Description: A highly accessible and authoritative account of wind energy s scientific background, current technology, and international status, with an emphasis on large turbines and wind farms, both onshore and offshore Topics covered include:-a brief history of wind energy-the nature of the wind-turbine aerodynamics, mechanics, and electrics-wind farms-offshore opportunities and challenges-grid integration of wind energy-economic and environmental aspects Whilst intellectually rigorous, this is not an academic treatise. Key equations are fully discussed, providing essential theoretical background. The text is supported by copious illustrations and about 50 inspiring full–colour photographs from around the world. This book is aimed at a wide readership including professionals, policy makers and employees in the energy sector in need of a basic appreciation of the underlying principles of wind energy or a quick update. Its style and level will also appeal to second and third year undergraduate and postgraduate students of renewable and wind energy, energy systems and electrical/electronic engineering. It also gives a concise account of the technology for the large and growing number of people who are interested in onshore and offshore wind farms and the contribution they are making to carbon–free electricity generation in the 21st century.


The migratory movement towards Europe through Spain, Italy and Greece is an old phenomenon, with peaks at times of conflict. But the summer of 2015 saw an exponential increase in arrivals, as people transited through Libya to Italy, through Turkey to reach Greece, and from there through the Balkans to continue their quest for safety. One of Oxfam's biggest concerns as it has worked to respond to the crisis is that people's fundamental human rights are not being respected, and that they face obstacles to accessing international protection for a variety of reasons. To address these issues, Oxfam has partnered with organizations in Greece, Italy and the Balkans to provide information and legal aid, and to conduct research and advocacy. This case study evaluates the work of the programme so far, analysing both its successes and challenges.


There is growing evidence that children's subjective interpretations of events may differ significantly from those of adults; yet children's voices and children's knowledge regarding hospital care remain largely unexplored.
This study was undertaken to determine what counted as voice in work with hospitalised children, and explore children's subjective interpretations and knowledge
as in-patients.
Influenced by critical ethnographic methods, the study was undertaken in two phases with children who had been in-patients in one English tertiary referral children's ward.
Phase one involved reconnaissance with 6 children to explore what mattered most to them regarding their in-patient experience. Phase two involved field work undertaken over six months, on a nephro-urology ward, and included in-depth work with nine children.
Voice became manifest in what the children said but also through the non-verbal mechanisms of resisting and being silent. In this study, the children chose which voice to present when they participated in the study and that voice was accepted without question.
Inductive analysis revealed that the children shared the experience of being in trouble. While they were in-patients, recognition of their competence was fluid=and
contingent on structural and material factors. When their competence was denied, some of the children fought hard to re-establish their claim as authentic and knowledgeable individuals. However, while all of the children who participated in this study, regardless of ability, were capable commentators on their experiences, their capacity to work in their own best interests was sometimes challenged. During these episodes, they relied heavily on supportive adults. In the absence of supportive adults they often became marooned and subject to routinised care.


Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has long been identified to be critical in regulating the Asian monsoon climate and hydrological cycle. In this modeling study a series of numerical experiments with a global climate model are designed to simulate radiative effect of black carbon (BC) and dust in snow, and to assess the relative impacts of anthropogenic CO2 and carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere and snow on the snowpack over the TP and subsequent impacts on the Asian monsoon climate and hydrological cycle. Simulations results show a large BC content in snow over the TP, especially the southern slope. Because of the high aerosol content in snow and large incident solar radiation in the low latitude and high elevation, the TP exhibits the largest surface radiative flux changes induced by aerosols (e.g. BC, Dust) in snow compared to any other snow-covered regions in the world. Simulation results show that the aerosol-induced snow albedo perturbations generate surface radiative flux changes of 5–25 W m−2 during spring, with a maximum in April or May. BC-in-snow increases the surface air temperature by around 1.0 °C averaged over the TP and reduces spring snowpack over the TP more than pre-industrial to present CO2 increase and carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere. As a result, runoff increases during late winter and early spring but decreases during late spring and early summer (i.e. a trend toward earlier melt dates). The snowmelt efficacy, defined as the snowpack reduction per unit degree of warming induced by the forcing agent, is 1–4 times larger for BC-in-snow than CO2 increase during April–July, indicating that BC-in-snow more efficiently accelerates snowmelt because the increased net solar radiation induced by reduced albedo melts the snow more efficiently than snow melt due to warming in the air. The TP also influences the South (SAM) and East (EAM) Asian monsoon through its dynamical and thermal forcing. Simulation results show that during boreal spring aerosols are transported by southwesterly, causing some particles to reach higher altitude and deposit to the snowpack over the TP. While BC and Organic Matter (OM) in the atmosphere directly absorb sunlight and warm the air, the darkened snow surface polluted by BC absorbs more solar radiation and increases the skin temperature, which warms the air above through sensible heat flux. Both effects enhance the upward motion of air and spur deep convection along the TP during the pre-monsoon season, resulting in earlier onset of the SAM and increase of moisture, cloudiness and convective precipitation over northern India. BC-in-snow has a more significant impact on the EAM in July than CO2 increase and carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere. Contributed by the significant increase of both sensible heat flux associated with the warm skin temperature and latent heat flux associated with increased soil moisture with long memory, the role of the TP as a heat pump is elevated from spring through summer as the land-sea thermal contrast increases to strengthen the EAM. As a result, both southern China and northern China become wetter, but central China (i.e. Yangtze River Basin) becomes drier – a near-zonal anomaly pattern that is consistent with the dominant mode of precipitation variability in East Asia. The snow impurity effects reported in this study likely represent some upper limits as snowpack is remarkably overestimated over the TP due to excessive precipitation. Improving the simulation of precipitation and snowpack will be important for improved estimates of the effects of snowpack pollution in future work.


Dendrimers, highly branched macromolecules with a specific size and shape, provide many exciting opportunities for biomedical applications. However, most dendrimers demonstrate toxic and haemolytic activity because of their positively charged surface. Masking the peripheral cationic groups by coating them with biocompatible molecules is a method to reduce it. It was proven that modified dendrimers can even diminish haemolytic activity of encapsulated drugs. Experiments confirmed that anionic dendrimers are less haemotoxic than cationic ones. Due to the high affinity of dendrimers for serum proteins, presence of these components in an incubation buffer might also influence red blood cell (RBC)-dendrimer interactions and decrease the haemolysis level. Generally, haemotoxicity of dendrimers is concentration-, generation-, and time-dependent. Various changes in the RBCs' shape in response to interactions with dendrimers have been observed, from echinocytic transformations through cell aggregation to cluster formation, depending on the dendrimer's type and concentration. Understanding the physical and chemical origins of dendrimers' influences on RBCs might advance scientists' ability to construct dendrimers more suitable for medical applications.


Market penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining momentum, as is the move towards increasingly distributed, clean and renewable electricity sources. EV charging shifts a significant portion of transportation energy use onto building electricity meters. Hence, integration strategies for energy-efficiency in buildings and transport sectors are of increasing importance. This paper focuses on a portion of that integration: the analysis of an optimal interaction of EVs with a building-serving transformer, and coupling it to a microgrid that includes PV, a fuel cell and a natural gas micro-turbine. The test-case is the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore campus. The system under study is the Laboratory of Clean Energy Research (LaCER) Lab that houses the award winning Microgrid Energy Management System (MG-EMS) project. The paper analyses three different case scenarios to estimate the number of EVs that can be supported by the building transformer serving LaCER. An approximation of the actual load data collected for the building into different time intervals is performed for a transformer loss of life (LOL) calculation. The additional EV loads that can be supported by the transformer with and without the microgrid are analyzed. The numbers of possible EVs that can be charged at any given time under the three scenarios are also determined. The possibility of using EV fleet at NTU campus to achieve demand response capability and intermittent PV output leveling through vehicle to grid (V2G) technology and building energy management systems is also explored.


This article engages critically with the idea of state-centred nationhood, including its promises and limitations, as a foundation for state strategies of forging unity in (migration-related) diversity within nations. As states across Europe grapple with the management of migration-related diversity, in contexts of increasing polarization of public debate on nationhood, which conceptions of nationhood do they draw on? We build on data from Norway, including policy documents and parliamentary debates, and draw on ten interviews with eleven bureaucrats in senior positions. Our interviewees were tasked with different aspects of the state's nation building work, such as immigration control, national minorities (including Sami populations), religious and life-stance communities, and the 200-year anniversary of the Constitution. When asking which conceptions of nationhood bureaucrats draw on, we acknowledge that someone is doing the state's nation building work. We find that the bureaucrats draw on a range of conceptions of nationhood, where ethnic and civic, more open and more closed dimensions, are mobilized. However, we did not find a cohesive conception of a state-centred nationhood being promulgated. Instead, our interviewees expressed uncertainty about how and to what extent nationhood could or should be mobilized to forge unity among Norwegian citizens. We argue that future research should move beyond dichotomies such as ethnic/civic or elite/everyday nationhood to theorize the composite articulations of nationhood which emerge empirically. Who bureaucrats effectively see as the imagined community, we argue, remains central to understanding states nation-building efforts.


