Water is a vital resource essential to human survival and for which there is no substitute. Additionally, whilst water is still seen as a 'renewable resource,' reality seems to dictate that there is only a finite quantity of water available in water-scarce regions. As a result, 'water' and 'war' are two topics that have begun to be assessed together with increasing frequency. Water disputes have indeed been labelled as one of the "New Wars" in Africa, comparing it to the likes of other resource wars such as those over oil and diamonds. Placing water discourse within a theoretical framework of International Relations, this thesis attempts to ground the water war debate in the Fourth Great Debate of rationalism (downstream) and reflectivism (upstream), through a comparative analysis of Anthony Turton's positivist approach, and Larry Swatuk and Peter Vale's postpositivist sentiments embedded in reflectivism. The research aim can, therefore, be phrased as: to examine the debate surrounding the inevitability or impossibility of water wars by means of a comparative analysis of the works of Turton and Swatuk/Vale, as applied to the case study of the Okavango River basin and a tentative assessment of the Nile River basin. This study hypothesises that whether you swim upstream or downstream, a water war erupting in the Okavango River basin is never inevitable and quite implausible as argued by both theoretical perspectives. A bridge-building exercise is therefore conducted in an attempt to find commonalities between the two supposedly incommensurable perspectives of Turton and Swatuk/Vale. Furthermore, based on the tentative assessment of the Nile River Basin, this thesis also postulates that while the potential for water conflict is greater in this region, it is unlikely that a full-scale water war will erupt. Indeed, contrary to what doomsday soothsayers predict, interstate cooperation of shared water resources, such as the shared river basins of the Okavango and the Nile rivers, is more prevalent than conflictive situations.


Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune condition that requires life-long administration of insulin. Optimal management of T1DM entails a good knowledge and understanding of this condition both by the physician and the patient. Recent introduction of novel insulin preparations, technological advances in insulin delivery and glucose monitoring, such as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring and improved understanding of the detrimental effects of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia offer new opportunities and perspectives in T1DM management. Evidence from clinical trials suggests an important role of structured patient education. Our efforts should be aimed at improved metabolic control with concomitant reduction of hypoglycaemia. Despite recent advances, these goals are not easy to achieve and can put significant pressure on people with T1DM. The approach of physicians should therefore be maximally supportive. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in T1DM management focusing on novel insulin preparations, ways of insulin administration and glucose monitoring and the role of metformin or sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in T1DM management. We then discuss our current understanding of the effects of hypoglycaemia on human body and strategies aimed at mitigating the risks associated with hypoglycaemia.


This selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates an intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. "The Fall of the House of Usher" describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In "The Tell Tale Heart", a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Cask of Amontillado" explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate.


This 11th edition of the African Economic Outlook reviews recent economic, social and political developments and the short-term likely evolutions of 53 African countries. This year's edition will for the first time cover Eritrea and South Sudan. The focus of the 2012 AEO is the promotion of youth employment in Africa, presenting a comprehensive review of both challenges and opportunities Africa faces in providing its young population with sufficient and decent jobs.
Full-length country notes are available on www.africaneconomicoutlook.org


Modern organizations are investing heavily in information technology (IT) with the objective of increasing overall profitability and the productivity of their knowledge workers. Yet, it is often claimed that the actual benefits of IT are disappointing at best, and that IT spending has failed to yield significant productivity gains -- hence the productivity paradox. Evidence is fragmented and somewhat mitigated. This paper argues that the current state of empirical research results from a failure to understand the interplay between IT and managerial work. It addresses this issue by analyzing patterns of association between IT usage and the nature of managerial work in different organizational contexts. Fifty-nine semi- structured interviews were conducted with middle line managers in three large companies: a Bank, a Telecommunications company, and a Utility. In addition, daily activities and IT usage were logged. The data indicate that the relationship between the level of IT usage and the nature of managerial work was stronger in the two organizations that were reorienting their strategies (Bank, Telecommunications) than in the one pursuing its existing strategy (Utility). It was also found that the pattern of the relationship between IT usage and the nature of managerial work depended on the kind of strategic reorientation implemented by the firm. For instance, in the Bank, the level of IT usage was associated with the amount of time spent by managers on information-related activities (e.g., reading reports, gathering information) and on disturbance handling activities (e.g., resolving conflicts, managing crises). In the Telecommunications company, IT usage was associated with more time spent on information-related activities and less on negotiation-related activities (e.g., discussions with colleagues on resource sharing, discussions with subordinates on performance standards). This finding suggests that heavy IT users paid greater attention to and spent more time on the roles they performed best with the technology (information-related activities), and may in fact have been embarking on an over-specialization trajectory.


AISc (Llobera 2010) can be defined as an integrative perspective where capturing data, representing, analysing and modelling archaeological events is an interdisciplinary focus. Moreover, we consider AISc as a logical consequence of accumulative experiences process in computer application in archaeology during last twenty years towards a synergy between computational resources and varied and extensive archaeological issues (data capturing process, analysis, representation, etc). Independently on the scale we focus ("intra-site" or "landscape"), we see  in AISc a new opportunity in key areas: (i) Congruence between empirical observation of spatial proprieties of artefacts and its possible ways of perception and recording. In this direction, archaeologists need a complement for understand the inherent complexity in archaeological records. For this, virtual reality and analytical visualization are the most powerful issues for solving problems in spatial contexts. At an intra-site level, the possibility of interacting and modelling structures (postholes, hearths, stone alignments), distributions of remains, stratigraphy into a digital environment, is an ideal situation for testing and manipulating different hypothesis without affecting the real archaeological object. From a landscape perspective, the obstacles on representing cognitive approaches and collective behaviours have been widely noted by scholars. (ii) Comprehension of archaeological problems like an extensive network of actions (natural and social) and material consequences located in determinate area, and not in terms of distribution of materials remains that are defined under certain nominal categories. In this sense, statistical analysis is the best option for understanding, in terms of heuristic point of view, the presence of any spatial (and temporal) structure. To this effect, for an adequate understanding, the significance of variation and change is more than the recognition of any insolating cluster into a vacuum space, which is related with the reductionist idea of analysing the space where concrete actions were performed. (iii)  Uncertainty as an approach to deal with multidimensional and incomplete structure of archaeological spatial datasets. Fuzzy-logic has been used in certain domains of science as way to extract logic from non-structured data, but its application in archaeology has been recent. Considering the incomplete condition of archaeological record as a conjunction of natural and human actions, fuzzy-logic approaches have started to proliferate in spatial analysis. Modelling and representing vagueness has become a way to interpret the spatial distribution of phenomena that overcome distribution maps of items. Since some authors have enounced its potential, it seems a good moment for develop the potential of this proposal and test if it is able to provide an acceptable connection between archaeological theory and practice. To illustrate the capabilities of this new approach, we will present and discuss some experiences and their proficiency on managing spatial data.


Aspiring and professional game developers have a lot of questions: What should be in their portfolios? How do they make contacts? How do they negotiate salaries? How much do game designers make? What should they wear to interviews? In this fast-paced and humorous guide, the authors answer these questions and many more, including the ones you didn't know to ask. BREAKING INTO THE GAME INDUSTRY: ADVICE FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER FROM THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT, provides aspiring game developers the know-how and confidence they need to make it in the industry. Written in a unique and engaging question and answer format, the book presents a clear, overall sense of what the game industry is and how the professionals operate in it, answering the key questions new developers should be asking as they begin their career. Providing invaluable advice and tips from experienced professionals, you'll learn how to best present yourself and your skills, showcase your work and create a compelling portfolio, and much more, giving you a leg up as you try to break into the competitive and fast-paced game industry.


Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation measurements of the dipolar relaxation rate due to hydrogen diffusion in Zr-Pd amorphous alloys have been conducted and the results interpreted in terms of the random alloy model. It is found that even though the measured activation energy using Torrey's theory changes as the range of composition and temperature are varied, it'stays the same for all compositions at the low temperature range. This behaviour is shown to be related to the type and amount of spins participating in the diffusion process. It is also reported here, for the first time, that the interpretation of the NMR results is strongly related to the composition of the alloy under investigation


