2) considers the constitutional and prudential arguments to raised in the Supreme Court litigation, (3) suggests additional federalism objections not specifically addressed in the litigation, and (4) urges the need for caution with respect to similar cooperative federalism approaches to health care reform.


In her Great Books of Record Anne Clifford places herself within the dynamic history of the ancient Clifford family, providing an unbroken view into medieval and early modern life for nearly six centuries. In this annotated edition, we glimpse the lives of simple widows, traders, farmers, and labourers juxtaposed with the adventures of soldiers, lords and ladies, princes and princesses. Throughout, Anne Clifford asserts the centrality of women to the success of noble families, including the monarchy. Her Great Books draws upon medieval traditions and early modern scholarship and builds upon these through biographies of the Clifford lords and ladies, along with an extended biography of her mother Margaret Russell and her own autobiographical 'Life of Mee'. Those interested in the lives of medieval and early modern women, changes in culture, the effect of the political upon individuals, and the inspiring life of Anne Clifford will find this a rich and rewarding book.


In The Subject of Tragedy, Catherine Belsey notes that in the Renaissance, marriage as an institution was publicly in crisis. "Marriage becomes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries," she writes, "the site of a paradoxical struggle to create a private realm and to take control of it in the interests of a public good" (130). Arising from this crisis, Beaumont's and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy can be read as a staging of female subjectivity constituted by the commodification of Evadne's body in the marriage contract, so that the play unmasks the patrilineal economy's construction of her desire as masochistic.(1) Beaumont's and Fletcher's tragedy is similar to many plays in this period, which work to produce a cautionary tale aimed at encouraging women to internalize the dictates of a patrilineal culture.(2) Like Belsey, I argue that drama provides a public forum in which the stabilizing of marriage, of the patrilineal order's control of women's bodies, is reinscribed. As with the pamphlet debates which raged during the period among writers such as Juan Luis Vives, Erasmus, Barnaby Rych, and Joseph Swetnam, who attempted in different ways to construct an "appropriate" and "moral" female subject, drama can be read as working in dialogue with these pamphlets to construct a similar female subject.(3) With various degrees of vehemence and misogyny, pamphlet writers contribute to the production of a Renaissance female subject who will not threaten the stability of a patrilineal order which depends on her uncontaminated body for its propagation. Whether by advocating "appropriate" education, by scathing critique, or by pretending praise, these writers agree that women's chastity is the basis on which Renaissance civilization will continue to grow in prosperity and moral superiority.(4) To combat the threat against patrilineal interests, drama can stage women's desire in such a way that guarantees the stability of the patrilineal order. I would like to re-read The Maid's Tragedy, then, to demonstrate that Evadne's desire is constructed by her commodification as an "appropriate" female subject in masochistic terms, which Beaumont and Fletcher both reinscribe and resist to the extent that Evadne's masochism - her internalization of patrilineal morality tyrannically enforced - generates her tragedy.(5) Because women are restricted to and defined by commodification, their desire is limited by specific acts of which they are allowed to become the agent. Critics such as Constance Jordan have emphasized the commodification of women in the Renaissance - in fact, woman as property has become something of a truism.(6) She notes, however, that "in order for these exchanges to happen at all, the women exchanged must agree (or be forced to agree) to compliance with the terms of the exchange, in short to become human commodities, objects" (44). Jordan accounts for women's position as objects in a masculine economy of desire and establishes what can be termed a commodified subjectivity. Margaret L. King agrees, arguing that "perhaps [because women] were seen as possessing a greater sexual appetite, one quite gross and uncontrollable [,] . . . [t]heir violent sexual passions disrupted the sexual order and were seen as an attack on the social order itself" (41). In this light, the mechanism of commodification renders women's desire as "evil," and the process of internalization forces women into representations of their resulting desire as inherently masochistic. I want to make clear that the ontology of female masochism is not a biological imperative but an effect of the woman's being a market good, of never being an agent. Therefore, women are presented in the theater as capable of making choices that are irrevocably masochistic because, as non-agents, as merchandise, women fulfill only the desire of an other. In Evadne's case, we will see that her desire to be a valuable commodity is stronger than her need to live; in this sense, her desire, as a result of her commodified subjectivity, is a drive for self-annihilation. …


Laurel wilt is a destructive disease of redbay (Persea borbonia) and other species in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is caused by Raffaelea lauricola, a fungal symbiont of the redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), cointroduced into the United States around 2002. During assessments of fungi associated with bark beetles from loblolly pine, an unknown fungus was isolated that appeared to have broad-spectrum antifungal activities. In this study, we identified the unknown fungus and determined the inhibitory effect of its secondary metabolites on R. lauricola. DNA analysis identified the fungus as Acaromyces ingoldii (GenBank accession no. EU770231). Secondary metabolites produced by the A. ingoldii completely inhibited R. lauricola mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates preinoculated with A. ingoldii and reduced R. lauricola growth significantly on malt extract agar plates preinoculated with A. ingoldii. R. lauricola isolates inoculated on PDA plates 7 days after A. ingoldii were completely inhibited with no growth or spore germination. Direct evaluation of A. ingoldii crude extract on R. lauricola spores in a multi-well culture plate assay showed inhibition of spore germination at 10% and higher concentrations. Secondary metabolites from A. ingoldii could be potentially useful in managing the future spread of laurel wilt.


