Rare usage of Free Space Optical (FSO) communications in Malaysia might be related to environmental factors. Unguided beam is also known as free space optics technology or 'optical wireless' or 'infrared broadband'. This project explores the propagation of point-to-point FSO due to weather conditions. Weather severity has detrimental impact on FSO transmission performance. The impact could result in insufficient quality of transmission and communication failure. Therefore FSO implementation requires thorough study of local weather patterns. By studying the local weather pattern, scattering coefficient and atmospheric attenuation could be derived to determine weather severity in this area. This information could help in predicting possible impact on data transmission quality and transmission interference system operation. In addition, FSO system design could be improved and altered to overcome possible interference and optimize system operation.This study is focused on the effect of rain and haze in Subang Airport. The Climate Division of Meteorological Department, Petaling Jaya branch, provided the data on rain and haze, which were collected hourly throughout year 2000. The rain data, which were collected in mm/hr, are categorized into three groups: heavy rainfall, moderate rainfall and light rainfall. The haze data was collected based on visibility distance in km. The visibility on hazy days is categorized into low visibility and average visibility.
The non-selective scattering contributed dominant loss on rainy days and Mie scattering on hazy days. The non-selective scattering is wavelength independent and Mie scattering is wavelength dependent. The wavelength of 1550nm is selected because it is not harmful to the human eyes, not aggressive to the environment and contributes to better performances.
The scattering coefficient and atmospheric attenuation for rain and hazy days are determined by using Stroke Law and Beer's Law. The atmospheric attenuation due to scattering coefficient has greater effect during hazy days than rainy days. From the result analysis, using small beam divergence, small transmitter aperture, larger receiver aperture and short link distance can optimize the FSO system transmission.


In this paper, we explicate citizen science in information systems research. Citizen science in IS research is a partnership between IS researchers and people in their everyday lives. Citizen science projects in the IS field are defined by phenomenon that interest both citizens and scientists and by the intervention of citizens in scientific processes for the purposes of scientific literacy and a more informed citizenry. We make the case for citizen science as part of a movement in IS research towards societally impactful research at the confluence of human behavior, technology, society, and environmental sustainability. We discuss the origins of citizen involvement in science and contemporary notions of citizen science from sociological, natural science, and public policy perspectives to build a working definition for the IS field. We provide examples of how one can leverage citizen science in IS research and discuss larger ideas for the possibility of citizen science.


The main objective of this research was to examine the contributions of coping mechanisms, optimism, and general self-efficacy in predicting the scores on the Psychophysical Health Scale. The same combination of predictor variables was used in prediction of particular aspects of psychophysical health related to physical health, fear and anxiety, depressive reactions, tiredness, and social behavior. In order to measure these constructs, the following instruments were used: the Psychophysical Health Scale, the Life Orientation Test-Revised for measuring dispositional optimism, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Brief COPE for analyzing coping mechanisms. The research was carried out on a sample of convenience consisting of 269 students from the University of Novi Sad. Both undergraduate and graduate/master students were included. The factor structure analysis of the Brief COPE identified three factors included in the set of predictors: seeking social support, problem-focused coping strategy and avoidance-focused coping strategy. Significant predictors of the overall psychophysical health were: Avoidance-focused coping strategy (β = .24, p < .01), optimism (β = -.35, p < .01) and general self-efficacy (β = -.18, p < .05). The same combination of predictors proved to be significant in explaining every particular aspect of psychophysical health. Comparisons of individual contributions of predictors suggested that the variability in each particular aspect of psychophysical health could be explained by differences in the degree of optimism and susceptibility to avoidance-focused coping strategy.


● BACKGROUND: Not much is known about the long-term outcome of Asperger syndrome (AS). The first set of diagnostic criteria was published in the late 1980's. Research on other normal range IQ Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has shown great variability in terms of outcome. ● AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to study the naturalistic course of AS into adulthood in a clinical cohort of 100 males with AS diagnosed in childhood and to examine (1) stability of the diagnosis, (2) psychiatric comorbidity, (3) objective and subjective quality of life (QoL) and (4) examine Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) traits in relation to aforementioned factors. ● METHODS: A cohort of 100 males diagnosed with AS at a mean age of 11 years has been followed from diagnosis (T0) over a period of 19 years in two follow-up studies. In the first follow-up (T1) at a mean age of 20 years, 76 of the 100 males participated and at the second follow-up (T2) at a mean age of 30 years, 50 individuals took part. A number of relevant and psychometrically established instruments were used at both time points. ● RESULTS: At T2, 78% still fulfilled criteria for an ASD diagnosis, compared to T1 when 90% still fulfilled an ASD. Almost all participants (94%) had at least one comorbid psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorder during their lifetime and 54% had at least one current comorbid disorder. The 22 % (n=11) who no longer met criteria for ASD after nineteen years, had better objective QoL and average to high subjective QoL. Fortyfour percent (n=22) of the men had a stable ASD and at least one current comorbid psychiatric disorder ("ASD Plus") and this group had extremely varied objective QoL (with many having low independence) and low subjective QoL. Lastly, there was a group of individuals (34% of those who participated) with a stable ASD diagnosis but no current comorbidity (n=15, "ASD Only") who also had extremely varied objective QoL (with many having low independence) and reporting average range subjective QoL. The three outcome groups (No-longer-ASD, ASD Plus and ASD Only) had significantly different profiles on the TCI. Background factors associated with negative outcome were ASD symptom load at T1 (but not T0) and degree of lifetime comorbidity. ● CONCLUSION: AS in males, when considered as an ASD was a relatively stable diagnosis over almost two decades. A majority met criteria of at least one other current comorbid disorder. No longer meeting criteria for an ASD was associated with better objective QoL, while having comorbidity was associated with lower subjective QoL. Personality traits were associated with different outcomes.


This study was carried out to determine the optimum temperature of different
stages of Agaricus bitorquis fruit body development from 2 mm to cup stage. Changes in
extracellular CM-cellulase and laccase in compost during growth and fruiting were
monitored in order to understand the underlying biochemical changes. Fruit bodies were
produced at all sets of temperature conditions in rhythmic cycle. Effect of temperature on
sporophore development and enzyme production could only be truly tested in the first
flush as non-uniform condition of substrate occurred in the later flushes. Incubation of 2
to 10 mm stage at 23°C (Sets II, III) gave an increase of 58.9% in percentage of
primordia survival when compared to that at 30°C (Set I). Exposure of 10 mm stage
sporophores to 30°C did not affect them from growing satisfuctorily. Maximum yield (g of
fresh mushroom weight) was attained by Set III cultures, followed by Set II cultures and
Set I cultures. The highest average weight of harvested mushroom was attained by
cultures kept at 30°C throughout 2 mm to cup stage (Set I). The time taken for
sporophores maturation was shortest in Set I, Set II, and Set III temperature condition, in
descending order. A rise in temperature from 23°C to 30°C during 10 mm to cup stage speeded up the sporophore maturation process but resulted in smaller mushroom. The
production of CM-cellulase and laccase activities was closely associated with the mycelial
growth, fruit bodies initiation and their subsequent development to full maturity. Laccase
activity increased with mycelial growth, peaked at maximum growth and then declined
rapidly at the onset of fruiting. The activity remained low during fruit body development
period but increased suddenly during the flush interval. CM-cellulase activity showed the
reverse pattern by remaining low throughout mycelial growth but an increase at the onset
of fruiting. The activity remained high during fruit body development and declined rapidly
during flush interval. Effect of temperature on the enzymes production was significant
only during the 2 to 10 mm stage but not during the subsequent 10 mm to cup stage. The
results revealed the extra-sensitivity of young sporophores to environmental factors
during the 2 to 10 mm stage.


The reaction of oximes to amides, known as the Beckmann rearrangement, may undergo fragmentation to form carbocations + nitriles instead of amides when the cations have reasonable stability. The reactions of oxime derivatives of 1-substituted-phenyl-2-propanones and 3-substituted-phenyl-2-butanones in aqueous solvents gave both rearrangement and fragmentation products, the ratio of which was dependent on substituents. Transition state (TS) optimizations and intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations for the reaction of 1-phenyl-2-propanone oximes showed that there is a single TS for each substituted compound. The IRC path from the TS either led to a rearrangement product or a fragmentation product depending on the substituent; the IRC path changes from rearrangement to fragmentation when substituent X becomes more electron donating. Ab initio dynamics simulations were found to follow the IRC path for X = p-NH2 and p-MeO giving fragmentation products, and almost so for X = p-NO2 giving the rearrangement products. However, in a borderline case where X is less donating than p-MeO or less withdrawing than p-NO2, the trajectories did not follow the minimum energy path on the potential energy surface, but gave both rearrangement and fragmentation products directly from the single TS. This is a novel example of path bifurcation for a closed shell anionic reaction. It was concluded that a reactivity-selectivity argument based on the traditional TS theory may not always be applicable even to a well-known textbook organic reaction.


