We investigated the thermoelectric properties of flat-stacked 5,15-diphenylporphyrins containing divalent metal ions Ni, Co, Cu or Zn, which are strongly coordinated with the nitrogens of pyridyl coated gold electrodes. Changing metal atom has little effect on the thermal conductance due to the phonons. The room-temperature Seebeck coefficients of these junctions are rather high, ranging from 90 μV K-1 for Cu, Ni and Zn-porphyrins to -16 μV K-1 for Co-porphyrin. These values could be further increased by lowering molecular energy levels relative to the DFT-predicted Fermi energy. In contrast, the phonon contribution to the thermal conductance of these junctions is rather insensitive to the choice of metal atom. The thermopower, thermal conductance and electrical conductance combined to yield the room-temperature values for the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT ranging from 1.6 for Cu porphyrin to ∼0.02 for Ni-porphyrin.


Atmospheric aerosols contribute significantly to the uncertainty in radiative forcing effects that influence the climate and pose a significant health risk to humans.   The climatic implications of aerosols are dependent on many variables, including aerosol size, shape, chemical composition, and position in the atmospheric column. The radiative impact of aerosols transported over the west coast of southern Africa has been found, in particular, to be complicated by the aforementioned aerosol properties.  This study investigated the columnar optical properties of aerosols over Gobabeb, Namibia (23.56oS, 15.04oE, 400 m asl) using sunphotometer data between December 2014 and November 2015. Aerosol mean optical depth AOD500 had its maximum and minimum values in 2015 August (0.37±0.30) and June (0.06±0.02), respectively. The Angström parameter was mostly above unity during the study period and indicated the prevalence of fine particles for the most part of the year with maximum and minimum values observed in August 2015 (1.44±0.19) and December 2014 (0.57±0.19), respectively. The columnar water vapor was highest in January (2.62±0.79) and lowest in June (0.76±0.27). The volume size distribution showed the fine particles having a mean radius of about 0.16 μm and the coarse mode had variation in sizes with a radius ranging between 3 μm and 7 μm. The single scattering albedo at visible wavelengths ranged between 0.87 and 0.88. The phase function was high at small angles but minimum at about 140o in all seasons. The radiative forcing showed a heating effect in all seasons with maximum and minimum in winter (9.41 Wm-2) and autumn (3.64 Wm-2), respectively. Intercomparison of the sunphotometer data with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) showed that the satellite sensor overestimates the aerosol loading compared to the ground-based sunphotometer measurements. Both sets of observations were better correlated during the spring and winter seasons than for summer and autumn.


Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP) produced molecules with spin polarisation levels that are up to three orders of magnitude larger than their thermal equilibrium values. Most DNP mechanisms work at temperatures of 2 K and lower, meaning that the sample is stored in the solid-state. Combining DNP with a rapid temper- ature jump to room temperature allows liquid-state NMR analysis with a signal that is ve orders of magnitude higher than observed with thermal polarisation. However, the information obtained during a dissolution experiment is limited by the intrinsic liquid-state longitudinal relaxation of the spins of interest. is thesis looks to increase the information acquired in a number of ways. First, by devel- oping a new dissolution system for the dual iso-centre magnet it was possible to reproducibly perform enhanced NMR acquisition 600 ms following sample disso- lution. is has allowed the observation of hyperpolarised 13C spins with T1 times as low as 200 ms. Complimentary information can be obtained following sample dissolution by observing multiple spin species simultaneously. 13C and 15N spins are both polarised by microwave irradiation of the same frequency, so both can be analysed during a single dissolution DNP experiment. A novel probe has been used that contains six individual 13C microcoils. ese coils are separated in space and operate independently. is probe, in conjunction with dissolution DNP, can be used for observing dynamic molecular information on the time scale of 200 ms, however with further development this time scale should drop to less than 100 ms while maintaining a required minimum spectral resolution. Initial tests have been performed with both thermally polarised and hyperpolarised samples.


Since the onset of production in 1993, extraction and injection in Strathspey has focused on the central region of the field, around the 'Central Fault'. Analysis of RFT measurements from intermittent, but regular drilling on either side of this fault has allowed reconstruction of footwall/hanging wall pore-pressure fields for particular time instances. Comparison of these similar age pressure fields shows the Central Fault capable of maintaining up to 1300 psi pressure differentials. The results of the pressure analysis were used to calibrate a fault seal attribute, termed Shale Gouge Ratio (SGR) which is an estimate of clay concentration within fault gouge, mapped across the surface of the Central Fault. The calibration showed that as SGR increases, so does the measured pressure differential across the fault. This positive relationship between SGR and pressure differential suggests SGR is a guide to potential fluid-flow resistance exerted by faults. We therefore suggest that SGR can potentially be used as a guide to defining differences in permeability within and between faults in a given field. This 'scaleability' of SGR as an indicator of fault permeability within a field could provide hitherto unachievable flexibility in the systematic modelling of the hydraulic behaviour of faults during fluid flow simulations.


The historical moment when a person worked in front of a single computer has passed. Computers are now ubiquitous and embedded in virtually every new device and system, connecting our personal and professional activities to ever-expanding information resources with previously unimaginable computational power. Yet with all the increases in capacity, speed, and connectivity, our experiences too often remain difficult, awkward, and frustrating. Even after six decades of design evolution there is little of the naturalness and contextual sensitivity required for convivial interaction with computer-mediated information. We envision a future in which the existing world of documents and applications is linked to a multiscale personalized information space in which dynamic visual entities behave in accordance with cognitively motivated rules sensitive to tasks, personal and group interaction histories, and context. The heart of the project is to rethink the nature of computer-mediated information as a basis to begin to fully realize the potential of computers to assist information-based activities. This requires challenging fundamental presuppositions that have led to today's walled gardens and information silos. Our goal is to catalyze an international research community to rethink the nature of information as a basis for radically advancing the human-centered design of information-based work and helping to ensure the future is one of convivial, effective, and humane systems. In this paper, we propose a new view of information systems, discuss cognitive requirements for a human-centered information space, and sketch a research agenda and approach.


The rate of new drug development has stagnated, in spite of large increases in both private and public sector spending on biomedical research. The flip side of slower progress is higher drug costs. The cost of developing new drugs has been rising at an average real rate of more than 7 percent since 1987. This report considers the ways in which government patent monopolies distort incentives so that pharmaceutical companies may not opt to minimize research costs. It documents some of the perverse incentives created by patent monopolies in drugs.


Periodically textured metallic films are discussed as a method of extracting light from thin-film emissive devices. The proposed scheme involves coupling the emitters to a surface plasmon polariton mode of the structure and producing useful radiation by scattering this mode off periodic microstructure. The concepts involved are developed and the details associated with several specific candidate structures explored. The potential of these structures to enhance the emissive process is assessed, and possible problems, especially loss in the metal, are discussed.


Industry and academia are continuously becoming more data-driven and data-intensive, relying on the analysis of a wide variety of heterogeneous datasets to gain insights. The different data models and formats pose a significant challenge on performing analysis over a combination of diverse datasets. Serving all queries using a single, general-purpose query engine is slow. On the other hand, using a specialized engine for each heterogeneous dataset increases complexity: queries touching a combination of datasets require an integration layer over the different engines.

This paper presents a system design that natively supports heterogeneous data formats and also minimizes query execution times. For multi-format support, the design uses an expressive query algebra which enables operations over various data models. For minimal execution times, it uses a code generation mechanism to mimic the system and storage most appropriate to answer a query fast. We validate our design by building Proteus, a query engine which natively supports queries over CSV, JSON, and relational binary data, and which specializes itself to each query, dataset, and workload via code generation. Proteus outperforms state-of-the-art open-source and commercial systems on both synthetic and real-world workloads without being tied to a single data model or format, all while exposing users to a single query interface.


The crucial role of crustose coralline algae (CCA) in inducing hard coral larval settlement and ensuring the replenishment of coral reefs is widely accepted, and so are the negative effects of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on both CCA abundance and coral development. However, diversified and well-developed coral reef communities have been recently discovered in natural conditions where CCA and corals would not be expected to thrive. Back-reef pools, volcanic CO2 vents, mangrove estuaries, and semi-enclosed lagoons systems can present seawater pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen values reaching or even exceeding the conditions currently predicted by the Inter Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for 2100. In the semi-enclosed lagoon of Bouraké (New Caledonia, southwest Pacific Ocean), seawater pHT, dissolved oxygen, and temperatures regularly fluctuate with the tide reaching respectively minimum values of 7.23 pHT units, 2.28 mg O2 L-1, and maximum of 33.85°C. This study reports the effect of such extreme environmental conditions on hard coral recruitment and CCA originally settled at a forereef on artificial substrates that were transplanted over two years in two fringing reef and at the Bouraké lagoon. Our data emphasize the negative effects of the extreme conditions in our study sites on the CCA, which decreased in cover by ca. 80% and lost in the competition with turf algae, which, in turn, increased up to 162% at the end of the two years. Conversely, hard coral recruitment remained high at Bouraké throughout the study, three-fold higher than at two sites located outside Bouraké where environmental conditions were typical for coastal fringing reefs. Our findings show that while such extreme, climate change like-conditions have a direct and adverse effect on CCA abundance, and despite a certain persistence, coral larvae settlement was not affected. Based on previous findings from Bouraké, and the present observations, both coral recruits and adults seem to be unaffected despite the extreme environmental conditions. This study supports previous research illustrating how extreme natural and variable environments may reveal unexpected and positive insights on the processes underlying coral acclimatization and adaptation to global change.