The 2011 Census of India produced some interesting facts about the process of urbanisation in India. For the first time since Independence, the absolute increase in population is more in urban than in rural areas. The increase in urban areas has put pressure on the basic infrastructure, including access to water for both urban and periurban locations. Most Indian cities have formal water supply for only a few hours a day and only in limited areas. The question is – where are the remaining water requirements coming from? For much of India9s 'water history', the focus has been on large-scale surface-water projects to provide access, focusing more on irrigation and neglecting sources within the city and the periurban areas. Over time an enormous informal groundwater market has arisen in several cities to bridge the demand–supply gap. This water demand is met through supplies of water through informal water markets. Water is sourced from the periurban regions, which are usually richer in surface water and groundwater. This paper focuses on the change process as witnessed by periurban areas with a case study of Hyderabad. This paper presents an overview of a trend that is leading to immense water insecurities due to a combination of issues.


Abstract. To test the hypothesis whether high molecular weight dissolved organic matter (HMW-DOM) in a high latitude marginal sea is dominated by terrestrial derived matter, 10 stations were sampled along the salinity gradient of the central and northern Baltic Sea and were analyzed for concentrations of dissolved organic carbon as well as δ13C values of HMW-DOM. Different end-member-mixing models were applied to quantify the influence of terrestrial DOM and to test for conservative versus non-conservative behavior of the terrestrial DOM in the different Baltic Sea basins. The share of terrestrial DOM to the total HMW-DOM was calculated for each station, ranging from 43 to 83%. This shows the high influence of terrestrial DOM inputs for the Baltic Sea ecosystem. The data also suggest that terrestrial DOM reaching the open Baltic Sea is not subject to substantial removal anymore. However compared to riverine DOM concentrations, our results indicate that substantial amounts of HMW-DOM (> 50%) seem to be removed near the coastline during estuarine mixing. A budget approach yielded residence times for terrestrial DOM of 2.8, 3.0, and 4.5 yr for the Bothnian Bay, the Bothnian Sea and the Baltic Proper.


Changes in administration and funding levels at the local government level are continuing to illustrate the need for information systems to aid the county engineer or public works director. Decisions must be quick and accurate in light of available data to protect and enhance the infrastructure. With the advent of the computer, the use of spreadsheets and databases software has emerged as the tools of choice in the decision process. Pavement, bridge and infrastructure management systems provide the way to analyze large amounts of data for those decisions. The program operates with aid of the LOTUS 1-2-3 (version 2.0 or higher) program creating a series of spreadsheets that represent pavement condition levels versus severity and extent of distress, rehabilitation strategies and cost for each rehabilitation strategy. The basic program was developed by the Penn. DOT as part of the STAMPP program to evaluate pavements. The program has been adapted to Iowa pavement distresses, rehabilitation strategies, and county road and city street representative costs.


We analyse the impact of public food and cash transfers on farmer participation in Botswana's subsistence arable agriculture. The results indicate that publicly provided social pensions and food packages (rations) reduce the probability of participation in subsistence crop farming. Engagement in paid off-farm employment, which is sometimes facilitated through a public works programme (PWP), also discourages farmer participation in the subsistence economy. Therefore, public food and cash transfers and the PWP yield work disincentive effects in Botswana's subsistence agriculture. This is because transfers are usually consistent and regular in Botswana, impacting on household behaviour. The design of social protection policies should therefore consider such potential disincentive effects on the agricultural sector.


Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common form of gynecological malignancy, ranking fourth in incidence among tumors diagnosed in women. As is the case with other complex diseases, detailed analyses of the underlying mechanisms of cancer are difficult, due mainly to the genetic heterogeneity of the human population and differences in the environment and lifestyle of individuals. In this sense, analysis in animal models may serve as a valuable complement. The inbred BDII rat strain is genetically prone to spontaneous hormone-related EC and it has been used as a powerful model to investigate molecular alterations in this tumor type. BDII female rats were crossed with males from two non-susceptible rat strains and tumors developed in a significant fraction of the progeny. We subjected a subset of BDII rat tumors to detailed analysis based on the molecular data used for the classification of human ECs. Our analysis revealed that this tumor model can be related to higher grade human type I ECs, i.e. a subgroup of ECs that constitutes more than 80% of this tumor type in humans. Earlier work using comparative genome hybridization (CGH) revealed that rat chromosome 10 (RNO10) was frequently involved in cytogenetic aberrations in BDII rat tumors. To identify the potential target region(s)/gene(s) for these changes, we subjected a panel of rat ECs to allelic imbalance (AI) analysis. Four distinct regions of recurrent AI were identified. By deriving evolutionary tree models based on AI data, we demonstrated that one of these AI regions (located adjacent to Tp53) was close to the root in the derived onco-tree models, indicating that this segment might harbor early important events. In combined FISH, chromosome paint, gene expression and gene sequencing analyses, we found that, instead of Tp53, the main selection target was a region close and distal to Tp53. We developed a detailed deletion map of this area and substantially narrowed down the size of the candidate region. We then subjected all 19 genes located within this segment to qPCR analysis, followed by statistical analysis of the results, and thus identified the Hic1, Skip and Myo1c genes as potential target(s). By subjecting these genes to DNA sequencing, analysis of protein expression and of epigenetic silencing, we ruled out Hic1 and confirmed Skip and Myo1c as the candidates. Interestingly, it appears that Skip and Myo1c perform overlapping roles in PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling, which is known to have implications for the survival and growth of cancer cells. In conclusion, starting from cytogenetic findings and applying a candidate gene approach, we introduced two attractive candidate genes within the independent region of tumor suppressor activity distal to Tp53.