North Carolina Nursing History Website. 2012. Sponsored by Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. Project Head: Phoebe A. Pollitt. Project Team: Marilia Antunez, Paul Orkiszewski, Kevin Clark, and Andie Leonard. Webmaster: James Smith. http://nursinghistory.appstate.edu/The North Carolina Nursing History website, designed to provide an online resource sharing the history and heritage of organized nursing in North Carolina, is directed to a wide-ranging audience, including students, the general public interested in nursing history, as well as academics and researchers. The site aims to provide (digitized) primary documents in an engaging format. Indeed, the site offers an extensive and broad view of North Carolina nursing in a clear, easily navigable and searchable format. The site focuses on individual nurses, hospitals, public health sites and initiatives, and schools of nursing throughout the state. Links are provided to selected external sites and finding aids that add further detail to the materials presented. A highlighted UNC-TV documentary, North Carolina Nurses: A Century of Caring, available on the site, suggests that the centennial of the North Carolina Nurses Association (2002) spurred its creation.The site is divided into five main sections via a dropdown menu format. Additionally, a sidebar offers six "Featured Resources": a link to the documentary film North Carolina Nurses: A Century of Caring (58 min.); a Timeline of North Carolina Nursing; a linked full-length digitized book, The History of Nursing in North Carolina (1938) by Mary Lewis Wyche, a North Carolina nursing pioneer; a link to digitized copies, held at the University of North Carolina (UNC) library, of the Tar Heel Nurse, the official journal of the North Carolina Nurses Association; digitized versions of The Health Bulletin, the journal of the North Carolina Board of Health covering the years 1886-1973; and a selection of audio and video interviews with North Carolina nurses.The "Timeline" section, which includes links to information from the Revolutionary War to 2009, is divided into the following sections: The Beginnings of the Revolutionary War, 19th Century, 20th Century, and the 21st Century. Each section is then subdivided into additional links. The brief "Beginnings of the Revolutionary War" section names nurses known to have cared for wounded patriots and links to further resources on the care of the sick at the Moravian settlement at Salem, North Carolina. The "19th Century" menu includes a section on the Civil War with links to short biographies or to finding aids of collections located at Duke University and UNC. This section also contains a complete book written by northern Civil War nurse, Mary Phinney von Olnhausen, Adventures of a Nurse in Two Wars. Finally, it provides connections to hospitals and schools of nursing founded during the century, including psychiatric and general hospitals for both African Americans and Whites. Several of the links provide primary sources.The "20th Century" is divided into decade links, each of which contains information and further connections to photographs, reports and summaries, and sources of primary documents. This section documents the origins of public health and psychiatric nursing, the openings and development of hospitals, as well as information on segregated schools of nursing and sanatoria. Links describe the founding of the North Carolina Nurses Association in 1902 and the first Nurse Practice Act in the United States, passed by the North Carolina legislature in 1903. The decade of 1910 includes a link to full length digitized editions of The Bulletin of North Carolina Board of Health (1886-1914) and later The Health Bulletin (1914-1973) via the Public Health Nursing link. This linked resource provides unlimited possibilities for research about all aspects of public health in North Carolina. In addition, the origins of nursing educational programs from Diploma to early Baccalaureate degree, Master's degree, Licensed Practical Nurse degree, Associate degree, and Nurse Practitioner programs are incorporated into the various decades. …


BackgroundLimited data are available on the relationship between self-reported sleep quality, fatigue, and behavioral sleep patterns in women with fibromyalgia (FM). ObjectivesTo compare self-reported sleep quality, fatigue, and behavioral sleep indicators obtained by actigraphy between women with FM and sedentary women without pain, and to examine relationships among these variables. MethodsTwenty-three women with FM (M = 47.3, ± 6.7 years) and 22 control women (M = 43.5, ± 8.2 years) wore an actigraph on the nondominant wrist for 3 consecutive days at home. Each day women reported bedtimes, rise times, and ratings of sleep quality and fatigue in a diary. Self-reported sleep quality, fatigue, and indicators of sleep quality obtained from actigraphy (e.g., total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, and fragmentation index) were averaged. The Mann Whitney U test was used to assess group differences. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to evaluate relationships between sleep quality and fatigue, and among sleep quality, fatigue, and actigraphy sleep indicators. ResultsWomen with FM reported poorer sleep quality and more fatigue compared to controls (both p < .001). Actigraphy sleep indicators were not different between groups. In women with FM but not in controls, self-reported sleep quality was directly related to actigraphy indicators of total sleep time (r = .635, p < .01) and inversely related to sleep fragmentation (r = − .46, p < .05). Fatigue in women with FM was directly related to actigraphy indicators of wake after sleep onset (r = .57, p < .01), and inversely related to sleep efficiency (r = − .545, p < .01). DiscussionSelf-reported sleep quality and fatigue are associated with behavioral indicators of sleep quality at home in women with FM. Actigraphy is a useful objective measure of improved sleep outcomes in intervention studies.


The reaction of 1,3-dibenzoylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione with potassium carbonate in anhydrous DMF at room temperature leads to the formation of a potassium salt of 3-benzoylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione, the alkylation of which in situ with benzyl chloride produces 1-benzyl-3-benzoylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione. A one-pot method for the preparation of N1-monosubstituted derivatives of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione was developed. The effect of an alkaline agent on the yield and ratio of the debenzoylation products was studied.


CONSIDERATIONS IN SERVICE DELIVERY Introduction Fifty-three years ago a Navajo child was born on the Navajo Nation. One of six children, Ben was the third child born into a family with strong ties to the Navajo way of life, culturally and linguistically. At the age of three, Ben became blind. This unfortunate accident forever changed Ben's life. "I was away from home nine months out of the year to attend school from first through twelfth grade. When I returned home to my family after the first year, I had lost command of the Navajo language! I couldn't communicate with my mother without my older brother interpreting for us." This comment comes from an individual who was taken at a very young age from all that he was familiar with, including his family, home, native language, and culture, to receive "appropriate' services. Ben has come full circle to share his story. This chapter will highlight Ben's experiences to depict the tragedy that can occur when culture and language are not taken into consideration. Sadly, due to limited resources, on and near reservation communities, disabled Native American individuals of all ages continue to be placed in off-reservation programs to receive services. This chapter will discuss issues concerning culture and language of Native Americans and Alaska natives, and their considerations of service delivery for native children with special educational needs. However, to deliver services, one must first understand the Native people as a whole and the diversities within each community. This chapter will therefore provide a portrait of the Native American people. As Native people, we are often reminded that to know where we are going we must first know who we are and where we have come from. Our past is our future. Ben's Story "I became blind, as near as I can guess, at about the age of three. There is some confusion as to the cause of my visual impairment. Because of my young age, I too am not certain as to how things happened. There are two versions: mine and my family's. "Family version: I was standing with my aunt on an earthen dike looking over a pond of water. I waded into the pond and pulled out some items. Later that afternoon, I went back to our hogan and went to sleep. That evening, someone tried to wake me up, but I didn't want to get up. I was crying and my mom said that 'maybe his legs are aching--he was walking in the rainwater. Let him sleep.' The next morning when I woke up my eyelids were completely caked over with sleep covering the entire socket and I couldn't open my eyes! My mom washed my face of all the sleep, but I had no sight! Because this had happened the day after it had rained and I had walked in the pond of rainwater which may have been from hail, the belief was that I needed some Navajo ceremonies to be performed by my grandfather who was a medicine man. I have no idea of the numbers and types of ceremonies performed on me, but I know that the Lightning Way and Wind Way ceremonies were done many times--even into my late teen years. "On the other hand, my personal recollection and belief of the cause of my blindness seems to be more plausible, at least to me. On a trip into Gallup, my mom had picked up a can while passing by the city's refuse yard. On this particular day, I remember standing by my mom's side, clinging to her skirt as she tried to build a fire. She was pouring some fluid from the can that she had picked up. She made several attempts to start the fire, each time dousing the pile of wood chips with more fluid from the can, with the last attempt causing the flames to leap into the can, which then exploded! From what I remember, I felt something spray my face, and I ran out and said something to my sister about washing my face; and she said nothing had happened to me, but my mother's hair and skirt were on fire! I can't determine how long it was between the time of the explosion and the time I lost my sight. …


In Keplerian accretion disks, turbulence and magnetic fields may be jointly excited through a subcritical dynamo process involving the magnetorotational instability (MRI). High-resolution simulations exhibit a tendency towards statistical self-organization of MRI dynamo turbulence into large-scale cyclic dynamics. Understanding the physical origin of these structures, and whether they can be sustained and transport angular momentum efficiently in astrophysical conditions, represents a significant theoretical challenge. The discovery of simple periodic nonlinear MRI dynamo solutions has recently proven useful in this respect, and has notably served to highlight the role of turbulent magnetic diffusion in the seeming decay of the dynamics at low magnetic Prandtl number Pm (magnetic diffusivity larger than viscosity), a common regime in accretion disks. The connection between these simple structures and the statistical organization reported in turbulent simulations remained elusive, though. Here, we report the numerical discovery in moderate aspect ratio Keplerian shearing boxes of new periodic, incompressible, three-dimensional nonlinear MRI dynamo solutions with a larger dynamical complexity reminiscent of such simulations. These "chimera" cycles are characterized by multiple MRI-unstable dynamical stages, but their basic physical principles of self-sustainment are nevertheless identical to those of simpler cycles found in azimuthally elongated boxes. In particular, we find that they are not sustained at low Pm either due to subcritical turbulent magnetic diffusion. These solutions offer a new perspective into the transition from laminar to turbulent instability-driven dynamos, and may prove useful to devise improved statistical models of turbulent accretion disk dynamos.


