Experimental and theoretical investigations of N2 coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) thermometry in laboratory ethylene–air diffusion flames have revealed significant nonresonant susceptibility effects in fuel-rich regions of the flames. The effects appear to be due to the size of the nonresonant susceptibility for typical hydrocarbon fuels and can give rise to significant temperature errors if not accounted for. An efficient theoretical algorithm for reducing spectra affected by nonresonant interference is presented and shown to give excellent agreement with experiment. It is shown that uncertainty about mixture composition or the values of nonresonant susceptibilities of individual constituents need not have a significant effect on CARS temperature measurement.


Title of dissertation: VISUAL COMPUTING TOOLS FOR STUDYING MICRO-SCALE DIFFUSION Sujal Bista, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Dissertation directed by: Professor Amitabh Varshney Department of Computer Science In this dissertation, we present novel visual computing tools and techniques to facilitate the exploration, simulation, and visualization of micro-scale diffusion. Our research builds upon the latest advances in visualization, high-performance computing, medical imaging, and human perception. We validate our research using the driving applications of nano-assembly and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). In both of these applications, diffusion plays a central role. In the former it mediates the process of transporting micronsized particles through moving lasers, and in the latter it conveys brain micro-geometry. Nanocomponent-based devices, such as bio-sensors, electronic components, photonic devices, solar cells, and batteries, are expected to revolutionize health care, energy, communications, and the computing industry. However, in order to build such useful devices, nanoscale components need to be properly assembled together. We have developed a hybrid CPU/GPU-based computing tool to understand complex interactions between lasers, optical beads, and the suspension medium. We demonstrate how a highperformance visual computing tool can be used to accelerate an optical tweezers simulation to compute the force applied by a laser onto micro particles and study shadowing (refraction) behavior. This represents the first steps toward building a real-time nanoassembly planning system. A challenge in building such a system, however, is that optical tweezers systems typically lack stereo depth cues. We have developed a visual tool to provide an enhanced perception of a scene's 3D structure using the kinetic depth effect. The design of our tool has been informed by user studies of stereo perception using the kinetic-depth effect on monocular displays. Diffusion kurtosis imaging is gaining rapid adoption in the medical imaging community due to its ability to measure the non-Gaussian property of water diffusion in biological tissues. Compared with the traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), DKI can provide additional details about the underlying microstructural characteristics of neural tissues. It has shown promising results in studies on changes in gray matter and mild traumatic brain injuries, where DTI is often found to be inadequate. However, the highly detailed spatio-angular fields in DKI datasets present a special challenge for visualization. Traditional techniques that use glyphs are often inadequate for expressing subtle changes in the DKI fields. In this dissertation, we outline a systematic way to manage, analyze, and visualize spatio-angular fields using spherical harmonics lighting functions to facilitate insights into the micro-structural properties of the brain. VISUAL COMPUTING TOOLS FOR STUDYING MICRO-SCALE DIFFUSION


The successful treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with adenosine 5` triphosphate (ATP) was initially reported by Somlo1 in 1955. Sharma et al2 noted the value of intravenous ATP in the diagnosis and management of wide QRS complex tachycardia. ATP in incremental doses has been used for the non-invasive diagnosis of concealed accessory pathways3.

 Non-invasive diagnosis of dual AV node physiology (DAVNP) in patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia by administration of ATP or adenosine has been reported by different authors4,5. Though many of the studies were using incremental dosage, single dose tests with ATP6 and adenosine7 have also been useful in the diagnosis of DAVNP. The test is useful in sinus rhythm to establish the presence of DAVNP. DAVNP is considered to be present when at least one of the following events occur following ATP injection: 1) PR interval increases or decreases by >50 ms in 2 consecutive sinus beats; 2) an AV nodal echo beat is observed; 3) AVNRT develops. In this issue of the Journal, Belhassen et al8 report that DAVNP is present in a relatively high proportion (36.5%) of patients following termination of AVNRT with ATP but is much less frequent (5.5%) in control patients. In addition, they show that the occurrence of DAVNP following the administration of ATP in sinus rhythm is a good predictor of its occurrence after termination of AVNRT with ATP. Thus, findings at termination of tachycardia by ATP may be useful in the noninvasive diagnosis of the mechanism of a paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.


This is part 3 of a three-part glossary on the social epidemiology of work organisation. The first two parts deal with the social psychology of work and with organisations.1,2 This concluding part presents concepts related to labour markets. These concepts are drawn from economics, business and sociology. They relate both to traditional interests in these disciplines and to contemporary ideas on post-industrialisation and globalisation,3 particularly the growth of employment in service industries, the development of a 24-h economy, increased participation of the female labour force and the perceived needs of employers in emerging high-tech economies.4,5 These changes are of particular interest because they are linked to increasing inequality in earnings and changes in social relationships in employment.6 These concepts have the potential to elucidate the pathways through which health is affected by conditions of work as an underlying cause.7,8

Contingent employment refers to work with unpredictable hours or of limited duration.9,10 Work may be unpredictable because jobs are structured to be of short term or temporary, or because the hours vary in unpredictable ways. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics has adopted the first part of this definition, short-term or temporary work contracts, as its definition of contingent employment, and has considered the second part, unpredictably variable hours, as an alternative employment arrangement, a strategy for increasing the flexibility of work assignments.11 Workers are in contingent employment when they are working on limited-duration contracts, working through temporary work agencies or on call. One form of particular interest is the development of firms specialising in the placement of temporary workers. This industry has grown dramatically in recent years and was a substantial proportion of job growth in the US in the 1990s.12 Some self-employed workers may be considered to …


PURPOSE: The study aims to unveil if Team Entrepreneurial Orientation (TEO) facilitates identification of creative market opportunities understood as novelty and quality business ideas. Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) has rarely been measured at a team level and few studies have attempted to examine the relationship between EO and actual creative outcomes. The proposed research model searches for new patterns that can foster creativity of entrepreneurial teams. In addition, the research adds the moderating effect of perceived team heterogeneity and individual creative mindset (Growth-Creative and Fixed-Creative Mindsets) as contingency variables to improve the understanding under which circumstances the entrepreneurial teams generate creative business ideas. METHODOLOGY: The research sample comprises entrepreneurial teams from the Mondragon Team Academy in the Basque Country, Spain. The survey data were collected after the entrepreneurial teams performed idea generation. The applied experiment of idea generation of entrepreneurial teams has not been generated for the purpose of the study but it formed part of the natural processes of the selected sample of teams. The novelty and quality of business ideas were evaluated by experts in the field. The data relationships were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). FINDINGS: Entrepreneurial Orientation of teams leads to product-market entries but not necessarily to novel product-market entries. Entrepreneurially oriented teams have a greater tendency to generate quality and slightly modified existing business ideas rather than to generate novel market opportunities. The applied moderators present different interaction results with the studied relationships. Specifically, individuals with a Fixed-Creative Mindset in a team have an antagonistic interaction on the TEO-Quality relationship. Team-Perceived Heterogeneity and Growth-Creative Mindset of individuals have no effect on either the TEO-Quality or the TEO-Novelty link. IMPLICATIONS: The research demonstrates the importance of contextualization of the nature of creativity in EO as a crucial antecedent of market innovations. Our study adds to the literature and practice by providing evidence that EO at a team level (TEO) plays a critical role in exploring product-market entries, given that TEO facilitates Quality outcomes only. Entrepreneurially oriented teams do not easily achieve Novel outcomes that allow them to enter new markets. Individuals with Fixed Creative Mindset in a team should be avoided as they block the relationship between Team Entrepreneurial Orientation and Quality. Likewise, our study supports the validity of Entrepreneurial Orientation at a team level, which can lead to more suitable practical implications for a team and its creativity management if applied. It could help in developing appropriate team formation and team management practices. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study proposes rare and unique EO analysis at a team level and at young companies' level (start-up). The study contributes to the original and overlooked in the literature conceptualization of EO within Schumpeter's perspective of "creative destruction" in entrepreneurial activities. The examined theoretical foundations of EO led to clearer antecedents of behavioural effects of entrepreneurial teams towards product-market entries. The study initiates, identifies and calls for new further research lines to contribute to a greater and contingent understanding of how entrepreneurial teams generate creative business ideas, especially, novel business ideas, which are necessary for "creative destruction", the EO construct itself and overall economic development.


OBJECTIVE
To develop and evaluate surgical approaches to the arteries and veins of the fore- and hindlimbs for use as potential recipient vessels for free tissue transfer.

STUDY DESIGN
Experimental anatomic study.

SAMPLE POPULATION
Canine cadavers (11): 2 preserved and 9 fresh cadavers.

METHODS
Fore- and hindlimbs from 1 preserved cadaver injected with a pigmented silicone/barium mixture, through the common carotid artery and external jugular vein, were cut in 1 cm cross-sections. Tissue sections were used to identify the location of vessels >1 mm that could be used as recipient vessels for free tissue transfer. The other preserved cadaver was used to develop surgical approaches to these vessels. Three surgeons evaluated the written descriptions and illustrations for these approaches using fresh cadavers. Modifications to the surgical approaches were made based on recommendations from these surgeons.