Summary Government and parliamentary inquiries into child protection have historically exerted a significant impact on policy and practice reform. Yet to date, there has been no analysis of the impact of such inquiries on programme and service supports for young people transitioning from out-of-home care (often termed leaving care). This article uses a content analysis methodology to critically examine and compare the findings of six recent Australian child protection inquiries (five at state and territory level and one Commonwealth) in relation to their discrete sections on leaving care. Attention is drawn to how the policy issue is framed including key terminology, the major concerns identified, the local and international research evidence cited and the principal sources of information including whether or not priority is given to the lived experience of care leavers. Findings All six inquiries identified major limitations in leaving care legislation, policy and practice including poor outcomes in key areas such as housing, education and employment. There was a consensus that post-18 assistance should be expanded, and most of the reports agreed that greater attention should be paid to the specific cultural needs of the large number of Indigenous care leavers. Applications Care leavers universally are a vulnerable group; leaving care policy should be informed by the lived experience and expertise of care leavers; governments have a responsibility to provide ongoing supports beyond 18 years of age, particularly in areas such as housing and education, training and employment


Seismic imaging reveals a shallow-crustal magma chamber beneath the source site of the 1993 eruption on Coaxial segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. The magma chamber is at least 6 km 3 in volume and contains at least 0.6 km 3 of melt, enough to supply at least several eruptions of a size equal to the one in 1993. No mid-crustal connection of this magma chamber with the magmatic plumbing of nearby Axial volcano (the current expression of the Cobb-Eickelberg hotspot) is evident, confirming previous geochemical and geological studies that argued against mixing between the two. The lack of connectivity implies that magma transport through the uppermost mantle and lower crust are very highly focused into narrow (<5-10 km) conduits.


We consider the problem of identifying people on the basis of their walk (gait) pattern. Classical approaches to tackle this problem are based on, e.g., video recordings or piezoelectric sensors embedded in the floor. In this work, we rely on acoustic and vibration measurements, obtained from a microphone and a geophone sensor, respectively. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, we propose a feature extraction method based on an (untrained) shallow scattering network, specially tailored for the gait signals. Second, we demonstrate that fusing the two modalities improves identification in the practically relevant open set scenario.


It is common practice to model the base station (BS) locations in a cellular system by a grid, such as a hexagonal or square lattice. This model is usually analytically intractable as well as quite idealized. Therefore, system designers resort to complex simulations to evaluate network performance. In this paper, we introduce a new model for the base station locations based on a homogeneous Poisson point process (PPP), whereby the mobiles communicate with their nearest base stations. We obtain the distribution of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR), compute the average ergodic rate, and analytically verify the trade-off between coverage and rate with frequency reuse. We compare our results with actual BS locations as well as the grid model. In addition to being tractable, we also observe that the performance predicted by the PPP model lower bounds the actual performance, and is about as predictive as the grid model which provides upper bounds.


Right-wing parties and governments in Europe have recently expressed greater hostility towards cultural pluralism, at times officially denunciating multiculturalism, and calling for the closure of borders and denial of rights to non-European nationals. Within this context, this article argues for rethinking Europe through radically transgressive and transnational understandings of cosmopolitanism as articulated by growing transnational populations within Europe such as immigrants, refugees, and irregular migrants. Transgressive forms of cosmopolitanism disrupt European notions of borders and identities in ways that challenge both liberal multiculturalism and assimilationist positions. This article explores the limits of traditional cosmopolitan thinking while offering a vision of cosmopolitanism based on everyday negotiations with cultural differences, explained using two illustrative examples or snapshots.


This article characterizes the exact asymptotics of random Fourier feature (RFF) regression, in the realistic setting where the number of data samples n, their dimension p, and the dimension of feature space N are all large and comparable. In this regime, the random RFF Gram matrix no longer converges to the well-known limiting Gaussian kernel matrix (as it does when N → ∞ alone), but it still has a tractable behavior that is captured by our analysis. This analysis also provides accurate estimates of training and test regression errors for large n, p, N. Based on these estimates, a precise characterization of two qualitatively different phases of learning, including the phase transition between them, is provided; and the corresponding double descent test error curve is derived from this phase transition behavior. These results do not depend on strong assumptions on the data distribution, and they perfectly match empirical results on real-world data sets.