From the beginning of the 20th century, the use of insulation materials has become a necessity and the production of appropriate materials for insulation is of great importance. Although most insulation materials are produced from inorganic materials, recently, some of these materials have been prohibited due to their suspected health risks. Thus, it is important to look for new materials that can overcome these defects and provide more benefits related to human comfort, environment and health. In this work, we focus on the applying of linters made of textile waste in acoustic insulation. The acoustic parameters were, then, studied for an interval of frequency varied between 350 and 5500 Hz using a kund tube with one microphone. The moisture and thickness effects were analysed for the same frequencies interval. This structure has a sound absorption coefficient greater than 0.55, it varies around 0.96 for the frequencies superior to 2500 Hz and present a minor peak at 1500 Hz. Its reduced impedance ranging for 500 to 2500 Rylds. The moisture has a minor negative effect on the acoustic insulation but the increasing of thickness can promote the sound insulation: extend the optimal insulation range of frequencies.


The authors construct three financial conditions indexes (FCIs) for Canada based on three approaches: an IS-curve-based model, generalized impulse-response functions, and factoranalysis. Each approach is intended to address one or more criticisms of the monetary conditions index (MCI) and existing FCIs. To evaluate their three FCIs, the authors consider five performance criteria: the consistency of each FCI's weight with economic theory, its graphical ability to predict turning points in the business cycle, its dynamic correlation with output, its in-sample fit in explaining output, and its out-of-sample performance in forecasting output. Using monthly data, the authors find, in general, that housing prices, equity prices, and bond yield risk premiums, in addition to short- and long-term interest rates and the exchange rate, are significant in explaining output from 1981 to 2000. They also find that the FCIs outperform the Bank of Canada's MCI in many areas.


The influence of the oxygen substoichiometry and of the hydrogen incorporation on the electronic structure of amorphous tungsten oxide films was investigated. It was found that both of them cause the appearance of intermediate bands (IBs) within the energy gap; approximately 3 and 1 eV below the edge of the conduction band (CB), respectively. The hydrogen is incorporated into the W–O network bonding either to the oxygen or to the tungsten ions. In the former case, the electronic structure of the material retains the characteristics of amorphous stoichiometric tungsten oxide with, additionally, the two IBs. In the latter case, the electronic structure of tungsten oxide is seriously perturbed because in addition to the IBs the 1s orbitals of the hydrogen also contribute to the formation of the edges of valence and CBs causing the delocalization of electrons. Carriers donated by the incorporated hydrogen ions are excited in the CB, causing plasma oscillations and red shifting photoluminescence.


The present work concerns the simulation of metallurgical evolutions in 3D multi-pass forming processes. In this context, the analyzed problem is twofold. One point refers to the management of the microstructure evolution during each pass or each inter-pass period and the other point concerns the management of the multi-pass aspects (different grain categories, data structure). In this framework, a model is developed and deals with both aspects. The model considers the microstructure as a composite made of a given (discretized) number of phases which have their own specific properties. The grain size distribution and the recrystallized volume fraction distribution of the different phases evolve continuously during a pass or inter-pass period. With this approach it is possible to deal with the heterogeneity of the microstructure and its evolution in multi-pass conditions. Both dynamic and static recrystallization phenomena are taken into account, with typical Avrami-type equations. The present model is implemented in the Finite Element code FORGE2005®. 3D numerical simulation results for a multi-pass process are presented.


An extension of the problem of a moderately focused Gaussian beam scattered by an arrangement of two parallel nonabsorbing dielectric cylinders of arbitrary refraction indexes and radii is developed. The feature introduced in the present solution is the relative angular position coordinate between the two cylinders (phi(0)) as a degree of freedom. Explicit dependence on this variable of scattering coefficients, beam shape coefficient, and extinction efficiency is given. Together with the displacement coordinate d, various other scattering configurations can be studied. The applicability of the solution is given in the form of extinction curves taking phi(0) as the main parameter for variation. The model is proposed as a means of investigating evanescent wave microscopy.


Abstract Diabetic patients are 10 times more likely to develop Acinetobacter baumannii infections than the rest of the population. Carbapenems are considered one of the very few antibiotics left to treat infections caused by this organism. The aim of this work was to characterise A. baumannii strains isolated from diabetic patients and to investigate whether there is a relationship between certain strains and low-level-carbapenem resistance. Methods: Clinical samples were collected from diabetic patients in hospitals throughout Saudi Arabia from December 2006 to April 2007. API 20 NE, polymorphisms in the 16S-23S-rRNA intergenic region and the presence of a bla OXA-51-like gene were all used for identification. Susceptibility to antimicrobials was determined using agar dilution and disk diffusion methods. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) coupled with sequence analysis of the bla OXA-51-like genes were used for strain characterization. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR were used to screen for the presence and location of ISAba1 elements and bla OXA-23-like bla OXA-40-like, and bla OXA-58- like genes respectively. Results: twenty isolates were identified as A. baumannii and were all highly resistant to 38% of the antibiotics tested and the majority of isolates were also resistant to 50% of the remaining antibiotics. four strains had low-level meropenem resistance (MIC 4 – 8 mg/L). All isolates were sensitive to imipenem and colistin. Nine strains possessed four novel bla OXA-51-like genes encoding β-lactamases designated OXA-90, OXA-130, OXA-131 and OXA-132, and four strains contained bla OXA-131 with ISAba1 upstream of the gene structure. PFGE showed five separate clusters of OXA-51-like enzymes and the dissemination of strains carrying the four novel enzymes was clonal. This study showed that new strains of A. baumannii characterised by their new bla OXA-51-like gene have emerged. No genes encoding OXA-23-like, OXA-40-like, or OXA-58-like β-lactamases were found. Surveillance of A. baumannii harbouring the bla OXA-131-like gene may be an essential step in monitoring their carbapenem resistance phenotype and may assist in preventing their spread in diabetics.


In recent years, climate change has received considerable attention by the scientific community at different scales concerning its potential impacts on Earth system processes. This study focused at local scale by analysing trends in rainfall and temperature data for the West Bank–East London area in South Africa, spanning 36 years from 1975–2011. Sen's and Man-Kendall non-parametric tests were performed on derived mean observed rainfall and temperature data to establish trends for monthly, seasonal, annual, and 30 year (1975–2005 and 1980–2011) climatic regimes. Results revealed that, 1977 recorded the highest annual rainfall (2272.9 mm) while the month of August received the highest total rainfall (493.8 mm) in 2002, whereas it never had rain in 1995. Seasonal and annual rainfall showed statistically no significant trend (at a = 0.10) while the magnitude of change varied between 1.87 mm (January) and -1.67 mm (September) across the study period. Rainfall decreased by 13.99 mm within the two climatic regimes. On the other hand, maximum and minimum annual mean temperature experienced an increasingly statistically significant trend (at a < 0.05) at 95% confidence level. February recorded the highest mean monthly temperature (21.8 °C) while July with the lowest (12.6 °C). Seasonal mean maximum temperature trends were statistically not significant (a = 0.10) while autumn minimum temperatures revealed a statistically significant trend (at a < 0.1). However, the period 1990-1999 predominantly experienced numerous extreme events. The seasonal trends showed substantial variability across the months and years during the study period. The significance of these findings lies in the linkage of rainfall and temperature to climate change and its potential impacts on vegetation in particular and changes in the ecology in general.


The present investigation pertains to the effect of surfactants on the oscillatory behavior of the catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction having pyrogallol as organic substrate in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at 30±0.1 oC. The surfactants used in this study are sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as the anionic surfactant, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the cationic surfactant and triton x-100 (TX-100) as the neutral surfactant. The results revealed that the addition of the surfactants above their critical micelle concentration (cmc) influenced the oscillatory parameters with induction period showing a definite variation with the increasing concentration of aforesaid surfactants. It is noteworthy to mention that the ability of micelles to selectively compartmentalize ions and molecules may account for their effects on the induction period, amplitude and time period of the BZ system under investigation.