A near-infrared (NIR) survey of 63 radio-selected, ultracompact (UC) H II regions representing 47 different star-forming sites has been completed. The survey was obtained using H-band imaging and moderate-resolution, R = 1200, K-band spectroscopy, centered on the radio emission peak of the UC H II regions. The goal of this survey was to determine the fraction of radio-selected UC H II regions that can be studied with NIR observations and analysis. Approximately 50% of the 63 radio-selected UC H II regions appear to be detected at NIR wavelengths in Brγ emission (107 ergs s-1 cm-2 sr-1). Typical line-of-sight extinction toward the detected UC H II regions ranged from AV = 30 to 50, though one source was measured to have AV = 80. For a few of these UC H II regions, the central ionizing sources are detected through high signal-to-noise ratio NIR spectra of photospheric transitions. This preliminary survey suggests that perhaps 5%-10% of UC H II regions showing NIR counterparts will have directly detectable central ionizing sources. Using the ratio of He I 2.11 to Brγ, the effective temperatures of the central ionizing stars in 25 UC H II regions have been estimated. While He I is not always detected in UC H II regions, when it was found or a meaningful upper limit determined, the spectral type implied by the ratio of He I 2.11 to Brγ closely matched similar estimates of spectral type derived from radio. Model predictions based on mid-infrared measurements appear to underestimate the temperature of the central ionizing stars for which we have directly detected spectral types. The line ratios of H2 2-1 S(1) and 1-0 S(0) relative to the 1-0 S(1) line in our sample of UC H II regions are generally indicative of dense photodissociation regions rather than shocks, similar to what is seen in the Orion Bar. This was true even for UC H II regions showing very weak Brγ emission. While Brγ was generally found to be spatially correlated with the radio emission, H2 showed little correlation with the UC H II regions, typically lying ≳10'' from the central radio emission. A discussion of each UC H II region studied is included in an extensive appendix.


Evaporating sprays in gas-solid flows are constantly encountered in many industry processes, such as Fluid Catalytic Cracking in petroleum industry and condensed mode operation of polyethylene polymerization in polymer industry. The rapid evaporation of droplets in a gas-solid suspension flow can have significant effects on the gas-solid mixing near the spray nozzle regions. Typical effects of evaporating jets on gas-solid dynamics include the change of velocity of gas and solids phases, dilution effect on solids concentration, temperature reduction of all phases. On the other hand, the particle loading in the gas-solid flow can also significantly change the spray structures such as spray evaporation region, evaporation rate, and collision frequency among droplets and solids. In this paper, experimental as well as theoretical studies on evaporating liquid nitrogen spray into an air-particulate suspension flow are performed. Using laser enhanced visualization system and thermocouple profile probes, we obtain the spray trajectory and temperature distribution in the test section. A comprehensive analytic model has been developed to study the parametric effects of phase interactions with phase changes in all three phases. The study shows that the particle loading can considerably affect the spray structure. Inversely, the sprays also significantly change the velocity, concentration and temperature fields of the gas-solid flow. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons give a good agreement between experimental results and modeling simulations.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


: We introduce a novel scene reconstruction method to infer a fully ed-itable and re-renderable model of a 3D road scene from a single image. We represent movable objects separately from the immovable background, and recover a full 3D model of each distinct object as well as their spatial relations in the scene. We leverage transformer-based detectors and neural implicit 3D representations and we build a Scene Decomposition Network (SDN) that reconstructs the scene in 3D. Furthermore, we show that this reconstruction can be used in an analysis-by-synthesis setting via differentiable rendering. Trained only on simulated road scenes, our method generalizes well to real data in the same class without any adaptation thanks to its strong inductive priors. Experiments on two synthetic-real dataset pairs (PD-DDAD and VKITTI-KITTI) show that our method can robustly recover scene geometry and appearance, as well as reconstruct and re-render the scene from novel viewpoints.


Various studies in different countries have shown that significant energy-efficiency improvement opportunities exist in the industrial sector, many of which are cost-effective. These energy-efficiency options include both cross-cutting as well as sector-specific measures. However, industrial plants are not always aware of energy-efficiency improvement potentials. Conducting an energy audit is one of the first steps in identifying these potentials. Even so, many plants do not have the capacity to conduct an effective energy audit. In some countries, government policies and programs aim to assist industry to improve competitiveness through increased energy efficiency. However, usually only limited technical and financial resources for improving energy efficiency are available, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Information on energy auditing and practices should, therefore, be prepared and disseminated to industrial plants. This guidebook provides guidelines for energy auditors regarding the key elements for preparing for an energy audit, conducting an inventory and measuring energy use, analyzing energy bills, benchmarking, analyzing energy use patterns, identifying energy-efficiency opportunities, conducting cost-benefit analysis, preparing energy audit reports, and undertaking post-audit activities. The purpose of this guidebook is to assist energy auditors and engineers in the plant to conduct a well-structured and effective energy audit.


The paper traces the growth and practices of Philippine environmentalism, from the crucial years of 1970s Marcos era to the early 1990s of the Green Forum. It highlights Filipino environmentalists' advocacy for environmental protection and effort to democratize access to natural resources. Given its legitimized and historical rights as stipulated in the Philippine Constitution, the Philippine State owns and primarily utilizes natural resources for economic purposes. It also has the power to distribute land titles. However, due to graft and corruption in the government, the State becomes weak in implementing environmental policies and ineffective in securing a healthy ecology for the people. Added to this burden is the State's high propensity to prioritize private companies whose intents do not necessarily reflect and promote a sustainable environment development. In this dire context, conflict of interests between the State and its citizenry, especially indigenous groups, arises. Rallying issues raised against the State are displacement, embezzlement, and destruction of natural resources. Indigenous groups, environmental NGOs, and church-community groups become active in promoting and implementing sustainable development projects in communities as well as in lobbying environment policies that demand State's equity towards its citizenry and natural resources. Another challenge is the undertaking of capacity-building measures in order to become effective participants in the local implementation of projects. Environmental NGOs and the like are expected to be technically-efficient and organizationally-competent in order to execute community-based resource management programs.


The determinants of the performance of water utilities are a topical issue worldwide. This paper analyzes the relationship between efficiency and corporate governance in Italian water utilities, measured through data envelopment analysis. Using an M-quantile regression model, efficiency estimations are ranked considering relevant governance (board size and composition; firm size) and strategy features (membership of a corporate group; provision of wholesale services) in order to provide decision-makers with indications regarding the best corporate governance and strategic choices to improve the efficiency. Results show that fully publicly owned firms reach lower levels of efficiency than their counterparts with an ownership structure that also includes private partners. Moreover, higher levels of efficiency are reached by utilities with more than six board members and by firms in which the presence of politically connected directors is substantial (more than two-thirds of board members being politically connected). The empirical results also show that the worst situation is where the entirety or the great majority of board members are not graduates or over a certain age and where the firm size is 'median'. Finally, being part of a group and having the opportunity to provide wholesale services to other firms contribute to improving efficiency.


We have previously shown that conversion of proteins to scavenger receptor (SR) ligands by maleylation increases their immunogenicity. We now show that maleyl-Ag-immune spleen cells make relatively more IFN-gamma and less IL-4 or IL-10 than native Ag-immune cells. This is also reflected in the IgG1:IgG2a ratios in Abs generated in vivo. SR engagement on macrophages does not alter their surface levels of the adhesive/costimulatory molecules CD11a/CD18, CD11b/CD18, CD24, CD54, or CD40, nor does it enhance their ability to support anti-CD3-driven proliferation of naive T cells in vitro. Costimulatory molecules implicated in differential Th1/Th2 commitment--CD80, CD86, and IL-12--are not inducible by SR ligation. In addition to macrophages and dendritic cells, B cells also show receptor-mediated uptake and enhanced presentation of maleyl-Ags. Using a monoclonal T cell line to detect peptide-MHC complexes expressed on spleen cells in Ag-injected mice, we find that higher levels of these complexes are generated in vivo from maleyl-proteins and they persist longer than those generated from the native protein. Together, these data suggest that in certain situations, the levels of cognate ligand available and/or the time course of their availability may play a major role in determining the cytokine profiles of the responding T cells in addition to the costimulatory signals implicated so far.


"Modern Church History" provides an introduction to global Christianity from 1700 to the mid 20th century. The book aims to help students understand the processes, movements and individuals who have contributed to making the contemporary Christian landscape the shape it is in the 21st century. Theologically it takes a wide and inclusive approach to provide a balanced survey of Christianity in all its forms - Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. Geographically it focuses on the Christian church in the UK, continental Europe and North America, and examines in each location the social movements, campaigns and campaigners, scientific and political challenges that have shaped the Christian Church throughout the period. Beginning with the reaction to Lutherism, it charts the rise of Pietism in Europe throughout the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the influence of John Wesley and the Methodists, in the UK and the 'Great Awakening' in North America. The early chapters summarize the developments within the Christian Church in the UK, with detailed coverage of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish situations, throughout the 19th Century. This is followed by a summary of the various schools of thought to have developed through the 20th C, including the church's reaction to the 2 world wars in Europe, fundamentalism in the USA. The book also provides specific coverage of the religious situation in North America throughout the modern period covering the development of separate black churches, the 'New Evangelicalism'. It is suitable for level two as well as introductory courses in modern church history or courses concerned with religion, culture and society in the 18th - 20th centuries


In this paper we propose a new connection admission control (CAC) scheme namely dynamic bandwidth reservation (DBR) algorithm at the network layer in order to provision connection-level QoS in cellular WCDMA network. DBR scheme supports Multirate services for new and handover (HO) connections traffic by employing orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF). However, to exploit the wireless time-varying channel, we employed a prediction criterion of wireless channel for each mobile connection. Therefore, we impact the wireless channel characteristics in the new/HO traffic distribution. The teletraffic analysis of the proposed scheme is analyzed using a novel multistep Markov chain model. We compare our proposed scheme with multiple leaf code reservation (MLCR) schemes without code reassignment [4]. The performance of the proposed scheme is measured in terms of handover connection dropping probability (HCDP), new connection blocking probability (NCBP), forced termination probability (FTP) and channel utilization.