AbstractHurricanes in southeastern Louisiana develop significant surges within the lower Mississippi River. Storms with strong sustained easterly winds push water into shallow Breton Sound, overtop the river's east bank south of Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana, penetrate into the river, and are confined by levees on the west bank. The main channel's width and depth allow surge to propagate rapidly and efficiently up river. This work refines the high-resolution, unstructured mesh, wave current Simulating Waves Nearshore + Advanced Circulation (SWAN+ADCIRC) SL16 model to simulate river flow and hurricane-driven surge within the Mississippi River. A river velocity regime–based variation in bottom friction and a temporally variable riverine flow-driven radiation boundary condition are essential to accurately model these processes for high and/or time-varying flows. The coupled modeling system is validated for riverine flow stage relationships, flow distributions within the distributary systems, tides, and Hurric...


The stable isotope composition of benthic sponge spicule silica is a potential source of palaeoceanographic information about past deep seawater chemistry. The silicon isotope composition of spicules has been shown to relate to the silicic acid concentration of ambient water, although existing calibrations do exhibit a degree of scatter in the relationship. Less is known about how the oxygen isotope composition of sponge spicule silica relates to environmental conditions during growth. Here, we investigate the vital effects on silica, silicon and oxygen isotope composition in a carnivorous sponge, Asbestopluma sp., from the Southern Ocean. We find significant variations in silicon and oxygen isotopic composition within the specimen that are related to unusual spicule silicification. The largest variation in both isotope systems was associated with the differential distribution of an unconventional, hypersilicified spicule type (desma) along the sponge body. The absence an internal canal in the desmas suggests an unconventional silicification pattern leading to an unusually heavy isotope signature. Additional internal variability derives from a systematic offset between the peripheral skeleton of the body having systematically a higher isotopic composition than the internal skeleton. A simplified silicon isotope fractionation model, in which desmas were excluded, suggests that the lack of a system for seawater pumping in carnivorous sponges favours a low replenishment of dissolved silicon within the internal tissues, causing kinetic fractionation during silicification that impacts the isotope signature of the internal skeleton. Analysis of multiple spicules should be carried out to "average out" any artefacts in order to produce more robust downcore measurements.


From its emergence in the sixteenth century to the phenomenon of the 'Three Tenors' and beyond, the tenor voice has grown in popularity and esteem. This engaging and authoritative book - the first comprehensive history of tenor singing - presents fascinating details about the world's great performers, styles of singing in different countries, teachers and music schools, the variety of compositions for the tenor voice, and much more.John Potter begins by surveying the prehistory of the tenor in the medieval period, when Gregorian chant and early polyphony had implications for a voice-type, and proceeds to the sixteenth century, when singers were first identified as tenors. He focuses on many of the greatest tenors - those who predated the gramophone as well as those whose recorded voices may still be heard - and considers the ways in which each is historically significant. The names range from legendary early figures like Ludwig Schnoor von Carolsfeld (Wagner's first Tristan) to those more familiar like Enrico Caruso, Richard Tauber, Mario Lanza, Roberto Alagna, Ian Bostridge, Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, and, of course, Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras. Admirers of the tenor voice will especially appreciate the book's unique reference section, with bibliographical and discographical/video information on several hundred tenors.


Kraft pulping of hydrolyzed green bamboo (Dendrocalamopsis oldhami) chips was performed under various conditions to determine the effects of process variables (alkali charge, sulfidity, cooking temperature, and cooking time) on the dissolution of the lignocellulosic components, i.e. lignin, pentosans, and cellulose. Meanwhile, the kinetics of kraft delignification of hydrolyzed bamboo was investigated. The results showed that both an increase of alkali charge and sulfidity could result in a clear reduction in kappa number and yield, but the effect of alkali charge was more significant than that of sulfidity. Even though severe conditions were able to purify fiber, the cellulose degradation occurred intensively. Active alkali charge 23%, sulfidity 26%, cooking temperature 170°C, and cooking time 60 min were selected as the optimum conditions for the consideration of selective delignification. As a consequence, the properties of the pulp produced at optimum cooking conditions were determined to be: kappa number 6.3, pentosans 5.0%, -cellulose 90.2%, and viscosity 30.3 mPa•s. The data analysis confirmed that the reaction order of delignification was approximate to 1.1, and the activity energy of the hydrolyzed bamboo was 53 kJ/mol.


A single stress, acidification with sulfuric acid, was applied to Little Rock Lake in a whole‐ecosystem manipulation. We documented a wide range of responses to the acidification, including increases in the concentrations of various chemicals, shifts in microbial processes and a major increase in water clarity to UV‐B radiation. Each of these changes could in itself be considered as a separate ecosystem stress that is distinct from the intended manipulation. Acidification in Little Rock Lake was accompanied by a number of substantial changes in the occurrence of organisms. A series of detailed investigations indicates that the mechanisms underlying these organismal changes are varied but cannot usually be tied to the direct effects of acidification. Overall, our results demonstrate how multiple stresses can arise from a single agent operating on an ecosystem and suggest that singly operating stresses may actually be quite rare.


Many social scientists rely on the rule of law in their accounts of political or economic development. Many, however, simply equate law with a stable government capable of enforcing the rules generated by a political authority. As two decades of largely failed efforts to build the rule of law in poor and transition countries and continuing struggles to build international legal order demonstrate, we still do not understand how legal order is produced, especially in places where it does not already exist. We here canvas literature in the social sciences to identify the themes and gaps in the existing accounts. We conclude that this literature has failed to produce a microfoundational account of the phenomenon of legal order. We then discuss our recent effort to develop the missing microfoundations of legal order to provide a better framework for future work on the rule of law.