RESULTS
Six approaches were developed to isolate forelimb recipient vessels: palmar access, distal medial antebrachial, mid-antebrachial, proximal antebrachial, distal humeral, and mid-humeral vascular access. Twelve approaches were developed to isolate recipient vessels of the hindlimb: plantar access, dorsal tarsal, cranial distal tibial, craniomedial distal tibial, lateral distal tibial, medial distal tibial, medial femorotibial, lateral distal femoral, medial femoral, proximal medial femoral, groin, and proximal lateral femoral vascular access.

CONCLUSIONS
Six forelimb and 12 hindlimb sites were identified for surgical access to recipient vessels (>1 mm diameter) suitable for use in free tissue transfer for wound reconstruction.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
For reconstruction of complex wounds of the extremities of dogs, surgeons should consider use of readily accessible recipient vessels that would allow for free tissue transfer to the fore- and hindlimbs.


ABSTRACT Polycultures from broadleaves with tuberoses are being used in vegetable crop production systems in the semiarid region of Potiguar. The challenge is to determine whether these systems are productively viable when fertilized with organic matter produced by spontaneous species of the Caatinga biome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agro-economic performance of arugula (A), carrot (C), and coriander (Co) polycultures fertilized with hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil under different population densities among the component crops. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications, with the treatments arranged in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme, from the combination of four amounts of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil (7.5, 15.0, 22.5, and 30.0 t ha-1 on a dry matter basis), with four population densities (20A-50C-20Co%, 30A-50C-30Co%, 40A-50C-40Co%, and 50A-50C-50Co% of the recommended population in the single crop). The efficiency of polycultures was evaluated through indexes and agro-economic indicators. The most productive agro-economic performance was obtained with a biomass of 18.21 t ha-1 of hairy woodrose incorporated in the soil and a population density of 50A-50C-50Co%.


Unlike most of the world's federations – including Australia, Canada, Germany, India, South Africa and numerous others – the United States has no system of federal equalization grants in place to reduce fiscal disparities among its subnational governments. Only at the state level, through policies designed to mitigate property tax disparities among school districts, has equalization been tried in the United States. The federal government has never adopted, nor has it ever seriously considered, an equalization policy for the states. This article represents the first comprehensive scholarly treatment of a possible U.S. fiscal equalization regime. It reviews the most recent data relating to fiscal disparities among the U.S. states and reports the results of simulations showing the overall cost and distributive effects of adopting a Canadian-style equalization regime in the United States. Two alternative policies are examined, one based on the "representative tax system" methodology employed in Canada and a second, known as the "representative revenue system," that employs a slightly broader measure of state fiscal capacity. Depending on the methodology employed, the cost of a U.S. equalization policy (based on 2005 data) would be in the range of $70-$110 billion per year, or roughly 1 to 1.5 times the annual cost of the current income tax deduction for state and local taxes. Under both methodologies, as well as alternative formulas adjusting for regional cost-of-living differences, the principal beneficiaries would be the so-called "red states" of the South. On a per capita basis, the main winners of a U.S. equalization policy would be Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Virginia. In terms of absolute payments, the largest beneficiary is by far Texas, accounting for approximately 15 percent of total equalization payments. The article considers arguments for and against adoption of an equalization policy and offers some preliminary comments on the politics of fiscal equalization in the U.S. context.


The present study is an attempt to investigate lexical explicitation in English translations of modern Persian literary works in different genres, namely prose, poetry, and drama. To this end, 8 novels and short stories, 6 dramas, and 13 Persian poems were randomly selected along with their English translations and were then analyzed based on the model of lexical explicitation in literary translation proposed by Vahedi Kia (2011). The results show that different lexical explicitations are typical of all literary genres except for extension of proper nouns and filling of elliptical structures, which did not show typicality in poetry. The results also indicated that narrowing is the most frequent of these explicitations in fiction and poetry, and addition of conjunctions the most common in drama translation. Interestingly, the findings suggest that at least in drama, the outwardly rather conscious tendency to undergo such a shift accounts for compensating for characterization and/or performability in translation, i.e. some of the characteristic features inherent in the genre in question.


Before replanting a citrus grove in Arizona, different preplant cultural activities may be performed, such as immediate replanting of the new citrus grove, allowing soil to lay fallow for various lengths of time, or planting the site to alfalfa for one or more years before the new citrus grove is established. A study was conducted to compare the effect of these different cultural preplant practices on the survival of Phytophthora in citrus grove soils. In June, 1998, and July, 1999, a total of 18 soil samples were collected within mature lemon groves. Each initial bulk sample was pretested, found to contain Phytophthora parasitica, then thoroughly mixed and partitioned into 1-liter plastic containers, which were subjected to different environmental and cultural conditions. The soil in each 1-liter container was tested for the presence of P. parasitica 1 and 3.5 to 4 months later. All soil samples then were placed in the greenhouse and a 6-month-old Citrus volkameriana seedling was planted in soil samples not containing plants. Three 1-liter sub-samples from each of ten 7-liter volumes of soil incubated outside for three months were also planted to citrus in the greenhouse. The soil containing plants in the greenhouse was watered as needed for 3 months, then again tested for the presence of Phytophthora. Irrigating soil infested with Phytophthora parasitica, whether it was planted to a host (citrus) of the pathogen, planted to a non-host (alfalfa) of the pathogen, or not planted at all, did not lower the pathogen to nondetectable levels. Phytophthora became and remained nondetectable only in the soil samples that were not irrigated and subjected to mean temperatures of 35 to 37°C (94 to 98°F). On the other hand, the pathogen was detectable in some soil samples subjected to dryness at lower mean temperatures of 26 to 30°C (79 to 86°F ) after a citrus seedling subsequently was grown in the soil for 3 months. A dry summer fallow period following removal of a citrus grove (including as much root material as possible) was the only cultural practice among those tested that reduced the level of Phytophthora to nondetectable levels in all soil samples tested.


This article focuses on the ways in which the European aesthetic realm becomes a battleground of intercultural and intercivilizational conflicts as well as a domain of borrowings and mixings between "native" and "Islamic" values, thereby creating a transnational public sphere. Through a two-way interpretation of a controversial statue depicting a naked woman with headscarf, entitled Turkish Delight and exhibited in a public garden in front of the Kunsthalle Museum in Vienna in 2007 before it was wrenched from its pedestal and left lying on the ground, the author examines how the artistic scene as an interactive space between art and politics, between cultures and publics, participates in the elaboration of a bond between Muslims and Europeans, a bond not without elements of confrontation and violence. It is argued that while the statue violates the intimacy and piety of a Muslim woman by exposing her nakedness to the public gaze, it also seeks ways to relate to the familiar other, Turkish migrants in Europe, albeit in a provocative manner. The purpose of this analysis is to demonstrate how the public space is not fixed once and for all but is always being recreated anew and inhabited through performativity, conflict and confrontation.


All 16 elements of the Mueller matrix of an optical system (sample) can be encoded onto, hence can be retrieved from, a single detected signal using a class of photopolarimeters with modulated polarizing and analyzing optics. The general theory of operation of such polarimeters is presented. We also propose a specific new photopolarimeter whose polarizing and analyzing optics are modulated by synchronously rotating two quarter-wave retarders at angular speeds ω and 5ω. When the light flux leaving such polarimeter is linearly detected, a periodic signal
J=a0+∑n=112(an cos nωft+bn sin nωft) is generated, with fundamental frequency ωf = 2ω. From the Fourier amplitudes a0, an, bn, to be measured by performing a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the signal ℐ, the 16 elements of the Mueller matrix are simply determined.


Based on work the author has carried out with survivor groups in Northern Ireland and South Africa, Recording Memories from Political Violence combines written and audiovisual texts to describe and analyze the use of documentary film-making in recording experiences of political conflict. A variety of issues relevant to the genre are addressed at length, including the importance of ethics in the collaboration between the film-maker and the participant and the effect of location on the accounts of participants. McLaughlin draws on the diverse fields of film and cultural studies, as well as nearly twenty years of production experience, in this informed and instructive contribution to documentary film-making and post-conflict studies.


With the concept of "build back better", the United Nations emphasizes the importance of the recovery phase following a natural hazard as an opportunity to implement vulnerability reduction measures. This work here focuses on the ongoing recovery of the French part of island of St. Martin following hurricanes Irma in September 2017. The recovery of this semi-autonomous territory is a major challenge for the local authorities and for the French State. The current state of post-disaster recovery shows the difficulties of reconciling the two imperatives of "rebuild faster" and "rebuild better", in a context of social, political and media pressure. Therefore, what conditions would be necessary to take advantage of this key moment and make the small island more resilient to a new event? What do we learn from this experience for the management of the recovery?


As described in this paper, we propose a supervisory system that considers actual situations and social aspects of users in a ubiquitous computing environment. To realize gentle and safe supervision while providing efficient supervisory services, the system must recognize the situations of a watched person, such as the person's physical condition. To achieve this, we have proposed a ubiquitous supervisory system "uEyes", which introduces Social Context Awareness: a distinguishing feature for supervision. Using this feature, the system can combine environmental information acquired from sensors in the real world and common-sense knowledge related to human activities in daily life. As described in this paper, we specifically examine design of Social Context Awareness using ontology technologies. Based on this advanced feature, a live video streaming system is configured autonomously depending on the users' circumstances in runtime. We implemented a uEyes prototype for supervising elderly people and performed some experiments based on several scenarios. Based on those experimental results, we confirmed that the social contexts are handled effectively to support the supervision.