CONSPECTUS: Incorporation of chemically modified nucleotide scaffolds into nucleic acids to form assemblies rich in function is an innovative area with great promise for nanotechnology and biomedical and material science applications. The intrinsic biorecognition potential of nucleic acids combined with advanced properties of the locked nucleic acids (LNAs) provide opportunities to develop new nanomaterials and devices like sensors, aptamers, and machines. In this Account, we describe recent research on preparation and investigation of the properties of LNA/DNA hybrids containing functionalized 2'-amino-LNA nucleotides. By application of different chemical reactions, modification of 2'-amino-LNA scaffolds can be efficiently performed in high yields and with various tags, postsynthetically or during the automated oligonucleotide synthesis. The choice of a synthetic method for scaffolding along 2'-amino-LNA mainly depends on the chemical nature of the modification, its price, its availability, and applications of the product. One of the most useful applications of the product LNA/DNA scaffolds containing 2'-amino-LNA is to detect complementary DNA and RNA targets. Examples of these applications include sensing of clinically important single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imaging of nucleic acids in vitro, in cell culture, and in vivo. According to our studies, 2'-amino-LNA scaffolds are efficient within diagnostic probes for DNA and RNA targets and as therapeutics, whereas both 2'-amino- and isomeric 2'-α-l-amino-LNA scaffolds have promising properties for stabilization and detection of DNA nanostructures. Attachment of fluorescent groups to the 2'-amino group results in very high fluorescent quantum yields of the duplexes and remarkable sensitivity of the fluorescence signal to target binding. Notably, fluorescent LNA/DNA probes bind nucleic acid targets with advantages of high affinity and specificity. Thus, molecular motion of nanodevices and programmable self-assembly of chemically modified LNA/DNA nanomaterials can be followed by bright fluorescence signaling from the functionalized LNA units. Another appealing aspect of the amino-LNA scaffolds is specific targeting of nucleic acids and proteins for therapeutic applications. 2'-Amino-LNA/DNA conjugates containing peptide and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) groups are promising in this context as well as for advanced imaging and diagnostic purposes in vivo. For imaging applications, photostability of fluorescence dyes is of crucial importance. Chemically stable and photostable fluorescent PAH molecules attached to 2'-amino functionality of the 2'-amino-LNA are potent for in vitro and in vivo imaging of DNA and RNA targets. We believe that rational evolution of the biopolymers of Nature may solve the major challenges of the future material science and biomedicine. However, this requires strong scientific progress and efficient interdisciplinary research. Examples of this Account demonstrate that among other synthetic biopolymers, synthetic nucleic acids containing functionalized 2'-amino-LNA scaffolds offer great opportunities for material science, diagnostics, and medicine of the future.


The purpose and procedure section in each issue of EvidenceBased Medicine describes the criteria for selecting articles for inclusion. The journals read are listed at http://hiru.mcmaster. ca/hiru/journalslist.asp. All articles that meet our criteria in the reviewed journals are cited in Evidence-Based Medicine, but there is not enough space to abstract them all. The following articles passed all criteria but were not abstracted. Practising clinicians rated them for clinical relevance and newsworthiness, and the mean scores are displayed. A fuller list of articles and a sample of the rating form are available on the Evidence-Based Medicine website (http://ebm.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/14/4/e1).


Mineral inclusions and coexisting minerals of gem corundum from the Thailand area analysed by SEM-EDS in this study can be divided into sapphire and ruby suites. The sapphire suite includes alkali feldspar (sanidine), nepheline, zircon, hercynite-spinel series and magnetite-hercynite series. The ruby suite includes garnet (pyrope), high-Al diopside ('fassaite') and sapphirine. The mineral chemistry and other data suggest that Thai rubies could have crystallized in high-pressure metamorphic rock of ultramafic/mafic composition. In contrast, Thai area sapphires could have crystallized in high-grade metamorphic (gneissic) rock or from magmas of highly alkaline composition, located at shallower levels in the lithosphere than those hosting the Thai rubies.


This study demonstrates high-repetition-rate planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of both cold (~300 K) and hot (~2400 K) nitric oxide (NO) at a framing rate of 10 kHz. The laser system is composed of a frequency-doubled dye laser pumped by the third harmonic of a 10 kHz Nd:YAG laser to generate continuously pulsed laser radiation at 226 nm for excitation of NO. The laser-induced fluorescence signal is detected using a high-frame rate, intensified CMOS camera, yielding a continuous cinematographic propagation of the NO plume where data acquisition duration is limited only by camera memory. The pulse energy of the beam is ~20 μJ with a spectral width ~0.15 cm(-1), though energies as high as 40 μJ were generated. Hot NO is generated by passing air through a DC transient-arc plasma torch that dissociates air. The plasma torch is also used to ignite and sustain a CH(4)/air premixed flame. Cold NO is imaged from a 1% NO flow (buffered by nitrogen). The estimated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the cold seeded flow and air plasma exceeds 50 with expected NO concentrations of 6000-8000 parts per million (ppm, volume basis). Images show distinct, high-contrast boundaries. The plasma-assisted flame images have an SNR of less than 10 for concentrations reaching 1000 ppm. For many combustion applications, the pulse energy is insufficient for PLIF measurements. However, the equipment and strategies herein could be applied to high-frequency line imaging of NO at concentrations of 10-100 ppm. Generation of 226 nm radiation was also performed using sum-frequency mixing of the 532 nm pumped dye laser and 355 nm Nd:YAG third harmonic but was limited in energy to 14 μJ. Frequency tripling a 532 nm pumped dye laser produced 226 nm radiation at energies comparable to the 355 nm pumping scheme.


A multiple interferometer is proposed and stimulated Raman radiation, stimulated Mandel'stam–Brillouin radiation, and Cerenkov-type optical parametric oscillation are considered in this interferometer, which is excited by an external light beam. An extremely low threshold intensity of the exciting beam is noted. Optical bistability and hysteresis, self-pulsing of the radiation intensities, amplification of amplitude-phase deviations in the incident pumping beam, limitation of the intensity of the beam transmitted by the interferometer, and nonlinear reflection of the beam from the multiple interferometer are predicted and discussed. It is also noted that the threshold for generation of the second Stokes component of stimulated Raman radiation and stimulated Mandel'stam–Brillouin radiation under the conditions discussed is usually not achieved, even for high excess of the exciting beam intensity over the threshold for generation of the first Stokes component.


Variation is ubiquitous in software. Many applications can benefit from making this variation explicit, then manipulating and computing with it directly---a technique we call "variational programming". This idea has been independently discovered in several application domains, such as efficiently analyzing and verifying software product lines, combining bounded and symbolic model-checking, and computing with alternative privacy profiles. Although these
domains share similar core problems, and there are also many similarities in the solutions, there is no dedicated programming language support for variational programming. This makes the various implementations tedious, prone to errors, hard to maintain and reuse, and difficult to compare.

In this paper we present a calculus that forms the basis of a programming language with explicit support for representing, manipulating, and computing with variation in programs and data. We illustrate how such a language can simplify the implementation of variational programming tasks. We present the syntax and semantics of the core calculus, a sound type system, and a type inference algorithm that produces principal types.


AbstractPurpose: This paper examines the ways in which popular women's magazines construct the notions of female beauty and identity and the extent to which the representation reflects the 'real' woman in (sub) cultural locations such as Sabah, Malaysia. Given advertising's ubiquity and omnipresence, it is of concern in the developing world that it has become a powerful social force capable of constructing consumer identities and influencing purchasing decisions on a regular basis.Method: This study is underpinned by semiology and constructivism and deploys semiotics (de Saussure, 1983) to deconstruct signs and discover the deeper ideological function of advertising and promotion. International and local Malaysian magazine front covers and product advertisements were selected for a semiotic reading.Findings/Results: Both international and local magazines portray women in sexualized ways and despite attempts made by locally distributed international magazines such as Cosmopolitan to localize images, models continue to represent mainstream global-national values of beauty, filling locally distributed women's magazine pages with images of the perfect woman. Likewise, despite the desire of locally produced magazines to represent local values and ideals of beauty, mainstream global values appear to be determining factors even in family-oriented Islamic-value based magazines such as Keluarga Harmoni.Implications: Thus in local and international magazines distributed in Malaysia the notions of beauty remain almost the same, the single difference being the promotion of local products associated with local celebrities in the former and international products associated with Western celebrities in the latter.Keywords: Deconstruction, semiotics, constructing female identity.IntroductionMarketers and business strategists have tended to mainly focus on the virtues of promotional culture (Wernick, 1999) and on how advertising supports the economy and enhances consumer spending and revenue (Pollay, 1986:19). While marketers and business strategists may be reluctant to criticize the effects of advertising, there is a great need to bring to public knowledge the fact that advertising does have adverse effects on certain groups of people, in particular, young women and children. Advertisers, in the main, target those who are seen to have purchasing and credit power as well as those who have the power to influence purchasing decisions. Women's magazines are a particularly lucrative market for advertisers as, by and large, women are the primary consumers of goods and services. Women in Malaysia aged between 15-64 make up 46.4 percent of the workforce (http://www.undp.org.my/files/editor_files/files/Prodocs%20with%20UNDP%20logo/Women_Par ticipation_in_Labour_Workforce.pdf). In many cases, women are the rice-bowl winners and are increasingly financially independent. They make household purchasing decisions, shop for the family and have a major influence in the domestic sphere. Studies (e.g. McCracken, 1993: 6) point out that 95 percent of space in women's magazines is taken up by advertising. This is of grave concern because the level of media literacy among young Malaysian women may be much lower than that of their counterparts in the developed world despite high mobile (121 phones per 100 females) and Internet use (55 users per 100 females) as reflected in the 2010 UNICEF report (http://www.unicef.or/infobycountry/malaysia_statistics.html).The Malaysian school curriculum does not yet offer media and internet studies as a subject for young Malaysians and the impact of advertising on the lives of Malaysian women does not seem to be debated and rationalized widely enough in the public sphere despite the prevalence of consumer protection bodies such as the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Association (FOMCA), Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), self-regulatory agencies such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and codes of practice such as the Malaysian Code of Advertising Practice and the presence of women activist organisations such as Sisters in Islam (SII), and All Women's Action Society Malaysia (AWAM). …