Abstract. The recently observed variability in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), which features a warming of 0.9 K over the past decade (2001–2011), is investigated with a number of sensitivity experiments from simulations with NCAR's CESM-WACCM chemistry–climate model. The experiments have been designed to specifically quantify the contributions from natural as well as anthropogenic factors, such as solar variability (Solar), sea surface temperatures (SSTs), the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), stratospheric aerosols (Aerosol), greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the dependence on the vertical resolution in the model. The results show that, in the TTL from 2001 through 2011, a cooling in tropical SSTs leads to a weakening of tropical upwelling around the tropical tropopause and hence relative downwelling and adiabatic warming of 0.3 K decade-1; stronger QBO westerlies result in a 0.2 K decade-1 warming; increasing aerosols in the lower stratosphere lead to a 0.2 K decade-1 warming; a prolonged solar minimum contributes about 0.2 K decade-1 to a cooling; and increased GHGs have no significant influence. Considering all the factors mentioned above, we compute a net 0.5 K decade-1 warming, which is less than the observed 0.9 K decade-1 warming over the past decade in the TTL. Two simulations with different vertical resolution show that, with higher vertical resolution, an extra 0.8 K decade-1 warming can be simulated through the last decade compared with results from the "standard" low vertical resolution simulation. Model results indicate that the recent warming in the TTL is partly caused by stratospheric aerosols and mainly due to internal variability, i.e. the QBO and tropical SSTs. The vertical resolution can also strongly influence the TTL temperature response in addition to variability in the QBO and SSTs.


Urinary incontinence is a common and debilitating problem. Its prevalence increases with advancing age, and heavy reliance on containment products results in high costs for community services, yet evidence exists that effective treatments can be provided in primary care. This quasi-experimental study compared the knowledge, practice and perceptions of their role by community nurses before (Phase 1) and after (Phase 3) the introduction of evidence-based clinical guidelines for continence care. Local guidelines were developed from nationally published guidelines and introduced into two localities of a community NHS trust (the intervention group) with a supporting educational programme during Phase 2. An audit of patient notes showed statistically significant improvements in assessment details recorded by the intervention group, and in the numbers of patients for whom a treatment plan was identified at Phase 3. Data collected from questionnaires, interviews and focus groups showed that the majority of community nurses in both the intervention and control groups believed that their role should involve the assessment and first-line treatment/management of urinary incontinence. However, limitations in their knowledge of continence care and difficulties in enhancing that knowledge base were identified. Three themes relating to role perceptions emerged from interviews, namely assessment skills, patient capacity and role restrictions. The study raises questions about what may constitute realistic expectations of role development for community nurses. Greater development of multidisciplinary teamworking, including enhancement of the link nurse role to provide co-ordination in continence care, could be a way forward.


Introduction: Nursing leadership style is effective in the successful and timely performance of nursing care. Besides, nurses' procrastination will have high casualties and financial costs. This study aimed to determine the relationship between staff procrastination and nurse managers' leadership styles. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study conducted at social welfare hospitals in 2013. The study population consisted of employees (n = 950) and managers (n = 70) of nursing and midwifery departments. All the managers and 290 employees were randomly selected by stratified method. Data were collected by demographic, organizational procrastination and Bardenz-Metzkas leadership style (LBDQ) questionnaires, of which the validity and reliability had been confirmed. Data were analyzed with correlation coefficient at 0.05 significance level. Results: Most of the managers had average task-oriented and people-oriented leadership styles, but the focus of the executers on task-oriented leadership style was greater. The staff had low procrastination (52.46 ± 12.99). People-oriented style of the managers had weak inverse correlation with procrastination scale (r = -0.176) and inefficiency subscale (r = -0.191) of the nursing staff; also, task-oriented leadership style had a weak inverse correlation with subscale of abomination from task performance (r = -0.110) in staff, but the relationships was not significant. Conclusions: Lack of procrastination in nursing and midwifery staff is a positive phenomenon that affects the performance of the organization. Due to the lack of relationship between leadership style and procrastination, future researches in larger extent is proposed. Received: 19.08.2016 Accepted: 23.09.2016


The main field of my study concerns the role of the Supreme Court in American legal and political system. My research frequently focuses on the case law, especially on some of the most important cases in the Court's history, and on their in#uence on the whole of political, economic, and social relations of the country. I personally believe that American federal judges – among whom the most in#uential are the Justices of the Supreme Court – have gained more power than the Framers of the Constitution agreed to give them. Such situation occurred mostly because of the creation of the power of judicial review by the Supreme Court, which allowed the judiciary to determine the contitutionality of acts created by the other branches of government.