Abstract The DIII-D tokamak is capable of supporting a wide variety of plasma equilibria because of its relatively large number of coils and their proximity to the plasma. To support its advanced tokamak mission, the DIII–D experimental program continues to push the envelope of this capability, frequently encountering limits imposed by allowable currents in poloidal shaping coils. Violation of current constraints is presently dealt with by operator adjustment of control targets and gains between plasma discharges. At the same time, demands for more precise and stable control have motivated efforts to develop and install advanced multivariable algorithms for control of plasma shape in DIII-D and other devices. There is currently no way to ensure respect of nonlinear current constraints in a multivariable linear controller design and no practical way to manually tune these fully coupled controllers between discharges after installation. Various linear minimization schemes can be implemented to encourage currents to remain within limits, but adherence to these limits cannot be guaranteed by linear methods alone. In this paper, we describe ongoing efforts to provide methods that guarantee currents will not exceed preset limits, and that simultaneously achieve the best obtainable quality of control subject to current limit constraints.


Using alternative crops that use supplied nutrients efficiently is a possible approach in land use sustainability. Plant species vary in their potassium (K) use efficiency in soils of low K availability by using different strategies. Growing K efficient species to improve yield may be desirable if K efficiency mechanisms are illustrated. Therefore K use efficiency of the alternative oil crops safflower and sunflower was investigated under semi-controlled conditions in sandy and loamy soils using four K supplies. Both species reacted strongly to increasing K supplies in both soils and performed better in loamy soil, although they contained less K concentration in loamy soil. Under suboptimal K supply in both soils, safflower was superior over sunflower by having higher agronomic efficiency (greater relative yield), higher internal K concentration, better relative K accumulation in dry matter. Both species had similar K efficiency ratio (KER) in sandy soil, but sunflower was more efficient in loamy soil. Sunflower was superior over safflower in terms of utilization index (UI) in both soils. Sunflower had less external K requirement and recovered more K than safflower in both soil types. The K use efficiency of crops is based on different competitive components. Thus using different measures of utilization efficiency parameters to differentiate plant species and genotypes to superior and inferior could be in some cases misleading. Neither safflower nor sunflower showed a combination of high values of all K uptake and utilization efficiency components in both soils at studied K levels.


The three related phenomena of wave runup, wave setup and the dynamics of the coastal watertable are considered and their inter-relations are investigated via a comprehensive field study. The measured runup distributions confirm the expectation that the Rayleigh distribution is a reasonable model and that the vertical scale of the distributions is proportional to √(HormsLo) as in Hunt's (1959) formula but that the proportionality to the beach slope, also prescribed by this formula, only applies for fairly steep beaches. The measured setup profiles are quite different from the ones predicted on the basis of H=γh and linear wave theory in the surf zone. The measured profiles are flatter in the outer surf zone and steeper close to the beach. The shoreline setup is generally about 0.4 Horms' which is somewhat higher than the previously suggested values. This is because the previous values of the shoreline setup were rarely measured but generally extrapolated with insufficient recognition of the steepening of the profile near the shoreline. The watertable data show that the inclined beach face acts as a strongly non-linear filter which makes the watertable variation at a point inside the beach far from sinusoidal (when the tide is approximately sinusoidal) and elevates the average position of the watertable considerably compared to the mean sea level.


We present the results of a joint observational campaign between the Green Bank radio telescope and the VERITAS gamma-ray telescope, which searched for a correlation between the emission of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays (Eγ > 150 GeV) and giant radio pulses (GRPs) from the Crab pulsar at 8.9 GHz. A total of 15,366 GRPs were recorded during 11.6 hr of simultaneous observations, which were made across four nights in 2008 December and in 2009 November and December. We searched for an enhancement of the pulsed gamma-ray emission within time windows placed around the arrival time of the GRP events. In total, eight different time windows with durations ranging from 0.033 ms to 72 s were positioned at three different locations relative to the GRP to search for enhanced gamma-ray emission which lagged, led, or was concurrent with, the GRP event. Furthermore, we performed separate searches on main pulse GRPs and interpulse GRPs and on the most energetic GRPs in our data sample. No significant enhancement of pulsed VHE emission was found in any of the preformed searches. We set upper limits of 5–10 times the average VHE flux of the Crab pulsar on the flux simultaneous with interpulse GRPs on single-rotation-period timescales. On ∼8 s timescales around interpulse GRPs, we set an upper limit of 2–3 times the average VHE flux. Within the framework of recent models for pulsed VHE emission from the Crab pulsar, the expected VHE–GRP emission correlations are below the derived limits.


Graphical models on discrete variables allows to model NPhard optimization problems where the objective function is factorized into a set of local functions. In the graphical interpretation, each function's scope is represented by a clique. Deterministic graphical models such as Cost Function Network (CFN) aim at minimizing the sum of all functions (or constraints if zero/infinite costs are used). Probabilistic graphical models such as Markov Random Field (MRF) aim at maximizing the product of all functions (or constraints if using zero/one probabilities). A direct (-log) transformation exists between the two frameworks that can also be modeled as weighted MaxSAT or ILP. Strong connections exist between LP itself and bounds used in graphical models. We report a large comparison of state-of-the-art CP/AI/OR exact solvers on several deterministic and probabilistic graphical models coming from the Probabilistic Inference Challenge 2011, the Weighted Partial MaxSAT Evaluation 2013, the MiniZinc Challenge 2012 and 2013, and a library of Cost Function Networks. These competitions are usually restricted to a family of dedicated solvers. We instead compare the efficiency of eight state-of-the-art exact solvers of each optimization language on these encodings. It includes MRF solvers daoopt (https:// github.com/lotten/daoopt version 1.1.2), mplp2 (http://cs.nyu.edu/ ~dsontag/ version 2), toulbar2 (http://mulcyber.toulouse.inra.fr/ projects/toulbar2/ version 0.9.6), MaxSAT solver maxhs (http:// www.cs.toronto.edu/~jdavies/), ILP solver cplex (version 12.2), and CP solvers numberjack-mistral (http://numberjack.ucc.ie/version1. 3.40), gecode (http://www.gecode.org/ version 4.2.0), and opturioncpx (http://www.opturion.com version 1.0.2). All the 1062 instances are made publicly available in five different formats (uai, wcsp, wcnf, lp, mzn) and seven formulations at http://genoweb. toulouse.inra.fr/~degivry/evalgm. The results suggest the opportunity for a simple portfolio approach and we give preliminary results based on the numberjack platform.


This paper examines whether government ideology has influenced monetary policy in OECD countries. We use quarterly data in the 1980.1-2005.4 period and exclude EMU countries. Our Taylor-rule specification focuses on the interactions of a new time-variant index of central bank independence with government ideology. The results show that leftist governments have somewhat lower short-term nominal interest rates than rightwing governments when central bank independence is low. In contrast, short-term nominal interest rates are higher under leftist governments when central bank independence is high. The effect is more pronounced when exchange rates are flexible. Our findings are compatible with the view that leftist governments, in an attempt to deflect blame of their traditional constituencies, have pushed market-oriented policies by delegating monetary policy to conservative central bankers.


Clean water for drinking and other domestic purposes is becoming a scarce resource the world over. The presence of pathogens such as Escherichia coli [E. coli] in contaminated water often leads to health complications and at times death, particularly when they originate from human or animal waste, and may give rise to gastro-intestinal diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera. Simple and affordable water purification devices are therefore essential in rural and peri-urban areas without municipal water supply. Two locally built solar stills, sometimes called solar distillers, were designed and constructed at the workshop of the Physics Department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Swaziland. They were installed at two locations in Swaziland with different climatic conditions, one at Dvokolwako in the Lowveld and the other, at Etimpisini in the Middleveld. Data on monthly variation of the amount of distilled water collected at each of the two locations were recorded over a period of one year. The effect of the ambient temperature on the water collection efficiency was also evaluated. The amount of distilled water collected at each of the two locations was found to increase with ambient temperature. The collection efficiency was found to be higher in the Middleveld in spring and summer [September to February], whereas it was lowest in winter [June and July]. The percentage increase in the amount of water collected in the Middleveld between July and September was approximately 75%. In the Lowveld, however, the variation in the collection efficiency was only about 19%. On average, a still can produce about 2.75 litres of water per day in the Middleveld, compared to 2.6 litres in the Lowveld, using a still with a base area of 1 m2. The raw and distilled water were tested at the Swaziland Water Services Corporation [SWSC], Mbabane for the presence of E. coli and total coliform, as well as the levels of pH and total hardness. Tests on cations and anions were carried out by the Department of Geological Survey and Mines, Mbabane. Results of the water quality tests showed that the solar stills had the capacity to eliminate E. coli and total coliform completely from the raw water and reduce the levels of pH, total hardness, anions and cations significantly. The anions were reduced by 22 % to 100 % and there was a 53% to 100% reduction in cations. All the parameters were found to be within the South African [SA] and SWSC standards for water quality. Improvements for future work have also been highlighted.


OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of lifestyle intervention over 2 years on changes in weight, coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, and incidence of diabetes in overweight individuals with a parental history of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants (n = 154), who were 30–100% over ideal body weight, had one or both parents with diabetes, and were currently nondiabetic, were randomly assigned to 2-year treatments focused on diet (decreasing calories and fat intake), exercise (goal of 1,500 kcal/week of moderate activity), or the combination of diet plus exercise or to a no-treatment control group. Subjects were reassessed at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. RESULTS At 6 months, the groups differed significantly on measures of eating, exercise, and fitness; weight losses in the diet and diet-plus-exercise groups were significantly > in the exercise and control conditions. Weight losses were associated with positive changes in CHD risk factors. After 6 months, there was gradual deterioration of behavioral and physiological changes, so that at 2 years, almost no between-group differences were maintained. Differences between groups in risk of developing diabetes were of borderline significance (P = 0.08). Strongest predictors were impaired glucose tolerance at baseline, which was positively related to risk of developing diabetes, and weight loss from baseline to 2 years, which was negatively related; in all treatment groups, a modest weight loss of 4.5 kg reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by ∼ 30% compared with no weight loss. CONCLUSIONS Although initially successful, the interventions studied here were not effective in producing long-term changes in behavior, weight, or physiological parameters. However, weight loss from 0 to 2 years reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Since modest weight loss significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, further research is needed to determine how best to increase the percentage of subjects achieving at least a modest weight loss.


Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by a loss of neuromuscular tone of the upper airway dilator muscles while asleep. Positive airway pressure is a well-established long-term treatment, but patient compliance is limited. Alternative treatment options include the use of electrical current for hypoglossal nerve stimulation. This study investigated the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with OSA. The current study was a randomised, sham-controlled and double blind cross-over trial using transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the upper airway dilator muscles in patients with OSA. Patients underwent a baseline polysomnography to assess the severity of OSA, followed by two randomly assigned nights of sham stimulation and active treatment. The primary outcome was the 4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI). 36 patients were recruited, the mean age was 50.8 (SD 11.2) years, 30 males, body-mass-index (BMI) mean 29.6 (SD 8.0) kg/m 2 , ODI median 25.7 (interquartile range, IQR 16.0-49.1) /hour. The ODI improved when comparing sham stimulation to active treatment (ODI median 26.9 (IQR 17.5-39.5) vs 19.5 (IQR 11.6-40.0) /hour; p=0.026) without affecting sleep architecture. Patients tolerated stimulation well, without adverse events. Responders (47.2%) were predominantly from the mild-moderate OSA category. In this subgroup, the oxygen desaturation index was reduced by 10.0 (95%CI 3.9-16.0) /hour (p Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the pharyngeal dilators in patients with OSA can be delivered throughout the whole night. It is well tolerated and improves upper airway obstruction.


Courts in recent years have perceived threshold obstacles to the enforcement of treaties deriving from their nature as contracts between nations that generally depend for their efficacy on the interest and honor of the parties, rather than on domestic adjudication. This approach to treaty enforcement is in tension with the Constitution's declaration that treaties are part of the law of the land and its instruction to judges to give them effect. The Founders understood that treaties depended on interest and honor on the international plane, but they made treaties enforceable in our courts anyway in order to avoid the international friction that could be expected to result from treaty violations and to capture the benefits of a reputation for treaty compliance. The Supremacy Clause gives treaties a domestic judicial sanction that they would otherwise lack. It makes treaties enforceable in the courts in the same circumstances as the other two categories of norms specified in the clause - federal statutes and the Constitution itself.The sole exception to this rule is for treaties that are non-self-executing in the sense contemplated by the Court in Foster v. Neilson. The concept of a non-self-executing treaty fits uneasily with the Supremacy Clause, as reflected in the common but untenable view that non-self-executing treaties lack the force of domestic law. According to Foster, a non-self-executing treaty is not enforceable in the courts because it is addressed to the political branches. But determining which treaties are so addressed has been challenging. Treaties generally leave the question of domestic implementation to the domestic laws of the states-parties, and our domestic law (the Supremacy Clause) directs judges to give them effect. The author argues that the Supremacy Clause establishes a default rule that treaties are directly enforceable in the courts like other laws, rebuttable only by a clear statement that the obligations imposed by the treaty are subject to legislative implementation.If the stipulation had to appear in the text of the treaty, the clear statement rule would present problems for U.S. treaty makers seeking to control the domestic consequences of multilateral treaties. To address this problem, the treaty makers have developed a new form of clear statement, the "declaration" of non-self-execution. However, scholars have questioned the compatibility of such declarations with the Supremacy Clause. The author concludes that the treaty makers have the power to limit the domestic effects of treaties through declarations of non-self-execution. On the other hand, if the Constitution were understood to establish a default rule of non-self-execution, declarations of self-execution would stand on more tenuous ground. Thus, a default rule of self-execution is not only more consistent with the constitutional text and structure and with Supreme Court precedent, it is also normatively attractive because it leaves the treaty makers with the power to control the domestic consequences of the treaties they conclude.


This unique, interdisciplinary study utilises demographic data as well as interviews to identify patterns of the forced migration and experiences of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent who left the Dominican Republic and entered Haiti between August 1999 and July 2000. While forced migration of Haitians from the Dominican Republic is the subject of reports and international legal proceedings, there has been little quantitative data on this sensitive issue. This study offers the first statistical analysis of migration flows through a demographic assessment of this vulnerable population. We present several key findings regarding the patterns in the outflow, the characteristics of the population, and the treatment of those expelled by Dominican government officials. Our research indicates that those leaving the country are not afforded due process and frequently suffer abuses at the hands of government officials. These findings challenge many prevailing assumptions about the profile and treatment of this population. The study proposes measures to improve the migration system between the two countries so as to reduce the vulnerability to human rights deprivations of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.


The Federal Medicare program provides subsidized health insurance for one in every seven Americans. Medicare covers a higher proportion of rural than urban residents because rural residents are more likely to be elderly or disabled persons entitled to benefits. The rapid growth of Medicare expenditures has prompted legislative proposals to control the increase in spending. This report finds that the proposals may have a greater effect on rural than urban communities due to the higher proportion of Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas.


In the late eighteenth century, decentralized and chaotic government in Egypt allowed women a freedom of action that has not been equaled until recent times. Delving extensively into archival sources, Afaf Marsot presents the first comprehensive picture of women's status and opportunities in this period. Marsot makes important connections between forms of government, economic possibilities, and gender relations, showing how political instability allowed women to acquire property, independent of males, as a hedge against political uncertainty. She traces the linkages that women formed among themselves and with the ulama (non-Ottoman native elites) who aided and supported them. The book concludes with a comparison of women's status in the nineteenth century, when the introduction of European institutions that did not recognize their legal existence marginalized women, causing them to have to rely on men as major breadwinners. These important findings about the relationship between forms of government and the status of women will be of interest to a wide audience.


Project management professionals have long recognized the strengths and limitations of traditional project management focus on scope, cost and schedule (the iron triangle). Adding "soft skills" to the mix helps but still leaves a large gap from achieving sustainable organizational success. We introduce a new approach to project management based on systems thinking that integrates Work, Organization and Self in a practitioner-friendly and action-driven manner. The explicit purpose of this new approach (systemic project management) is to make and increase meaning out of performing project management activities. It consists of three core elements: a set of principles or assumptions from systems thinking and other related scientific research; a learning environment in which project management professionals can share stories with each other, invent new tools and methods together, reflect on and practice the new methods in action and feel connected and supported by a community of professional peers who share the same purpose; and finally, a set of practice guides and execution methods formulated and aimed at producing specific outcomes at each step of the project management life cycle. We will also share our experience of implementing the new methodology in a complex corporate environment where business results and professional development must be integrated and take place dynamically.


Polymerase Chain reaction amplification of DNA was performed to used to study the presence and effect of treated and untreated Stapylococcus aureus genes sav1017 and adaB with marine seaweeds Gracilaria changii and Euchema denticulatum. From the sequencing analysis, the changes were detected in the gene sequence of adaB and sav1017, genes after treated with either G. changii or E. denticulatum extract, which involved the substitution of the nucleotide base pair and insertion or deletion of the purine or pyrimidine base. The novel of this study is the extract of G. changii and E. denticulatum interrupting the important function in MRSA and non-MRSA isolates so that this pathogen cannot survive longer than usual. This significant finding can be applied to a medical treatment whereby both of these extracts can be used as an alternative treatment for the infection of S. aureus especially to overcome drug resistance treatment problems in MRSA strains.