This thesis describes the occurrence of Plasmid Mediated Quinolone Resistance (PMQR) in Salmonella and E. coli from The Netherlands and other European countries. Furthermore, the genetic background of these genes was characterized. Fluoroquinolones are widely used antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine. Resistance to fluoroquinolones is considered to be a risk for human health and is mainly caused by chromosomal mutations in topoisomerase genes. Since 1998, different types of PMQR emerged encoded by different resistant genes: qnrA, qnrS, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, aac(6')-1b-cr, oqxAB and qepA. PMQR in Enterobacteriaceae results in reduced susceptibility to (fluoro)quinolones to levels below clinical breakpoints. However, PMQR is considered clinically relevant because it facilitates the acquisition of full quinolone resistance. In a national study, the earliest identified PMQR-positive Salmonella isolate in The Netherlands was a human qnrS1-positive S. Corvallis isolate obtained in 2003. Furthermore, eight different Salmonella serovars were found harbouring different PMQR genes (qnrS1, qnrB2 and qnrB19). Almost all isolates were of human origin. Further study revealed the presence of PMQR genes on different plasmid families, including IncN plasmids carrying qnrS1, qnrB2 or qnrB19. But also qnrS1 on ColE, IncR or incHI2 plasmids. The majority of these plasmids were self-transferable by conjugation. However, PMQR-genes were also present on smaller non-conjugative plasmids.More recently, a continuous low prevalence of PMQR-suspected Salmonella isolates was observed in The Netherlands with a slight tendency to increase. The earliest identified PMQR-positive E. coli in animals from The Netherlands was a qnrS1-carrying E. coli obtained from a broiler obtained in 2009. To date, the prevalence of PMQR-suspected E. coli in food-producing animals in The Netherlands is low and only observed in broilers and veal calves. A European study demonstrated a low prevalence of PMQR-positive Salmonella isolates, with qnrS1, qnrB19 and qnrB2 as the predominant PMQR-determinants identified. The rare qnrD1 was identified in eight different serovars from three different countries. This study demonstrated a wide spread of PMQR genes in Europe among Salmonella from different sources despite the low prevalence and it suggest poultry to be the main source for PMQR-determinants in Salmonella. Similar to Salmonella, the prevalence of PMQR was low in E. coli with predominant variant qnrS1 in isolates from poultry (Gallus gallus and turkeys). Antibiotic resistant bacteria can spread over great distances via travel of people or transport of animals, but also by the worldwide trade in food and feed. In this thesis two examples of import of multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae are discussed: PMQR-positive, multidrug resistant Salmonella obtained in humans originated from or had a travel history to the African continent and PMQR-positive, multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae identified on culinary herbs from Southeast Asia. Despite the strong reduction of fluoroquinolone usage in animals in The Netherlands, resistance is still high in commensal E. coli and Campylobacter spp. in some food-producing animal species. Although fluoroquinolone resistance is mainly caused by chromosomal mutations, PMQR complicates the development and spread of fluoroquinolone resistance which makes it important to include this in the surveillance.


A phylogenetic analysis of xanthorioid lichens of the lichen family Teloschistaceae, based on ITS rDNA and mtSSU sequences, is presented. The data set includes 201 specimens representing 50 species, covering the xanthorioid lichen group, which resulted in 183 new sequences. Five well-supported groups were recognized in the MP analysis: 1) Seirophora, 2) the Xanthoria s. str.-Xanthodactylon group, 3) the Xanthoria candelaria group, 4) Rusavskia, and 5) the Xanthomendoza group. In addition, two of the five groups included seven well-supported subgroups: 2a) the Xanthoria parietina group, 2b) Jackelixia, 2c) the Xanthodactylon flammeum group, 5a) Oxneria, 5b) the Xanthomendoza novozelandica group, 5c) the X. mendozae group, and 5d) the X. poeltii group. The groups are circumscribed, and alternative ways to treat the taxonomy of xanthorioid lichens, based on the presented phylogeny, are discussed. Representatives of the genera Caloplaca, Fulgensia and Teloschistes, related with xanthorioid lichens, are included in the phylogenetic tree and their status is briefly discussed. Three new genera, i. e., Jackelixia, Ovealmbornia and Xanthokarrooa are described and 15 new combinations are proposed. (Less)


This paper analyses the regulation of standard costs in Legislative Decree No.
68/2011. It begins with an examination of some concepts that are often confused in the
scientific and political debate, such as federalism, fiscal federalism and health federalism
(see first section). Then, in the second section, it investigates the main differences between
the regional and federal State and verifies whether references to federalism are made in the
Italian Constitution under the new Title V. The third section focuses on the notion of
fiscal federalism in Law No. 42/2009 and in Legislative Decree No. 68/2011 regarding the
standard requirements of Municipalities, Metropolitan Cities and Provinces. The fourth
section examines the close relationship between fiscal federalism and health federalism in
Legislative Decrees No. 229/1999 and No. 56/2000 while also trying to understand the
historical context in which the two concepts were initially envisaged. Finally, with the firm
belief that federalism and health protection must go hand in hand, especially after the
constitutional reform of 2001, the fifth section examines the procedure laid down by
Legislative Decree No. 68/2011 in order to identify the benchmark Regions and
consequent standard costs that will be applied from 2013 on in all the other Italian
Regions. In the conclusion of this paper, some critical points, such as the age factor, the
only criteria of calculation employed by Legislative Decree No. 68/2011, are highlighted,
leading us to propose some minor amendments to the text of the Decree.


Rediscovering the British World is one part of an ongoing attempt to approach British Imperial history from a different viewpoint, placing the colonies of settlement at the centre. Editors Phillip Buckner and Douglas Francis have included nineteen essays from expert scholars in the field, which cover a broad range of cultural, social, and intellectual topics in British imperial history from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. The essays focus on the history of Britain and the Empire, with considerable emphasis on the self-governing dominions of Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. They attempt to show the centrality of the Empire in the history of the nations created by the British diaspora overseas, while at the same time calling into question the extent of the existence of a "British World." The goal is not to wax nostalgic, but rather to re-examine the complex phenomenon of this far-reaching empire and to shed light on the ways in which it has shaped our world. With contributions by: James Belich Frank Bongiorno Bettina Bradbury Patrick H. Brennan Phillip Buckner Elizabeth Elbourne R. Douglas Francis Jeffrey Grey Catherine Hall John Lambert Douglas Lorimer David Lowe Stuart Macintyre Adele Perry Paul Pickering Satadru Sen R. Scott Sheffield Paul Ward Stuart Ward Wendy Webster


Stephen Hough and I collided for the first time when we were research fellows in the USA. That encounter in 1980 sowed in me the seed that was to become one of my closest friendships, although at the very beginning I had my doubts. Stephen had hit St Louis about a year before I did and we were to share an office. The potential difficulty lay in putting a slightly 'left of centre' Brit in with a South African, and an Afrikaans one at that. This was 1980.


During the investigation of an outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 1994 and 1995, blood samples from suspected CCHF cases and ticks collected from livestock were tested for CCHF virus by antigen-capture ELISA and by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic analysis of partial small (S) segment nucleotide sequences from four ticks and five human samples showed that with one exception, all the human and tick viruses clustered along with samples from Pakistan and Madagascar in one distinct lineage. Within this lineage, sequences from the UAE patients were identical or closely related to those from three Hyalomma spp. ticks obtained from livestock recently imported from Somalia. Another sequence from a UAE patient was more closely related to a CCHF virus from Nigeria. These data indicate that the 1994-1995 CCHF epidemic in the UAE was a multisource outbreak possibly associated with importation of CCHF virus-infected livestock and ticks.


Abstract Throughout his life Liszt projected diverse identities, which were sometimes embraced by the public, and sometimes questioned. These "contradictions" in his character have been the subject of much confusion and debate, and one aspect in particular still has scholars perplexed: Liszt9s national identity. Writers have come down on all sides, declaring Liszt was "really" Hungarian, French, German, or "cosmopolitan," yet the role of language in projecting these identities has so far been overlooked. This article maps Liszt9s fluctuating proficiency and frequency of use of a variety of languages onto his biography. It identifies clear patterns that suggest his linguistic "reconstructions" were a means of deliberately adapting his identity as appropriate. It draws patterns from a wide range of Liszt9s letters in order to establish why and how he used a device commonly referred to in sociolinguistics as "codeswitching." This is a concept whereby bilingual speakers switch language mid-conversation or mid-sentence. The article argues that Liszt switched language to bring forward certain identities to certain recipients. It concludes by considering how "codeswitching" may also relate to his music, by applying the concept to the symphonic poem Heroide funebre .


This paper outlines the application of a model of business that has been developed from an amalgam of sources covering a wide range of research literature concerned with the relationship between electronic communication and the business. This model outlines what is termed an "organisational profile" profile and allows the analysis of the business with respect to its ability to perform in four distinct quadrants: management, processes, organisational culture and human resources. It is then applied to the adoption of ICT in the business and the supply chain using a case study of the UK construction industry. The results are analysed to show which elements of the model are important for success. The model shows that to be successful in the adoption of ICT a business must have threshold scores in each of these quadrants that show its make-up or "organisational profile" (OP). It is this OP that is the most interesting point of the research. It has been found that certain OPs are more likely to succeed in this adoption than others and that the likelihood of success can be shown by the movement of the business in the four quadrants: thus the model can provide a rough prediction of the future success in various activities such as adoption of ICT but can also be extended to other activities because of the widespread nature of the model developed. It is also planned to apply the model to different problems in the same domain in the near future so that further insights can be gained from the model and its application.


This thesis aims to describe the wider impact of HIV infection on reproductive choices and pregnancy outcomes in HIV-infected women in Europe. Characteristics of 403 HIV-infected women enrolled in a survey on reproductive choices are described. There was no evidence to suggest HIV-infected women have problems to conceive maternal well-being, an uninfected partner and not having children yet were strongly associated with being pregnant. Results from a laboratory-based descriptive study, including 57 pregnant women provide a biological explanation for HAART-associated premature delivery in HIV- infected women cytokine patterns (IL2 and IL10) were analysed over three trimesters of pregnancy and in relation to gestational age at delivery. Intrauterine growth (femur length, head and abdominal circumference) of infants born to 316 HIV infected mothers, compared to an uninfected population is reported. The average z-score of head circumference and femur length in HIV- infected women was below the reference (32th centile and 15th centile respectively), but the average z-score for abdominal circumference differs only marginally (49th centile). In order to add one more piece of information in relation to maternal treatment and gestational age at delivery, birth-weight from a large European cohort was analysed and compared to the British standard. Mean z-scores decreased from - 0.10 (46th centile), -0.13 (45th centile) and -0.30 (37th centile) throughout gestation indicating that children born to HIV infected mothers became smaller towards the end of pregnancy, and premature delivery in HAART-treated mothers was not associated to fetal distress. Complications after delivery according to infection status of the mother and mode of delivery, were reported from a total of 250 HIV-status matched pairs delivered vaginally and from 158 by elective caesarean section. HIV-infected women suffered an increased risk of minor complications, but major complications only occurred in the caesarean section arm.