Tomatoes are a frequently consumed fruit vegetable of the Solanaceae family and is rich in nutraceuticals. It faces rapid deterioration in edible quality during ambient storage, while refrigerated storage generally causes chilling injury. Therefore, an attempt was made with salicylic acid (SA), a safe phenolic having identified anti-ethylene effect, to evaluate its effect on shelf life and quality of tomatoes stored in refrigerated conditions. Fruits of tomato cultivar 'Samrudhi' at pink to light red stage were treated with different concentrations of salicylic acid (0.2-1.2 mM) along with control (water dipped) and were kept at 4-5°C with 65-80% relative humidity in four replications following completely randomized design. Results showed that SA treated fruits had better retention than control. At 21 days after storage (DAS), fruits kept as control showed maximum weight loss (14.65%) compared with the fruits treated with SA at 1.2 mM (5.88%). Fruits treated with SA at 1.2 mM had minimum chilling injury index (1.42), having high TSS (5.76 °Brix) and ascorbic acid (17.18 mg 100 g-1) retention. SA treated fruit in relatively higher concentration (0.8-1.2 mM), maintained fruit quality attributes with consistent intensification of carotenoids and lycopene even at 21 DAS. Shelf life was recorded maximum (33.25 days) in SA 1.2 mM treated fruits followed by SA 1.0 mM (30.25 days) compared with control (23.75 days).


ABSTRACTIn 1956, the Jewish-German philosopher Gunther Anders developed a philosophical anthropology on the technological and moral challenges of his time. Anders suggested the societal changes that arose with the industrial age opened a gap between the capability of individuals to produce machines and their ability to imagine and deal with the consequences caused by this capability. He argues that a 'Promethean gap' manifests in academic and scientific thinking and leads to an extensive trivialization of societal issues. In the face of climate change, Anders' philosophical anthropology contributes substantially to our attempts to fight climate change with innovation. Anders' description of 'apocalyptic blindness' helps us to explain why we cannot help pairing our belief in historical progress and growth with our ideas on social and environmental justice. With that said, this paper contributes to the debate on humanity 'after sustainability' by calling to mind Anders' historical theory on the outdatedness...


Most programming languages natively provide an abstraction of character strings. However, it is difficult to assess the design or the API of a string library. There is no comprehensive analysis of the needed operations and their different variations. There are no real guidelines about the different forces in presence and how they structure the design space of string manipulation. In this article, we harvest and structure a set of criteria to describe a string API. We propose an analysis of the Pharo 4 String library as a first experience on the topic.


Introduction: Hypertensive disease is a medical term for high blood pressure. It makes the heart work more natural conditions. The most important effect of VIP hormone on cardiovascular system is vasodilatation.The aim of this research is to study the effects of an acute training protocol on the amount of VIP hormone secretion and lipid profile of plasma in male rats. Methods: 30 male rats were accidently selected from the rats held in the animal laboratory of Shiraz university of Medicine Sciences, and they were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental group (n=15, weight=200-250gr, age=1 month) and the control group (n=15, weight=200-250gr, age=1 month). The experimental group rats were trained acutely for 4 weeks, 3 sessions per week (in sum there were 12 sessions) based on overload principle on an animal treadmill, with the control group received no training at all. Following a general anesthesia by Ether, a 5cc blood sample was drawn from the heart of the rats by an animal surgeon, 24 hours after final exercise session and 12 to 14 hours after fasting. For data analysis, t-test and SPSS 18 software were used. Results: The results illustrate that after 4 weeks of acute training, there was no significant difference between experimental and control groups. Conclusion: On the basis of these finding, it could be concluded that 4 weeks of acute exercise could not change the amount of VIP hormone secretion and level of HDL, LDL and VLDL of plasma in rats.


The pattern of spikes recorded from place cells in the rodent hippocampus is strongly modulated by both the spatial location in the environment and the theta rhythm. The phases of the spikes in the theta cycle advance during movement through the place field. Recently intracellular recordings from hippocampal neurons (Harvey, Collman, Dombeck, & Tank, 2009) showed an increase in the amplitude of membrane potential oscillations inside the place field, which was interpreted as evidence that an intracellular mechanism caused phase precession. Here we show that an existing network model of the hippocampus (Tsodyks, Skaggs, Sejnowski, & McNaughton, 1996) can equally reproduce this and other aspects of the intracellular recordings, which suggests that new experiments are needed to distinguish the contributions of intracellular and network mechanisms to phase precession.


Observations of the Sierra Madrean oak Quercus viminea in ten Sky Island mountain ranges 15 to 85 km south of the Arizona and New Mexico border in Sonora and Chihuahua help define the northern and western limits of its distribution. We also discovered it in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona as far north as 15.3 km from Sonora. It is sympatric with the closely related Q. emoryi, with which it introgresses .


Known field variability of soil hydrologic parameters is incorporated into a general finite difference scheme for the prediction of near surface soil water conditions, including runoff. It is shown for the situations examined that the resolution of predictions obtained is relatively robust against 'within soil group' changes in the soil water retention characteristics, but that a significant deterioration in resolution occurs when all input parameters are subjected to stochastic sampling from specified distributions. Nevertheless, even under these relaxed conditions spatial probability fields of relative saturation exceedence retain good resolution. Runoff predictions are shown to exhibit low variation generally, and to accord well with the SCS curve prediction method, suggesting the possibility of using finite difference schemes incorporating field variability for 'ungauged' catchment modelling.


Abstract In an integrated global economy, specialisation in trade is an increasingly prominent strategy. A labour-abundant, resource-rich economy like Indonesia faces stiff competition in labour-intensive manufactures; meanwhile, rapid growth in demand for resources from China and India exposes it to the 'curse' of resource wealth. This diminishes prospects for more diversified growth based on renewable resources like human capital. Using an international panel data set we explore the influence of resource wealth, foreign direct investment and human capital on the share of skill-intensive products in exports. FDI and human capital increase this share; resource wealth diminishes it. We use the results to compare Indonesia with Thailand and Malaysia. Indonesia's reliance on skill-intensive exports would have been greater had it achieved higher levels of FDI and skills. Its performance in accumulating these endowments, and its relative resource abundance, impede diversification in production and trade. We present policy options flowing from these findings.


Compiled from his own words, this history-making autobiography IS Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child and student who rebelled against segregation; the dedicated young minister who constantly questioned the depths of his faith and the limits of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to balance his family's needs with those of a growing nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people everywhere. Relevant and insightful, this Autobiography offers King's seldom discussed views on some of the world's greatest and most controversial figures including John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi and Richard Nixon. This book brings to life a remarkable man whose thoughts and actions speak to our most burning contemporary issues and still inspire our desires, hopes and dreams.


Over the last decades, many social scientists have diagnosed a 'disappearance of space' (Paul Virilio). Others, however, have presented persuasive arguments for a 'spatial turn' (Edward W. Soja) that is the demand to recognise space as a key factor for the social sciences and humanities. Following the latter argument, the article shows the importance of space which is not just a neutral box in which history takes its course. On the contrary, humans are always thrown into a historically specific world and thus linked with their environment. They are both being influenced by the world around them and constructing a social understanding of their surroundings, and it is thus the challenge for studies of space and place to situate themselves between the two reductionist positions of spatial voluntarism and spatial determinism. The survey of more theoretical and empirical studies also shows the key importance of human attachment to 'their place' in identity formation, on a local, regional, national and transnational level as well as through qualitative features of landscape such as mountains or plains, rich or sparse vegetation, or the question of access to rivers, lakes and the sea. Such senses of belonging or Heimat are a key aspect of human existence and political action ranging from providing an important sense of community to a dangerous exclusion of alleged 'others'.


Biosensors are detection devices that couple biological recognition elements to physiochemical transducers to generate quantifiable signals. Immunosensors are biosensors that use antibodies as the recognition element. The highly specific nature of antibody-antigen binding is exploited to create immunosensors that are sensitive to analytes in complex mixtures and demonstrate a rapid response. Fiber optical immunosensors based on long-period gratings have limited sensitivity at the refractive index of ordinary aqueous solutions (~1.33). A composite film was designed to raise the local refractive index of the sensor, thus increasing sensitivity. Titanium dioxide deposition raised the refractive index of the sensor to ~1.42. Bovine serum albumin was immobilized onto a dextran hydrogel and attached to the LPG element via reductive amination. The thickness of the hydrogel was estimated to be 500 nm using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy. The affinity film was probed by an evanescent wave to detect changes in refractive index due to the binding of anti-BSA IgG. Under these conditions, the sensor yielded a signal ratio of approximately 10 refractive index units per nm signal. Reproducible binding was shown over multiple exposures, with no cross reactivity for non-specific antibodies and other proteins. Anti-BSA IgG (20 μg/mL) in whole serum was recycled through the fiber holder with an accompanying peak wavelength shift that averaged 2 nm on an Optical Spectrum Analyzer with a noise level of 0.1 nm. The BSA affinity film was regenerated 50 times and showed a baseline shift of –1.3 nm.


In this intellectual history of the fraught relationship between race and poverty in the 1960s, Robin Marie Averbeck offers a sustained critique of the fundamental assumptions that structured liberal thought and action in postwar America. Focusing on the figures associated with "Great Society liberalism" like Daniel Patrick Moynihan, David Riesman, and Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Averbeck argues that these thinkers helped construct policies that never truly attempted a serious attack on the sources of racial inequality and injustice.
In Averbeck's telling, the Great Society's most notable achievements--the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act--came only after unrelenting and unprecedented organizing by black Americans made changing the inequitable status quo politically necessary. And even so, the discourse about poverty created by liberals had inherently conservative qualities. As Liberalism Is Not Enough reveals, liberalism's historical relationship with capitalism shaped both the initial content of liberal scholarship on poverty and its ultimate usefulness to a resurgent conservative movement.