Background: Several components of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) reflect the course and predictability of periodontal disease and provide a pointer toward disease status. Potential biomarkers deoxypyridinoline (DPD), a metallophosphoesterase would correctly determine the presence of osteoclast-mediated bone turnover activity and seems to hold great promise as a predictive marker to determine bone destruction and active phases in the disease progression. Aim: The aim of the current study is proposed to investigate the biologic plausibility for the levels of DPD as biomarker in chronic periodontitis patients. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study comprised 15 periodontally healthy and 15 chronic periodontitis patients who were age and genders matched, recruited from the outpatient department of Periodontics. GCF and blood samples for DPD estimation were collected from all the patients and analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The clinical parameters such as clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing pocket depth (PPD), modified gingival index, bleeding index , and plaque index were recorded. Results: GCF DPD levels were significantly higher in chronic periodontitis patients when compared to periodontally healthy group. There were no significant correlations found among GCF and serum DPD levels with increasing age, gender, disease severity, and increase in PPD and CAL in both the groups. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, increased GCF DPD levels in chronic periodontitis can gauge ongoing periodontal destruction.


Objective:  Iliopsoas injury and strain is a commonly diagnosed disease process, especially amongst working and sporting canines. There has been very little published literature regarding iliopsoas injuries and there is no information regarding the ultrasound evaluation of abnormal iliopsoas muscles. This manuscript is intended to describe the ultrasound findings in 73 canine agility athletes who had physical examination findings consistent with iliopsoas discomfort. The population was chosen given the high incidence of these animals for the development of iliopsoas injury; likely due to repetitive stress. Methods:  Medical records of 73 agility performance canines that underwent musculoskeletal ultrasound evaluation of bilateral iliopsoas muscle groups were retrospectively reviewed. Data included signalment, previous radiographic findings, and ultrasound findings. A 3-tier grading scheme for acute strains was used while the practitioner also evaluated for evidence of chronic injury and bursitis. Results:  The majority of pathologies were localised to the tendon of insertion, with the majority being low grade I-II strains (80.8%). Tendon fibre disruption (71.2%) and indistinct hypoechoic lesions (91.8%) were the most common of acute changes noted. Hyperechoic chronic changes were noted in 84.9 percent of cases. Acute and chronic changes were commonly seen together (62.8%). Conclusion:  Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound was used to identify lesions of the iliopsoas tendon consistent with acute and chronic injury, as well as identifying the region of pathology. The majority of agility performance dogs had low grade acute strains based on the tiered system, with mixed acute and chronic lesions being noted frequently. Application:  Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound provides a non-invasive diagnostic modality for patients suspected of having an iliopsoas strain.


This article explores the implications of school reform on school libraries using the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) as a case study in urban librarianship. A literature review on the role and impact of school librarians in K-12 education is included to help illustrate the role of school libraries in public school reform. Two DPS reforms are selected for closer evaluation: a 2002 district-initiated reform and a 2008 state-mandated reform. The article concludes by offering a list of recommendations to help strengthen DPS reform goals and objectives by utilizing the professional knowledge and resources of school librarians in the district. These recommendations are shaped by the author's personal and professional experiences as a former school library media specialist in DPS and as a college professor who teaches school and urban librarianship courses.


The conventional interpretations of Hegel's theory of property show that property plays an important role in developing human individuality through the person-to-thing relationship. In this paper, I seek to repudiate the conventional interpretations by demonstrating that they are narrow-minded and unfaithful to Hegel's thought on property. I then offer a new interpretation of Hegel's theory of property. By and large, I aim to show that Hegel's property theory provides a vantage point for us to rethink the relationship between persons and society in general and the nature of property in particular. Situated in the whole picture of Hegel's social theory of freedom, I demonstrate that Hegel sees property as a social institution that plays a crucial role in shaping human individuality as well as sociability. On the one hand, mediated by the institution of property, a person nurtures and develops individuality or personal freedom in the social world consisting of things and other persons. On the other hand, the institution of property facilitates the cultivation of sociability by helping human beings become members of our society. Furthermore, social institutions in the Hegelian ethical life act as the indispensable catalyst for empowering property to spark the synergies between human individuality and sociability so as to actualize freedom for all human beings.


In this paper, we report a general and low-cost process to fabricate high mobility metal-oxide semiconductors that is suitable for thin-film electronics. This process use simple metal halide precursors dissolved in an organic solvent and is capable of forming uniform and continuous thin films via inkjet-printing or spin-coating process. This process has been demonstrated to deposit a variety of semiconducting metal oxides include binary oxides (ZnO, In2O3 , SnO2 , Ga2O3 ), ternary oxides (ZIO, ITO, ZTO, IGO) and quaternary compounds (IZTO, IGZO). Functional thin film transistors with high field-effect mobility were fabricated successfully using channel layers deposited from this process. This synthetic pathway opens an avenue to form patterned metal oxide semiconductors through a simple and low-cost process and to fabricate high performance transparent thin film electronics via digital fabrication processes on large substrates.


Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains incurable for many adult patients. The success observed in the pediatric population with intensive combination chemotherapy regimens is not matched in older populations due to inability to tolerate treatment and biological differences in the disease. The development of immune therapies has ushered in a new much needed approach to treat ALL in the adult population as well as in the pediatric population with relapsed or refractory disease. While not heavily studied in the upfront setting, immune therapies have demonstrated astounding results in patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) and those with relapsed and refractory disease. The wide array of immunotherapy available consists of simple unconjugated monoclonal antibodies, immunotoxins or drug conjugated monoclonal antibodies, bispecific T cell engagers, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. In this article, we review the clinical data, efficacy, toxicity, and future direction of these therapies.


Abstract This paper explores the emergence of gay pride festivals in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, in the wake of the emergence and consolidation of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as one of the pre-eminent international tourism festivals staged in Australia. We argue that to understand the crucial role gay pride festivals play in processes of social change surrounding sexuality Down-Under it is essential to take spatiality seriously. We offer an interpretation of the sexual politics of festival spaces which is committed to relational thinking, openness and recognition of differences and multiplicities. Our interpretation draws on a discourse analysis of lesbian and gay media reports documenting reactions to the establishment of 'new' gay pride festivals. Discourses of pride have been negotiated and adopted in quite different ways by each of the festivals examined. Alert to the necessity to take spatiality seriously, gay pride events are shown politically to be ambiguous spaces, which may be sites of ambivalence, or ritualized resistance, or alternatively they may be contested sites.


Computer viruses and other forms of malware pose a threat to virtually any software system (with only a few exceptions). A computer virus is a piece of software which takes advantage of known weaknesses in a software system, and usually has the ability to deliver a malicious payload. A common technique that virus writers use to avoid detection is to enable the virus to change itself by having some kind of self-modifying code. This kind of virus is commonly known as a metamorphic virus, and can be particularly difficult to detect [17]. Existing virus detection software is continually being improved upon in order to keep up with the rising complexity of today's modern computer viruses. A new approach to detecting metamorphic viruses, which is an extension of an idea posed in a student writing project from a previous semester [17], will be considered in this project. If a large set of viruses in one "family" of metamorphic viruses can be treated as simple sequences of op-codes, then sequence analysis techniques used in other fields of study like bioengineering [4] could be used to develop a profile hidden Markov model (HMM). This profile would then be used to score an arbitrary op-code sequence (i.e. a program which may or may not be in the virus family) – if the output score exceeds a designated threshold it could be concluded that the input sequence was likely to have been from that same virus family. One of the most common techniques to detect viruses is called signature detection, which involves an analysis of known viruses to find signatures, or strings of bytes, which are found in viruses and not in most non-malicious code. If the virus is metamorphic it could potentially be difficult to find a single signature that will consistently be found in every version of a metamorphic virus. Since a profile HMM would score the overall similarity in structure to a virus "family", it could theoretically detect the virus even if a reliable signature cannot be created. In order to develop a profile HMM for a virus family, the first step is to create a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) for the set of family viruses; this can then be used to "train" the profile HMM. This paper will concentrate on the techniques for creating MSA's for real world virus op-code sequences which will best match the virus family, as well as to discuss the overall plausibility of the idea of using a profile HMM to detect metamorphic viruses. Creating and testing the profile HMM to detect the viruses will be the subject of another student project.


The thesis develops optimal control methods for designing distributed cooperative control schemes in multi-agent networks. First, the model of a completely connected multi-agent network is presented, consisting of identical dynamically decoupled agents controlled by a centralized LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) based controller. The structure of the solution, as well as controller's spectral and robustness properties are presented. A special case of centralized control where the optimal solution for the whole network can be constructed from the solution of single agent LQR system is given. The problem is extended to distributed control where the special structure is imposed onto the information flow between agents and only local interaction is considered.

A systematic method is given for computing the performance loss of various distributed control configurations relative to the performance of the optimal centralized controller. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for which a distributed control configuration pattern arising from the optimal centralized solution does not entail loss of performance if the initial state vector lies is a certain subspace of state-space which is identified. It is shown that these conditions are always satisfied for systems with communication/control networks corresponding to complete graphs with a single link removed. The procedure is extended for the purposes of analysing the performance loss of an arbitrary distributed configuration. Cost increase due to decentralisation is quantified by introducing three cost measures corresponding to the worst-case, best-case and average directions in which the initial state of the system lies.