In 1963, a frustrated President Kennedy turned to the Pentagon for help in carrying out subversive operations against North Vietnam- a job the CIA had not managed to handle effectively. Thus was born the Pentagon's Special Operations Group(SOG). Under the cover name"Studies and Observation Group," SOG would, over the next eight years, dispatch numerous spies to North Vietnam, create a triple-cross deception program, wage psychological warfare by manipulating North Vietnamese POW's and kidnapped citizens, and stage deadly assaults on enemy soldiers traveling the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Written by the country's leading expert on SOG, here is the story of that covert war-one that would have both spectacular and disastrous results.


We investigated fixed basal ganglia specimens, including globus pallidus and putamen, with 21.1-Tesla MRI allowing us to achieve a microscopic level resolution from a patient with pathologically confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and a neurologically normal control case. We acquired T2 and T2 * weighted images that demonstrated diffuse and patchy lower intensities in the basal ganglia compared to control. There are several paramagnetic substances in brain tissue that could potentially reduce both T2 and T2 * relaxation times, including ferritin, iron (Fe3+), manganese, copper and others. Because iron is most abundant, low intensities on T2 and T2 * weighted images most likely reflect iron deposition. Iron, especially Fe3+, deposition was visible in the pathological specimens stained with Prussian blue after images were obtained. Although radiological-pathological comparisons are not straightforward with respect to either the MRI signal or relaxation quantification, there appears to be a correlation between the relative increase in iron as assessed by Prussian blue staining and the decrease in T2 * value between the DLB and control specimens. As such, this exceptionally high field MRI technique may provide details about the role that iron deposition plays either directly or indirectly as a biomarker in neurodegenerative processes.


"[W]hat if they gave an apocalypse and nobody noticed?" was the question that Brooks Landon (1991, 239) proposed as the central thematic concern of the 1980s cyberpunk – a movement which today represents a landmark in the development of the science fiction genre. Diverse as they are in their focus and scope, the contributions to this issue of ELOPE, dedicated to the position and role of speculative fiction, and especially science fiction, in a world which is increasingly becoming speculative and science fictional, invariably demonstrate that an apocalypse did indeed take place and went by largely unnoticed.


Antitrust law is at the center of today's public debate. It has even emerged as a rare unifying force, with bipartisan promises to combat the concentration of economic power, starting with breaking up Big Tech. Meanwhile, the business and investment community is grappling with mounting systematic risks arising from the pandemic, climate change, income inequality, and racial injustice. Unexpectedly, the largest asset managers in the world find themselves on the front lines of these battles. Due to the rise of index investing, these "universal owners" manage portfolios that are so large and diversified, their holdings mirror the entire economy. Their diversification protects them against idiosyncratic risk, but greatly exposes them to these systematic risks.The universal owners are keenly aware of their exposure to these systematic risks. They are turning to their portfolio companies and increasing demands on directors and managers to "serve a social purpose" and reduce their negative externalities. Public-regarding pronouncements from CEOs of Wall Street's biggest firms ring hollow to many shareholder primacy loyalists. But the skeptics are missing the economic logic underlying this paradigm shift—diversified shareholders do not want companies to externalize their negative impacts onto the rest of the investors' portfolios. Many companies are rising to the challenge and making bold commitments. However, many are recognizing that, to satisfy pervasive social and environmental challenges, they must collaborate with their competitors. This Article reveals that current antitrust law is a barrier to this collaboration and offers a policy proposal for aligning antitrust law with the demands upon the prosocial corporation. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we are all interconnected. Climate change will continue to deepen that understanding. The problems we face are difficult, but they are not insurmountable. To solve them, we must value collaboration at least as much as we value competition.


Humor in the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths is conceptualized as a unipolar and unidimensional strength and is subsumed under the virtue of transcendence. Its scope is intentionally restricted to forms of humor that serve some moral good. The present study (N = 203) investigated the relation between five dimensions of humorous conduct, sense of humor, and the VIA-Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS). Results show (1) that the VIA-humor correlated with socially warm and competent humor, and the sense of humor, all with a common basis in humanity. (2) Each humor style showed relations to strengths. Additionally, strengths related to the virtue of temperance were also related to not showing mean-spirited and earthy forms of humor. Hence, humor in the VIA-IS can be well-located in established humor taxonomies, but does not cover all of the virtue-related humorous behaviors. Further research is requested to investigate the role of virtue in humor.


Mineral and organic salts from beef manure contained in precipitation runoff from feedlot pen surfaces can alter the conductivity properties of soil and water receiving it. Typically, holding ponds are constructed to control runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations. The integrity of these holding ponds has come under increased scrutiny since subsurface leakage has the potential to affect soil and groundwater quality. Traditionally, ponds are monitored by installing monitoring wells at strategic locations to evaluate the impact of these ponds on the environment. Monitoring wells are expensive to install, costly to sample and the information received is subject to ambiguous interpretation. Researchers from USDA-ARS U.S. Meat Animal Research Center have combined efforts and resources with the Nebraska Cattlemen, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ), and AgraTek LLC, to evaluate electronic monitoring of subsurface soils near holding ponds used to contain runoff from beef cattle feedlots. A three year study summarized data from two feedlots and concluded that resistivity array systems were able to adequately measure subsurface dynamics and to alert operators of changes that exceeded nominal operation. Subsequently, two NDEQ provisionally approved systems were installed at a University of Nebraska research site. Unlike previous test installations, each of these new sites required non-collinear installations. This report discusses the theoretical development and testing of non-collinear arrays which proved to be a viable approach to unique array geometries necessitated by feedlot designs.


We examine several determinants of farmland values in the Campine region (Belgium) using data on individual sales transactions. Since the study area is well known to have a legacy of heavy-metal pollution of land, one of the focal points is the implicit price of cadmium (Cd) pollution. We use a hedonic pricing model, applying both mean regression (OLS) and quantile regression (QR). Unlike previous hedonic studies using QR, we use unconditional QR (Firpo et al. 2009). The estimates obtained using UQR have a more intuitive interpretation than those obtained using standard (conditional) QR, and allow for less ambiguous comparisons with their OLS counterparts. We find only moderate evidence of price discounts in the middle (median) price range due to Cd contamination. On the other hand, we find that farmland values are strongly affected by the development potential of agricultural land due to urban pressure.


Safety analysis is of ultimate importance for operating Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). The overall
modeling and simulation of physical and chemical processes occuring in the course of an accident
is an interdisciplinary problem and has origins in fluid dynamics, numerical analysis, reactor tech-
nology and computer programming. The aim of the study is therefore to create the foundations
of a multi-dimensional non-isothermal fluid model for a NPP containment and software tool based
on it. The numerical simulations allow to analyze and predict the behavior of NPP systems under
different working and accident conditions, and to develop proper action plans for minimizing the
risks of accidents, and/or minimizing the consequences of possible accidents. A very large number
of scenarios have to be simulated, and at the same time acceptable accuracy for the critical param-
eters, such as radioactive pollution, temperature, etc., have to be achieved. The existing software
tools are either too slow, or not accurate enough. This thesis deals with developing customized al-
gorithm and software tools for simulation of isothermal and non-isothermal flows in a containment
pool of NPP. Requirements to such a software are formulated, and proper algorithms are presented.
The goal of the work is to achieve a balance between accuracy and speed of calculation, and to
develop customized algorithm for this special case. Different discretization and solution approaches
are studied and those which correspond best to the formulated goal are selected, adjusted, and when
possible, analysed. Fast directional splitting algorithm for Navier-Stokes equations in complicated
geometries, in presence of solid and porous obstales, is in the core of the algorithm. Developing
suitable pre-processor and customized domain decomposition algorithms are essential part of the
overall algorithm amd software. Results from numerical simulations in test geometries and in real
geometries are presented and discussed.


Prepared by the Civil Engineering Research Foundation. This report details, in user-friendly terms, the procedures necessary for successful commercialization of infrastructure technologies. It describes the stages of the technical innovation-to-commercialization process, the stakeholders involved, and the roles they play throughout different stages of the process. Potential barriers and challenges to infrastructure innovation and commercialization are also examined. The report provides suggestions for overcoming barriers and lists industry resources that are available to assist the innovator throughout the entire commercialization process.