Under the Biological Species Concept species are groups of interbreeding individuals that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. A common form of isolation in animals is intrinsic postzygotic isolation via hybrid sterility/inviability. There is a strong consensus that hybrid dysfunctions are caused by epistatic interactions between incompatible alleles from different loci (Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities). The identification of genes that contribute to reproductive isolation between taxa is critical to the understanding of the process of speciation, but identifying such genes has proven to be difficult. It appears that regulatory evolution might play an important role in postzygotic isolation and the formation of species. The present study employs a whole genome microarray approach to identify genes with regulatory differences between three subspecies of the house mouse, Mus musculus musculus, M. m. domesticus and M. m. castaneus. The within-locus mode of inheritance for gene expression was assessed for three different tissues (brain, liver and testis) by studying the subspecies and their male reciprocal F1 hybrids. The vast majority of transcripts are additively expressed in the hybrids with only few transcripts showing dominance or overdominance in expression except for one direction of one cross, which shows large misexpression in the testis. The reliability of the observed pattern was ensured by three different analysis methods as well as control experiments. The results suggest that additivity is the general mode of inheritance regarding gene expression changes between house mouse subspecies. Differentially expressed transcripts provide promising candidate genes that could be related to reproductive isolation through regulatory incompatibilities. Several transcripts with expression differences between M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus were selected for further investigation. A validation approach using quantitative Real-Time PCR strongly emphasizes the need for confirmation of microarray candidate genes. The results show that sequence differences even between closely related taxa have the potential to influence expression data from both microarray and follow-up validation approaches. As divergent gene expression evolution between taxa may be entirely neutral, samples from a transect of the natural musculus-domesticus hybrid zone in Bavaria were analyzed in order to assess functional consequences for two candidate genes. Both genes show large expression differences between the subspecies. The analysis revealed that it is unlikely that the two genes contribute to reproductive isolation between the subspecies as no sign of limited introgression is evident. Rather, the hybrid zone approach in combination with population genetic analyses suggests adaptive introgression of those alleles that are associated with high expression levels. In both cases, the high expression phenotype represents the derived state and is associated with reduced levels of nucleotide polymorphism and a negative Tajima's D. For both genes, regulatory and protein-coding evolution is decoupled and the expression difference results from cis- rather than trans-acting changes.


Title: Job characteristics, burnout and negative work-home interference in a nursing environment. Key terms: Job characteristics, job demands, job resources, burnout, negative work-home interference, nursing environment. Within the health care sector in South Africa, the nursing profession is known as one of the four most stressful work environments, which is characterised by high workload, staff shortages and overcrowding situations. This stressful and emotionally draining environment can be the cause for large numbers of nurses experiencing symptoms of burnout and negative work-home interference. However, there seems to be a lack of research investigating specific job demands and job resources associated with burnout and negative work-home interaction in a nursing environment. The first objective of this study was to determine the construct validity and reliability of the adapted Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS). The second objective was to determine which job characteristics within the nursing environment predict burnout and negative work-home interference (WHI). The last objective was to determine whether negative WHI mediated between the most prominent job characteristics and burnout within the nursing environment and whether it was a partial or full mediating effect. A crosssectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 300) were taken from nurses working in the Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Pretoria and Potchefstroom areas. A job characteristics questionnaire, the 'Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen' (SWING) and an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson productmoment correlations, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Regarding the first objective, it was found that burnout consists of exhaustion and mental distance, whereas cynicism and depersonalisation collapse into one dimension (e.g. mental distance). Regarding the second objective, the results indicated that the most prominent job demands and job resources associated with exhaustion are pressure, autonomy, role clarity, colleague support and financial support. It seemed that mental distance is primarily predicted by role clarity, colleague support and financial support, while negative work-home interference is predicted by pressure, time demands, role clarity and colleague support. Results obtained for the last objective provided evidence for a partial mediating role of negative WHI in the relationship between the most prominent job characteristics (pressure, role clarity and colleague support) and burnout (consisting of exhaustion and mental distance). Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research.


The main objective of this study was to retrospectively report our institutional outcomes with the long-term management of neurogenic bladder in spinal cord injury patients. Specifically to: (A) report the association of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) with the long-term use of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) in our population of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. (B) Secondly, to evaluate the use of retroperitoneal ultrasound for long-term renal tract surveillance in injured patients. (C) And thirdly, to describe our experience with the use of the lowsley retractor method for suprapubic cystostmy in patients with neurogenic bladder. Subjects were selected from patients followed by one physician at the Yale Urology Medical Group and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. To address objectives (A) and (B), patients were identified after a search of the Financial Department's database with diagnosis codes for "neurgenic bladder" and "Spinal cord injury." Patients seen between the years 2000 to 2010 were included in the study. For objective (C), patients were identified with diagnosis code for "cystostomy" and patients seen between 1995 and 2010 were included in the study. For objective (A), 51 male and 10 female subjects were managed with CIC. 41 (67%) subjects were placed on medical prophylaxis (PRx) for symptomatic recurrent UTI. 28 (72%) subjects were started on PRx within 2 years after initiation of CIC. 48 SCI patients were included in objective (B). Mean follow-up was 6.8 years. By final followup 7 (15%) subjects had moderate/minimal hydronephrosis. 4 (8%) cases were new compared to initial assessment. No severe cases of hydronephrosis were noted. For objective (C), 49 primary catheter placements were performed on 44 patients. Operationtime documented in 19 (39%) cases was 20.2 min (5.5) (range: 11-31 min). Blood loss was minimal and there were no intra-operative complications or cases of incorrect catheter placements. The improved life expectancy of SCI patients in recent decades makes long-term complications of neurogenic bladder management more pertinent. Although CIC is the current standard of care following SCI, recurrent UTI remains a major complication in patients using this technique. Due to a lack of standard guidelines for long-term renal tract monitoring in injured patients, there is wide variation in surveillance strategies. Our results suggest that annual retroperitoneal ultrasound is effective for renal tract monitoring rather than subjecting patients to annual urodynamic testing. Furthermore, the improved anticholinergic therapy makes suprapubic catheters an acceptable alternative to intermittent catheterization. Our findings support the use of the lowsley retractor method of suprapubic catheter placement as a safe and effective method for isolated suprapubic cystostomy in neurogenic bladder patients.


This study is the first reported administration of 1α‐hydroxyvitamin D2 (1α‐OHD2) to human subjects. A total of 15 postmenopausal osteopenic women were given increasing oral doses of 1α‐OHD2, beginning with a low dose of 0.5 μg/day. In 15 subjects, the doses were raised at weekly intervals to 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 5.0 μg/day, and in 5 of these subjects, the dose was further increased to 8.0 or 10.0 μg/day. Mean urine calcium ± SEM showed a dose‐related increase from 134 ± 17 mg/24 h on 0.5 μg/day to 198 ± 21 mg/24 h on 4.0 μg/day (p < 0.05) and to 241 ± 35 mg/24 h on 5.0 μg/day (p < 0.05). No subjects had hypercalciuria (>350 mg/24 h, the upper limit of the laboratory normal range) at doses less than 5.0 μg/day; 5 subjects had hypercalciuria at or above 5.0 μg/day (3 at 5.0 μg/day, 1 at 8.0 μg/day, and 1 at 10.0 μg/day). Mean serum calcium increased slightly on the 4.0 μg dose only (p < 0.05) but remained well within the normal range. Mean creatinine clearance and BUN, used as measures of renal function, showed no significant changes. Routine blood and urine assays also showed no significant changes. Serum osteocalcin, a marker of osteoblast activity, showed mean ± SEM dose‐related increases of 10 ± 7% on 1.0 μg/day (p < 0.05), 19 ± 7% on 2.0 μg/day (p < 0.05), 21 ± 6% on 4.0 μg/day (p < 0.05), and 28% on 5.0 μg/day (p < 0.05); in the 5 subjects receiving higher dosages, mean serum osteocalcin increased 32 ± 12% on 8.0 μg/day and 55 ± 29% on 10.0 μg/day. Mean urine hydroxyproline/creatinine ratios did not change significantly at any dose of 1α‐OHD2 but trended downward with increasing dosages. These findings indicate that 1α‐OHD2 is well tolerated at dosages that stimulate osteoblastic activity, as evidenced by increased serum osteocalcin, and that 1α‐OHD2 may be a useful agent for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.