Finally, a cooperative scheme is presented for controlling arbitrary formations of low speed experimental UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) based on a distributed LQR design methodology. Each UAV acts as an independent agent in the formation and its dynamics are described by a 6-DOF (six degrees-offreedom) nonlinear model. This is linearised for control design purposes around an operating point corresponding to straight flight conditions and simulated for longitudinal motion. It is shown that the proposed controller stabilises the overall formation and can control effectively the nonlinear multi-agent system. Also, it is illustrated via numerous simulations that the system provides reference tracking and that is robust to environmental disturbances such as nonuniform wind gusts acting on a formation of UAVs and to the loss of communication between two neighbouring UAVs.


The aim of this article is to analyse the administrative and official (disciplinary) responsibility for violations of the Republic of Lithuania Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in the Civil Service. It is shown that the regulatory failures preconditions to abuse with apply the law norms defining the administrative and official (disciplinary) responsibility for violations of the requirements of that law or altogether avoid this responsibility. This argument is supported by the analysis of the said law norms in the context of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania official constitutional doctrine, the Supreme Court of Lithuania, the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania and the Chief Official Ethics Commission practices. In order to ensure implementation of the principle of inevitability of administrative responsibility, it is advisable to do the following: to set the obligation for the COEC to apply to the court for administrative penalties for persons who violate the Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in the Civil Service; to unify terms of imposition of administrative penalties and ivestigation of possible conflicts of interests; to determine the administrative responsibility of the COEC for failure to comply with legal requirements. For tThe purposes of official (disciplinary) responsibility is often the substance of the procedural irregularities that may have a decisive influence on official inspection results and the legitimacy of the penalties. In order to ensure the control of the self-regulatory mechanism of the implementation of that law, the rational use of material, human resources, avoid duplication of functions, it is advisable to set the state and municipal institutions and agencies to pursue independently (at no additional investigation of COEC) and apply official responsibility for said law violations. Official (disciplinary) responsibility directly impacts the frame of the civil service, improves the image and gives people's trust. Taking into account the above stated, it is advisable to set the obligation for the COEC to offer a collegial state or local authority, state or municipal agency, or the head of a superior state or municipal institution or agency to apply official (disciplinary) sanctions for persons who violate the Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in the Civil Service.


In 1983 Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" revolutionized the anthropology of nationalism. Anderson argued that "print capitalism" fostered nations as imagined communities in a modular form that became the culture of modernity. Now, in "Represented Communities," John D. Kelly and Martha Kaplan offer an extensive and devastating critique of Anderson's depictions of colonial history, his comparative method, and his political anthropology. The authors build a forceful argument around events in Fiji from World War II to the 2000 coups, showing how focus on "imagined communities" underestimates colonial history and obscures the struggle over legal rights and political representation in postcolonial nation-states. They show that the "self-determining" nation-state actually emerged with the postwar construction of the United Nations, fundamentally changing the politics of representation. Sophisticated and impassioned, this book will further anthropology's contribution to the understanding of contemporary nationalisms.


The poet, painter, and biographer Matilda Betham (1776-1852) earned her own place in the annals of literary history chiefly through her friendships with and portraiture of famous men, most notably the British Romantic poets S. T. Coleridge and Robert Southey. Yet her most scholarly publication, A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804), attests to her particular admiration of women authors, some of whom were her immediate predecessors. (1) As early as 1948, Katharine Anthony, awed by the encyclopedic scope of Betham's research, praised the bold subject matter of her dictionary: "As if to express more fully [than women novelists] the contemporary importance of her sex ... Matilda Betham published a compendious Biographical Dictionary.... It still survives as an evidence of the author's phenomenal industry and of the strong public interest in women's achievements." (2) Despite this commendation, Betham's Dictionary has yet to receive the scrutiny needed to assess its contribution to feminist studies. At first glance, the subject matter of the Dictionary indeed appears to be a striking example of early feminism. In fact, Betham's scholarship was not unique; the eighteenth century saw the publication of several comparable biographical works, many of which, as this essay will show, served a politically conservative agenda. What distinguishes Betham's Dictionary from comparable works is its inclusion of several contemporary writers, some of whom were widely regarded as sexually promiscuous or politically radical. An evaluation of Betham's participation in a prominent genre of the latter half of the eighteenth century, collected biographies on famous or noteworthy women, offers the necessary historical basis for judging this significant aspect of Betham's achievement. Any discussion of Betham's work must be contextualized in these generic and historical terms, since comparisons between her own dictionary and those of her immediate predecessors reveal the extent to which Betham both revised and reiterated existing narratives of women's role in civic affairs. Betham acknowledged two strains of inquiry--empirical biography and independent analysis--that allowed her to assure the reading public of her reliability as a historian by repeating the judgment of her predecessors and to assert her own views by writing about women who had not previously found inclusion in biographical anthologies. In addressing this dual agenda, my study shows that although Betham certainly relied principally on authoritative sources, the instances when she does offer her own criticism suggest a receptiveness to various interpretations of what constitutes a "celebrated" woman. This dualism in Betham's research, a product of her reliance on personal judgment and adherence to precedent, has elicited two contradictory responses over the course of the twentieth century. Victorian novelist Matilda Betham-Edwards (who was also Betham's niece and first biographer), believed the work to be the first of its kind and praised its "pioneering" quality. Several critics of the early twentieth century agreed in admiring its uniqueness. Recent commentators have instead emphasized its antecedents in earlier encyclopedia projects. Both responses are defensible, for while Betham repeated conservative opinions about women's role in the public sphere, she also sometimes advanced her own more liberal point of view. In part, these contradictory assessments of Betham's project rehearse a larger shift in feminist thinking over the course of the twentieth century, from the celebration of early feminist writers as revolutionaries who defied patriarchal authority, evident in such landmark anthologies as Gilbert and Gubar's Shakespeare's Sisters, to a more cautious, historically informed evaluation of the Bluestocking circle and the cultural complexities surrounding the political affiliations of its first participants and later supporters. …


During the 2010–2011 'Impacts of Climate Change on the EcoSystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment' project, we measured photosynthetic parameters in natural Arctic phytoplankton assemblages from the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Water‐column samples were taken from the near surface (3.1 ± 0.9 m) and subsurface (28 ± 10.3 m) at ∼ 85 stations each year representing a wide range of ecological conditions, including under sea ice (UI) and in open water (OW). The physiological response of phytoplankton to light was used to assess photo‐acclimation, photosynthetic efficiency, and maximum chlorophyll a (Chl a) normalized rates of carbon fixation. Phytoplankton from the subsurface were acclimated to lower irradiance, as evidenced by higher photosynthetic efficiencies (α*), reduced mean absorption spectra (ā*) associated with heavy pigment packaging, higher maximum quantum yields of photosynthesis (Φm), increased Chl a content (Chl a : POC), and higher potential growth rates (μm) than surface samples. In addition, phytoplankton growing in the UI subsurface had higher μm, increased Φm, and higher Chl a content, as well as reduced ā* compared with those found in OW. P*m did not vary between habitats despite vastly different nutrient and light conditions (averaging ∼ 1 mg C mg−1 Chl a h−1), except where nitrate exceeded > 10 mg m−3, in which case P*m averaged 5–6 mg C mg−1 Chl a h−1. Results from a stepwise regression analysis of photosynthetic parameters vs. environmental factors indicate that the concentration of inorganic nitrogen (significant relationships with P*m, α*, Φm, μm, and Chl a : POC) and temperature at sample depth (a strong indicator of habitat type; significant relationship with β*, ā*, Φm, μm, and Chl a : POC) are the best predictors of photosynthetic variables. In addition, the amount of light available at sample depth significantly predicted both Ek and Chl a : POC. Our results suggest that it is the balance between light and nutrient availability in the various environments encountered in the seasonal sea ice zone that result in the pattern of photo‐physiological data presented here. A significant proportion of primary production has now been observed to occur under the sea ice; therefore, our results may be a change from prior conditions in the region.


Dementia is a chronic condition leading to a decline in independent functioning. The objective of the study was to examine dementia patient cognitive functioning by using the Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS), and examine the impact of cognitive functioning on caregiver burden and desire to institutionalize the patient. It was hypothesized that the HDS would be a valid and reliable measure of patient cognitive functioning, would differentiate among profiles of patients, and would be predictive of caregiver burden and desire to institutionalize. The study examined 185 pairs of dementia patients and caregivers. Caregivers were given standardized interviews and patients were evaluated both directly and indirectly. Using Pearson Correlation the HDS was found to be related to established measures of dementia, and to have good internal consistency. Cluster analysis followed by MANOVA produced two and three separate clusters. It is evident that different groups of patients do not perform better or worse on certain subsets of HDS subscales, but rather inter-individual variations are understood in the context of illness duration. Direct multiple regression analysis revealed caregiver health and patient behaviour problems as predicative of burden while cognitive functioning was not ( F (17, 167) 12.25, p < .001). Discriminant function analysis highlighted both caregiver and patient characteristics as important in predicting institutionalization caregiver burden and health were key ({ 2 = 40.51, p < .001). This study demonstrates the utility of the HDS in evaluating patient cognitive functioning and in differentiating among separate clusters of patients. Both caregiver and patient functioning are important in understanding burden and desire to institutionalize.