Various works on transitivity suggest that aspectual notions may constitute semantic determinants of argument realization. Observations included in these works prompted theories implying that argument realization may be aspectually driven. Following this line of thought, this article presents the results of corpus-based studies on antipassive structure in the Polish language and makes an attempt at confirming the fact that aspectual notion may determine argument realization. The article consists of three main sections. The first one focuses on notions of aspect and various aspectual propositions distinguished in the literature on the subject, regarding the Polish language in particular. The second section, illustrated with examples extracted from the National Corpus of Polish (NKJP) and the corpus of Wielki Słownik Języka Polskiego (KWSJP), gives an overview of Polish perfectivizing verbal prefixes, i.e. a roz-, na-, o-/oband u-prefix, and deals with the effect they may have on sentence structure and semantics. It also shows how the prefixed verbs combine with the marker się, which flags antipassive, i.e. is a recurring marker attested in antipassive constructions in the Polish language. In section three, an attempt is made at analyzing the interrelations between aspect and antipassive reading of a structure. As it seems that a perfective prefix used with a verb imposes certain requirements on the argument structure of the verb it combines with, we also offer a possible explanation to different aspectual requirements of verbs occurring in antipassive structures, assuming that projections coded in a verb may play a role here. 1


Background/Context The educational performance of Latina/o students in the United States is becoming a central concern in education policy and reform. In an attempt to explain variation in the academic achievement of Latina/o students, considerable sociological and economic research has emerged. Even though the contributions of these studies are of great benefit, there remain important knowledge gaps. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The purpose of this study is to offer an alternative explanation for the variation in Latina/o students' academic and nonaca-demic outcomes by using an integrated theoretical framework—funds of knowledge— that takes into consideration the many resources, skills, and knowledge inherent in Latino households. Research Design This study uses quantitative methods to examine the relationship between funds of knowledge and Latina/o students' academic and nonacademic outcomes. A random sample of 212 Latina/o students enrolled in grades K through 12 was selected to examine the association between funds of knowledge and Latina/o students' academic outcomes—reading and academic achievement, and nonacademic outcomes—literacy practices. The data for this study were drawn from the survey responses to the Latino/Hispanic Household Survey and from student achievement data. Findings/Results Results obtained from the factor analysis suggest the emergence of six theoretically relevant factors: social reciprocity, household frequent activities, parental educational philosophy, parental language acquisition, English literacy-oriented activities, and Spanish literacy-oriented activities. Multiple regression analyses indicated the existence of a significant association between some components of funds of knowledge and students' academic and nonacademic outcomes. Conclusions/Recommendations This study's findings suggest that Latina/o students and families do engage in many different activities that contribute to students' academic and nonacademic outcomes. So, instead of viewing Latino families as needing remediation services and lacking resources to support students' learning, it is critical to build on their life experiences, knowledge, and skills. It is also clear that there is need to refine the approaches and methodologies used to explain and understand the academic and nonacademic outcomes of Latina/o students.


ABSTRACT Sexual health policies explicitly aim to encourage young people to take responsibility for their sexuality to prevent adverse outcomes such as unintended pregnancies, STIs and sexual assault. In Europe and North America, 'choice' has become a central concept in sexual and reproductive health policy making. However, the concept of choice is not unproblematic, not least because the cultural emphasis on individual responsibility obscures structural limitations and inequalities, and mutual responsibility between partners. Moreover, studies on the life stories of young people show how agency is forged and expressed within a social context and is manifested through responsiveness to others. This raises the question of how we can conceptualise sexual agency in a way that includes this sociality. How can we rethink sexual agency beyond autonomy? This article explores these issues using data from four separate research projects that shared the aim of exploring young people's sexual agency in different areas. Drawing on findings from these studies, it advances a multicomponent model of sexual agency that connects individual choice to the social, moral and narrative context which young people navigate.


The focus of this thesis is the design of Android applications from building blocks in Arctis. The Arctis tool is used for modeling applications with UML activities, which already can be deployed on the Java ME and Java SE platforms. State machines and a runtime support system are generated. Creation of a generator for Arctis, enabling deployment to the Android platform, is the key element in this work. The Android platform is presented using an example application. A discussion on challenges, solutions and architectures for the design and implementation of Android applications using Arctis is presented. Then, the example application is redesigned using Arctis building blocks and deployed as a Java project using the existing code generator for Java SE. The adaptations necessary for turning the Java project into a runnable Android project is studied in detail and serves as a basis for the development of our code generator, along with the discussion. After describing our code generator, several building blocks are designed for an Android building block library. Demonstration of the code generator and the building blocks are done by designing and deploying an Android application named emph{TwitterFromAndroid}.


Secured Financing in Russia: Risks, Legal Incentives, and Policy Concerns^ Introduction Secured financing plays a crucial role in a market economy.' In the context of Russia's nascent and struggling market economy, the importance of secured financing is greatly augmented.2 Investing in Russia involves significant economic and legal risks for both foreign and domestic investors. The role of secured credit laws is to mitigate these risks. This Note explores the risks, legal incentives, and policy concerns created by Russia's secured credit laws. Part Two provides a brief overview of the legislative history behind the sections of the Russian Civil Code dealing with security interests, which for the most part have been positively received by Western commentators. Although Russia's secured credit laws are clearly an improvement over those that existed in the Soviet Union, commentators' praise may be overly generous, and at the very least should be clearly qualified. Therefore, Part Three describes the process for acquiring and enforcing a valid security interest in Russia and concurrently identifies several shortcomings and ambiguities by way of comparison to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the Model Law on Secured Transactions (Model Law) developed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The UCC and the Model Law are particularly useful references by which to critique Russia's secured credit laws. Article 9 of the UCC is widely regarded as one of the best secured credit laws in the world.3 A proposal submitted to the Council of Europe by the Service de Recherches Juridiques Comparatives of the CNRS of Paris suggested using Article 9 as the basis for the creation of a uniform secured credit system for international transactions.4 In the context of Russia's transitional economy, the UCC can be a particularly valuable resource in further development of a commercial legal structure.5 The EBRD developed the Model Law to serve as a guide to the former Soviet bloc countries, which possessed either severely antiquated secured credit laws or none at all.' The Model Law was intended to provide a comprehensive basis for legislation, while at the same time affording the flexibility necessary to accommodate local characteristics.7 A guiding principle of the Model Law was to design a model that was compatible with the civil law systems prevalent in Eastern Europe, yet also incorporated features of common law systems more accommodating to modern financing.8 The Model Law has been influential in several countries in the region.9 Part Four discusses related legal and economic factors that directly affect secured financing and without consideration of which the value of a security interest in Russia cannot be accurately measured. As is true in well-established legal systems, Russia's secured credit laws do not operate entirely in a vacuum, independent of other elements of the legal structure. In particular, banking, tax, and bankruptcy laws impose limitations and incentives that significantly influence secured financing. Similarly, economic factors intrinsic to Russia, such as pervasive tax evasion, create additional risks that necessarily affect the value of security interests. Part Four illustrates that these related elements augment the risk and cost of secured lending and highlights the resulting need for reform of Russia's secured credit laws. Part Five explains that the shortcomings and ambiguities in Russia's secured credit laws, coupled with the related legal incentives and economic factors, substantially limit the utility and ultimate value of security interests in Russia, which in turn makes credit more expensive and thus less available. Part Five then discusses the policy concerns created by this conclusion, namely a stifling effect on the growth of entrepreneurs and small businesses, and a delayed development of a large middle class and its corresponding tax base. …


Excerpt] It has become increasingly clear that the U.S. system of collective bargaining is no longer a realistic option for a large and growing proportion of American workers, and the situation will continue to worsen absent a major redirection of public policy. The decline in union density rates in this country is alarming to those who value and promote unionization. The extent to which this decline is due to management resistance and the failure of the law to promote collective bargaining is an important question that requires continued study and debate. Opinion polls reveal that for millions of nonunion American workers, workplace representation is an unfulfilled goal. These and other concerns about the inadequacy of U.S. labor law motivated the Clinton Administration to create the Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations, chaired by John Dunlop and charged with examining the laws that govern and shape relations in America's workplaces. In the same spirit, the Department of Economic Research of the AFL-CIO and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University convened a conference on labor law reform in October 1993. Nearly forty papers and speeches advanced a variety of ways to correct the inadequacies in our system of union-management regulation. This volume contains a selection of the papers from that conference, chosen to reflect the diversity of opinion and thought represented. While all of the views and policy recommendations expressed in the papers are not necessarily fully shared by the, editors, the AFL-CIO, or Cornell, they are stimulating and provocative and deserve the widest possible discussion and debate. Our aim in producing this book is to stimulate public awareness about the need for fundamental reform of the legal and institutional underpinnings of the U.S. system of workplace representation and to offer proposals for the content of that reform.


In this paper, we investigate the reasons why some return stroke models do not reproduce one of the characteristic features of the electromagnetic fields radiated by lightning, namely the far-field inversion of polarity with a zero crossing occurring in the tens of microseconds range. This study leads to physical insights into the behavior of the return stroke attenuation and speed as a function of height. Making reference to the properties of time domain far fields, we show that any one of the existing lightning return stroke channel models, including the electromagnetic models, sometimes known as Antenna Theory models, and the engineering models, should be able to predict a zero crossing in the far field as long as the duration of the return stroke current and the height of the channel are finite. However, the present versions of most of the available engineering and electromagnetic models predict the zero crossing to occur at times that fall well beyond those observed experimentally. We identify three mechanisms responsible for the time of occurrence of the reversal of polarity in the far fields: the current attenuation along the channel, the duration of the return stroke current, and the return stroke speed. The analysis of the MTLE and MTLL engineering models shows that the higher the attenuation of the current along the channel, the earlier the polarity reversal of the vertical electric field. Also, for a given value of the attenuation factor, higher propagation speeds correspond to earlier polarity reversal times. For the TCS model, in which the only adjustable parameter is the return-stroke speed, we show that the far-field zero crossing occurs considerably later than the values predicted by both the MTLE and the MTLL models. This is shown to be essentially due to the fact that the decrease of the current wave along the channel according to the TCS model is less pronounced than the current attenuation predicted by the MTLE and MTLL models. Furthermore, it is shown that, in the electromagnetic models, a uniformly distributed resistance along the channel does not lead to a zero crossing in the tens of microseconds range even for large resistance values. This is due to the significant increase of the current pulse duration, as it propagates along the channel as a result of the dispersion effect. The correct zero crossing time, however, can indeed be successfully reproduced if a nonlinear channel resistance is used, which prevents the significant increase of the current pulse duration as it propagates up the channel. Finally, based on the predictions of the MTLE, MTLL, and TCS models, it is shown that the zero crossing time decreases as the observation point moves farther away from the lightning channel, with the amount of variation of less than 10%.