ABSTRACT Aim: Following release of COU-AA-301 pivotal trial data, a global early access protocol (EAP) was opened to enable preapproval access to abiraterone acetate (AA) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients (pts) who had progressed after 1 or 2 chemotherapy regimens, 1 of which contained a taxane, and for whom no approved alternative treatment was available. In COU-AA-301, AA + prednisone (P) significantly prolonged median overall survival by 4.6 months in post-docetaxel mCRPC pts, with a 26% reduction (hazard ratio = 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64-0.86]; p Methods: Globally, 2314 mCRPC pts were enrolled and 98.5% of pts had previously received docetaxel. Of those enrolled, 1171 (51%) were European. Pts received AA (1000 mg/d PO) + P (5 mg bid) and continued on the EAP until disease progression, or until AA became available and reimbursed in the respective country. The primary end point was the number of clinically important adverse events (AEs), including ≥ Grade 3 or serious AEs (NCI-CTCAE v 4.0) occurring during treatment and within 30 days of treatment discontinuation. Time to prostate-specific antigen progression (TTPP) and time to clinical progression (TTCP) were used to guide treatment decisions. Results: The median age of European pts was 71 years. 90% and 39% of pts had bone and soft-tissue metastases, respectively. Median duration of therapy was 6.4 months. Median TTPP (385 events) was 9.3 months (95% CI, 8.5-11) and median TTCP (412 events) was 13 months (95% CI, 12-14.8). Grade 3/4 AEs of special interest were hepatotoxicity (6.7%), hypertension (5.1%), cardiac disorders (1.5%), osteoporosis (1.1%), fluid retention/edema (0.9%), and hypokalemia (0.8%). Study discontinuations due to AEs or death were ≤ 8% each. Conclusions: These final analysis results reveal that AA + P is safe and effective across geographically diverse European investigational sites. This EAP enables an early insight into real-world clinical practice in a clinical trial framework. Disclosure: S. Bracarda: has served as an advisory board member for Jannsen, Astellas, Bayer, and Genentech; O. Capoun: has received travel and congress fee support from Janssen, Ipsen, and Astellas; G. Bodoky: has served as an advisory board member for Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, and GSK. I. Skoneczna: has received speaker fees from Janssen. A. Londhe, P. De Porre, D. Atlan, B. Goon, E. Lee, T. McGowan and A. Molina: is an employee of Janssen and holds stock in Johnson & Johnson; V. Naini: is an employee of Janssen; C.N. Sternberg: has received honoraria from Astellas, Johnson & Johnson, Ipsen, Bayer, and Millennium. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


Can a president commit obstruction of justice by terminating a criminal investigation? This question has become critical to the future of the Trump presidency.
When considering whether it is possible for the president to commit obstruction of justice by terminating an investigation, legal experts feel the pull of two conflicting ideas. On the one hand, it seems clear that a president who orders subordinates to lie to the FBI, destroys evidence, or bribes witnesses has committed obstruction of justice. This idea leads to the straightforward view that if the president acts with the corrupt purpose required for obstruction of justice, he can be guilty of that crime just as anyone else can. This republican view of presidential powers is probably the one held by most experts.
On the other hand, one may think that surely the president must be special by virtue of the Constitution's broad grant of executive power. The executive branch would be unduly hampered if there were constant scrutiny of the president's motives in exercising his authority. But an embrace of this idea without qualification leads to a royalist view of presidential powers.
Several others — including two former Justice Department officials, David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey, writing in The Wall Street Journal, but most notably Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz — have advocated a more nuanced position that seems to reconcile the two conflicting ideas, what I call the protected act view. Dershowitz rejects the royalist position: a president who lies to the FBI or authorizes the bribery of a witness is not exercising a power granted to the president by the Constitution, and therefore can be guilty of obstruction of justice. At the same time, Dershowitz argues that presidential actions "within [the president's] constitutional authority," such as firing an executive official or terminating an investigation, cannot be an obstruction of justice; in fact, a president acting within that authority, regardless of his purposes, cannot violate the law.
The protected act view has important implications for a potential impeachment proceeding. The constitutional standard for an impeachable offense — "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" — is best understood to require serious official misconduct, but not the commission of a crime. But since Dershowitz's protected act view implies that any presidential termination of an investigation is constitutionally authorized, impeachment for such an action could not be legally permissible. The view thus implies a constitutional bar to impeachment as well as to criminal prosecution.
The protected act view suffers from two fundamental flaws. First, despite Dershowitz's insistence to the contrary, it means that there is very little the president would not have constitutional authority to do. As I explain, the view comes close to collapsing into the royalist view, allowing the president to commit what would otherwise be serious crimes with impunity. Second, sound constitutional interpretation does not support the view's central claim. Moreover, the legitimate concern that the president's purposes should not be subjected to constant scrutiny by Congress or the courts can be substantially accommodated without accepting the extreme position that any presidential exercise of power is legally permissible.


Ever since Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and others launched crowdfunding platforms, there has been great demand for crowdfunding to move beyond in-kind rewards to equity, so that a broader group of people might share in the returns of the "next big idea." However, for the vast majority of people, getting in on the ground floor of an innovative, new startup via owning shares was not just out of reach, but out of bounds as well. To protect people from investing more than they could afford to lose and to guard against fraud, U.S. Securities laws made it illegal for early-stage startups to sell shares to regular people through online platforms. That is all about to change. Today, implementing rules for Title III go into effect, allowing for the first time, startups to solicit funds from anyone in exchange for shares via online platforms. However, the question remains, are equity crowdfunding platforms likely to attract the next "billion-dollar startup" and offer real opportunities for everyday investors to share in the profits? This policy brief considers this question through the emerging field of innovation science, applying a simple economic analysis to evaluate the likely impact and effect of the new equity crowdfunding rules. In short, the briefing finds: 1) Title III is not likely to provide either everyday investors or high-growth startup founders with significant new markets for funding the "next great idea"; 2) Title III could lead to novel opportunities for investment and experimentation, opening new avenues of funding for small businesses, means of building a committed user base, and vehicles for marketing and branding; 3) Through experimentation with new market design rules, data streams (e.g. integration with verifiable growth metrics) and milestone-based funding, equity crowdfunding platforms could improve the quality and type of startups they are able to attract; 4) Regulators should not lose sight of Title II — the provision of the JOBS Act permitting accredited investors to use equity crowdfunding — as an alternative pathway for achieving some of Title III's initial goals. While equity crowdfunding under Title III may not evolve as many may have originally hoped, it still may bring new forms of capital to small businesses and offer new and beneficial ways for people to connect with companies and causes about which they are passionate.


Abstract The goal of improving the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has attracted a great deal of attention. Many performance models of PEMFC have been developed. The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel modelling method for the performance of PEMFC based on fuzzy model identification and to present a simple and accurate T-S model of the performance of PEMFC. In this modelling method, only the experimental data of operating parameters, such as cell/stack temperature, pressure and humidity of reactant gas, and external load, are required; other property parameters that are difficult to obtain are not needed. Thus the modelling process is simplified. By contrast with the models proposed in the literature, the T-S model of the performance of PEMFC is simple and accurate. In addition, this model can be conveniently applied to control of PEMFC system.


The jambu is a broad vegetable consumption in Northern Brazil, especially in Para, known by the jambu and other common names is native to the Amazon region has been used and cultivated for culinary and also recently in natural medicines by their chemical properties, attributed to the spilanthol compound. Knowing the amount of nutrient uptake in plants, especially at the taken, it is important to evaluate the removal of nutrients necessary for economic fertilizer recommendations. So the goal of this project was to determine the accumulation of nutrients in plants of jambu (leaf and inflorescence) under different fertilizations. The experiment was conducted at Sao Manuel Experimental Farm UNESP. The statistical was arranged in the randomized block design, in a 2 x 6 factorial scheme, two sources of fertilizers (organic and mineral) and six doses of nitrogen, with four replications. We evaluated the macronutrients of accumulation N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and micronutrients of accumulation B, Cu, Fe and Zn in leaves and inflorescence. The plants responded more jambu nutrients of translocation phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sulfhur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in the inflorescences and phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mg), sulfur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in leaves to organic fertilization demonstrating the effectiveness of using this source of fertilizer nutrients indicating that this was a defining characteristic in response to the accumulation of nutrients in the leaves and inflorescences jambu. Plants jambu are more responsive to fertilizer for the mineral of translocation nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) for both the sheet and for the inflorescences of plants jambu.


The chlorinated precursor methyltrichlorosilane (MTS), CH3SiCl3, has been used to grow epitaxial layers of 4H-SiC in a hot wall CVD reactor, with growth rates as high as 170 µm/h at 1600°C. Since MTS contains both silicon and carbon, with the C/Si ratio 1, MTS was used both as single precursor and mixed with silane or ethylene to study the effect of the C/Si and Cl/Si ratios on growth rate and doping of the epitaxial layers. When using only MTS as precursor, the growth rate showed a linear dependence on the MTS molar fraction in the reactor up to about 100 µm/h. The growth rate dropped for C/Si < 1 but was constant for C/Si > 1. Further, the growth rate decreased with lower Cl/Si ratio.


Multi-agent active perception is a task where a team of agents cooperatively gathers observations to compute a joint estimate of a hidden variable. The task is decentralized and the joint estimate can only be computed after the task ends by fusing observations of all agents. The objective is to maximize the accuracy of the estimate. The accuracy is quantified by a centralized prediction reward determined by a centralized decision-maker who perceives the observations gathered by all agents after the task ends. In this paper, we model multi-agent active perception as a decentralized partially observable Markov decision process (Dec-POMDP) with a convex centralized prediction reward. We prove that by introducing individual prediction actions for each agent, the problem is converted into a standard Dec-POMDP with a decentralized prediction reward. The loss due to decentralization is bounded, and we give a sufficient condition for when it is zero. Our results allow application of any Dec-POMDP solution algorithm to multi-agent active perception problems, and enable planning to reduce uncertainty without explicit computation of joint estimates. We demonstrate the empirical usefulness of our results by applying a standard Dec-POMDP algorithm to multi-agent active perception problems, showing increased scalability in the planning horizon.