BACKGROUND
The course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection does not appear to be determined by variations in viral virulence and may be influenced by the host immune response. We studied the distribution of human leukocyte antigens in children and adult men in the Gambia who spontaneously recovered from HBV infection as compared with the distribution of these antigens in subjects with persistent infection.

METHODS
In a two-stage, case-control study, we analyzed the frequency of MHC class I antigens and class II haplotypes in people with either transient or persistent HBV infection. MHC class I typing was performed by microlymphocytotoxicity assays. MHC class II typing was performed with analysis of restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLPs), supplemented by other techniques.

RESULTS
In the first stage (the study of children up to the age of 10 years), the RFLP pattern 25-1, which includes the class II allele HLA-DRB1*1302, was found in 58 of 218 subjects with transient HBV infection (26.6 percent) and 30 of 185 subjects with persistent infection (16.2 percent) (relative risk of carrying the 25-1 pattern in the persistently infected group as compared with the transiently infected group, 0.53; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.32 to 0.90; P = 0.012). In the second stage (the study of adults), HLA-DRB1*1302 was found in 50 of 195 subjects with transient HBV infection (25.6 percent) and in 3 of 40 subjects with persistent infection (7.5 percent) (relative risk, 0.24; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.80; P = 0.012). The RFLP pattern 13-2, which includes the class II allele DRB1*1301, was less frequent in children with persistent infection than in those with transient infection, an association that was neither confirmed nor excluded by the data on adults. Possible associations with HLA class I antigens found in children were not supported by the data on adults.

CONCLUSIONS
The MHC class II allele DRB1*1302 was associated with protection against persistent HBV infection among both children and adults in the Gambia.


This paper extends the life-cycle model by allowing for a small risk of a personal disaster with permanent effects on labour income. We calibrate the model to long-term unemployment (LTU) in the US, where it is only partially insured and is known to entail scarring effects. Despite its low probability, such risk boosts early investment in the risk-free asset. Consequently, the optimal equity portfolio share is relatively flat over the life cycle, consistent with observed investment profiles. A negligible probability of LTU or full insurance against it result in both higher optimal risk taking and equity profiles that are downward sloping in age.


Broadband has the potential to radically transform the educational landscape. Coupled with access to the Internet, it has the potential to decrease the time it takes to learn a subject, increase grade point averages, increase course completion rates and, particularly important for Australia, provide rural and regional Australia with access to the same teaching resources as metropolitan areas, particularly important given the chronic shortage of teaching resources experienced. However educational institutions, particularly universities, are highly complex organisations with geographically dispersed campuses, culturally diverse stakeholders, multiple interfaces to the external world, and a multiplicity of different discipline-specific users. At the same time universities have a commitment to deliver a meaningful learning experience to their students. How can a university such as the University of Wollongong, which has a very strong commitment to student engagement and experience, still deliver on this promise while delivering courses over a broadband network? This presentation considers what overseas experience can teach us and then focuses on four case studies developed at the University of Wollongong. In four completely different disciplinary areas, broadband is anticipated to radically transform the program content and delivery mechanisms of courses, ultimately impacting not just the educational experience, but the culture of the community, the quality of healthcare, and the economic development of the Illawarra region and beyond.


Abstract. Various studies have been carried out since 2005 under the leadership of Ministry of Environment and Urbanism of Turkey, in order to observe the quality of air in Turkey, to develop new policies and to develop a sustainable air quality management strategy. For this reason, a national air quality monitoring network has been developed providing air quality indices. By this network, the quality of the air has been continuously monitored and an important information system has been constructed in order to take precautions for preventing a dangerous situation. The biggest handicap in the network is the data access problem for instant and time series data acquisition and processing because of its proprietary structure. Currently, there is no service offered by the current air quality monitoring system for exchanging information with third party applications. Within the context of this work, a web service has been developed to enable location based querying of the current/past air quality data in Turkey. This web service is equipped with up-todate and widely preferred technologies. In other words, an architecture is chosen in which applications can easily integrate. In the second phase of the study, a web-based application was developed to test the developed web service and this testing application can perform location based acquisition of air-quality data. This makes it possible to easily carry out operations such as screening and examination of the area in the given time-frame which cannot be done with the national monitoring network.


An optical sheet with a cone array is designed, simulated, and fabricated in order to substitute the dual crossed prism sheets in the edge-type LCD backlight. The optimum structure of cone textures that is compatible with the dual crossed prism sheets was obtained by simulating the backlight installed with the cone array optical sheet. A SU-8 photoresist films of thickness 30~50 μm were spin-coated on a polyethylene terephtalate film (PET), and the cone texture array was formed by using the diffuse lithography that employed a photomask with circular patterns and an optical diffuser.


Thin polymer films are used in many applications such as paint, paper coatings and electronic devices. For these applications, it is important to have knowledge about the film formation process, since it affect the film morphology and the morphology is important for the applications.One method for studying film formation in situ is fluorescence microscopy. By labeling a target molecule or particle with a fluorophore, the targets movements can be traced as the solvent evaporates [1-3]. If information gained from studies of particle movements during film formation and wet state behavior are combined, information about the film formation process can be obtained. Examination of the final film surfaces with regular light microscopy and AFM gives additional information about the film formation.These methods have been used for studying the formation of negatively charged latex films. It was shown that the films are greatly affected by adding positively charged surfactants [4-5]. Since latex is a water-based system it has relatively long drying times. Systems based on high-vapor pressure organic solvents have much shorter drying times and the film formation occurs under non-equilibrium conditions. This results in incomplete phase separation, which in turn gives microstructures in the film. These microstructures are of great interest since they affect the properties of the film and its function [6-7]. Our aim is to develop the methods used for latex studies in order to be able to apply them to study film formation of polymer blends used for photovoltaic applications. The goal is to get more knowledge about the film forming process and a deeper understanding about the mechanisms behind the formation of microstructures.[1] Carlsson G., Warszynski P., van Stam J., J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2003, 267, 500-508[2] Carlsson G., van Stam J., Nord. Pulp Pap. Res. J., 2005, 20, 192-199[3] Carlsson G., Jarnstrom L., van Stam J., J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2006, 298, 162-171[4] Heidkamp H., Master thesis, Karlstad University 2009.[5] Paakkonen, J., Master thesis, Karlstad University 2010.[6] Bjorstrom C.M., Magnusson K.O., Moons E., Synth. Metals, 2005, 152, 109-112[7] Moons E., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, 2002, 14, 12235-12260


External beam radiation therapy relies on the ability to deliver high radiation doses to tumor cells with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Advanced irradiation techniques, including image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT), rely on the ability to locate tumors to optimize the therapeutic benefit of these techniques. Today, radiopaque fiducial tissue markers are placed in or around tumors, for example, in prostate cancer patients to enhance the precision of daily and/or real‐time IGRT. A liquid injectable fiducial marker (nanogel) is developed based on PEGylated gold nanoparticles and sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) with improved properties compared to current solid fiducial markers. The developed nanogel is investigated in vitro and subsequently evaluated in vivo in immunocompetent NMRI mice. The nanogel shows high CT‐contrast and excellent stability in vivo over a period of 12 weeks. The nanogel is found to be biocompatible and well tolerated. No induction of the inflammatory cytokines INF‐γ, IL‐6, or TNF‐α is observed throughout the study period. The developed nanogel seems to be a safe injectable fiducial marker ideally suited for IGRT that may further enhance the effect of radiation.


Improved antigenicity against HIV-1 envelope (Env) protein is needed to elicit vaccine-induced protective immunity in humans. Here we describe the first tests in non-human primates (NHPs) of Env gp140 protein fused to a humanized anti-LOX-1 recombinant antibody for delivering Env directly to LOX-1-bearing antigen presenting cells, especially dendritic cells (DC). LOX-1, or 1ectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-1, is expressed on various antigen presenting cells and endothelial cells, and is involved in promoting humoral immune responses. The anti-LOX-1 Env gp140 fusion protein was tested for priming immune responses and boosting responses in animals primed with replication competent NYVAC-KC Env gp140 vaccinia virus. Anti-LOX-1 Env gp140 vaccination elicited robust cellular and humoral responses when used for either priming or boosting immunity. Co-administration with Poly ICLC, a TLR3 agonist, was superior to GLA, a TLR4 agonist. Both CD4+ and CD8+ Env-specific T cell responses were elicited by anti-LOX-1 Env gp140, but in particular the CD4+ T cells were multifunctional and directed to multiple epitopes. Serum IgG and IgA antibody responses induced by anti-LOX-1 Env gp140 against various gp140 domains were cross-reactive across HIV-1 clades; however, the sera neutralized only HIV-1 bearing sequences most similar to the clade C 96ZM651 Env gp140 carried by the anti-LOX-1 vehicle. These data, as well as the safety of this protein vaccine, justify further exploration of this DC-targeting vaccine approach for protective immunity against HIV-1.


The introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing about 3 decades ago led to the possibility of early detection of prostate cancer (PCa). Although PSA testing reduced the mortality rate, it is also associated with high risk of over diagnosis in patients with and without PCa. Despite the current drawbacks, it would be a challenge to replace PSA testing entirely. Instead, there is a need to develop parallel testing of other potential biomarkers that can complement the results from PSA tests. To address alternative biomarker sensing, this thesis highlights on the development of oligonucleotide-based biosensors for the detection of different biomarkers of PCa. Using PSA as a gold standard, the first study of this dissertation investigates the use of DNA aptamers to detect PSA using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The study compares 6-mercapto 1-hexanol chemistry with sulfo-betaine chemistry for the development of PSA aptasensor in terms of performance and selectivity. The second study focuses on glycoprofiling in order to complement PSA quantification as an additional information for reliable PCa diagnosis. This strategy was developed in a microfluidic channel with an optical read out using chemiluminescence. This study addresses one of the major problems of cross-reactivity with lectins in glycoprofiling, which can be solved using DNA aptamers. A third study concentrates on the development of an aptasensor for Alpha-Methylacyl-CoA Racemase (AMACR). AMACR has been reported for its high specificity and sensitivity to PCa. For the fabrication of the biosensor, a new strategy using polyethylene glycol was developed by electrochemical grafting it to a polypyrrole film. Since PCa diagnosis can be improved by looking at different biomarkers, an electrochemical platform for miRNA/DNA detection using a gold nanoparticle amplification strategy was also investigated. The sensor was fabricated using peptide nucleic acids (PNA) probes on gold electrodes. The study presents non-Faradaic EIS and amperometric techniques in order to exploit the inherent charges of nucleic acids. In conclusion, this thesis wants to serve as a potential orientation for overcoming the shortcomings of the current PCa testing and contribute towards the development of oligonucleotide-based biosensors for PCa biomarker detection and hopefully enhance the diagnosis and prognosis of PCa.


The subtractive suppressive hybridization (SSH), a method that allows the identification of sequences that are present in one genome (tester) but not in the other (driver), is a promising technique for the comparison of Mycoplasma agalactiae pathogenic strains. The optimal conditions for SSH were established by subtracting the M. agalactiae type strain PG2 DNA from the M. agalactiae strain 5632 DNA. Because these two strains possess different vpma gene repertoires, 5632-specific vpma sequences (and possibly other 5632-specific sequences) were predicted to be retrieved by SSH. The subtracted tester DNA was PCR-amplified and cloned into the pGEM-T easy E. coli vector. Two independent libraries were generated and used to prepare individual probes that were tested by Southern blot with genomic DNA from various field isolates and mycoplasma reference strains. Sequence analysis of two overlapping clones showed that they potentially code for a large carboxyterminal portion of a new vpma ORF. Several DNA fragments homologous to insertion sequences were also found in 5632 and related strains. These preliminary data suggest that SSH is a powerful method to investigate differences between mycoplasma strains, and may be applied to molecular epidemiology, diagnostic, and host specificity or pathogenicity determinant discovery.


The B cell-activating factor of the TNF family receptor (BAFF-R), encoded by the TNFRSF13C gene, is critically important for transitional B cell survival to maturity. Thus, ligation of BAFF-R by BAFF delivers a potent survival signal. Reports implicating the BAFF/BAFF-R signaling axis in the pathogenesis of autoimmune human diseases and B lineage malignancies have largely prompted studies focusing on BAFF expression; however, there is an equally critical need to better understand BAFF-R expression. Initial BAFF-R expression, although characterized in murine B cells, has not yet been reported in human B lymphopoiesis. In this study, we first demonstrate that BAFF-R expression is absent from early precursors and is acquired by bone marrow B cells newly expressing the BCR. We next focused on identifying the specific genomic region that controls BAFF-R expression in mature B cells (i.e., the TNFRSF13C promoter). To accomplish this, we used in silico tools examining interspecies genomic conservation in conjunction with reporter constructs transfected into malignant B and plasma cell lines. DNase protection assays using nuclear extracts from BAFF-R–expressing cells suggested potential regulatory sites, which allowed the generation of EMSA probes that bound NFs specific to BAFF-R–expressing cells. With a more stringent analysis of interspecies homology, these assays identified a site at which a single nucleotide substitution could distinctly impact promoter activity. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed the in vivo binding of the specific transcription factor c-Rel to the most proximal genomic region, and c-Rel small interfering RNA transfections in BAFF-R–expressing lines demonstrated a coincident knockdown of both c-Rel and BAFF-R mRNA. The


Cells can die through two mechanisms: necrosis and apoptosis. Necrosis occurs in response to stimuli that cause cellular damage and result in the release of intracellular proteins, which stimulate the inflammatory response. Necrosis is associated with tissue damage and organ deterioration. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death during which the cellular membrane remains intact, but activated enzymes destroy the cell from within. Bustin discusses how the mobility of the nuclear protein high mobility group B1 (HMGB1) may be a key signal for determining whether certain cells undergo necrotic or apoptotic death. Necrosis may result when HMGB1 is released from the cells and stimulates the inflammatory response. HMGB1 appears to have extracellular signaling functions, such as stimulation of cell motility and tumor metastasis and activation of the cytokine signaling pathways. Through its action on the cytokine signaling targets, HMGB1 may be an important therapeutic target for diseases of cytokine excess, including septic shock.


During venting system process design particular importance shall be attached to the requirements regarding, for example, high aerosol loading capacity, provisions for decay heat removal from the retention unit, the enveloping aerosol spectrum to be retrained, minimization of re-volatilisation and re-entrainment effects, long term operation of e.g. one week or even up to some months, and entirely passive function of the retention unit. Newer requirements request in addition high CH3I retention (organic iodine), a hard to retain gaseous component. Based upon the observation of the PHEBUS test organic iodine is produced in a greater extent during core melt accidents as assumed before [1]. Although the expected total amount of CH3I remains small, the radiological impact of unfiltered organic iodine is significant when high decontamination factors (DF) are reached for aerosols and elemental iodine. After the Chernobyl accident the discussion about Filtered Containment Venting Systems (FCVS) started worldwide. Different process designs of FCVS have been suggested and were tested in laboratory tests, occasionally followed by large size test facilities. Finally it has been decided to carry out an international large size filtered venting test in order to investigate upon the advantages and drawbacks of the different filtered venting technologies. In the frame of this so called international ACE program the community discussed under participation of authorities and various research institutes and filter experts the relevant requirements and finally formulated the enveloping standardized test conditions. These international tests could be considered as the agreed venting qualification standard requirement and completes the venting process qualification. The results showed significant features in retention ability, loading capacities und resuspension effects of the different dry and wet filter devices. Dry filter systems were found to be sensitive in case of large filter loading. Wet filter systems demonstrated high loading capacity, but for fine aerosols medium retention efficiency. Combined scrubber systems showed high loading capacity and high fine and large aerosols retention efficiencies. To meet above mentioned requirement, AREVA finally favorites a combined venturi scrubber unit which comprises a high speed venturi section and metal fiber filter section and could be operated in the sliding pressure mode and in atmospheric pressure mode. This scrubber system was tested using a full-scale model under sliding pressure operation up to 10 bar and finally in the frame of the international ACE filter test program with excellent results. Retention results of the international filter tests will be presented, reaching retention for - large aerosols > 99,999% - fine aerosol > 99,99% - Iodine > 99,9 % - Low resuspension / re-volatilization Taking into account the reevaluation of organic iodine AREVA started to develop, design and qualify an additional retention stage for organic iodine retention – the FCVS PLUS. Based upon the current data gained during the FCVS PLUS qualification it can be stated with safety margin that the new development features an additional retention of - Org iodine > 98 %


This vivid ethno-history explores the complex transformation of north-western Amazonia by the rubber boom from 1850 to 1933. During this period, the region underwent rapid and violent incorporation into the political and economic systems of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Western Europe, and the United States. The author examines the historical myths and realities of north-west Amazonia before its incorporation and then shows how the Indians and environment were radically altered by the rubber boom and international trade. Not merely victims, the Indians both aided and resisted economic and environmental change in subtle and contradictory ways. In 1907 allegations of the systematic enslavement, torture, and murder of Indians by the rubber industry ignited an international scandal linking antislavery power Great Britain to human bondage and focused world attention on Amazonia until the outbreak of World War I.


The Paper discusses how the EU accession countries should pursue full membership in the EMU: adopt the euro. The key messages are the following: 1) Even the largest of the accession countries is too small, too open and too vulnerable to speculative attacks to be a viable optimal currency area. 2) Achieving fiscal sustainability is a necessary condition for full EMU membership. It should also be sufficient. 3) Convergence, prior to the adoption of the euro, of an EMU candidate's inflation rate to its euro area equilibrium inflation rate is helpful but not essential. 4) Real convergence is irrelevant for EMU membership. 5) Participation in ERMII is at best unhelpful. At worst it creates unnecessary risks of financial and macroeconomic instability. 6) The Maastricht criteria for EMU membership include the simultaneous achievement of three nominal objectives: (a) a nominal exchange rate target (to stay, for at least two years, within a ± 15% nominal exchange rate band centered on a fixed parity with the euro); (b) a short-term inflation target (inflation, for at least one year, to be no more than 1.5% above the average inflation rate of the three EU Members States with the lowest inflation rates); and (c) a target for a long-term (ten year) nominal interest rate (that rate not to be more than 2% above the average of the three EU Members States with the lowest inflation rates, for at least one year). This is two nominal targets too many. It overburdens the monetary authority and confuses the markets. 7) The two-year ERMII participation requirement should be dropped. Instead, upon achieving fiscal sustainability (and preferably also inflation convergence), the EMU candidate should be given a firm date and (exchange) rate for full EMU membership. This will provide a necessary focal point for the markets and will permit the smooth approach of the market exchange rate to the irrevocable conversion rate with the euro. It should be possible to move into full EMU membership directly from an unrestricted float. 8) Unilateral euroization, in the sense of the adoption of the euro as a parallel currency and joint legal tender alongside the domestic currency, is not inconsistent with the Treaty, if it does not involve the abolition of the national currency and the unilateral determination of the ultimate conversion rate of the domestic currency and the euro. In addition, it should be possible for the new EU members to negotiate consensual euroization (this could include the immediate disappearance of the domestic currency).