Background: Fibromyalgia has been associated with physical and emotional trauma including invasive medical procedures. Both Fibromyalgia and ischemic heart disease have been linked with depression. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome in patients with ischemic heart disease. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was done in the Iraqi Center for Heart Disease. One hundred patients, angiographically proved to have ischemic heart disease, were subjected to rheumatologic examination by another physician, and compared to hundred healthy individuals as a control group. Diagnosis of fibromyalgia was based on 1990 American College of Rheumatology Classification criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Results: Eighteen (18%) patients with ischemic heart disease fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome in comparison to only 6(6%) of the controls, and this difference is statistically significant (P-value = 0.009).There were statistical significant effects of gender, age, and number of coronary vessels on the prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome. Conclusion: fibromyalgia occurs with high frequency (18%) in patients with ischemic heart disease.


The objective of this paper is to describe history of hyperthermia and its clinical applications in cancer treatment. Hyperthermia is a promising approach for cancer therapy which is used to increase the temperature of body tissue by delivering heat obtained from external sources to destroy cancerous cells with minimal or no damaging healthy tissues. There are three main clinical applications of hyperthermia such as local, regional and whole body. Microwaves, radiofrequency, ultrasound, infrared and different kinds of hot sources (hot water, ferromagnetic, nanoparticles) heating approaches are used in some clinical trials. Hyperthermia is administered as an adjuvant to other cancer treatment modalities (multimodal oncological strategies). However, hyperthermia is still facing many challenges in cancer treatment. Some trials continue to use hyperthermia in combination with other novel interstitial technologies such as magnetic fluid hyperthermia and thermolabile liposomes, application of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies under hyperthermic conditions, and hyperthermia- induced gene therapy for the treatment of different cancers which have been discussed. Thus, progress of hyperthermia in clinical applications has already shown some benefits to cancer patients.


Multi-stage programming using typed code quotation is an established technique for writing optimizing code generators with strong type-safety guarantees. Unfortunately, quotation in Haskell interacts poorly with type classes, making it difficult to write robust multi-stage programs. We study this unsound interaction and propose a resolution, staged type class constraints, which we formalize in a source calculus λ⇒ that elaborates into an explicit core calculus F. We show type soundness of both calculi, establishing that well-typed, well-staged source programs always elaborate to well-typed, well-staged core programs, and prove beta and eta rules for code quotations. Our design allows programmers to incorporate type classes into multi-stage programs with confidence. Although motivated by Haskell, it is also suitable as a foundation for other languages that support both overloading and quotation.


Let $f_n^r(k)$ be the number of 132-avoiding permutations on $n$ letters that contain exactly $r$ occurrences of $12\dots k$, and let $F_r(x;k)$ and $F(x,y;k)$ be the generating functions defined by $F_r(x;k)=\sum_{n\ge 0} f_n^r(k)x^n$ and $F(x,y;k)=\sum_{r\ge 0}F_r(x;k)y^r$. We find an explicit expression for $F(x,y;k)$ in the form of a continued fraction. This allows us to express $F_r(x;k)$ for $1\le r\le k$ via Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind.


We describe the principle and the operation of a 120 × 100 pixel antiblooming array. Each cell in the array is made up of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon photoconductor layer driving a ferroelectric liquid-crystal shutter. The device is designed to be coupled with a CCD camera to prevent high-blooming overload and image lag.


THERE IS AN INCREASING requirement for more astute land resource management through efficiencies in agricultural inputs in a sugar cane production system. A precision agriculture (PA) approach can provide a pathway for a sustainable sugarcane production system. One of the impediments to the adoption of PA practices is access to paddock-scale mapping layers displaying variability in soil properties, crop growth and surface drainage. Variable rate application (VRA) of nutrients is an important component of PA. However, agronomic expertise within PA systems has fallen well behind significant advances in PA technologies. Generally, advisers in the sugar industry have a poor comprehension of the complex interaction of variables that contribute to within-paddock variations in crop growth. This is regarded as a significant impediment to the progression of PA in sugarcane and is one of the reasons for the poor adoption of VRA of nutrients in a PA approach to improved sugar cane production. This project therefore has established a number of key objectives which will contribute to the adoption of PA and the staged progression of VRA supported by relevant and practical agronomic expertise. These objectives include provision of base soils attribute mapping that can be determined using Veris 3100 Electrical Conductivity (EC) and digital elevation datasets using GPS mapping technology for a large sector of the central cane growing region using analysis of archived satellite imagery to determine the location and stability of yield patterns over time and in varying seasonal conditions on selected project study sites. They also include the stablishment of experiments to determine appropriate VRA nitrogen rates on various soil types subjected to extended anaerobic conditions, and the establishment of trials to determine nitrogen rates applicable to a declining yield potential associated with the aging of ratoons in the crop cycle. Preliminary analysis of archived yield estimation data indicates that yield patterns remain relatively stable over time. Results also indicate the where there is considerable variability in EC values there is also significant variation in yield.


The study of autoignition propensity in premixers for gas turbines is critical for their safe operation and design. Although premixers can be analysed using reacting Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) coupled with detailed autoignition chemical kinetics, it is essential to also develop methods with lower computational cost to be able to explore more geometries and operating conditions during the design process. This paper presents such an approach based on Incompletely Stirred Reactor Network (ISRN) modelling. This method uses a CFD solution of a non-reacting flow and subsequently estimates the spatial evolution of reacting scalars such as autoignition precursors and temperature conditioned on the mixture fraction, which are used to quantify autoignition propensity. The approach is intended as a "post-processing" step, enabling the use of very complex chemical mechanisms and the study of many operating conditions. For a representative premixer of an aeroderivative gas turbine, results show that autoignition propensity can be reproduced with ISRN at highly reactive operating conditions featuring multi-stage autoignition of a dual fuel mixture. The ISRN computations are consequently analysed to explore the evolution of reacting scalars and propose some autoignition metrics that combine mixing and chemical reaction to assist the design of premixers.


The host-parasite interactions in Fasciola gigantica infection in cattle and swamp
buffaloes have not been extensively investigated. Designing of future approaches for
the control of tropical fasciolosis requires an understanding of the host-parasite
relationships. This study was therefore undertaken to look at and compare the hostparasite
interactions of F. gigantica infection between cattle (Bos indicus) and swamp
buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). This study compared the prevalence of infection, clinicopathological
and parasitological manifestations, sequential production of antibody
isotypes and of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, local immune responses, and the
histopathology of the infection between cattle and swamp buffaloes during infection
with F. gigantica.
The study shows that cattle and buffaloes are both susceptible to infection with F.
gigantica in the Philippines with the infection affecting young and old animals.
However, there are indications that these animals differ in their responses to infection.
The red blood cell (RBC) count was significantly higher in infected than in noninfected
swamp buffaloes (P<0.05) while there was no significant difference in
packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin values between infected and non-infected
buffaloes (P>0.05). Red blood cell count was significantly higher in buffaloes with
high fluke burdens (>70 flukes) than those with no flukes or with medium fluke
burden (21-70 flukes) (P<0.05). Significantly higher PCV value was also observed in
buffaloes with high fluke burdens compared with those with low or medium worm
loads (P<0.05). Haemoglobin values did not differ significantly between buffaloes
with low, medium, high or no fluke burdens (P>0.05). On the other hand, infected
cattle showed significantly lower RBC counts than non-infected cattle (P<0.05) and
these counts were negatively related to fluke burden. Packed cell volume was also
significantly lower in cattle with high fluke burden than those with fewer flukes
(P<0.05). These findings showed that swamp buffaloes were not as severely affected
by F. gigantica compared with cattle suggesting that they can cope with infection
much better than cattle. From these observations, it was concluded that swamp
buffaloes are more resilient to F. gigantica infection than cattle. There was a trend of a lower fluke burden and faecal egg counts in naturally infected
swamp buffaloes than in cattle. Fluke burdens were also lower in buffaloes than cattle
at 3, 7, 12 and 16 weeks post- experimental infection with 1000 metacercariae.
Sixteen weeks after the experimental infection, eggs were already seen in cattle but
none in buffaloes and only immature flukes were present in buffaloes at this time,
indicating that the prepatent period of F. gigantica in cattle is shorter than in swamp
buffaloes. These findings support a conclusion that swamp buffaloes are more
resistant than cattle to F. gigantica.
An indirect ELISA was done to assess the sequential production of antibody isotypes
IgG1, IgG2 and IgE reacting to F. gigantica. Infected cattle and buffaloes showed
increased levels of these isotypes relative to the controls. No marked increase in IgG1
and IgG2 occurred in cattle except during the later part of infection. In buffaloes, the
elevations of these two isotypes showed a pattern of increasing trend. IgG1 and IgG2
values in buffaloes were higher than in cattle. It is proposed that IgG2 may be
associated with resistance against F. gigantica in these species, higher IgG2 in
buffaloes being related to the higher resistance observed in these animals compared
with that in cattle.
The levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8 in serum of cattle and buffaloes were assessed by a
sandwich ELISA. IFN-γ was not present in detectable levels in the serum of these
animals suggesting that this cytokine may not be important in the immune response
against F. gigantica in cattle and swamp buffaloes. Serum IL-6 levels were higher in
infected than in non-infected animals from one to 16 weeks post-infection and higher
in cattle than in buffaloes. This suggests that IL-6 is not important in resistance
against F. gigantica in these animals. Higher serum IL-8 levels were observed in
infected buffaloes than in cattle suggesting that this cytokine is associated with the
higher degree of resistance against F. gigantica in swamp buffaloes than in cattle.
The local immune response in the liver of infected animals was assessed by
immunohistochemistry and histology. T and B lymphocytes, plasma cells, eosinophils
and mast cells were present in hepatic lesions. A progressive increase in T cell
numbers occurred after infection in buffaloes whereas these continuously declined in cattle after a sharp rise at three weeks post-infection. The numbers of B lymphocytes
and plasma cells increased from 3-16 weeks post-infection in both species.
Eosinophils were also present in hepatic lesions, which may be partly a consequence
of the degranulation of mast cells in hepatic lesions as a result of antigenic stimulation
from the flukes. It is concluded that both cellular and humoral responses are induced
in the liver of cattle and swamp buffaloes infected with F. gigantica. The T cell
response in cattle was apparently suppressed after week 3 of infection which may be
due partly to the rapid migration of flukes or to a suppression of the local immune
response in the liver of cattle by F. gigantica. The increasing responsiveness in
buffaloes represented by the gradually increasing numbers of T lymphocytes may
have contributed to the suppression of development of flukes or delayed their
migration in these animals. This difference in the expression of the hepatic T cell
response between cattle and swamp buffaloes may be related to the observed
differences in their level of resistance against F. gigantica.
The percentage of eosinophils in the blood increased in infected animals. The
eosinophilia observed may have resulted from the generalized inflammation following
liver fluke infection and may not be protective as migrating flukes or dead flukes with
surrounding eosinophils were not seen in the liver. Eosinophilia also indicates a
stimulation of a Th2-type of immune response in these animals during infection with
F. gigantica. The kinetics of eosinophilia differed between hosts. A rapid
eosinophilia was observed within 1-3 weeks post-infection in cattle whereas this was
considerably delayed in buffaloes to weeks 6-11. The slower eosinophil response in
buffaloes may be associated with the increased resistance to F. gigantica in this host,
i.e eosinophils are not an effector cell involved in killing immature F. gigantica
during the first five weeks of infection.
Histopathology of liver and hepatic lymph nodes revealed some differences in the
extent of lesions between cattle and swamp buffaloes at different periods of infection.
At three weeks post-infection, focal necrosis was present in cattle but not in buffaloes.
The hepatic lymph node (HLN) of cattle showed stronger follicular and parafollicular
hyperplasia compared with buffaloes. Lymphocytic infiltration in portal areas was
more marked in cattle than buffaloes at seven weeks post-infection and more plasma cells were present in the medullary cords of HLN of cattle than buffaloes. Marked
portal reaction, bile duct hyperplasia and severe cirrhosis were seen in cattle at 12
weeks post-infection. Only moderate cirrhosis was observed in buffaloes at the same
time post-infection. At 16 weeks post-infection in cattle necrosis of bile ducts was
seen with mostly eosinophils in the inflammatory infiltrate. In buffaloes, most of the
inflammatory cells were lymphocytes. These results imply that there was milder
damage and inflammatory response in the liver and milder stimulation of the HLN at
some stages of infection in buffaloes compared with cattle which could be due to their
lower fluke burden or to the delayed migration or suppressed development of flukes in
buffaloes.
Results of this study showed that there were similarities and differences in the immune
responses of cattle and buffaloes during infection with F. gigantica. These varying
responses to F. gigantica infection represent differences in host-parasite relationships
of F. gigantica infection between cattle and swamp buffaloes and may be linked to the
observed varying levels of resistance and resilience to infection between these hosts.