Art of the Avant-Gardes is the second of four books that make up the Open University's Art of the Twentieth Century series. It discusses the development of modern art in the first third of the century. The book opens with an essay that introduces the main themes of art in the period and summarises the political context in which it developed: the First World War, the Russian Revolution and the subsequent consolidation of the European dictatorships. The book consists of four parts. The first looks at the centrally important idea of 'expression' in art, and related questions of Orientalism and the 'primitive'. The second part concentrates on Cubism, and the third goes on to investigate the development of abstract art. The final part discusses the radical avant-garde movements committed to overcoming the barrier between 'art' and 'life': Dada, Soviet Constructivism and Surrealism. The book is wonderfully illustrated throughout, and more specific case studies range from Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon to the transition from sculpture to object in English abstraction.


Sea-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (sIMTA) was explored as an amalgam of the processes of polyculture and biofiltration, with the primary objectives of improved aquaculture production efficiency and wastes remediation. The study established a coculture of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.), Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas, Thunberg) and sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima, L.), in Scotland, and explored their production in relation to the background environment, historical aquaculture production modes, regulation and resource-use. The field trials demonstrated the dominance of the ambient environment in regulating trophic linkage of co-cultures. Enhanced growth of the bivalve and macroalgal components, over reference cultures, was only observable when ambient nutrients were limiting or favoured food, i.e. phytoplankton, was scarce. Localised differences within and between sealoch systems were also observed to be of importance. The complex physical processes of particulate waste dispersion and dissolved nutrient diffusion were simulated using established models and field data drivers. This process illustrated the potential benefits of designing the integrated farm to optimise trophic linkages as well as considering the final fate of wastes. The application of sIMTA was explored within the current regulatory regime, illustrating what regulatory gains (statutory and non-statutory) might be possible on account of the process and how the products of integration, as studied, are likely to meet with few regulatory food safety constraints within a UK market. The scarcity of aquaculture resources, partly through inefficient use, was explored. sIMTA is presented as a method which could possibly alleviate some of these resource-use inefficiencies when ambient environment supports, and as such sIMTA is proposed to qualify for priority resource allocations, in the context of greater socio-economic advantage.


The potential commercial applications for metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are tantalizing. To address the opportunity, many novel approaches for their synthesis have been developed recently. These strategies present a critical step towards harnessing the myriad of potential applications of MOFs by enabling larger scale production and hence real-world applications. This review provides an up-to-date survey ( references) of the most promising novel synthetic routes, i.e., electrochemical, microwave, mechanochemical, spray drying and flow chemistry synthesis. Additionally, the essential topic of downstream processes, especially for large scale synthesis, is critically reviewed. Lastly we present the current state of MOF commercialization with direct feedback from commercial players.


Since its inception, Africology (Afro-American/Black/African American Studies) has had to address questions related to its vision, purpose, structure, function, nomenclature, theoretical foundation(s), and attending methodologies. The discipline has similarly been challenged in regards to its treatment of topics and issues related to gender (read: Black women). Although significant strides have been made to establish the field of Africana (Black) Women's Studies, there has been neither pervasive agreement upon nor adoption of an analytical framework with which to attend to gender/gendered issues. Indeed this discrepancy reflects arguments concerning the place for gender within the discipline, namely those that question the necessity of gendered analyses and further position them problematic. According to Asante and Mazama, co-editors of the Encyclopedia of Black Studies, "definitionally, [Africology] must deal with black people, with no regard to gender" (xxxi). While they concede that "gender is necessarily a factor to be raised in any critical, political, economic, behavioral, or cultural discussion," they also instruct that "it is not the core of [Africology]" (Asante & Mazama xxxi). Then again, in the second edition of the African American Studies Reader, Norment asserts that "[the] decision to create space and place for [our] sister's voices is both an historical corrective as well as a pedagogical measure offered to make sure that gender does not cloud our vision of the future of the discipline" (xxxvii). While Asante and Mazama argue against a separate female-centered paradigm or a separate space within which to address gender (xxxi), Norment supports the position of such scholars as Hull, Scott and Smith who argued for the an autonomous academic entity--Africana (Black) Women's Studies (xxxvii). Variable arguments for the place of gender in Africology have led to varying models through which to approach gender within the discipline and in many ways have thwarted the emergence of a primary methodological framework with which to examine gender. In many constructions of Africology that locate Africana (Black) Women's Studies as an area of concentration/focus, the inclusion of key women in Africana history and the highlighting of Africana women's perspectives do not necessarily entail analyses of gender nor presume a guiding theory or methodological framework. Similarly, in those constructions of Africana (Black) Women's Studies as an autonomous entity, gender inclusion does not imply gender analyses. Irrespective of configuration, when it comes to questions related to which applicable theories/methodologies prove instructive to the discipline, when the consensus remains that Western (read: White) feminism(s)i, given its Eurocentric agenda, cannot adequately address the concerns of Africana communities. While many scholars of both configurations are guided by and/or rely upon any combination of Black Feminism (ala Patricia Hill Collins, Barbara Smith, Dolores Aldridge, bell hooks, and the like) Womanism (ala Alice Walker and Katie Canon) and Africana Womanism (ala Clenora Hudson-Weems and Nah Dove), many other scholars guide themselves. As the discipline continues to search for an applicable paradigm through which to appropriately address the issue of gender for and within Africana communities, this article argues that African Feminism (s), as articulated in the works of Aidoo, Boyce-Davies, Nnaemeka, Nzegwu, Ogundipe-Leslie, Steady, and Taiwo, is an inherently African-centered methodology, and as such, one attendant to the form and function of Africology--one capable of providing us a relevant and centered investigative framework. African-Centered Methodology: From whose Center are we Operating? In designing research projects, researchers must approach their studies using a certain paradigm or worldview, a basic set of beliefs or assumptions to guide their inquiries. …


Water oxidation by amorphous oxides is of high interest in artificial photosynthesis and other routes towards non-fossil fuels, but the mode of catalysis in these materials is insufficiently understood. We tracked mechanistically relevant oxidation-state and structural changes of an amorphous Co-based catalyst film by in situ experiments combining directly synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with electrocatalysis. Unlike a classical solid-state material, the bulk material is found to undergo chemical changes. Two redox transitions at midpoint potentials of about 1.0 V (CoII0.4CoIII0.6 ↔ all-CoIII) and 1.2 V (all-CoIII ↔ CoIII0.8CoIV0.2) vs. NHE at pH 7 are coupled to structural changes. These redox transitions can be induced by variation of either electric potential or pH; they are broader than predicted by a simple Nernstian model, suggesting interacting bridged cobalt ions. Tracking reaction kinetics by UV-Vis-absorption and time-resolved mass spectroscopy reveals that accumulated oxidizing equivalents facilitate dioxygen formation. On these grounds, a new framework model of catalysis in an amorphous, hydrated and volume-active oxide is proposed: Within the oxide film, cobalt ions at the margins of Co-oxo fragments undergo CoII ↔ CoIII ↔ CoIV oxidation-state changes coupled to structural modification and deprotonation of Co-oxo bridges. By the encounter of two (or more) CoIV ions, an active site is formed at which the O–O bond-formation step can take place. The Tafel slope is determined by both the interaction between cobalt ions (width of the redox transition) and their encounter probability. Our results represent a first step toward the development of new concepts that address the solid-molecular Janus nature of the amorphous oxide. Insights and concepts described herein for the Co-based catalyst film may be of general relevance also for other amorphous oxides with water-oxidation activity.


The Ahnet and Mouydir regions of southern Algeria are part of one of the world's largest, almost undeformed exposures of Palaeozoic rocks which exemplify a hitherto poorly known early Variscan development of a Devonian basin and ridge system. This area includes a series of intracratonic basins along the northern margin of the West African Craton which consists (from W to E) of the Reggane Basin, Azel Matti Ridge, Ahnet Basin, Foum Belrem Ridge and Mouydir Basin. The depositional and palaeogeographic interpretation is based on 71 sections in this region, which for the first time were biostratigraphically calibrated by means of conodonts, goniatites and brachiopods. The structural evolution during Devonian times was probably controlled by reactivation of ancient N–S- to NW–SE-running faults in the Precambrian basement, which caused differential subsidence and uplift of a previously largely unstructured siliciclastic shelf. A hiatus during Emsian times indicates widespread emergence during this interval. The entire area was flooded during the earliest Eifelian, when the first vestiges of the Azel Matti Ridge become evident by stratigraphic condensation. The palaeogeographic differentiation is most apparent during the Givetian, when a shoal with reduced carbonate sedimentation was established on the Azel Matti Ridge passing towards the west and east into basinal environments of the Reggane and Ahnet basins, respectively. The Foum Belrem Ridge is distinguished by increased subsidence during the early Givetian and by revived uplift during the late Givetian. In the Mouydir Basin further east, up to 1000 m of shales were deposited during the Givetian. The early Frasnian is marked by the ubiquitous sedimentation of black shales and bituminous styliolinites. These lithologies occur repeatedly already during the Middle Devonian and document intermittent anoxic conditions. The basin and ridge topography is levelled by the shallowing-up sequence of up to 1400 m thick upper Frasnian and Famennian shales which grade into a deltaic sequence of uppermost Famennian/Tournaisian sandstones. The up to now only vaguely discriminated lithostratigraphic formations of the Devonian have been biostratigraphically defined in suitable type sections.


