Early calls for creating electronic forms of social resistance coincidence almost exactly with the emergence of the world wide web. In 1994, Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) published  The Electronic Disturbance  , which began with this urgent call: The rules of cultural and political resistance have dramatically changed. The revolution in technology brought about by the rapid development of the computer and video has created a new geography of power relations. […] The new geography is a virtual geography, and the core of political and cultural resistance must assert itself in this electronic space. That same year, the First International WWW Conference was held in Geneva; Mosaic, precursor of the Netscape Navigator web browser, was only a year old and its usage limited to computer scientists; finally, in 1994 there were scarcely a thousand sites on the web, whereas by 1999, there were over 9 million. Today, the web has become dominated by e-commerce sites, while links to the entirety of CAE's seminal text can be found in the resource section of  www.thehacktivist.com , a site dedicated solely to facilitating electronic disturbances.


Remote laboratories are an emergent technological and pedagogical tool at all education levels, and their widespread use is an important part of their own improvement and evolution. This paper describes several issues encountered on laboratorial classes, on higher education courses, when using remote laboratories based on PXI systems, either using the VISIR system or an alternate in-house solution. Three main issues are presented and explained, all reported by teachers, that gave support to students' use of remote laboratories. The first issue deals with the need to allow students to select the actual place where an ammeter is to be inserted on electric circuits, even incorrectly, therefore emulating real-world difficulties. The second one deals with problems with timing when several measurements are required at short intervals, as in the discharge cycle of a capacitor. In addition, the last issue deals with the use of a multimeter in dc mode when reading ac values, a use that collides with the lab settings. All scenarios are presented and discussed, including the solution found for each case. The conclusion derived from the described work is that the remote laboratories area is an expanding field, where practical use leads to improvement and evolution of the available solutions, requiring a strict cooperation and information-sharing between all actors, i.e., developers, teachers, and students.


Several MMIC downconverters have been developed for use in experimental 30/20 GHz Satellite Personal Communications Terminals. The non-linear PHEMT and diode models are described and the design and performance of the downconverters are discussed. The design and performance a 30 GHz single-balanced PHEMT diode upconverter is also reported. The 20/4 GHz downconverter has a conversion loss of 1.5 dB at 20 GHz while the 30/4 GHz version was found to have 3.0 dB loss at 30 GHz. Both mixers showed spurious suppression better than 40 dB and required 3.5 dBm of LO power. The DC-50 MHz/30 GHz single balanced PHEMT diode upconverter, using a miniature distributed 180° hybrid, was found to have 10 dB conversion loss between 10 and 50 MHz. The RF-LO isolation was 22 dB.


New event detection, also known as first story detection (FSD), has become very popular in recent years. The task consists of finding previously unseen events from a stream of documents. Despite the apparent simplicity, FSD is very challenging and has applications anywhere where timely access to fresh information is crucial: from journalism to stock market trading, homeland security, or emergency response. With the rise of user generated content and citizen journalism we have entered an era of big and noisy data, yet traditional approaches for solving FSD are not designed to deal with this new type of data. The amount of information that is being generated today exceeds by many orders of magnitude previously available datasets, making traditional approaches obsolete for modern event detection. In this thesis, we propose a modern approach to event detection that scales to unbounded streams of text, without sacrificing accuracy. This is a crucial property that enables us to detect events from large streams like Twitter, which none of the previous approaches were able to do. One of the major problems in detecting new events is vocabulary mismatch, also known as lexical variation. This problem is characterized by different authors using different words to describe the same event, and it is inherent to human language. We show how to mitigate this problem in FSD by using paraphrases. Our approach that uses paraphrases achieves state-of-the-art results on the FSD task, while still maintaining efficiency and being able to process unbounded streams. Another important property of user generated content is the high level of noise, and Twitter is no exception. This is another problem that traditional approaches were not designed to deal with, and here we investigate different methods of reducing the amount of noise. We show that by using information from Wikipedia, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of spurious events detected in Twitter, while maintaining a very small latency in detection. A question is often raised as to whether Twitter is at all useful, especially if one has access to a high-quality stream such as the newswire, or if it should be considered as sort of a poor man's newswire. In our comparison of these two streams we find that Twitter contains events not present in the newswire, and that it also breaks some events sooner, showing that it is useful for event detection, even in the presence of newswire.