We present a method for stochastic fiber tract mapping from diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) implemented on graphics hardware. From the simulated fibers we compute a connectivity map that gives an indication of the probability that two points in the dataset are connected by a neuronal fiber path. A Bayesian formulation of the fiber model is given and it is shown that the inversion method can be used to construct plausible connectivity. An implementation of this fiber model on the graphics processing unit (GPU) is presented. Since the fiber paths can be stochastically generated independently of one another, the algorithm is highly parallelizable. This allows us to exploit the data-parallel nature of the GPU fragment processors. We also present a framework for the connectivity computation on the GPU. Our implementation allows the user to interactively select regions of interest and observe the evolving connectivity results during computation. Results are presented from the stochastic generation of over 250,000 fiber steps per iteration at interactive frame rates on consumer-grade graphics hardware.


The coordination between cell growth and division is a highly regulated process that is intimately linked to the cell cycle. Efforts to identify an independent mechanism that measures cell size have been unsuccessful. Instead, we propose that size control is an intrinsic function of the basic cell cycle machinery. My work shows that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cdc25 accumulates in a size dependent manner. This accumulation of Cdc25 occurs over a large range of cell sizes. Additionally, experiments with short pulses of cycloheximide have shown that Cdc25 is an inherently unstable protein that quickly returns to a size dependent equilibrium in the cell suggesting that Cdc25 concentration is dependent on size and not time. Thus, Cdc25 can act as a sizer for the cell. However, cells are still viable when Cdc25 is constitutively expressed suggesting that there is another sizer in the case that Cdc25 expression is compromised. Cdc13 is a likely candidate due to the similar characteristics to Cdc25 and the ability to activate Cdc2. Cdc13 accumulates during the cell cycle in a manner similar to Cdc25. I show that in the absence of Cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation, the cell size is sensitive to Cdc13 activity showing that Cdc13 accumulation can determine when cells enter mitosis. These results suggest a two sizer model where Cdc25 is the main sizer with Cdc13 acting as a backup sizer in the event of Cdc25 expression is compromised. Additionally, in the absence of Cdc2 phosphorylation by the kinases Wee1 and Mik1, mitotic entry is regulated by the activity of Cdc2. In the absence of Cdc2 phosphorylation, this activity is regulated by binding of cyclins to Cdc2. Under these circumstances, the activity of Cdc13 can regulate mitotic entry provide further evidence that Cdc13 could be a sizer of the cell in the case where Cdc25 expression is compromised. The results I present in this dissertation provide the groundwork for understanding how cells regulate size and how this size regulation affects cell cycle control in S. pombe . The results show how the intrinsic cell cycle machinery can act as a sizer for the G2/M transition in S. pombe . Interestingly, this mitotic commitment pathway is well conserved suggesting a general solution for size control in eukaryotes at the G2/M transition. Understanding the mechanism of how protein concentration is regulated in a size dependent manner will give much needed insight into how cells control size. Elucidating the mechanism for size control will capitalize on decades of research and deepen our understanding of basic cell biology.


Rates of tuberculosis (TB) in Africa are highest among people infected with HIV. Searching for additional risk factors in a cohort of HIV-infected Ugandan adults, we previously found that a type 2 cytokine bias and eosinophilia were associated with progression to active TB. A possible role for helminth infection was assessed in this study. We analyzed TB incidence in 462 members of this cohort who were screened for filarial infections, gastrointestinal nematodes, and schistosomiasis. Progression to TB was not associated with gastrointestinal nematodes (rate ratio [RR], 1.18; confidence intervals [CIs], 0.66-2.10) or Mansonella perstans (RR, 0.42; CI, 0.13-1.34). A weak association between Schistosoma mansoni infection and TB was found (RR, 1.42; CI, 0.86-2.34); after adjusting for potential explanatory variables and using more stringent diagnostic criteria, the association was strengthened (RR, 2.31; 1.00-5.33). This analysis suggests an effect of S. mansoni infection on progression to active TB among HIV-1-infected Ugandans.


In part I of this series we proposed a new principle of tomographic imaging using an optical microscope devised with a support-constraint reconstruction algorithm [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A4, 292 ( 1987)]. In this paper we describe a new reconstruction algorithm with a nonnegative constraint that utilizes a priori knowledge of nonnegativity of absorbance or optical density of three-dimensional sample distribution. This method drastically improves the longitudinal resolution in tomography reconstruction, which was the most serious problem with the developed microscope tomography principle. Compared with conventional nonnegative-constrained iterative reconstruction algorithms, the algorithm developed here essentially reduces computation-time and memory-capacity requirements because it includes conjugate directional searching and gradient projection based on the Kuhn–Tucker condition, guaranteeing the convergence of the algorithm within a finite (the smallest) number of iterations. Results of experiments with a biological specimen, using the proposed algorithm, demonstrate an evident improvement of longitudinal resolution with a computation time only three times longer than that of the fastest nonconstrained algorithm.


We develop a theory for light scattering from a random array of nanoparticles spaced much less than an optical wavelength from an optical waveguide. We deal with the randomness in the particle positions by convolving the single-particle Green's dyadic with a correlation function that describes the average properties of the particle distribution. This allows us to treat free-space and substrate-mediated particle–particle interactions. We show that coherent interactions between particles near a waveguide cause dramatic, qualitative changes to the particle susceptibilities. Hence, the scattering spectra show strong, surface-induced peaks that we associate with the onset of leaky guided waves of the layered substrate. Our predictions produce outstanding agreement with the scattering experiments of Stuart Hall [Phys. Rev. Lett.80, 5663 (1998)].


The Unicode Standard, version 1.1, and ISO/IEC 10646-1:1993 jointly define a 16 bit character set which encompasses most of the world's writing systems. 16-bit characters, however, are not compatible with many current applications and protocols, and this has led to the development of a few so-called UCS transformation formats (UTF), each with different characteristics. UTF-8, the object of this memo, has the characteristic of preserving the full US-ASCII range: US-ASCII characters are encoded in one octet having the usual US-ASCII value, and any octet with such a value can only be an US-ASCII character. This provides compatibility with file systems, parsers and other software that rely on US-ASCII values but are transparent to other values.