Short-term exposure of isolated rat hepatocytes to short- and medium-chain fatty acids led to an activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase as measured in digitonin-permeabilized hepatocytes. Up to a certain concentration, typical for each of the fatty acids used, fatty acid-dependent activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase coincided with an increase in the rate of fatty acid synthesis in intact hepatocytes, as determined by the incorporation of 3H from 3H2O water into fatty acids. At higher concentrations loss of stimulation of fatty acid synthesis occurred, but not the enhancement of carboxylase activity. With the fatty acids tested (C8:0-C14:0), the peak in fatty acid synthesis coincided with a peak in the level of malonyl-CoA. The onset of the stimulation of carboxylase activity coincided with the start of the peak in both fatty acid synthesis and malonyl-CoA. The longer the chain length of the fatty acid added, the lower the concentration at which the rate of fatty acid synthesis and the level of malonyl-CoA reached a peak and carboxylase activity started to become elevated. In cell suspensions incubated with increasing concentrations of fatty acids, accumulation of lactate decreased progressively. The latter observation, in combination with the fact that the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase is not always related to the rate of fatty acid biosynthesis, suggests that under these conditions not the activity of the carboxylase but the flux through the glycolytic sequence determines, at least in part, the rate of fatty acid synthesis de novo.


A camera-based model is established to predict the total difference for samples of metallic panels with effect coatings under directional illumination, and the testing results indicate that the model can precisely predict the total difference between samples with metallic coatings with satisfactory consistency to the visual data. Due to the limited amount of testing samples, the model performance should be further developed by increasing the training and testing samples.


An interplanetary (IP) shock is known to redistribute phase space density of magnetosphereic ions. Cluster satellite observations have shown that, soon after arrival of the IP shock, overall intensity of the ions rapidly increases and multiple energy dispersion appears in an energy-time spectrogram of the ions [Zong et al., 2012]. We have performed test particle simulation under the electric and magnetic fields provided by the global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation. The solar wind speed is increased from 372 to 500 km/s in order to reproduce the IP shock. The number density in the solar wind was set to a constant to be 5 cm-3, and the Z component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was turned from +5 to -5 nT. Just after the arrival of the IP shock, a fast mode wave propagates tailward in the magnetosphere. The amplitude of the electric field exceeds 20 mV/m. To reconstruct an energy-time spectrogram of the H+ ions at all MLTs at L = 5 ~ 10, we traced trajectories of the ions backward in time. The ions are accelerated nonadiabatically just after arrival of IP shock. Thus, the guiding center approximation is no longer valid. Knowing initial and final positions in 6-dimensional space, we mapped the phase space density, according to Liouville's theorem. We assumed that the phase space density of the ions is isotropic Maxwellian before the shock arrival. The calculated temperature anisotropy A (=Pperp/Ppara –1) is increased 0.3, which may favor the excitation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. We will discuss the evolution of the temperature anisotropy and possible growth of the EMIC waves.


Recent years have seen an explosion in methodologies for monitoring children's economic and social rights (ESR). Key examples include the development of indicators, benchmarks, child rights-based budget analysis and child rights impact assessments. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has praised such tools in its work and has actively promoted their usage. Troublingly, however, there are serious shortcomings in the Committee's approach to the ESR standards enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which threaten to impact upon the efficacy of such methodologies. This article argues that the Committee has failed to engage with the substantive obligations imposed by Article 4 and many of the specific ESR guaranteed in the CRC in sufficient depth. As a result, that body has not succeeded in outlining a coherent, comprehensive child rights-specific ESR framework. Using the example of child rights-based budget analysis, the author claims that this omission constitutes a significant obstacle to those seeking to evaluate the extent to which states have met their ESR-related obligations under the CRC. The article thus brings together and addresses key issues that have so far received only very limited critical academic attention, namely, children's ESR under the CRC, the relationship between budgetary decision-making and the CRC, and child rights-based budget analysis.


Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by Fusarium graminearum in grains such as wheat and maize. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of citrus flavanones including, naringin (NAR), hesperidin (HES), and neohesperidin (NEO) on deoxynivalenol production using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Methods: The studied flavanones were extracted from residues of citric industries and assayed in rice media inoculated with F. graminearum. After Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis, RSM was applied to find the optimal flavanones concentrations that would lead to total inhibition of DON production. The four levels studied were 0, 0.11, 0.21, and 0.42 mmol/kg rice in dry basis, for each flavanone. Statistical analysis was performed using the statgraphics centurion XV package, version 15.2.6 (StatPoint Technologies, USA). Experimental design consisted in ten factorial points was evaluated in triplicate and used in the model. Results: All flavanones and their mixtures significantly decreased the accumulation of DON in rice media respect to control (p<0.05). NEO, when applied alone, was the only flavanone that could reach 100% inhibition of DON accumulation in all concentrations tested, followed by HES and NAR that could only reach total inhibition of DON at 0.21 and 0.42 mmol/kg, respectively. Only the mixtures NAR-HES 0.11-0.11 mmol/kg and NEO-HES 0.11-0.11mmol/kg could not completely inhibit DON accumulation in comparison with other mixtures. The obtained optimal combinations were HES-NAR 0.0500.236, HES-NEO 0.046-0.217, and NAR-NEO 0.034-0.193 mmol/kg rice in dry basis. Conclusion: Using RSM, the citric flavanones studied in this work, was proved to be effective for total inhibition of DON accumulation.


T cells specific for neoantigens encoded by mutated genes in cancers are increasingly recognized as mediators of tumor destruction after immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy or adoptive cell transfer. Unfortunately, most neoantigens result from random mutations and are patient specific, and some cancers contain few mutations to serve as potential antigens. We describe a patient with stage IV acral melanoma who achieved a complete response following adoptive transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Tumor exome sequencing surprisingly revealed fewer than 30 nonsynonymous somatic mutations, including oncogenic BRAFV600E. Analysis of the specificity of TILs identified rare CD4+ T cells specific for BRAFV600E and diverse CD8+ T cells reactive to nonmutated self-antigens. These specificities increased in blood after TIL transfer and persisted long-term, suggesting they contributed to the effective antitumor immune response. Gene transfer of the BRAFV600E-specific T cell receptor (TCR) conferred recognition of class II MHC–positive cells expressing the BRAF mutation. Therapy with TCR-engineered BRAFV600E-specific CD4+ T cells may have direct antitumor effects and augment CD8+ T cell responses to self- and/or mutated tumor antigens in patients with BRAF-mutated cancers.


The aim of this study seeks to investigate the presence of steroids, triterpenes, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones and flavonoids compounds as the possible agent responsible for the medicinal activities of the leaf of the plant Paullinia pinnata and also to carry out phytochemical screening of the dried leaf of the plant, to extract and fractionate the leaf and finally to carry out thin layer chromatography of the different fractions. In the phytochemical investigation of the plant, the powdered leaves was tested positive for steroids, triterpenes, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones and flavonoids. The presence of the constituents was also found to be similar to those reported for most medicinal plants. In East Africa, the leaves are used against snake bites, rabies, mental problems, blindness and eye troubles, together with the roots, against gonorrhoea, paralysis, wounds, threatened abortion, malaria, ancylostomiasis, and to expel placenta. Roots are applied against eczema, as a tonic and as a styptic medicine.

 Key words: Paullinia pinnata, phytochemical, chromatography, flavanoids, alkaloids, materials, tests, tannins, extraction, colour, spray, fractionate.


Photochemical and microbial degradation of external inputs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from both natural (forests) and anthropogenic (swine and equine pastures) non-point sources to rivers were examined through field and laboratory microcosm experiments. Little or no photo- chemical degradation of DOM to inorganic N or P occurred in either the agricultural or forest runoff. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), NH4 + , and PO4 3- concentra- tions did not change during the photochemical experiments for any of the sources examined. A small, but significant increase in the NO3 - /NO2 - (+0.7 µM; p = 0.004) concentration was detected in the forest runoff, suggesting that a small fraction (4 to 9%) of the DON may be photochemically degraded to dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Bacteria readily utilized DOC and DON in the agriculture and forest runoff. The percent of DOC and DON consumed by the bacteria ranged from 6 to 14% and 21 to 25%, respectively. Light exposure did not alter the biological availability of the DOC and DON in either the equine pasture or forest runoff. Our results emphasize the importance of microbial processes in degrading DOM in riverine environments; they appear to degrade DOM more rapidly than photochemical processes and may be more important in affecting the quantity and quality of the DOM exported from rivers to estuaries.