To investigate the neural bases of consonant and vowel processing, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants read words and pseudowords in a lexical decision task. The stimuli were displayed in three different conditions: (i) simultaneous presentation of all letters (baseline condition); (ii) presentation of all letters, except that two internal consonants were delayed for 50 msec (consonants-delayed condition); and (iii) presentation of all letters, except that two internal vowels were delayed for 50 msec (vowels-delayed condition). The behavioral results showed that, for words, response times in the consonants-delayed condition were longer than in the vowels-delayed condition, which, in turn, were longer than in the baseline condition. The ERPs showed that, starting as early as 150 msec, words in the consonants-delayed condition produced a larger negativity than words in vowels delayed condition. In addition, there were peak latency differences and amplitude differences in the P150, N250, P325,and N400 components between the baseline and the two letter delayed conditions. We examine the implications of these findings for models of visual-word recognition and reading


Setting water policy depends fundamentally on the location of the supply and demand for water and the legal/institutional framework for water management. Within and across nations, laws and structures for water management decision making vary, often significantly. Recognizing these differences can aid in overcoming challenges inherent to the assessment and management of transboundary waters. This paper examines current binational efforts to develop the scientific information to support water management decision making along the United States-Mexico border. The particular focus is on transboundary aquifers along the border shared by the states of Arizona in the United States and Sonora in Mexico. Legislation enacted in the United States (Public Law 109-448) established a governmental-academic partnership to assess transboundary aquifers. The paper discusses the establishment of a working partnership between Mexico and the United States, which led to an official binational cooperative framework for transboundary assessment. It explains how the extensive effort to recognize and accommodate asymmetries in the underlying legal and regulatory frameworks for water management was essential to meeting the objectives of both countries. The focus of the binational investigations is briefly discussed. The paper concludes by noting the opportunities for additional cross-border scientific and water management collaboration should funding and institutional commitments continue.