Abstract. Ulysses, launched in October 1990, began its second out-of-ecliptic orbit in September 1997. In 2000/2001 the spacecraft passed from the south to the north polar regions of the Sun in the inner heliosphere. In contrast to the first rapid pole to pole passage in 1994/1995 close to solar minimum, Ulysses experiences now solar maximum conditions. The Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) measures also protons and alpha-particles in the energy range from 5 MeV/n to >2 GeV/n. To derive radial and latitudinal gradients for >2 GeV/n protons and alpha-particles, data from the Chicago instrument on board IMP-8 and the neutron monitor network have been used to determine the corresponding time profiles at Earth. We obtain a spatial distribution at solar maximum which differs greatly from the solar minimum distribution. A steady-state approximation, which was characterized by a small radial and significant latitudinal gradient at solar minimum, was interchanged with a highly variable one with a large radial and a small – consistent with zero – latitudinal gradient. A significant deviation from a spherically symmetric cosmic ray distribution following the reversal of the solar magnetic field in 2000/2001 has not been observed yet. A small deviation has only been observed at northern polar regions, showing an excess of particles instead of the expected depression. This indicates that the reconfiguration of the heliospheric magnetic field, caused by the reappearance of the northern polar coronal hole, starts dominating the modulation of galactic cosmic rays already at solar maximum. Key words. Interplanetary physics (cosmic rays; energetic particles) – Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration)


Immunohistological analysis of the cellular composition of the small intestinal mucosa in a group of untreated and treated coeliac patients and non-coeliac control subjects was performed using monoclonal antibodies and an immunoperoxidase technique. A characteristic cellular distribution was observed within the normal mucosa. The intraepithelial and lamina propria compartments were occupied mainly by T suppressor/cytotoxic and T helper/inducer cells respectively. Further subdivision of lamina propria T helper/inducer cells with the Leu 8 antibody revealed that these were of the Leu 3a+ Leu 8- phenotype. Macrophages, defined by the RFD7 antibody, were seen to occupy the same microenvironment as T helper/inducer cells. T cells expressing the T cell activation antigen defined by anti-Ta1 were found with the normal lamina propria, although few cells were identified by the anti-Tac antibody. HLA-Dr antigens were expressed by stellate cells within the lamina propria, and also by the epithelial cells of the villi, but not by normal crypt epithelial cells. In untreated coeliac patients the distribution of the various cell types was essentially unchanged, although the number of these cells was markedly increased, including those which expressed the Ta1 antigen. A significant deviation from normal in the expression of HLA-DR antigens was found in the coeliac small bowel: these antigens were expressed not only on the villous epithelial cells but also on the epithelial cells of the crypts. Immunohistological findings in the treated coeliac patients were intermediate between the normal and untreated coeliac groups, and were completely normal in those patients with complete histological resolution of their disease. These results suggest that coeliac disease is accompanied by an enhanced stimulation of the normal mucosal immune response and do not imply a primary pathogenic role for the immune system in this disease.


The reliability of bus systems is a vital issue on the transport agenda, since urban areas are yearning for high quality alternatives for the private car. A key indicator of
reliability is a low level of day-to-day travel time variability (TTV). To obtain funds for reducing TTV, it is necessary to give evidence for the benefits from such improvement, but current tools for estimating the cost of TTV are insufficient. This thesis covers issues that arise when analysts need to show that improved bus infrastructure brings benefits from reduced TTV.

The first part of the thesis aims at understanding how the attitudes of travellers to TTV can be converted into monetary terms. The design of a survey is described, where
respondents trade-off between TTV and other attributes. A modelling experiment, based on the survey responses, finds that the effect of TTV is best explained using variables
that represent trip scheduling considerations. Following is a series of experiments that seek to estimate the willingness-to-pay for reduced TTV in a way that is sensitive to taste variation between travellers. Several Mixed Logit models are estimated, but some doubts about their credibility are raised, and hence the same willingness-to-pay estimates are also computed using nonparametric techniques. Some conclusions are drawn regarding the process of estimating heterogeneous willingness-to-pay and the ability to recognise the willingness-to-pay from survey data.

The starting point for the second part of the thesis is the lack of tools for estimating the level of TTV in hypothetical scenarios. We, consider the case for using traffic microsimulation to estimate TTV by running a microsimulation model multiple times, and looking at the variation between runs as an estimate of the variation between different days. Such concept of estimation requires a special calibration methodology, which sets the level of simulated inter-run variability at a similar level to inter-day variability in the real network. A full calibration methodology is developed, tackling methodological, computational and statistical issues.

Finally, the demand and supply methodologies are combined, and it is illustrated how the savings from improved bus infrastructure can be examined. The contribution of the
entire study includes methodological and technical insights into modelling the attitudes to TTV, estimating the distribution of the willingness-to-pay and calibrating traffic microsimulation models; but it also brings up policy issues concerning the role of TTV in transport appraisal.


These works explore recurrent themes of energy consumption, processing nature, human folly and progress. Collage methods are used to construct lyrical scenes that suggest alternative realities, where juxtaposed and absent elements create spaces for projection and gaps to be filled. Figures interacting and processing abstract material shapes evoke mythological realms.


Vergence prism adaptability was evaluated in subjects with high symptomatic and asymptomatic heterophoria and compared to individuals with a heterophoria within normal range (the control group). A computer haploscope was used to measure phoria values and changes in the eye position after introducing 6 prism diopters base out in front of the right eye. Phoria values were measured with a nonius paradigm every minute for a period of 10 minutes during adaptation. The results showed that subjects with symptomatic heterophoria are characterized by a lower rate of prism adaptation and adapted to a smaller extent with respect to the control group. The group with high but asymptomatic heterophoria showed prolonged adaptation time but after several minutes of binocular viewing the subjects were able to adapt to the prism to a level similar to the control group. These findings suggest that an impairment in the slow vergence control system may be responsible for the inability to fully reduce vergence effort, which results in poor vergence ranges and asthenopic symptoms during prolonged viewing.


The central event in the cellular immune response to invading microorganisms is the specific recognition of foreign peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules by the αβ T cell receptor (TCR). The x-ray structure of the complete extracellular fragment of a glycosylated αβ TCR was determined at 2.5 angstroms, and its orientation bound to a class I MHC-peptide (pMHC) complex was elucidated from crystals of the TCR-pMHC complex. The TCR resembles an antibody in the variable Vα and Vβ domains but deviates in the constant Cα domain and in the interdomain pairing of Cα with Cβ. Four of seven possible asparagine-linked glycosylation sites have ordered carbohydrate moieties, one of which lies in the Cα-Cβ interface. The TCR combining site is relatively flat except for a deep hydrophobic cavity between the hypervariable CDR3s (complementarity-determining regions) of the α and β chains. The 2C TCR covers the class I MHC H-2Kb binding groove so that the Vα CDRs 1 and 2 are positioned over the amino-terminal region of the bound dEV8 peptide, the Vβ chain CDRs 1 and 2 are over the carboxyl-terminal region of the peptide, and the Vα and Vβ CDR3s straddle the peptide between the helices around the central position of the peptide.


The most prominent recent development in gun regulation has been the spread of extreme risk protection order (ERPO) laws—often called "red flag" laws—which permit the denial of firearms to individuals who a judge has determined present an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others. Following a wave of adoptions in the wake of the Parkland murders, such orders are now authorized by law in eighteen states and the District of Columbia, and under consideration in many others. Advocates argue that they provide a tailored, individualized way to deter homicide, suicide, and even mass shootings by providing a tool for law enforcement or others to intervene when harm appears imminent, without having to wait for injury, lethality, or criminal actions to occur. But the laws have also garnered criticism, and have become a primary target of the Second Amendment sanctuary movement.

As a matter of constitutional law, the most serious questions about ERPOs involve not the right to keep and bear arms but due process. Such orders—like domestic violence restraining orders, to which they are often compared—can initially be issued ex parte, and critics often allege that this feature (and others including the burden of proof and the class of potential petitioners) raises constitutional problems.

This Article provides a comprehensive analysis of the applicable Due Process standards, and identifies the primary issues of concern. It concludes that, despite some variation, current ERPOs seem drafted so as to satisfy the relevant standards. It also notes those features that are likely to give rise to the strongest challenges. The analysis both builds on and suggests lessons for other areas of regulation where laws are designed so as to lessen extreme risk.


Tensions over the production of urban public space came to the fore in summer 2013 with mass protests in Turkey sparked by a plan to redevelop Taksim Gezi Park, Istanbul. In London, concomitant proposals to refurbish an area of the 'South Bank' historically used by skateboarders were similarly met by staunch opposition. Through an in-depth ethnographic examination of London's South Bank, this book explores multiple dimensions of the production of urban public space. Drawing on user accounts of the significance of public space, as well as observations of how the South Bank is 'practised' on a daily basis, it argues that public space is valued not only for its essential material characteristics but also for the productive potential that these characteristics, if properly managed, afford on a daily basis. At a time when policy-makers, urban planners and law enforcement authorities simultaneously grapple with pressures to deal with social 'problems' (such as street drinking, vandalism, and skateboarding) and accusations that new modes of urban planning and civic management infringe upon civil liberties and dilute the publicity of 'public' space, this book offers an insightful account of the daily exigencies of public spaces. In so doing, it questions the utility of the public/private binary for our understanding both of common urban space and of different sets of social practices, and points towards the need to be attentive to productive processes in how we understand and experience urban open space as public.