Abstract A Devonian weathering profile was developed near the contact of Riphean dolostone containing disseminated carbonate-fluorapatite and intensively pyritized black shales. Samples from the profile were investigated by XRF, SEM, electron microprobe and ion microprobe. Rock-forming minerals are apatite, diaspore, chlorite and kaolinite, while accessory minerals are svanbergite, anatase, pyrite and zircon. Primary marine carbonate-fluorapatite is represented by extremely weathered crystals concentrated near the footwall. Dissolution of apatite and pyrite provided an acidic environment that is expressed in the formation of S-rich apatite and svanbergite. The environment allowed Ti migration which formed anatase in weathered apatite grains. Coupled substitution Na+ + S6+ = Ca2+ + P5+ is suggested in S-rich apatite. A large volume of dissolved carbonate rocks was a source of Sr necessary for svanbergite formation. Apatite of the third generation formed at the final stage of weathering is represented by small (10-30 μm) very well shaped crystals.


The opportunity to become the beta test site for KeyNOTIS[TM], the turnkey library automation system offered by NOTIS Systems, Inc., was presented to Pfau Library, California State University, San Bernardino, in 1989. There are advantages and disadvantages, as well as risks, for both the vendor and the test site in such an arrangement. The beta test was successful and the product accepted by the library after overcoming many obstacles along the way. The automation of a library is a very complex task best achieved through careful planning and decision making, involving extensive discussions with vendors, securing generous funding, performing complex file and site preparation, and coordinating by an experienced library automation specialist. In the real world, however, we do not always have the time, money or staff to do a thorough job of preparation and planning. For Pfau Library, the opportunity to be a beta test site both enabled us and forced us to automate without all of the above recommendations being fully met. WHAT IS A BETA TEST? Beta testing is the trial use of developmental software or hardware, in the environment for which it was designed, before it is released commercially. Usually beta testing is performed on fully developed, market-ready products after most of the debugging has been done during alpha testing by the development company. (1,2) This article, based on the experience of Pfau Library at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) in beta testing the KeyNOTIS integrated library software, will examine some of the advantages and pitfalls of beta testing and suggest some things to consider before entering into a beta test agreement. It will also make suggestions relevant to the undertaking of any major automation project, whether or not as a test site. A potential test site must determine that it needs an automated system that can perform certain well-defined functions, and that the product being considered is intended to perform these functions. The site must be seriously interested in the product being considered. The vendor needs to determine that the potential test site has the staffing, facilities, and funding necessary to carry out the beta test and to become a satisfied customer. The vendor should also determine that the product will meet the needs of the potential test site. There are advantages for both the vendor and the test site in participating in a beta test project. The vendor has an opportunity to find and correct software errors and to get customer feedback on what works well and what needs improvement. Planning for enhancements for the next release of the software is likely to begin during the beta testing phase. The vendor gets feedback on the documentation and training that accompanies the software being tested. Depending on the beta test agreement, the vendor may also receive some prerelease advertising and a demonstration site along with the beta test. Advantages for the test site include access to new software or technology and the opportunity to be in the forefront of a rapidly changing field. Access to the new software and the beta test experience itself can hold significant learning experiences for staff members at the test site. Additional advantages may include free or discounted hardware or software, and extra support from the vendor during implementation and testing. Although the software will be in its final stage of development, the test site may have some influence on its future development. There are also disadvantages for the test site that must be taken into consideration. The beta testing process itself takes more time and effort than would be needed during the installation of an established product. There will be some time spent identifying and resolving software errors. Much of this will be done by test site staff working with the vendor over the phone. The beta test site may be under pressure from the vendor to meet short deadlines that would not have been imposed in a nontest situation. …


Conventional in-work benefits or tax credits are now well established as a policy instrument for increasing labour supply and tackling poverty. A different sort of in-work credit is one where the payments are time-limited, conditional on previous receipt of welfare, and, perhaps, not means-tested. Such a design is cheaper, and perhaps better targeted, but potentially less effective. Using administrative data, this paper evaluates one such policy for lone parents in the UK which was piloted in around one third of the country. It finds that the policy did increase flows off welfare and into work, and that these positive effects did not diminish after recipients reached the 12 month time-limit for receiving the supplement. Most of the impact arose by speeding up welfare off-flows: the job retention of programme recipients was good, but this cannot be attributed to the programme itself.


The Pyrites Complex in the Adirondack Lowlands domain of the Grenville Province forms the core of a large NE-trending, elongate, winged structure ∼15 km long dominated by highly deformed metagabbro, amphibolite, and hornblende schist. A previously unrecognized km-scale boudin of metamorphosed ultramafic rocks associated with the belt is described. It is largely replaced by secondary hydrous minerals, but retains relict igneous textures and some primary minerals such as augite and chromite, and is cut by several 1–2-m-wide lamprophyre dikes. The ultramafic rocks are interpreted as part of an obducted ophiolite complex on the basis of its structural contact with a belt of rocks including marine metasedimentary rocks, pyritic gneisses, metagabbros, and amphibolites with mid-ocean ridge basalt chemistry and were emplaced within a collapsing backarc basin of Shawinigan age. Small (50–200 μ) zircon crystals separated from peridotite and pyroxenite yield minimum ages (1140 ± 7 and 1197 ± 5 Ma) and constrain the timing of metamorphic and thermal events associated with the Shawinigan orogenesis and anorthosite-mangerite-charnockite-granite (AMCG) plutonism. Neodymium T DM ages from the Pyrites Complex range from 1440 to 2650 Ma, are not compatible with derivation from a typical depleted mantle reservoir, and suggest, along with incompatible element concentrations, that these rocks record mantle enrichment, presumably during subduction beneath the leading edge of Laurentia. Rifting and development of oceanic crust between the southern Adirondack Highlands and Lowlands, coincident with a similar backarc rifting in the Central Metasedimentary Belt at ca. 1300 Ma, are proposed. Three mafic suites in the Adirondack Lowlands are distinguished by their field relations, age, geochemistry, and Nd isotopic systematics and reflect the various stages of evolution of the Trans-Adirondack backarc basin. Within the Lowlands interleaved evaporites, metasedimentary and possible metavolcanic rocks, calc-alkaline and transitional plutonic rocks, and ophiolitic rocks of the Pyrites Complex provide constraints on the tectonic processes and sedimentary response to development of a backarc basin, magmatic arc, foredeep sedimentation, and ophiolite obduction during Shawinigan convergence from ca. 1200–1160 Ma, which culminated in slab breakoff and plate delamination resulting in intrusion of the AMCG suite throughout the Frontenac-Adirondack terrane and beyond.