Introduction: Industrial pipelines for multiphase transportation can result in unstable flows which often cause major operational problems. Due to liquid wave growth and phase interactions (hydrodynamic slugs), liquid arriving in larger, intermittent chunks may cause flow instabilities in pipelines. At an increased air volumetric flow rate, the surface wave amplitudes become larger to the pipe/conduit and wave forms frothy slug where it touches the wall of the pipe. When the slugs travel at a velocity higher than average liquid velocity, it can cause severe vibration that could reduce the integrity of or damage equipment. In order to tackle the problems associated with slug flows, there is a clear need to better understand the multiphase flow leading to various flow phenomenon in the pipelines. The multiphase flows are characterized by flow patterns or regimes that define a particular distribution of phase volume fraction in pipeline. While there are several numerical models characterized the development and evolution of slugs and slug flows, studies which describe the stress analysis of these slug flows and their effects are scarce. This study compares two CFD codes (ANSYS CFX and FLUENT) in slug development in jumper and the stress analysis of slug movement in jumper. As well, the effects of flow parameters such as fluid superficial velocity, fluid density ratio, and viscosity on slug were investigated. The model considered in the present study is based on a quasi-3D formulation where the governing equations are based on volume averaging and ensemble averaging of Navier-Stokes equation. In present study, proposed benchmark relies on focusing on two CFD tools, FLUNT and CFX, to simulate surface instabilities and slugs on stratified flow in a horizontal channel considering slip, surface tension, and frictional momentum transfer between the phases (liquid and gas). FLUENT Set-up The setup mimics the modified version of the experimental study previously investigated by Vallee and Hohne (2007), the flow channel with rectangular cross-section was modelled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package, FLUENT code. The dimension of the model are 4000 × 300 × 30 mm3 (length × height × width). The simulation was performed by a grid consists of 4 × 462 hexahedral elements and 4 × 46152 nodes applying a quasi-3D model that consider the wall effect of channel in a 2D model. The volume-of-fluid (VOF) model is used for modeling the fluid domain with air and water. This model is well suited for separated flows with no mixing at the interface. The fluid interface shape is represented by geometric reconstruction scheme. For the two-phase flow, 1.0–1.5 m/s superficial velocity of water and 5.0–11.5 m/s of air were chosen for the CFD calculations. The model inlet was divided into two parts: in the lower half of the inlet cross–section, water was injected and in the upper half air. An initial water level of 50 mm was assumed for the entire model length. As well, initial inlet velocity 1 m/s was considered for water and air, and the velocity of air was increased gradually to simulate different scenarios until final velocity 11.5 m/s considered in this work. The reference pressure considered during the simulation was 1 bar and surface tension of 0.072 N/m. A hydrostatic pressure was also assumed for the liquid phase. For surface instability generation with subsequent slugs, the interfacial momentum exchange and turbulent parameters had to be modeled accurately (Razavi and Namin). In this regard, turbulent model of K-e model was chosen as the viscosity that is able to model surface instabilities and turbulence of slug flow. Solution for calculating 15s of simulation time on 6-processors lasted for 48 hours. Selected discretization schemes were PRESTO for pressure, Geo-Reconstruction for volume fraction, and First Order Upwind for other cases. Variable time step between 10–6 and 10–3 was appropriate steps for the simulation. CFX Set-up Building the geometry in ICEM, the mesh was then imported to the ANSYS CFX-Pre in order to define the simulation parameters. Air and water were defined as the two gaseous and liquid phase and using the expressions, the height of water is set to 0.05 (half of the area section) through the entire domain. According to (Frank, 2005), Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model was selected for the simulation and the term "Production and Dissipation" was added to the equations. Surface tension coefficient was set to the value of 0.072 (N/m), interface length scale to 1 (mm), and drag coefficient to 0.44 ( − ) (Frank, 2005). The mixture model was chosen for the interphase transfer. The inflow type was chosen as 'inlet" and the fractional intensity was set to the value of 0.05 with the eddy length scale equal to the liquid height at the upstream (Razavi & Namin, 2011). The mass flow rate of air and water were set to the values of 0.074 (kg/s) and 7.83 (kg/s), respectively. Several simulations were conducted in order to improve the simulation results and due to the blockage of the outlet in the previous runs, the outflow boundary type was set to "opening" instead of "outlet" with a pressure controlled and medium intensity (5%) turbulence in the boundary details. The liquid and gaseous phases were defined based on their volume fraction in downstream at outflow. The wall boundary type was set to "wall" and for both phases "no slip wall" and "smooth wall" options were assigned to the mass and momentum and the wall roughness, respectively (Hohne, 2009). The analysis type was set to transient with the total simulation time of 8 (s) and time steps of 0.001 (s), according to the similar study conducted by (Razavi & Namin, 2011). In the solver control, a second order backward Eulerian approach was chosen with high resolution turbulence. Due to the instability and fatal errors in the previous simulations, the minimum and maximum number of loops were set to 1 and 200 (due to divergence problem), respectively with the convergence criteria of 1 × 10–4. Figure 1: Abnormal flow simulations (L = 4 m, D = 0.3m, Ug = 9 m/s and Ul = 1 m/s). References: S.Y. Razavi and M. M. Namin. Numerical Model of Slug Development on Horizontal Two-phase Flow, Proc. of Int. Conf. on Recent Trends in Transportation, Environmental and Civil Engineering 2011. A. Ashrafian, J-C. Barbier and S.T. Johansen. Quasi-3D Modeling of Two-Phase Slug Flow in Pipes. 9th International conference on CFD in the minerals and process industries CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia, 2012. T. Frank. 2005. Numerical Simulation of Slug Flow regime for an air-water two-phase flow in horizontal pipes, The 11th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Thermal Hydrualics (NURETH-11), Avignon, France, 2006. R.E.M. Morales et al. 2013. A comprehensive Analysis on Gas-Liquid Slug Flows in Horizontal Pipes. Offshore Technology Conference, Brazil. OTC 24437. D. Duraivelan, Y. Dai and M. Agrawal 2013. CFD Modeling of Bubbly, Slug, and Annular Flow Regimes in Vertical Pipelines. Offshore Technology Conference. OTC 24245.


A binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) code is a linear block code that is defined by a sparse parity-check matrix H, that is H has a low density of 1's. LDPC codes were originally presented by Gallager in his doctoral dissertation [9], but largely overlooked for the next 35 years. A notable exception was [29], in which Tanner introduced a graphical representation for LDPC codes, now known as Tanner graphs. However, interest in these codes has greatly increased since 1996 with the publication of [22] and other papers, since it has been realised that LDPC codes are capable of achieving near-optimal performance when decoded using iterative decoding algorithms.

LDPC codes can be constructed randomly by using a computer algorithm to generate a suitable matrix H. However, it is also possible to construct LDPC codes explicitly using various incidence structures in discrete mathematics. For example, LDPC codes can be constructed based on the points and lines of finite geometries: there are many examples in the literature (see for example [18, 28]). These constructed codes can possess certain advantages over randomly-generated codes. For example they may provide more efficient encoding algorithms than randomly-generated codes. Furthermore it can be easier to understand and determine the properties of such codes because of the underlying structure.