While there is a significant body of research on crack detection by computer vision methods in concrete and asphalt, less attention has been given to masonry. We train a convolutional neural network (CNN) on images of brick walls built in a laboratory environment and test its ability to detect cracks in images of brick-and-mortar structures both in the laboratory and on real-world images taken from the internet. We also compare the performance of the CNN to a variety of simpler classifiers operating on handcrafted features. We find that the CNN performed better on the domain adaptation from laboratory to real-world images than these simple models. However, we also find that performance is significantly better in performing the reverse domain adaptation task, where the simple classifiers are trained on real-world images and tested on the laboratory images. This work demonstrates the ability to detect cracks in images of masonry using a variety of machine learning methods and provides guidance for improving the reliability of such models when performing domain adaptation for crack detection in masonry.


Tremendous amount of data is getting explored through IOT (Internet of Things) from variety of sources such as sensor network, social media feed, internet applications, called as Big Data. Big Data cannot be handled by conventional tools and techniques. Social networks are becoming dominant in communications over internet. The Big Data mining is essential in order to extract value from massive amount of data which could give better insights using efficient techniques. Association Rule mining and frequent itemset mining are popular techniques for data mining which needs entire dataset into main memory for processing, but large datasets do not fit into main memory. To overcome this limitation MapReduce is used for parallel processing of Big Data having features such as high scalability and robustness which helps to handle problem of large datasets. Proposed novel method, ClustBigFIM works on MapReduce framework for mining large datasets; ClustBigFIM is modified BigFIM algorithm providing scalability and speed in order to extract meaningful information from large datasets in the form of associations, emerging patterns, sequential patterns, correlations and other significant data mining tasks which gives better insight to make effective business decisions in competitive environment using faster and efficient parallel processing platform.


The impact on snow pack albedo from local elemental carbon (EC) sources in Svalbard has been investigated for the winter of 2008. Highly elevated EC concentrations in the snow are observed around the settlements of Longyearbyen and Svea (locally >1000 ng g-1, about 200 times over the background level), while EC concentrations similar to the background level are seen around Ny-Ålesund. Near Longyearbyen and Svea, darkened snow influenced by wind transported coal dust from open coal stockpiles is clearly visible from satellite images and by eye at the ground. As a first estimate, the reduction in snow albedo caused by local EC pollution from the Norwegian settlements has been compared to the estimated reduction caused by long-range transported EC for entire Svalbard. The effect of local EC from Longyearbyen, Svea and all Norwegian settlements are estimated to 2.1%, 7.9% and 10% of the total impact of EC, respectively. The EC particles tend to stay on the surface during melting, and elevated EC concentrations due to the spring melt was observed. This accumulation of EC enhances the positive albedo feedbacks. The EC concentrations were observed to be larger in metamorphosed snow than in fresh snow, and especially around ice lenses.


The implementation of stimuli‐responsive bonds into 3D network assemblies is a key concept to design adaptive materials that can reshape and degrade. Here, a straightforward but unique photoresist is introduced for the tailored fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) materials that can be readily erased by water, even without the need for acidic or basic additives. Specifically, a new class of photoresist is developed that operates through the backbone crosslinking of PEG when irradiated in the presence of a bivalent triazolinedione. Hence, macroscopic gels are obtained upon visible light‐emitting diode irradiation (λ > 515 nm) that are stable in organic media but rapidly degrade upon the addition of water. Photoinduced curing is also applicable to multiphoton laser lithography (λ > 700 nm), hence providing access to 3D printed microstructures that vanish when immersed in water at 37 °C. Materials with varying crosslinking densities are accessed by adapting the applied laser writing power, thereby allowing for tunable hydrolytic erasing timescales. A new platform technology is thus presented that enables the crosslinking and 3D laser printing of PEG‐based materials, which can be cleaved and erased in water, and additionally holds potential for the facile modification and backbone degradation of polyether‐containing materials in general.


Human Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent and lethal neurodegenerative disease; it involves the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, loss of synapses and neurons in specific areas of the brain, and the presence of extracellular amyloid plaques, particularly Amyloid beta42 (AP-42). In this study, two Drosophila transgenic fly lines carrying either elav-GAL4 driver or UAS-AP-42 transgene, were crossed to generate AD flies that expressed low levels of human Ap-42. Male AD flies (experimental) and elav-GAL4 flies (as parental control without AP-42) were tested for learning and short-term memory using the courtship suppression assay (Siegal and Hall, 1979). The courtship suppression assay includes "training" and "testing" periods, where male flies rejected by a previously mated female during training will retain the memory and therefore exhibit less courtship behaviors in testing period. First, a single virgin male was assigned to one of three training conditions: paired with a previously mated (trainer) female (experimental condition), a virgin female, or no female (sham control). After one hour of training, all males were transferred and paired with virgin females for ten minutes. Independent raters reviewed the training and testing videos and calculated courtship indices (CI) reflecting the amount of time males engaged in characteristic courtship behaviors (ex. orientation, wing vibration, tapping). Both 4-6 days-old elav-GAL4 and AD males exhibited less courtship behaviors towards mated females, suggesting the efficacy of training. In addition, trained elavGAL4 males had a lower average CI than the sham control in testing, indicating their short term memory is intact. However, the average testing CI for 4-6 days-old trained AD males was similar compared to their sham control group. Our results showed that four-to-five days-old AD males already exhibited deficits in short-term memory.


The effects of substituents and solvents on the photophysical and photochemical parameters of zinc(II) phthalocyanines containing four Schiff's base substituents attached directly and through phenyleneoxy-bridges on peripheral positions are reported. The group effects on peripheral position and the continual and intermittent conjugation of the phthalocyanine molecules on the photophysical and photochemical properties are also investigated. General trends are described for photodegradation, singlet oxygen, and fluorescence quantum yields of these compounds in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF), and tetrahydrofurane (THF). Among the different substituents, phthalocyanines with cinnamaldimine moieties (1c and 2c) have the highest singlet oxygen quantum yields () and those with nitro groups (1a and 2a) have the highest fluorescence quantum yields in all the solvents used. The fluorescence of the substituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine complexes is effectively quenched by 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) in these solvents.


Trabelsi-Bacha H. 2010. — Ras al-cām et Achoura: deux fêtes carnées en Tunisie dans leur rapport aux rituels. Anthropozoologica 45(1): 47-58. ABSTRACT Ras al-cām and Achoura: Two meat-eating feasts in Tunisia Ras al-cām and Achoura are two feasts which inaugurate the new year of Hegira. They are celebrated at a ten-day interval and commemorate historic and mythic events, from Noah's ark coming on board till Hussein's murder passing by the Prophet Muhammad's Exodus towards Medinah. In Tunisia, food rites represent the central aspect of these feasts, namely, the dried-meat (taken on the sheep of Aïd Al-adha) consumption for Ras Al-ām and of the farm-cock sacrifice for Achoura. This paper tries to examine the origins of the beliefs close to these two feasts. In the first part, it describes, and analyzes preparation, cooking, and consumption phases of the dried-meat. In the second, it studies the causes behind the exceptional status of the farm chicken and analyzes its cooking and consumption rituals at Achoura's day.


The Alexandria Archive Institute received a grant of $250,609 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for the project Enhancing Humanities Research Productivity in a Collaborative Data Sharing Environment. The project observed creators and users of online cultural heritage collections to determine how they use current tools in their research and to identify areas where innovations can improve Web-based scholarship of cultural heritage collections. In collaboration with the Information and Service Design (ISD) Clinic at UC Berkeley's School of Information, we worked intensively with data creators and users in small working group settings to document their needs and experiences working with cultural heritage data sharing systems. We drew on the diverse experiences and insights shared by representatives from multi-organizational and interdisciplinary stakeholder groups, including museums, active field projects, public archaeology, cultural resource management, specialists, and junior and senior scholars, to explore how current Web technologies may better meet the needs of these groups. This research guided developments to Open Context (http://opencontext.org), an online data publication system for archaeology, small museums, and other field researchers. Other outcomes include guidance for 'good practice' in developing Webbased collections and data publication systems. This report details activities and accomplishments over the course of the project, from January 2009 through March 2011. 1 Project Manager 2 Technology Consultant


Septoria tritici blotch, causal agent Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckel) J. Schrot. (anamorph: Zymoseptoria tritici Desm.), is the major foliar disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Tunisia causing frequent epidemics on T. turgidum L. var. durum (Desf.) Bowden, and important yield and grain quality losses. To determine the inheritance of resistance to septoria, a cross was made using resistant ('Salim') and susceptible ('Karim') cultivars. Parents, and the 149 derived recombinant lines, were tested for resistance to septoria under field conditions during the 2009 and 2010 crop seasons. The inheritance of resistance to septoria was quantitative where a continuous and normal distribution (W = 0.93) was shown among segregate progenies. During 2009 and 2010 crop seasons, the mean disease severities of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) ranged from 29.1% to 41.8%, respectively, and 53% of RILs were associated with lower disease severity than the mid-parent value. The severity was significantly affected by Genotype x Year interaction (p < 0.01). Broad sense heritability was 0.55 suggesting a quantitative inheritance of resistance to M. graminicola. These results would imply that genetic resistance to STB could be attributed to additive gene effects. Thus, using identified sources of tolerance to STB in a breeding program would enhance the development of cultivars that are adapted to the prevailing isolates in field conditions.