Background Injury prevention exercise programmes (IPEPs) have been shown to prevent and reduce injuries in team sports (Silvers-Granelli et al. 2015, Owoeye et al. 2014). Implementation and adoption of IPEPs in team sport is a process is multifaceted and complex (Donaldson & Finch 2013). The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has produced an IPEP (GAA 15) specifically tailored to Gaelic football. Objective To investigate the injury prevention knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of GAA coaches and estimate the implementation rates of the 'GAA 15' Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Gaelic football clubs in the Counties of Mayo and London. Patients (or Participants) 26 GAA coaches who responded to email invitations to participate in this study. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) Online web based survey related to Gaelic football injuries and injury prevention. Main Outcome Measurements Understanding and perceptions of injury prevention in general; implementation of the 'GAA 15'; and the motivation and support from the GAA and their County Boards. Results All but one coach (96%) believed that an IPEP would reduce injuries to players during training and matches. Although all coaches utilise selected components of an IPEP such as strength, balance, and core exercises during the warm-up or training, only 2 coaches reported using the 'GAA 15'. Coaches feel that they do not get enough support and exposure from the GAA and their County boards with regards to injury prevention strategies. The coaches supported the use of online resources, phone applications and group training programmes. Conclusions Despite wide acceptance of the benefits of an IPEP, few coaches use one in Gaelic Football. The results of this study provide valuable information on the knowledge, perceptions and beliefs of Gaelic football club coaches regarding injury prevention. This information should be used to optimise access to education and delivery of the 'GAA 15'.


The recent growth in network usage has motivated the creation of new malicious code for various purposes, including economic and other malicious purposes. Currently, dozens of new malicious codes are created every day, and this number is expected to increase in coming years. Today's signature-based anti-viruses and heuristic-based methods are accurate, but cannot detect new malicious code. Recently, classification algorithms were used successfully for the detection of malicious code. We present a complete methodology for the detection of unknown malicious code, inspired by text categorization concepts. However, this approach can be exploited further to achieve a more accurate and efficient acquisition method of unknown malicious files. We use an Active-Learning framework that enables the selection of the unknown files for fast acquisition. We performed an extensive evaluation of a test collection consisting of more than 30,000 files. We present a rigorous evaluation setup, consisting of reallife scenarios, in which the malicious file content is expected to be low, at about 10% of the files in the stream. We define specific evaluation measures based on the known precision and recall measures, which show the accuracy of the acquisition process and the improvement in the classifier resulting from the efficient acquisition process.


The development and application of decellularized extracellular matrices (ECM) has grown rapidly in the fields of cell biology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in recent years. Similar to decellularized tissues and whole organs, cell-derived matrices (CDMs) represent bioactive, biocompatible materials consisting of a complex assembly of fibrillar proteins, matrix macromolecules and associated growth factors that often recapitulate, at least to some extent, the composition and organization of native ECM microenvironments. The unique ability to engineer CDMs de novo based on cell source and culture methods makes them an attractive alternative to conventional allogeneic and xenogeneic tissue-derived matrices that are currently harvested from cadaveric sources, suffer from inherent heterogeneity, and have limited ability for customization. Although CDMs have been investigated for a number of biomedical applications, including adhesive cell culture substrates, synthetic scaffold coatings, and tissue engineered products, such as heart valves and vascular grafts, the state of the field is still at a relatively nascent stage of development. In this review, we provide an overview of the various applications of CDM and discuss successes to date, current limitations and future directions.


The standard way of answering queries over incomplete databases is to compute certain answers, defined as the intersection of query answers on all complete databases that the incomplete database represents. But is this universally accepted definition correct? We argue that this "one-size-fitsall" definition can often lead to counterintuitive or just plain wrong results, and propose an alternative framework for defining certain answers.

We combine three previously used approaches, based on the semantics and representation systems, on ordering incomplete databases in terms of their informativeness, and on viewing databases as knowledge expressed in a logical language, to come up with a well justified and principled notion of certain answers. Using it, we show that for queries satisfying some natural conditions (like not losing information if a more informative input is given), computing certain answers is surprisingly easy, and avoids the complexity issues that have been associated with the classical definition.


Membrane depolarization of NG108 cells gives rapid (< 5 min) activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaM-KIV), as well as activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). To investigate whether the Ca2+-dependent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38) might be mediated by the CaM kinase cascade, we have transfected PC12 cells, which lack CaM-KIV, with constitutively active mutants of CaM kinase kinase and/or CaM-KIV (CaM-KKc and CaM-KIVc, respectively). In the absence of depolarization, CaM-KKc transfection had no effect on Elk-dependent transcription of a luciferase reporter gene, whereas CaM-KIVc alone or in combination with CaM-KKc gave 7- to 10-fold and 60- to 80-fold stimulations, respectively, which were blocked by mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase cotransfection. When epitope-tagged constructs of MAP kinases were co-transfected with CaM-KKc plus CaM-KIVc, the immunoprecipitated MAP kinases were activated 2-fold (ERK-2) and 7- to 10-fold (JNK-1 and p38). The JNK and p38 pathways were further investigated using specific c-Jun or ATF2-dependent transcriptional assays. We found that c-Jun/ATF2-dependent transcriptions were enhanced 7- to 10-fold by CaM-KIVc and 20- to 30-fold by CaM-KKc plus CaM-KIVc. In the case of the Jun-dependent transcription, this effect was not due to direct phosphorylation of c-Jun by activated CaM-KIV, since transcription was blocked by a dominant-negative JNK and by two MAP kinase phosphatases. Mutation of the phosphorylation site (Thr196) in CaM-KIV, which mediates its activation by CaM-KIV kinase, prevented activation of Elk-1, c-Jun, and ATF2 by the CaM kinase cascade. These results establish a new Ca2+-dependent mechanism for regulating MAP kinase pathways and resultant transcription.


Compositional changes amongst surface active components of petroleum are brought about by crude oil/brine/rock interactions. The behaviour of petroleum components following simulated petroleum migration through an initially water-saturated continuous siltstone (89.7 cm × 5 cm) core was investigated. A suite of produced oils and core extract petroleum from the core-flood experiment were analysed by Iatroscan and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Dramatic changes were observed in the composition and distributions of polar non-hydrocarbons, namely, fluoren-9-ones, carbazoles, benzocarbazoles and C0–C3 phenols indicating varying degrees of surface activity within the core-flood system. Following flooding, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) was used to view water condensation behaviour on freshly exposed core chips. Samples prepared from the original unflooded core and core material sectioned towards the outlet of the core flood displayed surfaces exhibiting hydrophilic tendencies. Meanwhile, hydrophobic behaviour was observed in a sample from the core inlet. The ESEM descriptions of the interaction of water on core surfaces appear to be consistent with the compositional changes encountered in the core extract petroleum. Wettability was altered most strongly at the core inlet where surface active compounds are rapidly removed from the migrating petroleum. In particular, small hydrophilic moieties, such as alkylphenols, appear to rapidly precondition mineral surfaces, changing wettability and subsequently allowing larger hydrophobicmolecules to sorb. Hence, petroleum surface active compounds are capable of rapidly (days to months) facilitating wettability alteration in crude oil/brine/rock systems that are initially water wet.


Some studies indicate that the solar modulation of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) particles has profound consequences for Earth9s climate system. A corollary of the GCR-climate theory involves a link between Earth9s magnetic field and climate, since the geomagnetic field also modulates the GCR flux reaching Earth9s atmosphere. In this study, we explore this potential geomagnetic-climate link by comparing a new reconstruction of the Holocene geomagnetic dipole moment with high-resolution speleothem data from China and Oman. The speleothem δ 18 O data represent proxy records for past precipitation in low-latitude regions, which is a climate parameter that is likely to have been sensitive to variations in the GCR flux modulated by the dipole moment. Intriguingly, we observe a relatively good correlation between the high-resolution speleothem δ 18 O records and the dipole moment, suggesting that Earth9s magnetic field to some degree influenced low-latitude precipitation in the past. In addition to supporting the notion that variations in the geomagnetic field may have influenced Earth9s climate in the past, our study also provides some degree of support for the controversial link between GCR particles, cloud formation, and climate.