Mesospheric water vapour measurements taken by the SMR instrument aboard the Odin satellite between 2002 and 2006 have been analysed with focus on the mesospheric semi-annual circulation in the tropical and subtropical region. This analysis provides the first complete picture of mesospheric SAO in water vapour, covering altitudes above 80 km where previous studies were limited. Our analysis shows a clear semi- annual variation in the water vapour distribution in the entire altitude range between 65 km and 100 km in the equatorial area. Maxima occur near the equinoxes below 75 km and around the solstices above 80 km. The phase reversal occurs in the small layer in-between, consistent with the downward propagation of the mesospheric SAO in the zonal wind in this altitude range. The SAO amplitude exhibits a double peak structure in the equatorial region, with maxima at about 75 km and 81 km. The observed amplitudes show higher values than an earlier analysis based on UARS/HALOE data. The upper peak amplitude remains relatively constant with latitude. The lower peak amplitude decreases towards higher latitudes, but recovers in the Southern Hemisphere subtropics. On the other hand, the annual variation is much more prominent in the Northern Hemisphere subtropics. Furthermore, higher volume mixing ratios during summer and lower values during winter are observed in the Northern Hemisphere subtropics, as compared to the corresponding latitude range in the Southern Hemisphere.


This workshop brings together and develops the community of researchers and practitioners concerned with the design and evaluation of interactive medical devices (infusion pumps, etc) and systems (electronic patient records, etc), to deliver a roadmap for future research in this area. The workshop involves researchers and practitioners designing and evaluating dependable systems in a variety of contexts, and those developing innovative interactive computer systems for healthcare. These pose particular challenges because of the inherent variability --- of patients, system configurations, and so on. Participants will represent a range of perspectives, including safety engineering and innovative design. The focus is: engineering safe and acceptable interactive healthcare systems. The aim is: develop a roadmap for future research on interactive healthcare systems.


The release of OpenCL support for FPGAs represents a significant improvement in extending database applications to the reconfigurable domain. Taking advantage of the programmability offered by the OpenCL HLS tool, an OpenCL database can be easily ported and re-designed for FPGAs. A single SQL query in these database systems usually consists of multiple operators, and each one of these operators in turn consists of multiple OpenCL kernels. Due to the specific properties of FPGAs, each OpenCL kernel can have different optimization combinations (in terms of CU and SIMD) which is critical to the overall performance of query processing. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to implement database operators on OpenCL-based FPGAs. We use a cost model to determine the optimum query plan for an input query. Our cost model has two components: unit cost and query plan generation. The unit cost component generates multiple (unit cost, resource utilization) pairs for each kernel. The query plan generation component employs a dynamic programming approach to generate the optimum query plan which consider the possibilities to use multiple FPGA images. The experiments show that 1) our cost model can accurately predict the performance of each feasible query plan for the input query, and is able to guide the generation of the optimum query plan, 2) our optimized query plan achieves a performance speedup 1.5X-4X over the state-of-the-art query processing on OpenCL-based FPGAs.


Morocco has so far been a success story in the Arab world. It has followed a gradual approach to political reforms and democratization, which led to the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of free parliamentary elections in 2011. At the same time, economic growth averaged 4.5 percent between 2000 and 2010, reached 5.0 percent in 2011, 2.7 percent in 2012, and 4.4 percent in 2013. That is, Morocco has avoided the political upheavals and economic meltdowns that plagued other Arab Countries in Transition (ACTs). Maintaining this record of success will require continued political and economic reforms. On the economic side, the focus needs to be on enhancing inclusiveness and ensuring that the benefits of growth are widely shared. More than 40 percent of Moroccans live in rural areas and depend, directly or indirectly, on agriculture for their livelihood. They also happen to be much poorer than those living in urban areas. And, rural poverty is three times higher than urban poverty. Experience from around the world indicates that as Morocco continues to grow, more and more people will migrate from the countryside to cities. Hence, an inclusive growth strategy needs to include investments in urban infrastructure as well as programs to increase urban employment. At the same time, more needs to be done to increase rural living standards, reduce regional income differentials and lower the rate of rural-urban migration, while concomitantly increasing agricultural production and enhancing Morocco's food and nutrition security. The Government of Morocco is implementing a rural development strategy with two pillars: the first pillar focuses on large modern farms, and the second pillar focuses on smallholder and family farming. This paper argues that the twin goals of inclusive growth and food security would be best achieved by emphasizing the importance of the second pillar, and by adopting an approach that includes: (i) increasing food reserves and using financial markets for risk reduction, (ii) improving the linkage of smallholders and family farmers to markets and help them increase domestic food production while raising their incomes, and (iii) supporting the development of independent producer organizations that provide voice for smallholders and also help them gain better access to input and output markets.


This paper presents an innovative method to control the rotational speed of a satellite solar panel during its deployment phase. A brushed DC motor has been utilized in the passive spring driven deployment mechanism to reduce the deployment speed. In order to use the DC motor as a damper, its connector terminals have been connected with an external resistance in a closed circuit. It means that, in this approach, there is no external power supply in the circuit. The working principle of this method is based on the back electromotive force (or back EMF) of the DC motor when an external torque (here the torque produced by the torsional springs) is coupled to the DC motor's shaft. In fact, the DC motor converts to an electric generator and the current flows into the circuit and then produces the back EMF. Based on Lenz's law, the generated current produced a torque which acts opposite to the applied external torque, and as a result, the deployment speed of the solar panel decreases. The main advantage of this method is to set an intended damping coefficient to the system via changing the external resistance. To produce the sufficient current, a gearbox has been assembled to the DC motor which magnifies the number of turns experienced by the DC motor. The coupled electro-mechanical equations of the system have been derived and solved, then, the obtained results have been presented. A full-scale prototype of the deployment mechanism has been built and tested. The potential application of brushed DC motors as a rotational speed damper has been successfully demonstrated. Keywords—Back electromotive force, brushed DC motor, rotational speed damper, satellite solar panel deployment mechanism.


Several authors, including Michael Sandel, distinguish between two different attitudes toward nature: mastery and giftedness. Giftedness is the superior attitude, Sandel argues, because it better accords with the values of humility, responsibility, and solidarity. And giftedness, in combination with these values, provides a rational basis for opposing the employment of genetic enhancement. Against this, I argue that talents and genetic endowment are more plausibly viewed as undeserved, that not everything undeserved is a gift, and that even if talents and endowment were gifts, this would not support a prohibition against pursuing genetic enhancement.


Because of globalization and the rise of Internet, the competitive environment of firms is undergoing a fundamental change. Firms are increasingly forced to collaborate in networks. At the same time, social networks are growing tremendously in use and in functionality. In this paper, the current network era is perceived from a communication perspective. How do people communicate in a network? How could the communication be improved? For the analysis we draw on the Language Action Perspective (LAP). Central to this analysis is the question what people try to achieve by communication in social terms. At its inception, LAP was used in an intra-organizational context. The question is whether the same analysis and the same models are also applicable in a network context.


The influence of high frequency vibrations on the large volumes of fluids are not sufficiently studied, but the ultrasound separation of microparticles from liquid in microchannels is known technique. Acoustic standing wave technology creates new opportunities to improve advanced particle and cell separating systems. In this paper an interesting case of using the acoustic pressure method in the vertical plane is considered. The frequencies that were used lie below the threshold of the ultrasonic range and are unique in their structure. The case of interaction of a bimorph plate with a suspension is considered. The influence of the presence of a liquid on the change in the resonant frequencies and the effect of the exfoliation and transport of particles in the suspension are of interest.Using a high-frequency bimorph piezo-actuator, a stable acoustic effect on the micro/nano suspension and the effect of radiation pressure on particles in the slurry was obtained. Investigating the active part of the actuator, an image with peak points of membrane deformation was obtained, which is confirmed by theoretical calculations. An experimental setup of the micro/nano fluid excitation with piezoelectric actuator has allowed us to determine the low-pressure areas of acoustic waves, which collect micro/nanoparticles. Laboratory studies have confirmed the modeling results and the ability to receive higher volumes than in the case of purified particles in a microchannel.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.23.3.17980


This major new textbook for students in European law uses a text, cases and materials approach to explore the law, politics, policy and practice of EU external relations, and navigates the complex questions at the interface of these areas. The subject is explored by explaining major constitutional principles, and elaborating upon them in policy-specific chapters ranging from common commercial policy and development policy over CFSP/CSDP and AFSJ to energy and enlargement policy. Specific attention is given to the relationship between European integration, the role of law, and the EU as an effective international actor. Designed for easy navigation, chapters include key objectives, summaries and textboxes, which frame key issues and guide the reader through the functioning of legal principles. Students gain a detailed understanding of the historical development, context and present functioning of EU external relations law in a highly politicised European and international environment


Improving analyses of population exposure to potential natural hazards, especially sudden ones, requires more detailed geodemographic data. Availability of such information for large areas is limited by specific database requirements and their cost. This paper introduces and tests a new approach for refining spatio-temporal population distribution at high resolution by combining diverse geoinformation layers. Its value is demonstrated in the context of disaster risk analysis and emergency management by using the data in a real volcanic risk scenario in Campi Flegrei, located within the metropolitan area of Naples, Italy. Results show that there is significant variation in exposure from nighttime to daytime in the study area. The proposed modeling approach can be applied and customized for other metropolitan areas, ultimately benefiting disaster risk assessment and mitigation.