This article seeks to re-evaluate Sir George Russell's Clerk's role in die abandonment of the Orange River Sovereignty in 1854. It draws on hitherto unused private papers which reveal, inter alia, that a serious leg injury offsets criticism of his attitude and work. The article also places Clerk in the wider context of his experience as an administrator in British India, especially among the Sikhs of the Punjab and the Cis-Sutlej States. This raises the distinct possibility that he was handpicked as Special Commissioner because he had held strong views which were suited to the South African situation. With a firm belief in the integrity and preservation of Indian societies, he was cynically critical of the prevailing attitudes, principles and practices of British administration. He denounced gratuitous extension of Empire, extolling the virtues of non-annexation, restoration of deposed rulers and non-intervention in the affairs of Indian states. These high principles came into play in South Africa (and were publicly recognized in later life). There are distinct similarities between his perception of Sikh and Boer societies, to the point of attributing ""nationalism"" to both. Even the final legal and constitutional settlement of 1854 reflects die pervasiveness of indirect rule with which Clerk was entirely familiar because of his service in India.


The need for a reliable and accurate method for assessing the surface area of burn wounds currently exists in the branch of medicine involved with burn care and treatment. The percentage of the surface area is of critical importance in evaluating fluid replacement amounts and nutritional support during the 24 hours of postburn therapy. A noninvasive technique has been developed which facilitates the measurement of burn area. The method we shall describe is an inexpensive technique to measure the burn areas accurately. Our imaging system is based on a technique known as structured light. Most structured light computer imaging systems, including ours, use triangulation to determine the location of points in three dimensions as the intersection of two lines: a ray of light originating from the structured light projector and the line of sight determined by the location of the image point in the camera plane. The geometry used to determine 3D location by triangulation is identical to the geometry of other stereo-based vision system, including the human vision system. Our system projects a square grid pattern from 35mm slide onto the patient. The grid on the slide is composed of uniformly spaced orthogonal stripes which may be indexed by row and column. Each slide also has square markers placed in between the lines of the grid in both the horizontal and vertical directions in the center of the slide. Our system locates intersections of the projected grid stripes in the camera image and determines the 3D location of the corresponding points on the body by triangulation. Four steps are necessary in order to reconstruct 3D locations of points on the surface of the skin: camera and projector calibration; image processing to locate the grid intersections in the camera image; grid labeling to establish the correspondence between projected and imaged intersections; and triangulation to determine three-dimensional position. Three steps are required to segment burned portion in image: edge detection to get the strongest edges of the region; edge following to form a closed boundary; and region filling to identify the burn region. After combining the reconstructed 3D locations and segmented image, numerical analysis and geometric modeling techniques are used to calculate the burn area. We use cubic spline interpolation, bicubic surface patches and Gaussian quadrature double integration to calculate the burn wound area. The accuracy of this technique is demonstrated The benefits and advantages of this technique are, first, that we don't have to make any assumptions about the shape of the human body and second, there is no need for either the Rule-of-Nines, or the weight and height of the patient. This technique can be used for human body shape, regardless of weight proportion, size, sex or skin pigmentation. The low cost, intuitive method, and demonstrated efficiency of this computer imaging technique makes it a desirable alternative to current methods and provides the burn care specialist with a sterile, safe, and effective diagnostic tool in assessing and investigating burn areas. A Non-Invasive Technique for Burn. Area Measurement


The growing demand for the solid-state meters for power and energy measurement leads to the fully integrated Hall-sensor-based microsystem solutions. In this paper, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) Hall-sensor-based microsystem for energy measurements with dynamic offset cancellation was described. The Hall sensor is used to multiply the line voltage and the line current, giving an output voltage proportional to the instantaneous power. Furthermore, the voltage at the Hall output is proportional to the line active power and can be further processed. By converting the sensor output voltage to a digital signal using a delta-sigma (DeltaSigma) modulator followed by a digital filtering, the energy consumption is observed at the end of the processing chain. The entire microsystem has been integrated in an experimental 0.5-mum fully depleted SOI process and has a measured output error of less than plusmn1.5%