This thesis is a quantitative study of distributive justice between generations or age groups. It is theoretically informed by a synchronic generation approach and John Rawls's theory of justice-as-fairness. The empirical part compares the economic positions of, and public spending on, children, adults and the elderly in 16 European countries. The theoretical part is used as a platform for the empirical analysis. In addition to Rawls, a discussion of distributive justice includes the classical theories of Plato and Aristotle and more recent utilitarian, egalitarian and desert-based theories. The synchronic generation approach is presented and compared to diachronic approaches to studies of generational relations. The synchronic approach is theorized by scholars working in the tradition of the social studies of childhood. The chapter on methods identifies children, adults and the old by way of age brackets, it presents indicators of public spending and income, and it points out empirical applications of equality, equal opportunity and the difference principle. The techniques of analyses are presented; descriptive analysis and OLS regression. The explanatory variables vary, but in all cases include economic performance, age structure and a modified version of Esping-Andersen`s classification of welfare states (Social Democratic, Conservative, Liberal and Southern European). Six research questions are answered in the empirical part, using official statistics from Eurostat, OECD and Statistics Norway. Over the past few decades there is an extensive growth on spending on the elderly, but spending on family and children does not decline. Multivariate analyses indicate that the size of old age and family and child benefits vary across welfare regimes. The Social Democratic and Conservative welfare states are more egalitarian and have lower poverty rates compared to the Liberal and Southern European welfare states. These regime variances are also seen in multivariate analyses of child poverty and old age poverty. Risk factors for child poverty are parental unemployment, children living with single parents, young parents, ethnic parents, and low educated parents. A multivariate analysis points to a link between the size of family and child benefits and fertility rates.


There are currently well over ten million underwater homeowners whose mortgage obligations exceed the current value of their houses, with an aggregate negative equity position of at least $800 billion and possibly over $1 trillion. The overwhelming majority of these persons continue to make their mortgage payments even though for many their interests would be better served by defaulting. This is therefore an unstable situation that could suddenly erupt with a rapid cascade of millions of strategic defaults, potentially triggering severe macroeconomic dislocations. It is urgent that this situation be defused through the modification of the mortgages of a large number of these homeowners so as to sharply reduce or eliminate their negative equity positions. The key question is how best to overcome the obstacles that are impeding such principal-reducing loan modifications from taking place.These impediments are numerous and complex, and include various cognitive impairments and emotional factors that make it difficult for underwater homeowners to rationally determine where their best interests lie and to demand such modifications, numerous reasons why loan servicers are reluctant to grant such modifications, and reasons why the federal government has been unable to effectively address this problem. I here set forth recommendations as to how these impediments can be best overcome. My proposals center on the implementation of a public education program designed to assist underwater homeowners in assessing where their interests lie, and then to encourage them to demand loan modifications, upon pain of default, when this proves to be their best course of action. I also recommend the adoption of federal legislation that would shelter loan servicers from litigation by mortgage investors if those servicers engage in loan modifications in good faith attempts to maximize investor returns, and greater federal enforcement efforts to assure that loan servicers are placing their investors' interests foremost. In addition, I recommend the adoption of federal legislation that would shelter defaulting homeowners from liability for deficiency judgments, and from tax liability, and that would prevent loan servicers from reporting mortgage foreclosures to credit rating agencies. I then contrast my approach with a recent proposal made by Professors Eric Posner and Luigi Zingales that would amend Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code so as to allow underwater homeowners to obtain loan modifications that would substantially reduce or eliminate their negative equity position, in exchange for granting their lenders a 50% interest in any subsequent appreciation of the property. While this proposal would be a substantial improvement over the current status quo, it would not be nearly as effective in bringing about the needed loan modifications as would my recommendations. The Posner and Zingales proposal is hamstrung by its premise that it would be immoral for underwater homeowners to threaten to strategically default in order to obtain substantial modifications of their loans, and that it would therefore be bad public policy to encourage such behavior. I have no such qualms, and I regard assisting underwater homeowners to recognize where their true interests lie, and encouraging them to strategically default when this is in their interest, as the sine qua non to bring about the principal-reducing loan modifications that are needed.


In the original exposure draft, Business Combinations and Intangible Assets, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) proposed that companies be allowed to report a second per share earnings number that excludes goodwill amortization. Subsequently, the FASB has proposed that goodwill not be amortized at all. Instead, it will be written down when impaired. In this study, we assess the information content of earnings excluding amortization of intangibles relative to two traditional performance measures: earnings before extraordinary items and cash flow from operations. We find that the relative informativeness of earnings before amortization and earnings before extraordinary items do not differ significantly. We also find, consistent with prior research, that both earnings before amortization and earnings before extraordinary items are more informative than cash flow from operations. These findings suggest that goodwill amortization disclosures were not decision‐useful and, therefore, support the FAS...


Purpose Infliximab is currently used for the treatment of active Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of infliximab therapy and to determine the predictors of response in Korean patients with CD. Materials and Methods A total of 317 patients who received at least one infliximab infusion for active luminal CD (n=198) and fistulizing CD (n=86) or both (n=33) were reviewed retrospectively in 29 Korean referral centers. Clinical outcomes of induction and maintenance therapy with infliximab, predictors of response, and adverse events were evaluated. Results In patients with luminal CD, the rates of clinical response and remission at week 14 were 89.2% and 60.0%, respectively. Male gender and isolated colonic disease were associated with higher remission rates at week 14. In week-14 responders, the probabilities of sustained response and remission were 96.2% and 93.3% at week 30 and 88.0% and 77.0% at week 54, respectively. In patients with fistulizing CD, clinical response and remission were observed in 85.0% and 56.2% of patients, respectively, at week 14. In week-14 responders, the probabilities of sustained response and remission were 94.0% and 97.1%, respectively, at both week 30 and week 54. Thirty-nine patients (12.3%) experienced adverse events related to infliximab. Serious adverse events developed in 19 (6.0%) patients including seven cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion Infliximab induction and maintenance therapy are effective and well tolerable in Korean patients with luminal and fistulizing CD. However, clinicians must be aware of the risk of rare yet critical adverse events.


The results of testing a bacteriophage to a strain of clover nodule bacteria using young (1 day) and old ( 5 days) bacterial cultures both fit to the hypothesis that phage multiplication can be initiated by single phage particles. As the same phage preparations gave more plaques on solid media and higher proportions of liquid cultures in which phage multiplication could be detected, with young than with old bacterial cultures, the fit to the hypothesis is not an evidence that every single phage particle will multiply. It may be so when young bacterial cultures are used, although there is no positive evidence for it. With older bacterial cultures definitely only a proportion of viable phage particles succeed in starting phage multiplication, the proportion decreasing with the increasing age of bacterial cultures used for testing.


Henri de Lubac legitimately reacted against a nineteenth and twentieth century "neo-scholastic" theology of the nature-grace relationship. This theology tended to separate the realms of nature and grace extrinsically to the extent that nature had no intrinsic desire for the supernatural. Unfortunately, de Lubac's "extrinsicist" reproach against "neo-scholastic" theology included a rejection of both Suarezian and "Neo-Thomist" theologies. This critique, however, was too broad-sweeping and should be narrowed to include just the Suarezian theology. The Suarezian theology assumes a flawed philosophy of act and potency, whereby potency is considered to be an imperfect act and therefore belongs to the logical order of mental being. De Lubac's negative appraisal cannot be leveled against a strict Thomistic theology which holds there to be a real, intrinsic capacity for the supernatural in the human person, a capacity which is based upon an obediential potency in the Thomistic sense. Using the theologies of Pedro Descoqs and Garrigou-Lagrange, this study provides evidence that there is a real difference between the Suarezian and Thomistic notions of potency in general, and obediential potency in particular, which influences the notion of human nature as either "self-enclosed" within the physical order (Suarezian) or "dissertation" to infinite being (Thomistic). De Lubac's misplaced criticism of this Thomistic theology arose because he did not identify the root problem in the debate over the nature-grace relationship: a mistaken notion of passive potency, particularly obediential potency as mere "non-repugnance." This rendered de Lubac's solution to the nature-grace relationship problematic insofar as he lacked a due appreciation for the metaphysics and intellective psychology at root in the Thomistic thesis on the natural desire for seeing God. The Australian Thomist, Austin Woodbury, offers a correct interpretation of St Thomas's teaching on the natural desire for the vision of God. This interpretation requires the approach of intellective psychology which maintains a twofold end of human nature (in the Thomistic sense, not the Suarezian), and a capacity for the divine vision - based upon an obediential potency - which is a real capacity naturally within the created spirit for elevation to the divine "existential" order.


Have you ever wondered how to get started writing your own schema? As you prepare to create your schema, you must consider a number of factors. This guide explains each of those factors in detail and recommends an approach for documenting your schema development plan in an information model. Your information model can not only be used as a planning mechanism to develop your schema but can also be used as a training resource and as a reference guide for those using the schema after it is developed. By putting a well-thought-out information model in place, you are bound to produce a schema that you can use indefinitely and build upon easily.