The concept of adaptation is becoming part of mainstream public discourse on climate change. Yet the diversity, complexity, and novelty of the adaptation concept itself leads to interpretive flexibility, differing public understanding of (and engagement with) adaptation strategies, and hence differentiated policy responses. The boundary work of communicative practices and public understanding of the adaptation concept therefore requires empirical analysis in different cases and contexts. This study employs Q-methodology (a combined quantitative–qualitative social research method) to reveal the typologies of perspectives that emerge around the adaptation concept among a diverse group of citizen-stakeholders in the United Kingdom. Four such typologies are identified under the labels 1) top-down climate action, 2) collective action on climate change, 3) optimistic, values-focused adaptation, and 4) adaptation skepticism. The division between these perspectives reveals a perceived "responsibility gap" between the governmental–institutional and/or individual–community levels. Across the emergent discourses we find a consensual call for a multisector, multiscalar, and multistakeholder-led approach that posits adaptation as a contemporary, intragenerational problem, with a strong emphasis upon managing extreme weather events, and not as an abstract future problem. By attending to these public discourses in climate policy, this presents a potential means to lessen such a responsibility gap.


Introduction: Flow mediated-dilation (FMD) is a noninvasive test of endothelial function based on shear stressdependent nitric oxide secretion causing vasodilation. Normalization of FMD to shear stress was previously proposed. The aim of present study is an examination of relationship between shear rate and FMD in patients with hypertension and atherosclerosis in comparison with healthy volunteers. Methods: Three groups (11 with essential hypertension, 28 with advanced atherosclerosis and 26 controls) were examined. Flow mediated dilation after 5-minute cuff occlusion and post-deflation shear rate were assessed. Brachial artery diameters and blood velocities were obtained by means of high-resolution ultrasound machine. Results: Positive correlations were found between FMD and shear rate with correlation coefficients depending on the disease. Statistical significance was found in atherosclerosis and control groups. Shear rate stimulus is most effective in healthy controls and least effective in hypertensive patients. Conclusions: Post-ischemic shear rate or shear stress should also be taken into account while evaluating the endothelial function with vasodilation measurements.


The recruitment phenomenon, that is, the reduced dynamic range between threshold and uncomfortable level, is attributed to the loss of instantaneous dynamic compression on the basilar membrane. Despite this, hearing aids commonly use slow-acting dynamic compression for its compensation, because this was found to be the most successful strategy in terms of speech quality and intelligibility rehabilitation. Former attempts to use fast-acting compression gave ambiguous results, raising the question as to whether auditory-based recruitment compensation by instantaneous compression is in principle applicable in hearing aids. This study thus investigates instantaneous multiband dynamic compression based on an auditory filterbank. Instantaneous envelope compression is performed in each frequency band of a gammatone filterbank, which provides a combination of time and frequency resolution comparable to the normal healthy cochlea. The gain characteristics used for dynamic compression are deduced from categorical loudness scaling. In speech intelligibility tests, the instantaneous dynamic compression scheme was compared against a linear amplification scheme, which used the same filterbank for frequency analysis, but employed constant gain factors that restored the sound level for medium perceived loudness in each frequency band. In subjective comparisons, five of nine subjects preferred the linear amplification scheme and would not accept the instantaneous dynamic compression in hearing aids. Four of nine subjects did not perceive any quality differences. A sentence intelligibility test in noise (Oldenburg sentence test) showed little to no negative effects of the instantaneous dynamic compression, compared to linear amplification. A word intelligibility test in quiet (one-syllable rhyme test) showed that the subjects benefit from the larger amplification at low levels provided by instantaneous dynamic compression. Further analysis showed that the increase in intelligibility resulting from a gain provided by instantaneous compression is as high as from a gain provided by linear amplification. No negative effects of the distortions introduced by the instantaneous compression scheme in terms of speech recognition are observed.


ABSTRACT This paper studies the factors that drive distribution structure design (DSD), which includes the spatial layout of distribution channels and location choice of logistics facilities. We build on a generic framework from existing literature, which we validate and elaborate using interviews among industry practitioners. Empirical evidence was collected from 18 logistics experts and 33 decision-makers affiliated to shippers and logistics service providers from the fashion, consumer electronics and online retail sectors. It turns out that interviewees share similar rankings of main factors across industries, and even confirm factor weights from earlier research established using multi-criteria decision analysis, which would indicate that the framework is sector-neutral at the highest level. The importance attached to subfactors varies between sectors according to our expectations. We were able to identify 20 possible new influencing subfactors. The results may support managers in their decision-making process, and regional policy-makers with regard to spatial planning and regional marketing. The framework is a basis for researchers to help improve further quantitative DSD support models.


Factors that affect the engineering properties of cement stabilized soils such as strength are discussed in this paper using data on these factors. The selected factors studied in this paper are initial soil water content, grain size distribution, organic matter content, binder dosage, age and curing temperature, which has been collated from a number of international deep mixing projects. Some resulting correlations from this data are discussed and presented. The concept of Artificial Neural Networks and its applicability in developing predictive models for deep mixed soils is presented and discussed using a subset of the collated data. The results from the neural network model were found to emulate the known trends and reasonable estimates of strength as a function of the selected variables were obtained. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.


Dollar Dreaming explores how the Aboriginal art movement, born of isolation and deprivation in one of the remotest and harshest places on earth, has in little more than thirty years become a newly minted coin in the international art market, with paintings being exhibited and collected in Paris, Los Angeles and New York. In pursuit of the story, the author travels to visit and interview those individuals who are living through this extraordinary period of evolution - artists, dealers, curators, collectors, fakers and auction house staff - to convey through their words and experiences how the art form, and the international market for Aboriginal art, came alive. Dollar Dreaming is an authoritative, engaging and sometimes funny account of Aboriginal art today from one of Australia's most respected art critics.


Authors : C. P. Providakis, G. M. Angeli, M. J. Favvata, N. A. Papadopoulos, C. E. Chalioris, C. G. Karayannis Abstract : An effort for the detection of damages in the reinforcement bars of reinforced concrete members using PZTs is presented. The damage can be the result of excessive elongation of the steel bar due to steel yielding or due to local steel corrosion. In both cases the damage is simulated by considering reduced diameter of the rebar along the damaged part of its length. An integration approach based on both electromechanical admittance methodology and guided wave propagation technique is used to evaluate the artificial damage on the examined longitudinal steel bar. Two actuator PZTs and a sensor PZT are considered to be bonded on the examined steel bar. The admittance of the Sensor PZT is calculated using COMSOL 3.4a. Fast Furrier Transformation for a better evaluation of the results is employed. An effort for the quantification of the damage detection using the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the healthy condition and damage state of the sensor PZT is attempted. The numerical value of the RSMD yields a level for the difference between the healthy and the damaged admittance computation indicating this way the presence of damage in the structure. Experimental measurements are also presented.


Thermal desalination technologies are very energy intensive. The utilisation of nuclear energy for seawater desalination provides a safe, feasible and economic solution for the production of very good quality water. The Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) desalination plant of the Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP) of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, is coupled with a nuclear power plant on the south east coast of India to share the common facilities and steam. The MSF desalination plant is under construction. This paper describes a case study of the coupling aspects of the MSF desalination plant with the existing nuclear power plant and gives an estimate of the loss of electrical power generation due to extraction of steam. Loss of electrical power is also compared with the Desalination Economic Evaluation Program (DEEP) of the IAEA.


Obstetric trauma is considered to be a complication of difficult deliveries. They generally concern 5 to 7 new born baby among 1000 live births. Obstrecal fracture of the clavicle is one of the most common lesions of obstetric trauma. It is usually unilateral and occurs after a dystocic birth. Bilateral involvement of the clavicles during obstetric trauma is rare. We report a case of bilateral obstetrical fracture of the clavicle during a eutocic delivery with favorable evolution.


The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) space experiment, which has been developed by Japan in collaboration with Italy and the United States, is a high-energy astroparticle physics mission to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS). The primary goals of the CALET mission include investigating possible nearby sources of high energy electrons, studying the details of galactic particle propagation and searching for dark matter signatures. During a twoyear mission, extendable to five years, the CALET experiment will measure the flux of cosmic-ray electrons (including positrons) to 20 TeV, gamma-rays to 10 TeV and nuclei with Z=1 to 40 up to several 100 TeV. The instrument consists of two layers of segmented plastic scintillators for the cosmic-ray charge identification (CHD), a 3 radiation length thick tungsten-scintillating fiber imaging calorimeter (IMC) and a 27 radiation length thick lead-tungstate calorimeter (TASC). CALET has sufficient depth, imaging capabilities and excellent energy resolution to allow for a clear separation between hadrons and electrons and between charged particles and gamma rays. The instrument is currently being prepared for launch on August 16, 2015 to the ISS with HTV-5 (H-II Transfer Vehicle 5) and installed on the Japanese Experiment Module- Exposed Facility (JEM-EF)


The author focuses on the polemic about the dangers of NTIC for the mental health of adolescents. It argues that the defenders of NTIC are characterized by a disavowal of the problem of their overuse and the importance of links between human beings, by a dubious assertion of their value as self-therapy, and by an improper use of psychoanalytical concepts. He associates this attitude with a lack of tolerance for internal and external alterity, a feature of our modern life that is fostered by the virtualization of experience.