Europe's innovation potential is currently dominated by well-established large companies. In most member countries the bulk of R&D expenditures is spend by large companies. Following OECD data, SME's share in total R&D spending amount to 8% in Germany or Japan, around 15% in US, France, Korea or Italy, about 20% in Sweden, Finland or Switzerland, about 30% in Netherlands, Austria or Poland, and about 50% in Poland, Ireland, Slovakia or Greece. First of all, these figures point to a considerable heterogeneity with regard to the importance of SMEs in national R&D activities. However, young companies are said to be the driving force behind radical innovation which will be a source of employment and growth in future. In addition, the weakness of Europe is not only the small number of hightech startups but more specifically the number of hightech startups which accomplish continuing, rapid growth. However, there might be significant technology specific heterogeneity with regard to the contribution of SMEs and young firms to innovation. The central question of the paper is whether SMEs and young firms might be agents with a special contribution to new growth path in Europe. We took new renewable energy technologies as an example at test whether the contribution of SMEs and young firms is larger in this technology area compared to invention as measured by patenting. In order to focus on the most valuable patents we use patent applications at the European Patent Office which were also applied for patent production at the USPTO and the Japanese Patent Office ("triadic patent applications"). The analysis proceed in two steps: The paper looks first at trends in international patenting and compares triadic patent application in the field of energy with all triadic patent application by country of inventors. The idea is to highlight the role of EU and its member states in invention activity in a technology-field which is of special relevance for a new, sustainable growth path. In the second step we look at the contribution for SMEs and young firms to such a new growth path by a detail analyses of triadic patent application by German companies as the SMEs share to R&D is the smallest compared to all other EU member states as well as compared to OECD member states (except Japan). The focus on Germany is motivated for two reasons - to ease the analysis and to focus on the most extreme case of the firm-size R&D distribution which is observed in EU and OECD member states. The study employs the WIPO "Green Inventory" classification to identify energy-related patents via the international patent classification used by all patent offices to assign patents by technology and potential fields of application. This classification comprise as main technology classes alternative energy production, transportation, energy storage, waste management, agriculture/forestry, regulatory and design aspects, and nuclear power generation. The number of green inventory patents increased from 1991 to 2007 by a factor of 2.5 to 12.500 patent applications. The majority of this increase is observable in renewable energy product, storage of energy, design and management of energy systems, and waste management. Patents related to nuclear power account for 4% of green inventory patents and this share declined even more to 1% in 2007. Surprisingly, the increase of green inventory patent applications at the EPO more or less equals the increase in overall patent applications at the EPO. Hence, the share of green inventory patents in total patent application at EPO was constant and fluctuating always between 8-10% with not visible trend. Similarly, albeit the increase in the number of triadic patents is less impressive (only by a factor of 1.4) the structural features are the same. Overall, the importance of green patent activities does not greatly vary between countries or regions. In 2007, the share of green patent applications in all patent applications at the EPO lies between 7% and 12%. Interestingly, the new member states and southern Europe are at the upper end of the range (12% and 10%, respectively) - besides Japan (11%) and the US (10%). Green patents are slightly less important for Northern Europe and China (both 7%). Focusing on more valuable patent application ("triadic patent application"), green technologies become more important in Germany, Korea and China and lose importance in Southern Europe. The second step linked sustainable growth to the "entrepreneurial" economy by examining to which degree small and young firms are driving sustainable patenting. We find SMEs to be responsible for about 15% of all patent applications. This is the same for the WIPO Green Inventory classified "green" patents. Around half of patent applications of SMEs are made by young firms. About one half of all patent applications by SMEs are filed by micro firms. When narrowing down the analysis to triadic patents, we find the contribution of SMEs to decrease to about 9% of all patent applications which is probably caused by the larger costs of applying and maintaining triadic patents than EPO patents. The contribution to green patenting is even lower for triadic patents with only 6% of all green patents coming from SMEs. In the third step of the analysis, based on the link of German firm data to patent applications at the European Patent Office, we analyzed at the firm level whether small and young firms are more or less likely to file sustainable patents than other firms. The results show that large firms are significantly more likely to file both patents in general and green patents. We do find that, for micro, small and medium size firms, the negative effect on patenting compared to the reference category of a large firm is less strong for the younger firms. This effect exists both for the generation of patents in general and the generation of green patents. Therefore there does not seem to be a particular advantage for small or young firms in producing sustainable, green patents. Even more, SMEs and young firms seem to face larger obstacles to start inventing in green energy technologies than in other technology fields. In any case SMEs and young firms will probably not an important driver of new technologies like in some other fields of technology. Of course we have to admit that our same only covers international patent applications for the priority year 2007 or earlier. Hence, things might have changed in the meantime due to e.g. extended government support for innovation in green energy fields. However, this question can only be examined with future editions of the PATSTAT data which fully covers more recent years. In addition, we cannot rule out the SMEs and/or young firms are especially important for patents which are radical driver of technological change. To address this question several measurement issues need to be solved and/or existing measurement approaches need verification. However, this is beyond the limits of our study. What might be the contribution to the central questions of the wwwforEurope project? First of all, young and small firms might not able to drive the technology development towards a more sophisticated use of energy resources and renewable energies. Like in most other fields of technology the direction of technical change is determined by established large firms. Hence, under the current framework of innovation and industrial policies, the development of the "more entrepreneurial economy" will probably not form forerunners on the ways towards a new growth path. Secondly, private sector's production of invention activities became not stronger directed towards technologies which aim at production, storage, distribution, and management of new energy technologies compared to other fields of technology. Given the societal need for new energy technologies the paper speaks in favor of government regulation, invention and incentives to stimulate research, development, and implementation new energy technologies. However, we do not find arguments that such stimuli should favor SMEs or young firms.


We have proposed a spin transfer switching (STS MO-SLM) device, based on Magneto-optical (MO) spatial light-modulation and driven by spin-polarized current flow, and confirmed its basic operation and characteristics experimentally. The proposed SLM device can be operated without active-matrix devices, has a spatial resolution as small as several hundred nanometers and possesses the potential for being driven at ultra-high speed of several tens of nanoseconds. Unlike existing SLM devices, this device satisfies both the size and speed requirements of SLMs for use in displaying holographic three-dimensional (3D) moving images. To improve the light modulation characteristics of SLM device, we carried out studies on magnetic films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy to obtain large magneto-optical signals, which enabled us to realize enhanced light modulation performance. In addition, we measured a MO signal that was about twenty-times larger than that possible with in-plane anisotropy. We conclude that the MO-SLM device that we are developing is suitable for displaying future super-high definition, holographic three-dimensional moving images.


Abstract. A number of studies have shown that the boron isotopic composition (δ11B) and the B / Ca ratio of biogenic carbonates (mostly foraminifers) can serve as proxies for two parameters of the ocean's carbonate chemistry, rendering it possible to calculate the entire carbonate system. However, the B incorporation mechanism into marine carbonates is still not fully understood and analyses of field samples show species-specific and hydrographic effects on the B proxies complicating their application. Identifying the carbonate system parameter influencing boron incorporation is difficult due to the co-variation of pH, CO32- and B(OH)4-. To shed light on the question which parameter of the carbonate system is related to the boron incorporation, we performed culture experiments with the benthic symbiont-bearing foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii using a decoupled pH–CO32- chemistry. The determination of the δ11B and B / Ca ratios was performed simultaneously by means of a new in situ technique combining optical emission spectroscopy and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS. The boron isotopic composition in the tests gets heavier with increasing pH and B / Ca increases with increasing B(OH)4- / HCO3- of the culture media. The latter indicates that boron uptake of A. lessonii features a competition between B(OH)4- and HCO3-. Furthermore, the simultaneous determination of B / Ca and δ11B on single specimens allows for assessing the relative variability of these parameters. Among different treatments the B / Ca shows an increasing variability with increasing boron concentration in the test whereas the variability in the isotope distribution is constant.


The red alga Gracilaria salicornia (C. Agardh) E. Y. Dawson was introduced intentionally to two reefs on O'ahu, Hawai'i, in the 1970s for experimental aquaculture for the agar industry. Some 30 yr later, this species has spread from the initial sites of introduction and is now competing with native marine flora and fauna. The goals of this study were to quantify various aspects of G. salicornia ecology in Hawai'i in an effort to develop control or eradication tools. Experimental plots were established to determine cover and biomass of G. salicornia per square meter and to determine the amount of time and person hours needed to remove G. salicornia from these plots. Substantial amounts of G. salicornia become dislodged from the reef during large wave events and periodically become deposited onto the beach in front of the Waikiki Aquarium. Algal beach wash biomass was quantified and positive relationships were established between swell height and the amount of algae that washed up onto the beach in this location. We then quantified the ability of G. salicornia vegetative fragments to regrow after desiccation to determine if algal biomass stranded on shore survives the tidal cycle until being washed back out on the reef at high tide. Gracilaria salicornia was remarkably resistant to temperature, salinity, and chemical treatments examined as possible in situ control options. Herbivore preference tests showed that a native Gracilaria species is consumed far more frequently than the alien congener. Finally, large-scale community volunteer efforts were organized to remove drifting G. salicornia fragments from the reef area in front of the Waikiki Aquarium. Over 20,000 kg of alien algal fragments were removed from this location in five 4-hr cleanup events. However, based on G. salicornia growth rates, ability to fragment, physical tolerance, and low herbivory, it is clear that a large-scale dedicated effort will be needed to control this invasive species on Waikiki's reefs.