Fluids play a critical role in natural and human-induced rock failure. It is unclear, however, if propagation of a tensile fracture is inherently an episodic or continuous process. For example, typical average propagation speeds of hydraulic fracture tips on the order of 1–10 m/min suggest continuous crack growth, possibly at subcritical stress intensities. In contrast, using field observations and numerical and mathematical analyses, we show that fracture growth due to anthropogenic hydraulic fracturing is most likely to occur in an episodic fashion, characterized by stick-split behavior that is analogous to stick-slip motion of earthquakes. The stick-split mechanism is regulated by cyclic variations in fluid pressure near the crack tip, in which each successive failure produces a local pressure drop that temporarily halts or slows fracture propagation. A pressure drop results in partial fracture closure, producing noncontinuous fracture propagation through a process that is reminiscent of hand clapping. Rupture speeds for individual failure events are on the order of the shear-wave velocity of the medium; thus, continuous crack growth is not a likely mechanism for anthropogenic hydraulic fracturing treatments despite slow average tip propagation speeds.


Competition for energy resources in the contemporary world remains a source of crises and conflicts as long as demand increases faster than supply, and major oil reserves are located in areas characterized by profound political-economic imbalances and instability. Energy security is a matter of fact that states, international organizations and non-state actors contribute to significantly, but in different ways. Crisis prevention and the energy issues meant to resolve them are one of the most complex scientific challenges because they involve a comprehensive understanding of the types of determinations governing the organization and social processes.


This study uses panel data for 39 years and 13 districts to estimate the yield sensitivity of major food crops to climate change in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It first estimated the marginal impacts of climate variables on crop yield using Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) models. These estimates are then used to identify yield sensitivities in the future based on projected climate variables from the Regional Climate Model version 4 (RegCM4). Empirical results show a quadratic (inverted U shaped) relationship between rice and sorghum yield and climate variables. As temperature and rainfall increase, crop yield initially increases up to a threshold level, and then decreases. Following the RegCM4 projections that observed warming and anomalies in rainfall will continue, this could result in a significant loss in crop productivity. Projections suggest that there may be a 10 percent decline in rice yield and 9 percent decline in sorghum yield by the end of the 21st century relative to average yields during 1971-2009. This indicates a need for new seed varieties that are less sensitive to rainfall and temperature thresholds, and, adaptation practices such as adjustments in sowing time


Background: A limited amount of research has been conducted on children and adolescents who are low achievers. In Hong Kong, educators describe low achieving students in terms of academic performance, they seldom focus on socio-emotional aspects, such as self-esteem, peer affiliation, and inter-personal relationships. However, low achieving students could also be described differently in different contexts. Students who experience difficulties academically are characterized as having difficulties in studying, completing assignments and organizing information Therefore, this study attempts to explore the impact of the transitions from primary school to secondary school among low achieving students on their peer affiliation and the reciprocal effect of self-esteem and academic outcomes, using data triangulation and methodological triangulation (different methods, i.e., observation, journal entries, portfolios and interviews) (Denzin, 1978). Aims: This study examined the effects of a peer support programme in smoothing the transition to adolescence and secondary school for students in the first year of secondary school by enhancing self-esteem, peer affiliations and academic performance. Sample: Participants in the study were students from a secondary school in Hong Kong. Seven form-one students participated three times weekly in groups facilitated by a trainer and older students. Method: The methods of data triangulation and time series design were employed. Data was collected from teacher interviews, observational field notes, inter-rater checklists, and conversations with students. Results: The results suggested that the peer support programme has significant effects on students' academic outcomes and peer affiliations. Conclusion: Three major findings arise from this investigation. First, the overall effectiveness of the peer support programme could enhance the students' academic performance and peer affiliations, this was agreed by the participants, teachers, trainer and researcher. Second, the school plays an important role in young adolescents' lives. Relationships between teachers and students could improve if there is more peer interaction. Third, a warm and supportive network has been established among the participants. The in-group bonding among the young students was very strong, so as to equip them with better social skills and positive interpersonal relationships with other classmates.


We perform two-pulse experiments to elucidate the mechanism of laser induced fluorescence (LIF) of dense vapor plumes. The first ns laser pulse at 355 nm gently ablates a brass or tin–lead target to create a vapor plume. The second ns laser pulse at 193 nm intercepts the plume to induce fluorescence. The plume-LIF (PLIF) emissions of the copper, zinc, tin and lead atoms are collected and analyzed. We show that the temporal and spectral behavior of the PLIF signal is inconsistent with plasma emissions and photofragmentation fluorescence. We argue that a process involving dense matter is more probable. According to that model, the dense nascent plume has an energy structure resembling bands, especially for the higher energy states. Absorption of energetic ultraviolet photons is therefore nonselective. As the plume disperses, the excitation energy is channeled to electronic excitation energies of the atomic and molecular fragments. Their fluorescence gives rise to the fingerprint signal of the analytes. The predictions of the dense-matter model are confirmed by both time-resolved and time-integrated PLIF spectra. The analytical potential of PLIF for micro-trace analysis and multivariate chemometrics is also discussed, and most of its applications have been realized and reported in our previous publications.


Breast cancer is the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths in New Zealand women. Metastasis of breast tumours increases the likelihood of fatality of the disease as treatment becomes more difficult and the tumours may interfere with the function of multiple organ systems. Consequently, the identification of biomarkers that may indicate the potential for a tumour to become metastatic are of great importance and may allow for the selection of more targeted treatment regimes. Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a chromatin associating protein that facilitates heterochromatic spreading through its interaction with trimethylated H3K9. There are three HP1 isoforms found in mammals, HP1α, HP1β and HP1γ, each with differing functions and chromatin localisation patterns. Previous research has demonstrated that deregulation of either HP1α or HP1β expression occurs in several types of cancers. Both increases and decreases in HP1α expression have been reported in breast tumour samples, with a decrease in HP1α associated with breast metastases. However, what role loss of HP1α may have in promoting a metastatic phenotype is unclear, and any contribution of HP1β to this process is also explored. This thesis examined the roles of HP1α and HP1β in breast cancer progression through the creation of breast cancer cell lines with knock-down of either HP1α or HP1β. These cell lines were characterised for changes in proliferation, cell cycle profile, global chromatin compaction, invasive potential and anchorage independence. Though no changes were observed in the majority of these characteristics, a novel role for HP1β as a potential suppressor of anchorage independence was identified. Additionally, it was found that HP1α may act to enhance anchorage independence. This information could help to further knowledge of how breast cancer cells proceed towards metastasis, and provide new avenues of research into the potential for levels of HP1α or HP1β to be used as biomarkers for breast cancer progression.


1. Brief description of the condition/disease Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a bacterium theft causes meningitis, pneumonia, septicaemia, and other severe, invasive infections. Meningitis is characterized by infection of the spinal fluid and the meninges, a membrane that surrounds the brain. In the USA and other developed countries, approximately 5% of patients with meningitis die, and up to 30% of survivors have long-term disabilities ranging from hearing loss to severe mental retardation. In developing countries, up to 50% of Hib patients die in some settings. 2. Current global burden and rating within the overall burden of disease In the absence of vaccination, Hib was consistently identified as the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among under-5-year-olds in developed countries. Before vaccination in the USA, an estimated 1 of every 200 children had an invasive Hib infection before the age 5 years. In developing countries, Hib is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis-associated deaths and the second leading cause of bacterial pneumonia deaths. Globally, Hib meningitis and pneumonia cause 380 000-500 000 deaths among under-5-year-olds each year. Accurate Hib disease incidence data are lacking for many parts of Asia and the Pacific Rim. 3. Feasibility (biological) of elimination/eradication The biological feasibility of Hib eradication is difficult to determine, but several aspects of Hib disease and Hib vaccines make elimination possible. Hib is a uniquely human pathogen with no known reservoir in the environment. Hib polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines are highly effective (efficacy of 90-100%) in preventing disease, and should provide long-lasting protection. Hib conjugate vaccines also can interrupt transmission by preventing asymptomatic carriage and are thereby able to protect unvaccinated persons through herd immunity. At the practical level, Hib conjugate vaccines are still too expensive for many countries to use, they require more than one dose to provide substantial protection, and not all countries may be able to achieve the levels of vaccination coverage needed for elimination. Thus, programmatic obstacles are the major barriers to elimination. The feasibility of eradicating Hib is more difficult to determine. At the molecular level, eliminating the genetic material that codes for the type b capsule is more difficult than eliminating the apparent occurrence of type b infections. With more research into the molecular biology of Hib and further experience with the vaccines, it may be possible to determine more accurately the feasibility of eradication. 4. Estimated costs and benefits of elimination/eradication Although economic analyses of programmes to eliminate/eradicate Hib have not been carried out, a recent analysis of the cost-effectiveness of routine Hib vaccination globally determined that, at current vaccination coverage rates, such a programme could prevent 58-83% of all Hib-related deaths and Hib-related disability-adjusted life years (DALY) lost at a cost of US$ 35-53 per DALY saved. This cost-per-DALY saved compares favourably with other new immunizations and with other life-saving interventions. The analysis, however, assumed that vaccine could be purchased at US$ 1 per dose, a price that should be attainable but is still lower than the current price. 5. Key strategies to accomplish the objective(s) Routine vaccination through national programmes is the cornerstone of control of Hib disease. Efforts to maintain high coverage and timely vaccination will improve the effectiveness of this control strategy. Ensuring a steady, affordable supply of Hib vaccine for developing countries will be essential. Efforts to eliminate Hib in countries with moderate-to-poor vaccination coverage will depend on the ability of the Hib vaccination programme to interrupt transmission and thereby provide herd immunity. …