Thirteen Chardonnay (Vitis vinifera L.) clones were evaluated for viticulture performance in a vineyard managed for sparkling wine production in the Los Carneros American Viticultural Area, Sonoma County, California. Two clones were of California origin (Foundation Plant Services [FPS] 4 and 72) and 11 were of French origin, reported to be from either Dijon (clones 75, 76, 78, 96, and 352) or Champagne (clones 118, 121, 124, 130, 131, and 132). Vine yield and yield components, fruit composition (soluble solids, pH, and titratable acidity), and vegetative growth were measured over four growing seasons, from 1998 through 2001. Clones were harvested on a soluble solids basis. Yield, berries per cluster, berry weight, cluster weight, and clusters per shoot differed significantly among clones. FPS 4 and French clones 96 and 352 had highest yields, and FPS 72 the lowest, with no great differences among other clones. Low yield of FPS 72 was due to very low berry weight and fewer berries per cluster. Yield components of other clones differed significantly over the four years of study. FPS 4 and FPS 72 retained the highest levels of titratable acidity at harvest. Vegetative growth was greatly influenced by both clone and year. FPS 72 had the highest pruning weights and clone 118 the lowest. Yield-to-pruning weight ratios were lowest for FPS 72 and highest for FPS 4.


The purpose of this research is to assess the parental perception about their financial habits and their children's. This research was conducted through interviews, which were administered through email, on the phone, or in person, in October 2009. Financial literacy, promoting proper knowledge and habits, is very important in sustaining a healthy economy and in achieving a good personal financial situation. Danes (1994) points out that parents play an essential role in transferring knowledge of the realistic and sensitive aspects of money. Mandell (2009) states that the use or misuse of financial knowledge can affect an entire national economy. Clearly, more financial education is necessary for young adults to better the economy. The family is the source for most of a child's financial knowledge. However, parents seem to pass only their own feelings about money on to their children. If more parents could factually educate their children about finance, children may be less likely to develop poor habits. If enough young adults entered the adult world with sound financial literacy, it could have a macroeconomic effect.


Exploitation of the low binding affinity of NHC–palladium complex for the carbonyl oxygen of ester to form three-centered transition state led to the discovery of Suzuki–Miyaura coupling via unprecedented C(acyl)–O bond cleavage. The use of bulky NHC ligand resulted in direct coupling as it prevented decarbonylation of ester. This access to alternative chemoselectivity by careful selection has extended the synthetic portfolio of esters for the diversification of interesting molecular scaffolds.


In recent years a number of criminal tribunals have been established to investigate, prosecute and try individuals accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights. These tribunals have been described as 'hybrid' or 'internationalised' tribunals as their structure and applicable law consist of both international and national elements. Six such tribunals are currently in operation: the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Regulation 64 panels in Kosovo, the War Crimes Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Iraqi High Tribunal and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The key aims of this thesis are: to examine the increasing role of hybrid and internationalised judicial institutions in prosecuting international crimes; to outline the basic features of the existing and proposed hybrid or internationalized tribunals; to define and categorise the tribunals; to determine the jurisdictional basis of each tribunal; to analyze how the jurisdictional basis affects other issues, such as the applicable law, the application of amnesties and immunities and the relationship of these tribunals with the host state, third states, national courts and other international criminal tribunals.


Over 150 period photographs are featured in this book, showing a wide variety of dress worn between 1860 and 1880. Although some of the photographs are studio portraits by the leading photographers of the day, there are also photographs of 'working-class' Victorians: estate workers, nurses, and gamekeepers, whose sober, practical garb is in telling contrast to the lavish fabrics and impractical designs worn by those for whom they worked. The main source of illustrations is the National Portrait Gallery Archive, which contains a collection of over 100,000 photographs and original negatives. Miles Lambert's selection principally comprises photographs never before published. It also contains some unfamiliar images of well-known historical figures, such as the Princess of Wales, Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, John Everett Millais, and many more. Each photograph is accompanied by a full caption that not only describes both costume and accessories in great detail, but also goes on to explain how and where the clothes were made; what they felt like to wear; and how the fashions developed. To do this, the author has supported his original research with contemporary quotations and anecdotes from diaries, fashion magazines, newspapers and other Victorian memorabilia. This book is an absorbing and informative account of the fashion and social history of this period, and will be enjoyed by everyone interested in fashion, photography, and the Victorian age.


Economic development and its determinants, esp. trust or innovation are subjects of several scientific studies. Several authors claim the importance of innovation for economic development. Some studies identified that one of the most crucial factor for economic growth and prosperity is the trust between people. Within the research in this paper we have tried to identify the role of interpersonal trust within the innovation vs. prosperity relation. For this purpose and for causality analysis, we have applied decision tree models. Through our analysis of country based data (involved in trust related WVS surveys) in opposition to current studies, we have identified, that interpersonal trust is more significant determinant of innovation development as prosperity.


Background: Treatment of plaque-induced periodontal disease is largely based on the mechanical debridement of the tooth surface and meticulous maintenance of oral hygiene thereafter. Various chemical plaque control agents are used as adjuncts along with the mechanical plaque control methods for this treatment. Most of these chemical plaque control agents have varied side effects. This has led to the search of natural products which are highly effective in controlling plaque microbes while being biocompatible. Turmeric is one such well-known plant product, known for its varied medicinal value. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Curcuma longa oral formulation in treatment of infective inflammatory early periodontal diseases. Materials and Methods: This clinical study comprised twenty individuals presenting with clinical features of plaque-induced gingivitis and mild periodontitis. Three groups were randomly made in mouth of each patient selected for the study. Group I was treated with scaling and root planing (SCRP) only. Group II was treated with SCRP plus C. longa oral formulation topical application for 2 weeks. Group III was treated only with topical application of C. longa extract oral formulation for 2 weeks. Gingival index, sulcus bleeding index, and plaque index were scored in each group before and after the treatment. Results: The results showed statistically significant improvement with respect to all the clinical parameters in all the three groups. However, Group II showed the maximum improvement (P < 0.001), followed by Group I (P < 0.001) and Group III (P < 0.05). The intergroup difference between the three groups for the improvements in clinical parameters was statistically nonsignificant. Conclusion: The oral formulation containing C. longa extract is effective in treating early infective-inflammatory periodontal diseases not only when used as an adjunct to SCRP but also when used alone.


This study aims to develop and test the mindfulness measurement instrument of Buddhist employees. The quantitative approach was applied to this study. The research population was defined as the Buddhist employees in Thai organizations. The research sample was divided into two groups for different purposes. One group consisted of 100 Buddhist employees, of which 50 were meditators and the rest weren't. This group was engaged in the instrument development phase. The second group comprised 509 participants and was used in testing the reliability and validity of the instrument. The data was gathered using questionnaires. The collected data was compiled and analyzed by computer programs. The statistics employed in the instrumental development process were: Item Congruence Index (IOC), Reliability, and Discriminant analysis, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the validity of the instrument construct. The analysis showed validity of the mindfulness measurement model according to the conceptual framework whereby 34 items of four-factor mindfulness measures: mindfulness of body, mindfulness of feelings, mindfulness of mind, and mindfulness of mind-object were psychometrically sound and conceptually supported the self-assessment of mindfulness for Thai Buddhist employees. This mindfulness scale is thus likely to provide future organizational researchers with a valuable tool for assessing mindfulness practice, and human resources development professionals with a reliable and valid instrument that can aid them in their development of individual training programs for employees.
Keywords: Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Body, Mindfulness of Feelings, Mindfulness of Mind, Mindfulness of Mind-Objects, Validation of Mindfulness Measurement, Thai Buddhist Employees


The present paper discusses the case of a 32 year-old male patient with localized wear in the upper central incisors and canines due to malocclusion, lack of overjet and parafunction, and recurrent failure of the direct composite restorations. The treatment plan aimed at applying the most minimally invasive procedures in order to preserve the teeth structures as much as possible. To achieve this goal, the initial orthodontic treatment was followed by adhesive palatal lithium disilicate veneers (for occlusal needs) and minimal prep buccal veneers (for aesthetic purposes).


This study demonstrated fluorescent detection of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) by surface molecularly imprinted technique. After dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl) was immobilized on silica microspheres (SiMP) with JEV as the template, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) as the monomer and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker was mixed with SiMP, and the polymerization was performed in mild condition. After polymerization, templates were removed to obtain JEV-imprinted polymers (JEV-MIPs). The obtained JEV-MIPs can selectively recognize JEV in the presence of Hepatitis A virus (HAV), Simian virus 40 (SV40) and Rabies virus (RV), and also sensitively detect JEV with a picomolar detection limit.


Introduction. Part I: The Ins and Outs of Outsourcing in Today's Marketplace. Chapter 1: A Quick Overview of Outsourcing. Chapter 2: Understanding What Outsourcing Is and Isn't. Chapter 3: Cha-Ching: The Costs of Outsourcing. Chapter 4: Determining Whether Your Organization Is Ready to Outsource. Part II: Getting Your Outsourcing Ducks in a Row. Chapter 5: Preparing Your Organization (and Team) for Outsourcing. Chapter 6: What to Consider When Outsourcing in the International Arena. Chapter 7: Planning a Sourcing Strategy. Chapter 8: Defining Your Scope: What You Want to Outsource. Part III: Putting Outsourcing into Action. Chapter 9: Choosing Service Providers: The Selection Process. Chapter 10: Getting a Firm Grasp on Pricing. Chapter 11: Documenting Your Objectives and Reviewing Proposals. Chapter 12: Negotiating with Vendors and Signing on the Dotted Line. Chapter 13: Implementing the Transitions, Transformations, and Other Changes. Part IV: Making Your Outsourcing Arrangements Work. Chapter 14: Governing the Service and the Relationship. Chapter 15: Communicating Your Outsourcing Plans. Chapter 16: Completing or Ending the Job. Chapter 17: The Ethics of Outsourcing. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 18: Ten Benefits of Outsourcing. Chapter 19: Ten (Plus One) Top Outsourcing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Part VI: Appendixes. Appendix A: Glossary. Appendix B: About the CD. Index.