More than 125 carcasses and skeletal remains of wild bison, moose, and whitetail deer were examined in the field. Most were from closely documented episodes of predation, mass drownings, or other natural causes of death. Predictable and unusual kinds of bone and carcass utilization by timber wolves and bears are described. The variables emphasized include sectioning of carcasses by feeding predators, distribution and dispersal of bones at kill sites, gnaw damage to bones in homesites, kill sites and scavenge sites, potential or observed survival of bones at sites of prey carcasses, and the patterns of scatter or accumulation of skeletal remains in moose and bison ranges due to predation or other natural causes of death. Variations in gnaw damage to bones and utilization of carcasses by carnivores reflect significant aspects of predator-prey interactions, and can be deciphered by ecologists interpreting either fossil or modern assemblages of bones. Key words: carnivores, prey carcasses, taphonomy, North America, paleoecology, archeological interpretation


Scott Kelby, the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today, once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers the latest, most important and most exciting new Adobe Photoshop CS2 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to this award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that's never been done before--it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step-by-step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers and, best of all, he shows you, flat-out, exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That's why the previous version of this book took the digital photography world by storm. But now, his new CS2, version is even bigger, even better, and exposes even more of the pros most closely guarded secrets, including a special chapter which shows, for the first time ever, step-by-step how to how to set-up Photoshop's color management. He does it by throwing out all the theory, all the techno-babble, and all the confusing charts and graphs and instead just shows you exactly what you need to do (and nothing more). LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT Each year Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges--and that's exactly what he covers in this book. You'll learn: * The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there's an entire chapter on, just this!) * The pros tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast! * The step-by-step set-up for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you saw on screen * The retouching secrets of how the pros retouch portraits * How to process raw digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features of CS2!) * How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how easy it is--once you know the secret) * A whole chapter on the latest, most requested Photoshop special effects How to reduce noise, deal with lens problems, avoid halos, and more * How to show your work like a pro! * Plus a host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick "insider" tricks to send your productivity through the roof! If you're a digital photographer and you're ready to learn the "tricks of the trade"--the same ones that today's leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work; then this is the book for you. "The Professional Photographer magazine Hot1 Awards represent a must-have list of this year's hottest, most sought-after new products. Selected by a panel of working professional photographers, the awards are chosen based on innovation, overall quality and value for price. In its seventh year, the Professional Photographer Hot1 Awards are one of the biggest product competitions in the industry, representing 60 categories of gear from a couple hundred different companies." --Jeff Kent, Special Hot1 Awards Editor / Editor at Large Professional Photographer magazine


Two experiments examined the role of cognitive inflexibility and reduced working memory in age-related declines on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Both standard scoring procedures and newly developed scores were used to measure each construct, and modifications of the test further evaluated the role of working memory. Results indicated that age differences are not due to cognitive inflexibility but that for a subset of older adults errors are associated with a reduction in the amount of information that can be stored or processed in working memory. These age differences disappear, however, when visual cues provide information about the immediately preceding sort. The authors conclude by proposing a decline in updating working memory as the explanation that can best account for the entire pattern of age differences on this test.


There are concerns about using synthetic phenolic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as food additives because of the reported negative effects on human health. Thus, a replacement of these synthetics by antioxidant extractions from various foods has been proposed. More than 8000 different phenolic compounds have been characterized; fruits and vegetables are the prime sources of natural antioxidants. In order to extract, measure, and identify bioactive compounds from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, researchers use multiple techniques and methods. This review includes a brief description of a wide range of different assays. The antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties of phenolic natural products from fruits and vegetables are also discussed.


Existing channel aware signal processing design for decentralized detection in wireless sensor networks typically assumes the clairvoyant case, that is, global channel state information (CSI) is known at the design stage. In this paper, we consider the distributed detection problem where only the channel fading statistics, instead of the instantaneous CSI, are available to the designer. We investigate the design of local decision rules for the following two cases: (1) fusion center has access to the instantaneous CSI; (2) fusion center does not have access to the instantaneous CSI. As expected, in both cases, the optimal local decision rules that minimize the error probability at the fusion center amount to a likelihood ratio test (LRT). Numerical analysis reveals that the detection performance appears to be more sensitive to the knowledge of CSI at the fusion center. The proposed design framework that utilizes only partial channel knowledge will enable distributed design of a decentralized detection wireless sensor system.


Previous studies have demonstrated independent effects of both solar ultraviolet radiation (UV; 280–400 nm) and planktivorous fish on the vertical distribution of Daphnia. We examined the behavioral response of adult and juvenile Daphnia to both UV and planktivorous fish simultaneously in a small temperate lake in eastern Pennsylvania by conducting a large‐scale (15 m deep) in situ mesocosm experiment with full factorial treatments (± UV and ± fish). UV induced an avoidance of the surface waters in both juvenile and adult Daphnia. In contrast, the response of Daphnia to fish depended on the presence of UV, with a clear interactive effect. In the presence of both UV and fish, Daphnia were deeper in the water column than they were in the absence of either UV or fish. Sampling of the lake also revealed a rapid upward shift in the depth distribution of both juveniles and adults following a rare and intense early‐summer storm that reduced the lake's transparency to both UV (for example, 380 nm UV‐A) and photosynthetically active radiation (400–700 nm) by 44% and 39%, respectively. Evidence of a novel benefit to UV avoidance behavior was also observed: surface avoidance of UV reduces the hazards of Daphnia getting caught in the surface air–water interface and perishing. These results highlight the interactive effects of fish and UV on Daphnia vertical distribution under near‐natural conditions in situ.


Police department administrators and emergency professionals must be willing to recognize, identify and administer an effective community policing program. The purpose of this applied research project is to develop an ideal model of community policing. A review of the literature identified three key components of an effective community policing program: community engagement, problem solving, and organizational transformation. The literature was also littered with numerous examples of crime prevention being an ultimate goal of law enforcement. This paper suggests that crime prevention is a necessary fourth component to a successful community policing practice, and not solely the goal. The San Marcos Police Department is used as a test case to refine the components of community policing that appear in various scholarly works. Methodology: The components of an effective community policing strategy identified in the literature are used to construct the conceptual framework. The framework is used to create a practical ideal model assessment tool for the community policing program. A case study consisting of survey questions as well as document analysis are utilized to collect results from the San Marcos Police Department. Findings: The San Marcos Police Department"s community policing strategy is mostly consistent with the model assessment tool.


Emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in mainstream schools in Ireland attract much attention and significant resources. Little research has been conducted in the Irish context about how this concept is understood by practitioners, nor on what influences that understanding. This has a bearing on behaviour policies and responses to the needs of students. This research investigates current understandings and definitions of EBD in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, what influences these issues and how this impacts on the development of behaviour policy and responses in schools. Employing a social constructivist framework, data were generated using a mixed methods approach which included a literature review, questionnaires (n=47) and semi-structured interviews (n=13) conducted with principals, learning support/resource teachers and guidance counsellors, followed by an analysis of special educational needs and behaviour policy documents (n=4). Employing an inductive analytical approach, a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted which identified emergent themes from the questionnaire. These themes were investigated in the literature, informed the interview schedule and were further interrogated in the document analysis. The research suggests variations in the level of sophistication in understandings of EBD. Definitions appear to focus on intrapersonal characteristics and suggest a certain resignation among practitioners. The effectiveness of behaviour policies is uncertain due to an imperative to produce policy, traditional views of the homogeneity of the school population, a tendency to rely on SEN policy to address EBD issues and variations in the involvement of stakeholders. Responses to EBD vary considerably, with child-centred and positive behavioural curricular approaches more in evidence at primary level. Thinking about behavioural issues and school-based responses appear to be affected by gender issues, particularly in the language used when discussing EBD. Several themes emerge regarding how EBD is conceptualised and responded to in schools. A move towards a more holistic view of causal factors and definitions is juxtaposed against a traditional view focusing on within-child characteristics. Efforts to promote whole school approaches and inclusive behaviour policies struggle to embed themselves where school cultures are slow to change in an education system which, itself, appears to be experiencing a change of focus. Understandings of and responses to EBD are evolving at different rates in different sectors. Gender and school focus or ethos exert influences on these on-going developments but do not yet appear to be acknowledged or investigated as pertinent factors.


Searching for videos online is inefficient if the search relies exclusively on relevant keywords in the text surrounding the object. HTML5 introduced advanced semantic annotation in the form of a new metadata format called microdata. Along with the video element which provides semantics to embedded video contents, media metadata can also be used to add additional features to be searched, archived, or automatically processed. Certain metadata formats provide a high level of flexibility adequate to combine them with other vocabularies, making it possible to write truly sophisticated, machine-readable metadata for video components of the Social Semantic Web.http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/djlit.31.4.1105


Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is the most commonly used intra-domain routing protocol. OSPF routes traffic flows along shortest paths and splits the load evenly at nodes where several outgoing links are on the shortest paths to the same destination.
Shortest paths are defined based on a weight value assigned to each link in the network. OSPF routing suffers from un-utilizing network resources, and hence appearance of congested links. Congestion appears in OSPF routing due to the excessive usage of shortest paths where still other links with higher weight values are unutilized. Many load balancing approaches were proposed to avoid congestion and increase network utilization. One of these approaches argued that optimizing link weights will improve shortest path routing performance, thus no changing needed in underlying infrastructure. Weight optimization approach neither deal with the issue of load splitting, nor the tradeoff relation between exploiting network resources and avoiding congested points. Increasing balanced links may lead to a usage of congested links. On the other hand, avoiding congested links may lead to un-utilizing some uncongested links. This research has two main aims. The first aim is to study the tradeoff relation between utilizing network links and avoiding congested links. The second aim is to provide an unequal load splitting in the current widely deployed shortest path routing.

Unequal load splitting that provided in this research is conducted without changing the underlying routing policy and without changing the forwarding mechanism. In context of the first research aim, a previous evenly balancing method is improved by solving two problems. The first problem is Re-using Congested Links (RCL). The second problem is Un-Balancing some available Links (UBL). Solving these two problems will give a wide view about the tradeoff relation between utilizing network links and avoiding congested links. In context of the second research aim, a new proposed Selective Balancing Method (SBM) is developed. SBM selects the routing paths in order to provide unequal load splitting. Experimental results show that avoiding congested links is more efficient than exploiting too many links from a source towards a destination. In other words, solving RCL problem increases routing efficiency more than solving UBL problem. The results also show that the routing performance of the new proposed method SBM is better than the routing performance of the previous evenly balancing methods due to providing unequal load splitting in the shortest path routing. SBM robustness and execution time are also improved comparing with the previous work.