To achieve WHO hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination targets by 2030, mathematical models suggest there needs to be significant scale‐up of treatment among people who inject drugs (PWID). We tested whether people who actively inject drugs can be recruited and treated successfully through a community needle and syringe programme (NSP), and assessed rates of re‐infection. 105 HCV RNA positive participants were enrolled prospectively. Participants were recruited from the largest NSP in Dundee over 42 months. 94/105 individuals commenced treatment. Genotype 1 (G1) individuals (n = 37) were treated with peg‐interferon+ribavirin+Simepravir/Telaprevir. Genotype 2/3 (G2/3) (n = 57) received peg‐interferon+ribavirin. Weekly study visits took place within the NSP. Mean age of participants was 34.0 years (SD 6.9), 71.3% (61/94) were male. One in five (20/94) participants were homeless. 68.1% (64/94) were on OST (opiate substitution therapy) at enrolment; participants injected median 6.5 times/wk. In terms of clinical outcomes, >80% treatment adherence was 71.3% (67/94). There was no difference in SVR‐12 rates by genotype: 81.0% (30/37) for G1 and 82.5% (47/55) for G2/3. At 18 months post‐treatment, 15/77 participants were reinfected, followed up over 69.8 person‐years, yielding a re‐infection rate of 21.5/100 person‐years (95% CI 13.00‐35.65). This trial demonstrates that HCV treatment can be delivered successfully to the target population of treatment as prevention strategies. We report higher rates of re‐infection than existing estimates among PWID. Scale‐up of HCV treatment should be pursued alongside a comprehensive programme of harm reduction interventions to help minimize re‐infection and reduce HCV transmission.


Krisoker Digital Thikana (Farmer's Digital Platform) is an on-line and off-line based application to provide different agriculture-related services to farmers. There are many pictures and videos of different plant diseases along with symptoms, prevention and treatment available in Krisoker Digital Thikana. The study is conducted through the use of a quantitative method to evaluate the newly introduced application in the agricultural sector from the TCV (Time, Cost and Visit) perspective comparing it to the manual agriculturerelated services provided to farmers. In comparison to the previous procedure, the average time has been reduced by 68% by using the Krisoker Digital Thikana electronic application for agriculture-related services. Similarly, the average cost has been reduced by 96% by getting services through the Krisoker Digital Thikana. Since time and cost have been reduced through the use of the new procedure, visits have also been reduced by 27%. It is also observed that 30% of the service recipients have been very satisfied with using the new procedure while 66% are not satisfied. Besides, 4% of the respondents have been moderately satisfied with using the Krisoker Digital Thikana. Nevertheless, farmers are now availed to get modern agriculture-related services from Krisoker Digital Thikana though there are still some challenges, as a considerable number of farmers is still not aware of the application. Hence, an awareness raising campaign should be launched to inform farmers about this revolutionary and innovative service.


The goal of this study is to assess the role of membership and valence effects on errors performed in a racial implicit association test indexed by event-related potentials (ERPs). Non-indigenous participants performed an implicit association test (IAT) paradigm emphasizing the feedback of error due to misclassification of ingroup (non-indigenous) and outgroup (indigenous) faces as well as positive and negative words. As expected, participants responded to the com- patible task with higher accuracy than to incompatible tasks. This is the first report demonstrating that IAT errors produce electrophysiological ERP modulation. Our results suggest that medial frontal negativity is modulated not only by IAT er- ror of membership and valence classifications but also by IAT compatible and incompatible tasks. These results provide a basis for the future use of the misclassification error in the IAT recorded simultaneously with ERPs in other classic social psychology contexts.


The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between Iranian male and female EFL learners' brain dominance and their writing performance on two different writing tasks including an argumentative and a descriptive writing task. For this purpose, 60 EFL Students from Shokoh institute in Tehran in intermediate level were selected from available classes in intermediate level.  They were mixed in terms of their gender, 30 men and 30 women, between the ages of 15 to 23 years. Among the participants, there were 48 left-brained and 12 right-brained. Instruments of the study included Oxford Placement Test (OPT) (OUP, 2001) containing 40 questions as a homogeneity test, Brain Dominance Survey (BDS) (Davis, Nur & Ruru, 1994) to discover the hemispheric preferences, and two writing tasks to assess the writing performance. The results show that female language learners are more successful in argumentative writing tasks which demand higher levels of cognition.


Quality-of-service (QoS) is a key problem of today's IP networks. Many frameworks (IntServ, DiffServ, MPLS etc.) have been proposed to provide service differentiation in the Internet. At the same time, the Internet is becoming more and more heterogeneous due to the recent explosion of wireless networks. In wireless environments, bandwidth is scarce and channel conditions are time-varying and sometimes highly lossy. Many previous research works show that what works well in a wired network cannot be directly applied in the wireless environment. Although IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) is the most widely used IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) standard today, it cannot provide QoS support for the increasing number of multimedia applications. Thus, a large number of 802.11 QoS enhancement schemes have been proposed, each one focusing on a particular mode. This paper summarizes all these schemes and presents a survey of current research activities. First, we analyze the QoS limitations of IEEE 802.11 wireless MAC layers. Then, different QoS enhancement techniques proposed for 802.11 WLAN are described and classified along with their advantages/drawbacks. Finally, the upcoming IEEE 802.11e QoS enhancement standard is introduced and studied in detail. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.