Maríe Redonnet crosses previously established boundaries in Splendid Hôtel and Seaside. Her writing flows across traditional literary genres as she revisits certain motifs, characters, and situations in her novel and play. In addition to crossing the border between the novel and theater, she echoes the works of other authors—specifically Rimbaud and Duras. Moreover, within a particular text Redonnet erases subject boundaries. That is to say, her characters are not individuals; their uniqueness is washed away by a continual ebb and flow of common characteristics and traits. By creating such fluid personae, Redonnet captures the societal homogeneity that is symptomatic of "surmodernity" as defined by Mark Augé: "the acceleration and overabundance of events and space and the individualization of references [are] the three elements of excess with which we have tried to characterize the supermodern condition." As she weaves her "literary" text and intertext she also incorporates elements from other disciplines. Indeed, her references to the cinema as well as to the family photograph obscure conventional distinctions between "high" and "mass" culture. At the same time, Redonnet's blurred boundaries create a sense of longing for the past, or more precisely, for past representations. This element of nostalgia sends the characters and, at times, the reader/spectator into the familiar. Thus, traces of past representations emerge in Redonnet's writing as in a palimpsest. In conclusion, by crossing previously established borders, Maríe Redonnet paints the permeable "supermodern" boundaries among individuals, text/intertext, and photography/film/ literature.


Although criminal records in the United States are more publicly accessible than ever before, we lack knowledge about how record-bearers seek to overcome the negative consequences associated with a visible criminal record as they apply for jobs, housing, and financial aid. Furthermore, although criminal histories record all arrests—and not just those that result in conviction—researchers have yet to compare how those with more extensive versus minor criminal records cope with criminal record stigma. We present interview data from a comparative study of expungement-seekers (N = 53) who have petitioned the courts to remove their criminal records from public view. One group had extensive criminal records (46 percent); the other group had more minor criminal records (54 percent). Several key findings emerged. First, both groups of participants tried, but failed, to persuade potential employers and landlords to overlook the criminal record. They also faced restricted educational opportunity. Second, participants in both groups expressed distress that criminal justice contact could follow them throughout their lives, subjecting them to ongoing stigma. However, those with extensive versus minor criminal records offered different rationales explaining why the visible criminal record history unfairly burdened them. Implications for reintegration theory and policy are discussed.


Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are seabirds that live exclusively in Antarctica, one of the planet's last pristine areas. However, this remote region is experiencing a continuing expansion of human activities that may affect Antarctic fauna. Trace metals constitute a menace to seabirds because they can adversely affect their health. There is a lack of studies relating to metals' levels in feathers with morphological parameters of seabirds. Trace metal levels were measured in Adélie penguin feathers and their body condition through the relative condition factor (ReCF) in adult individuals from two South Shetland Islands locations and two from Graham Land. Consequently, we determined the levels of some metals in feathers to see any relationship with morphological parameters linked to the bird's health. Our results showed significant differences in metals among locations studied and a significant relationship between ReCF with Cu and Zn in one of the South Shetland Islands. Also, penguins exhibited a significantly lower weight. We found a positive correlation between non-essential with essential metals, indicating that Cu acts as a detoxifying agent for Cr, Cd, and Pb. In contrast, Se could be for V and Pb. Although the relationship between most metals with ReCF was not significant, some site-specific factors may be influencing it, whereas metals may be affecting the organisms at low biological levels. Molecular, biochemical, and genetic studies are required to elucidate this issue.


Geodetic survey data are typically analysed using the assumption that measurement errors can be modelled as noise. The least squares method models noise with the normal distribution and is based on the assumption that it selects measurements with the highest probability value (Ghilani, 2010, p. 179f). There are environment situations where no clear maximum for a measurement can be detected. This can happen, for example, if surveys take place in foggy conditions causing diffusion of light signals. This presents a problem for automated systems because the standard assumption of the least squares method does not hold. A measurement system trying to return a crisp value will produce an arbitrary value that lies within the area of maximum value. However repeating the measurement is unlikely to create a value following a normal distribution, which happens if measurement errors can be modelled as noise. In this article we describe a laboratory experiment that reproduces conditions similar to a foggy situation and present measurement data gathered from this setup. Furthermore we propose methods based on fuzzy set theory to evaluate the data from our measurement.


Introduction Stochastic representations of a problem domain can capture aspects that are otherwise difficult to model, such as errors, alternative outcomes of actions, and uncertainty about the world. Markov models (Bellman 1957) are a popular choice for constructing stochastic representations. The classic MDP, however, does not account for uncertainty in the process state. Often this state is known only indirectly through sensors or tests. To account for the state uncertainty, MDPs have been extended to partially observable MDPs (POMDPs) (Lovejoy 1991; Monahan 1982; Washington 1996). this model, the underlying process is an MDP, but rather than supplying exact state information, the process produces one of a set of observations. The major drawback of POMDPs i that finding an optimal plan is computationally intractable for realistic problems. We are inter~ted in seeing what limitations may be imposed that allow on-line computation. We have developed the approach of Markov Tracking (Washington 1997), which chooses actions that coordinate with a process rather than influence its behavior. It uses the POMDP model to follow the agent's state, and reacts optimally to it. In this paper we discuss the application of Markov Tracking to a subclass of problems called sequential POAfDPs. Within this class the optimal action is not only computed locally, but in constant time, allowing true on-line performance with large-scale problems.


Backpages is an opportunity for the academy to engage with theatre and performance practice with immediacy and insight, and for theatre workers and performance artists to engage critically and reflectively on their work and the work of their peers.


1) A group of at least three types of L.E. cell tests should be performed in order to adequately screen strongly suspected cases of SLE. This battery consists of the sieved two hour clot, the Snapper-Nathan ring method and the Zinkham-Conley rotary glass bead technic. Utilizing these three methods in studying a group of 47 proven cases of SLE both treated and untreated, 63 batteries were performed. In 42 of these batteries there was at least one positive test. In 5 batteries only the rotary method was positive, in 4 the clotted method and in 2 the ring method. The largest numbers of L.E. cells and hematoxylin bodies were found by the rotary method. If only one test is to be performed this latter technic is the method of choice. 2) The use of excessive amounts of heparin over 0.75 mg./10 cc. of blood resulted in a depression of the L.E. phenomenon. The technic of adding "small amounts" of heparin to blood or "heparinizing a syringe" to draw specimens for L.E. studies is to be avoided. 3) The explanation for the augmentation of the L.E. phenomenon by clotting or rotation with glass beads seemed to be the production of leukocyte trauma by either method. This explained the poor results obtained when the clotted blood specimen is broken up with wooden applicator sticks rather than macerated through a fine sieve. The clotting mechanism itself probably has little to do with the increased numbers of L.E. cells. 4) With adequate treatment the L.E. cells disappeared in many patients. Forty patients with positive L.E. cell tests treated two months or more had a simultaneous battery performed on them as described above. All the tests were negative in eighteen patients, seven patients had fewer than 5 L.E. cells per 500 leukocytes and fifteen patients had more than that number.


For this study, Polour rangelands were chosen with an area of about 2017 ha in Mazandaran province. The purpose of this study was prediction of dominant species of the rangeland using random forest (RF) and boosting regression trees (BRT) models in the study area. Equal random sampling of vegetation and soil was carried out. 12 work units were obtained in the region that climatic, topography and soil factors were measured at each sampling unit. Five dominant species in the area were Astragalus ochrodeucus, Ferula gumosa, Thymus kotschyanus, Onobrychis cornata and Agropyron repens. The Ten-fold method was used to evaluate the models in the package (caret). Also the statistical coefficients AUC, Kappa and TSS were used for evaluating the model prediction.The results showed that in the RF model of variables K and CaCO3, the presence of the plant species had the highest importance. Also in BRT model, the silt and aspect had the most importance in the model. The results of the function of the models RF and BRT showed that the highest AUC in the BRT model was related to the species Agropyron repens for 0.76 and in the RF model, it was related to the species Onobrychis cornata. The proposed models RF and BRT can be used for introduction of suitable species in range improvement programs.


The Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus was until recently considered to be an accidental winter visitor to Morocco. Regular wintering was suspected in the north-west of the country but had been poorly documented. The ringing data collected in the Smir marshes (north-west Morocco) during the period 2004–2008 indicate that Eurasian Penduline Tits regularly winter in Morocco. During the study period, 50 birds were caught on 68 occasions. The intra-seasonal recapture data, i.e. autumn to the following spring, and winter observations showed that some individuals over-wintered locally at this site. The inter-annual recapture data indicate that wintering birds return regularly to the Smir marshes.