Purpose of review Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) develops in patients who have recently had contact with nosocomial and drug-resistant pathogens, because of a history of hospitalization in the past 90 days, need for hemodialysis or home wound care, or residence in a nursing home. HCAP was included in the 2005 American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for nosocomial pneumonia, with the recommendation that all such patients receive empiric therapy with a multidrug regimen directed against drug-resistant organisms. The purpose of this review was to examine articles published since the guidelines were developed to see whether this therapy recommendation is correct. Methods All articles published since July 2004 were identified using PubMed and the key words HCAP, nursing home-acquired pneumonia, and antibiotic therapy. The search was limited to adults, with a focus on clinical trials, reviews, meta-analyses, or practice guidelines. Recent findings We identified eight unique studies of HCAP, which were either prospective or retrospective series, with bacteriologic data on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. We also examined three prospective, randomized therapy trials of nursing home-acquired pneumonia that included limited bacteriologic data. We found that patients with HCAP were a heterogeneous group, with some at risk for multidrug-resistant organisms, and others not, and this accounted for the observation that many patients were successfully treated with monotherapy regimens or with regimens used for patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Patients at risk for multidrug-resistant pathogens were those with severe illness or those with other risk factors including: hospitalization in the past 90 days, antibiotic therapy in the past 6 months, poor functional status as defined by activities of daily living score, and immune suppression. Conclusion On the basis of the risk factors identified in recent studies, we developed an algorithm for empiric therapy of HCAP, which suggests that not all such patients require a broad-spectrum multidrug regimen in order to achieve appropriate and effective therapy. This algorithm needs validation in future studies.


This study examined race and age differences in children'svulnerability to
depression, negative life events, and negative attributional styles to explain these events..
The relationship between parent-child depression and explanatory styles was also
assessed. There were no significant age or race differences in depression. There were no
significant racial differences in attributional or inferential styles. Younger children
reported more internal and global attributional styles than older children. Younger
children reported the consequences of negative life events as more disastrous than older
children. In younger Caucasians, negative life events were the only predictors of
depression in the equations assessing the role of attributional styles and stress in
predicting depression. In older Caucasians, STAGLO predicted depression. In the
equations assessing the role of inferential styles and stress in predicting depression, there
was a significant consequence-stress interaction in older Caucasians. In older African-
Americans, only stress predicted depression. In younger African-Americans, no
cognitive style predicted depression. When groups were collapsed across race, negative
life events and STAGLO were the only predictors of depression in the equations
assessing attributional style and stress. The interaction terms were not significant. For
equations assessing the role of event consequences and stress, there was a significant
consequence-stress interaction in both age groups. Higher depression scores in parents
were associated with higher child depression, more internal child attributions, and a
greater tendency for the child to view the self as flawed.


The search for life (or the examination of the reasons for its absence) is one of the most compelling scientific activities on Mars. We describe the study of the microbiology of the Haughton impact crater in the Canadian Arctic, from a simulated Mars lander (the FMARS). Impact events have had a profound influence on Mars, and thus on any putative microbial habitats that future explorers might seek. The study of microbial habitats was accomplished under simulated EVA time constraints and with simulated Mars communications. The work was catalogued to develop a computer model for Mars mission planning – 'Brahms'. We implemented a program of cosmic ray dosimeter deployment and we describe how sampling of paleolake deposits might be accomplished from a lander. We domonstrate that science on the surface of Mars can be accomplished from the testing of hypotheses through to the preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts during a long-duration stay, a significant difference to merely sampling as on the Apollo expeditions. The design of a Martian surface exobiology laboratory is described.


As part of a national effort to achieve a more efficient transportation system, the "transparent borders" concept is aimed at developing technologies and systems that provide a less expensive and more efficient operating environment for commercial vehicle operations (CVO), and ultimately, one which will allow unimpeded passage of trucks across state boundaries. This report summarizes the first part of the Transparent Borders Project, a seven-state study to identify the instititional barriers to implementation of various Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) technologies for CVO. It describes the current practices within state and federal agencies and organizations that affect CVO in Washington. Particular emphasis is placed on the primary CVO functions in Washington, including driver and vehicle licensing, operating authority, permitting, tax collection, weight and size regulation, and safety regulation.


Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF) vary considerably in the general population and this variation has been linked to several genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include 2 common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) located in VWF, rs1063856 (c.2365A>G) and rs1063857 (c.2385T>C), although to date the mechanistic basis for their association with VWF level is unknown. Using genotypic/phenotypic information from a European healthy control population, in vitro analyses of recombinant VWF expressing both SNVs, and in vivo murine models, this study determined the precise nature of their association with VWF level and investigated the mechanism(s) involved. Possession of either SNV corresponded with a significant increase in plasma VWF in healthy controls (P < .0001). In vitro expression confirmed this observation and highlighted an independent effect for each SNV (P < .0001 and P < .01, respectively), despite close proximity and strong linkage disequilibrium between them both. The influence of c.2365A>G on VWF levels was also confirmed in vivo. This increase in VWF protein corresponded to an increase in VWF messenger RNA (mRNA) resulting, in part, from prolonged mRNA half-life. In addition, coinheritance of both SNVs was associated with a lower VWF propeptide-to-VWF antigen ratio in healthy controls (P < .05) and a longer VWF half-life in VWF knockout mice (P < .0001). Both SNVs therefore directly increase VWF plasma levels through a combined influence on VWF biosynthesis and clearance, and may have an impact on disease phenotype in both hemostatic and thrombotic disorders.


This paper is a discussion of the Malawi government's policy to increase access to university education as a way of trying to absorb more secondary school graduates into the university system. The discussion culminates from a qualitative study that was conducted at Kamuzu College of Nursing in Malawi to assess the impact of the policy in the University of Malawi. The study has found that the initiative has enabled more students to pursue a career in nursing and midwifery which has helped to increase the number of graduates from the college thereby increasing the number of nursing and midwifery professionals who are joining the workforce. On the other hand, this initiative has also created some problems for both the college and the students. Among other things, the college is facing the problem of large classes which are difficult to handle while some of the students live off campus where they are faced with a number of challenges. Therefore it is recommended that proper strategies should be put in place for the successful implementation of the policy.


Tensegrity structures consist of isolated compression members (rigid bars) suspended by a continuous network of tension members (cables). Tensegrity structures can be used as variable geometry truss (VGT) mechanisms by actuating links to change their length. This paper will present a new method of position finding for tensegrity structures that can be used for actuation as VGT mechanisms. Tensegrity structures are difficult to understand and mathematically model. This difficulty is primarily because tensegrity structures only exist in specific stable tensegrity positions. Previous work has focused on analysis based on statics, dynamics, and virtual work approaches. This work considers tensegrity structures from a kinematic viewpoint. The kinematic approach leads to a better understanding of the conditions under which tensegrity structures exist in the stable positions. The primary understanding that comes from this kinematic analysis is that stable positions for tensegrity structures exist only on the boundaries of nonassembly of the structure. This understanding also allows the tensegrity positions to be easily found. This paper presents a method of position finding based on kinematic constraints and applies that method to several example tensegrity structures.


The aim of this study was to establish causes of teacher turnover that is important for policy
formulations that target teacher retention. This was brought about by lack of devotion of teachers
at their place of work. This is evident in their instability in the teaching profession and low
morale in performing their task as well as poor performance. Poor remuneration has always been
quoted as the main cause of low morale, but literature shows that there are other factors that
lowers teacher morale and increase their turnover. Contemporary educational theory holds that
one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school performance is the inability of schools to
adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers. This analysis therefore examined the
possibility that there are other causes related to teacher demographics, career development,
working conditions and school demographics that are driving teacher turnover and in turn school
staffing problems. The causes of teacher turnover in Makuyu Division were therefore examined
in this study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 20 public secondary schools
out of 24 public secondary schools in the division. 40 teachers (1 male and 1 female) out of 240
teachers were randomly selected to participate in the study. Simple random sampling was used to
select the sample population which constituted 16% of the total population. The study employed
a descriptive survey design and was carried out in public secondary schools in Makuyu division.
This is because secondary school teachers are leaving teaching at a higher rate than primary
school teachers in the division at a rate of 25-30% (T.S.C 2013). A questionnaire was
administered to the sample of teachers to find out causes that would make them exit the teaching
profession. The questionnaire comprised of structured and a few unstructured questions. It
employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques in data collection. Descriptive statistical
analysis was used to analyse data. Validity of the data collection instrument was judged by
experts. Reliability of data collection instruments was ascertained through piloting the
instrument. Data was presented in graphs, charts and tables. The study was intended to provide
the T.S.C, the employer of teachers in public secondary schools in Kenya and school
management B.O.G with information so they can put in place necessary measures that can
manage the turnover. It also provided the policy makers with information so as to formulate laws
which will improve the working conditions and welfare of teacher's in order to reduce their
turnover. Several findings were made in regard to the study but notable of these were that poor
working conditions, low pay, and poor administration significantly caused teacher turnover in
Makuyu division. It was also noted that middle aged teachers had a higher turnover than very old
and very young teachers. Schools where teachers are involved in decision making registered a
low turnover. The study recommended that all stake holders in education should put in place
measures that will reduce teacher turnover. These measures include better pay, proper
administration, student discipline, low teacher- student ratio and adequate facilities. Teacher
promotion should be on merit and they should be allowed to further their education without
restrictions.