The increasing flows of immigrants in Europe over the last decade has generated a range of considerations in the policy agenda of many receiving countries. One of the main considerations for policy makers and public opinions alike is whether immigrants contribute their "fair" share to their host country tax and welfare system. This paper seeks to answer this question based on an empirical assessment of the net fiscal contributions of immigrants in the 27 EU Member States using EUROMOD, a EU-wide tax-benefit microsimulation model. In addition to the traditional view of the tax-benefit system, we add indirect taxation and in-kind benefits to the analysis of net contributions. Our findings highlight that migrants on average contributed about 250 euro per year more than natives to the welfare state in 2015. However, when we take an average age-specific life-cycle perspective, we find that natives generally show a higher net fiscal contribution than both, intra-EU and extra-EU migrants, while extra-EU migrants contribute on average less than intra-EU migrants.


Introduction Monitoring patients at risk of mesothelioma, earlier diagnosis and improving diagnostic tests are top research priorities set by the James Lind Alliance. Chest wall motion (CWM) can be quantified using structured light plethysmography (SLP). During SLP a single source of visible light projects a chequerboard grid onto the anterior chest wall of a patient; two spaced cameras record changes in the contours of the grid to calculate thoracic volume changes. This study aimed to assess whether there are quantifiable differences in CWM between benign pleural disease and mesothelioma using SLP. Methods Patients attending the preoperative assessment clinic for an elective diagnostic pleural biopsy were prospective recruited. After giving consent, patients underwent a timed 5 minute SLP recording of tidal breathing whilst resting in an upright seated position. Recordings were done prior to surgery and analysis of the SLP recording was performed by a blinded technician. Histology results were collected after surgery and Mann Whitney U two tailed tests of SLP values performed. Results Fifteen patients were recruited with a median age 71 (23–93 range), 90% were male. Patients subsequently diagnosed with mesothelioma (n = 4) had significantly different values in three measurements: the inspiratory to expiratory time ratio (Ti/Te, p = 0.009), breath phase between ribcage and abdomen (breath phase RC2AB, p = 0.013) and the variation in ratio of inspiratory flow at 50% of tidal motion to expiratory flow at 50% of tidal motion (IE50 IQR, p = 0.004). Median and interquartile ranges for breath phase (a measure of CWM synchrony) are shown in Figure 1. The recording process was highly acceptable to patients. Conclusions Mesothelioma affects the ratio of time for inspiration and expiration as well as synchrony in CWM and variability of the breathing pattern. SLP is rapid, portable, non-invasive, requires minimal operator training and involves no radiation. The differences found indicate that CWM measurement is a promising tool to diagnose or exclude mesothelioma and potentially to monitor patients at risk of mesothelioma, further studies using SLP in this context are indicated. Abstract P10 Figure 1 Difference in ribcage to abdomen movement synchrony between benign pleural disease and mesothelioma


This paper discusses the development of adequate criteria and evaluation methods for seat belt restraint design. These criteria should include the effect of seat belts in abdominal injury as well as head injury. It is concluded that belt load limiters and energy-absorbing devices should limit head-to-vehicle contact, ensure that the lap belt maintains proper contact with the bony pelvic girdle, and limit the belt loads. Studies are made of pulse shape and belt fabrics. Currently available mathematical models are used for the studies included in the paper.


This qualitative study was conducted to examine the phenomenon of conflict as a relational process as it is played out in the natural settings of two classrooms. The researcher sought to explore the developmental potential that conflict affords children as they try to make meaning of their relationships within the peer culture. It breaks away from the cyclical and linear models of conflict interactions as it tries to understand the reciprocal role of individual and culture in the initiation, sustenance, and resolution of peer conflicts. The study was also designed to explore the researcher role as participator and observer on a continuum with participant at one extreme and observer on the other. Data for the study were collected through participant observations over a period of two semesters in the first setting and five weeks in the second. The purpose was to examine disputes, particularly verbal exchanges made during these disputes, for insights of the child's understanding of the peer dynamics and culture that prevailed in the classrooms. Interpretive analysis of these disputes helped to embed the interactive events in their historical and sociocultural contexts. The results of this study increase our understanding of the developmental aspects of conflict and give us a glimpse of the meaning children make of their disputes. It reinforces the view that (a) children are capable of managing their conflicts without much adult intervention, (b) that the larger peer culture often dictates the initiation and outcome of conflicts, and (c) that conflicts provide an ideal opportunity for children to develop perspective taking and for testing the terms of their relationship with peers.


Hydraulic engineering and thus construction materials are necessary to enable the navigability of water ways. Since, a variety of natural as well as artificial materials are used, this materials are world wide tested on a potential release of dangerous substances to prevent adverse effects on the environment. To determine the potential release, it is important to identify and to understand key mechanisms which are decisive for the release of hazardous substances. A limited correlation between the conditions used in regulatory tests and those found in environmental systems is given and hence, often the significance of results from standardised tests on construction materials is questioned, since they are not designed to mimic environmental conditions.
In Germany industrial by-products are used as armour stones in hydraulic engineering. Especially the by-product copper slag is used during the last 40 years for the construction of embankments, groynes and coastal protection. On the one hand, this material has a high density and natural resources (landscape) are protected. One the other hand, the material contains high quantities of metal(loid)s. Therefore the copper slag (product name: iron silicate stones) is very suitable as test material. Metal(loid)s examined were As, Sb and Mo as representatives for (hydr)oxide forming elements and Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn were studied as representatives for elements forming cations during the release.
Questions addressed in this Thesis were: (i) can we transfer the results from batch experiments to construction scenarios under the prevalent environmental conditions, (ii) which long-term trends exist for the release of metal(loid)s from copper slags and (iii) how environmental conditions influence the leaching of metal(loid)s from water construction materials?
To answer the first question the surface depending release of the metal(loid)s from the construction materials was examined. Therefore, batch leaching experiments with different particle sizes and a constant liquid/solid ratio were performed. In a second step a comparison between different methods for the determination of the specific surface area of armour stones with a 3D laser scanning method as a reference were performed. In a last step it was possible to show that via a roughness factor the results of the specific surface area from small stones, measured with gas adsorption, can be connected with the results from armour stones, determined with an aluminium foil method. Based on calculations of the specific surface area, it was possible to significantly improve catchment scale calculation about the release of metal(loid)s and to evaluate a potential impact of construction materials in hydraulic engineering on the water chemistry of rivers and streams.
To answer the second question long-term leaching diffuse gradient in thin films supported experiments were performed for half a year. Diffuse gradients in thin films (DGT) is an in situ method to passive sample metal(loid)s in water, sediments and soils. They were used as a sink for metal(loid)s in the eluate to provide solution equilibriums. Thus the exchange of the eluent, which is performed normally in long-term experiments, was superfluous and long-term effects under undisturbed conditions were studied. The long-term leaching experiments with DGT have proven to be capable (i) to differentiate between the depletion of the material surface and the solution equilibriums and (ii) to study sorption processes with or without a further release of the analytes. This means for the practically relevant test material copper slag that: (i) the cations Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Pb are confirmed to be released from the slag over the whole time period of six months, (ii) a surface depletion of Zn was detected, and (iii) that the (hydr)oxide forming elements As, Mo and Sb were released from the slag over the hole periods of six months but the release was masked by adsorption to Fe-oxide colloids, which were formed during the leaching experiments. It was confirmed, that sulphide minerals are the main source for long-term release of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Mo.
To answer the third question short-term leaching experiments simulating environmental conditions in hydraulic engineering were performed. One factor is the salinity. The influence of this parameter was tested in batch experiments with sea salt solution (30 g/l), river Rhine water, ultra pure water and in addition with different NaCl concentration (5, 10, 20 and 30 g/l). In general, the ionic strength is an important factor for the metal(loid) release but the composition of the water (e.g. the HCO3- content) may superimpose this effect. Therefore, the concentrations of the metal(loid)s in the experiments with ultra-pure water spiked with sea salt or native river water and the ultra-pure water spiked with NaCl were significantly different. In a second experiment the influence of the environmental parameters and the interactions between the environmental parameters pH (4–10), sediment content (0 g–3.75 g), temperature (4 °C–36 °C) and ionic strength (0 g/l–30 g/l NaCl) on the release of metal(loid)s from the test material was examined. The statistical Design of Experiments (DoE) was used to study the influence of these factors as well as their interactions. All studied factors may impact the release of metal(loid)s from the test material to the eluent, whereas the release and the partitioning between sediment and eluate of metal(loid)s was impacted by interactions between the studied factors. The main processes were sorption, complexation, solubility, buffering and ion exchange. In addition, by separating the sediment from the slag after the experiments by magnetic separation, the enrichment of metal(loid)s in the sediment was visible. Thus, the sediment was the most important factor for the release of the metal(loid)s, via pH, temperature and ionic strength, because the sediment acted as a sink.