Exposure of C62B rat glioma cells to fresh medium containing fetal bovine serum induced a sensitization of the subsequent ability of isoproterenol and forskolin to stimulate cyclic AMP accumulation, compared to cells exposed to fresh medium without serum. Isoproterenol stimulation was typically increased by 2- to 4-fold and forskolin stimulation by 3- to 5-fold. Sensitization occurred rapidly, was rapidly reversible and appeared to result from an increase in maximal stimulation. A commercial preparation of albumin, purified chromatographically so as to retain bound lipids and other factors, was able to mimic the effect of serum. In contrast to the effects of serum, exposure of cells to phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate induced little or no change in forskolin stimulation but a marked desensitization of isoproterenol stimulation that was due primarily to a decrease in potency. Neither the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine or overnight exposure to phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate to down-regulate protein kinase C prevented serum-induced sensitization. Pertussis toxin almost completely blocked serum-induced sensitization, suggesting involvement of a pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein in mediating the effects of serum. Sensitization was poorly retained in membrane adenylate cyclase assays. Studies with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, direct assays of cyclic AMP degradation by intact cells and assays of phosphodiesterase activity in cell lysates all indicated that degradation of cyclic AMP was decreased in serum-pretreated cells. Thus, both increased cyclic AMP synthesis and decreased cyclic AMP degradation may contribute to sensitization in these cells.


In 2004, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and regulations were promulgated and by 2010 were gazetted into law for the first time in South Africa. Under the NEMA, the Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (AQA) was promulgated and included priority pollutants identified by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) as having or may have a significant detrimental effect on the environment, including health, social conditions, economic conditions, ecological conditions or cultural heritage. In this context continuous emission monitoring of emissions to air is a requirement under many of the operators as Air Emission Licenses (AEL) issued under section 21 of AQA. The quality of data obtained from continuous emission monitors is ensured by the inclusion of the BS EN14181:2004 (revised standard updated to current BS EN14181:2014) European standard which has been adopted into the South African legislation for this purpose. With this in mind the purpose of this technical paper is to provide an overview of the current status of automated measuring systems (AMS)/continuous emission monitors (CEMs) currently in use by industry to monitor emissions in South Africa, in terms of compliance with relevant emission limit values (ELVs) and the current challenges faced with ensuring the quality and reliability of the data obtained.


What process lies behind the search for excellence in a sports car? This book reveals the work put into the production of the new supercar, LaFerrari a car whose ambitions are evident through its very name. A voyage of discovery of the Italian passion, method and excellence which created an authentic masterpiece on four wheels, told through the stories of the characters who have worked on the project, and the photos of its creation. Comparisons with its predecessors, the first style drafts, the clay models, wind-tunnel research, studies on cockpit ergonomics, vehicle dynamics, the perfection of the gears and brakes all are revealed here in an ebb and flow of images and designs. Furthermore, the development of the HY-KERS technology, thanks to its contribution in Formula 1 races, allows an insight into one of the most advanced frontiers in the world of sports cars destined for the road. High-craftsmanship, human experiences and futuristic technologies combine in this fascinating story, in a group work that achieves the greatest combination of innovation and aesthetic beauty.


The purpose of this study was to describe salient aspects of pedagogical content knowledge that preservice physical education teachers acquired and found problematic while learning a specific skill theme approach (Graham, Holt/Hale, & Parker, 1993) to teaching elementary physical education during their field-based methods course. The participants were four preservice teachers who were taking the field-based elementary methods course at a major university. Data were collected by conducting 15 weeks of observations while taking field notes, informal and formal interview with transcripts, and document collection. The findings indicated that the preservice teachers came to value the objectives of this specific skill theme approach, understood relationships among movement concepts and children's skill levels, and attempted to present movement variety and refining tasks simultaneously. However, the preservice teachers had problems associated with responding to students' inappropriate and limited movement responses. ********** Since Shulman (1986) proposed a conceptual framework of knowledge base for effective teaching, developing preservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge has received substantial attention among researchers and teacher educators in physical education (Ennis, 1991 ; Graber, 1995; Rovegno, 1992, 1993a, 1993b, 1998; Sebren, 1995). This is because the nature of pedagogical content knowledge reflects the major goal of teacher education that equips preservice teachers with knowledge about content and knowledge about how to teach that content to students at different developmental levels. The integration of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge is a unique professional knowledge base for teachers, known as pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986, Grossman, 1990). Research on Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Elementary Physical Education Teaching Researchers in physical education have begun investigating the development of preservice and inservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge within a specific context of teacher education programs that have adopted movement approaches to teaching elementary physical education (Ennis, 1991; Rovegno, 1992, 1993a, 1993b, 1998; Sebren, 1995). Studies by Rovegno (1992, 1993a, 1993b) revealed that some aspects of pedagogical content knowledge were initially difficult and problematic for preservice teachers to learn. For example, the preservice teachers tended to plan isolated lesson contents without organizing them into a progressive sequence because they lacked understanding of the whole picture of the meaningful movement approach developed by Young, Klesius, and Hoffman (1994). Due to the fact that the preservice teachers had inadequate knowledge of children's understanding and developmental levels, they were unable to anticipate how children learned content and what types of learning tasks were more difficult or easier for children. They were also unable to interpret how children's developmental levels influenced their responses to movement tasks. When responding to children's learning, the preservice teachers thought they could not provide children with any specific performance feedback when the children were participating in exploratory movement tasks. They initially equated teaching movement approach lessons with teaching by not telling and not intervening. Studies by Rovegno (1993a) and Sebren (1995), however, reported that preservice teachers' beliefs and knowledge about some aspects of movement approaches were qualitatively changed and constructed through learning in field-based methods courses and related courses. For example, Rovegno (1993a) found that the preservice teachers came to realize that developing students' self-responsibilities and cooperative abilities was one of the major goals for the meaningful movement approach. They recognized that developing students' skillful performance was central to movement approach lessons. …


In the present paper, we investigate the feasibility of wave electricity production in Italian seas by the deployment of the Seabased wave energy converter (WEC). A numerical model of the coupled buoy-generator system is presented, which simulates the behavior of the wave energy converter under regular waves of different wave heights and periods. The hydrodynamic forces, including excitation force, radiation impedance and hydrostatic force, are calculated by linear potential wave theory, and an analytical model is used for the linear generator. Two buoys of different radii are considered to explore the effect of buoy dimension on energy conversion and device efficiency. The power output is maximized by adding a submerged object to the floating buoy, in order to bring the system into resonance with the typical wave frequencies of the sites. The simulation results show a very good agreement with the published data on the Seabased WEC. The model is used to estimate energy production at eight Italian offshore locations. The results indicate that the degree of utilization of the device is higher than 20% at the two most energetic Italian sites (Alghero and Mazara del Vallo) and that it can be considerably increased if the floating body is connected to a submerged object, thanks to the resonant behavior of the WEC. In this case, the degree of utilization of the device would be higher than 40% at most of the study sites, with the highest value at Mazara del Vallo. The work enlarges the perspective, to be confirmed by experimental tests and more accurate numerical modeling, on clean electric power production from ocean waves in the Italian seas.


Ethics is one of the most significant matters which translation studies has been interested in recently. In this study, with reference to the early views to translation, and then to more recent approaches to it, translation and its development through time has been described. It has been shown that, there may be times when the translator may deviate from the faithful rendering of a source text. Moreover, it has been questioned if the translator has right to do any changes in the source text, whether it is always ethical to adapt or change the original text or not. In the end, it has been tried to prove that, there are times when it is not ethical to do changes or adaptations in translation of texts


We propose the Neural Vector Space Model (NVSM), a method that learns representations of documents in an unsupervised manner for news article retrieval. In the NVSM paradigm, we learn low-dimensional representations of words and documents from scratch using gradient descent and rank documents according to their similarity with query representations that are composed from word representations. We show that NVSM performs better at document ranking than existing latent semantic vector space methods. The addition of NVSM to a mixture of lexical language models and a state-of-the-art baseline vector space model yields a statistically significant increase in retrieval effectiveness. Consequently, NVSM adds a complementary relevance signal. Next to semantic matching, we find that NVSM performs well in cases where lexical matching is needed. NVSM learns a notion of term specificity directly from the document collection without feature engineering. We also show that NVSM learns regularities related to Luhn significance. Finally, we give advice on how to deploy NVSM in situations where model selection (e.g., cross-validation) is infeasible. We find that an unsupervised ensemble of multiple models trained with different hyperparameter values performs better than a single cross-validated model. Therefore, NVSM can safely be used for ranking documents without supervised relevance judgments.


Handspring Puppet Company recently won three prestigious London awards (including the Olivier) for their design of the production War Horse, which is still running to great acclaim in the West End. This beautiful book has been released at exactly the right time, at a highpoint of an extraordinary company which has been producing astonishing work for 28 years already. It is an appropriate celebration of their many marvellous designs for 11 plays and two operas.


The present study examines the concepts of istiṣlāḥ, munāsaba and maqāṣid as-sarʿ in the thought of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ġazzālī (d. 1111 C.E.). Ġazzālī's treatise on legal hermeneutics, the Kitāb al-Mustaṣfā, is the earliest extant source containing a systematic discussion of those concepts. In Ġazzālī's hermeneutical system, the three concepts are closely interrelated: He uses them as a conceptual frame to discuss the role and scope of human value judgments in determining God's legal command. Ġazzālī claims that, in principle, it is legitimate for Man to draw on human notions of good and evil in order to interpret God's legal revelation. However, Ġazzālī also establishes the epistemological limits of human value judgments. He discusses various hermeneutical operations that involve such value judgments and carefully distinguishes between legitimate operations and others that – in Ġazzālī's opinion – are methodologically unsound as they result in a mere projection of human value judgments onto God's legal command.