LDPC codes have been constructed based on incidence structures known as partial geometries [16]. The aim of this research is to provide examples of new codes constructed based on structures known as semipartial geometries (SPGs), which are generalisations of partial geometries.

Since the commencement of this thesis [19] was published, which showed that codes could be constructed from semipartial geometries and provided some examples and basic results. By necessity this thesis contains a number of results from that paper. However, it should be noted that the scope of [19] is fairly limited and that the overlap between the current thesis and [19] is consequently small. [19] also contains a number of errors, some of which have been noted and corrected in this thesis.


The dominant theories used in the law to explain domestic violence, namely, the Power and Control Wheel and the Cycle of Violence, provide only limited insight into intimate partner abuse. Both theories focus exclusively on the abusive partner's wrongful actions, consistent with recent decades' concentration on criminalization, but fail to educate about the survivor's needs and efforts to end violence. The Stages of Change Model, conversely, reveals that domestic abuse survivors seek an end to relationship violence through a five-stage cyclical sequence and identifies the survivor's needs and actions at each stage. This critical information should inform the representation of abuse survivors; however, this model remains unknown in the legal profession and this Article is the first scholarship to apply this model to lawyering. This Article evaluates the contributions and shortcomings of the dominant models, how the Stages of Change Model fills a significant void, and how insights from the Stages of Change Model can transform the representation of abuse survivors. Domestic violence representation presents unique challenges to lawyers as they struggle with limited conceptions of their role, assumptions about abuse victims and how they should respond to violence, and feelings of fear and frustration when clients return to abusive partners. The Stages of Change Model can concretely illuminate the general client-centered model of legal representation and suggest multiple lawyering lessons for representing domestic violence survivors. The Stages of Change Model is widely accepted in the field of psychology, has been validated by numerous social science studies, and has the potential to achieve more client-centered legal representation with greater safety outcomes. As I explore the enormous implications this model has for client representation in domestic violence law, I draw on my experience teaching domestic violence clinics and the transformation my students report when they learn and apply this model.


Use this guide to help you identify and locate resources for your FIRE Grand Challenge topics this year. This is a cooperative effort, so if you find resources you would like linked to this guide, please send a message to your librarian.


The appearance of tumor cell clusters in pleural effusion is usually a vital sign of cancer metastasis. Segmentation, as an indispensable basis, is of crucial importance for diagnosing, chemical treatment, and prognosis in patients. However, accurate segmentation of unstained cell clusters containing more detailed features than the fluorescent staining images remains to be a challenging problem due to the complex background and the unclear boundary. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a fused 3-stage image segmentation algorithm, namely Coarse segmentation-Mapping-Fine segmentation (CMF) to achieve unstained cell clusters from whole slide images. Firstly, we establish a tumor cell cluster dataset consisting of 107 sets of images, with each set containing one unstained image, one stained image, and one ground-truth image. Then, according to the features of the unstained and stained cell clusters, we propose a three-stage segmentation method: 1) Coarse segmentation on stained images to extract suspicious cell regions-Region of Interest (ROI); 2) Mapping this ROI to the corresponding unstained image to get the ROI of the unstained image (UI-ROI); 3) Fine Segmentation using improved automatic fuzzy clustering framework (AFCF) on the UI-ROI to get precise cell cluster boundaries. Experimental results on 107 sets of images demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve better performance on unstained cell clusters with an F1 score of 90.40%.


We assessed the in situ daily primary production, photosynthetic efficiency, and xanthophyll cycling of a temperate coral, Cladocora caespitosa, during the summer using an in situ incubation chamber equipped with temperature, oxygen, light, salinity, and pH sensors. During sunny days, photosynthetic carbon (C) production rates of C. caespitosa can be as high as those measured for tropical corals and rapidly follow changes in natural irradiance (from 200 to 1000 µmol photons m−2 s−1 within 2 h). As a consequence, daily production rates varied by a factor of 2 (from 150 and 260 µg C cm−2 d−1) depending on the irradiance received. Under high irradiance levels, corals can suffer from photoinhibition (light‐induced reduction in the photosynthetic capacity), especially temperate species, which do not experience high irradiance levels most of the year. However, in C. caespitosa, photoinhibition at irradiances higher than 1000 µmol photons m−2 s−1 was reduced as a result of the involvement of the xanthophyll cycle, with a degree comparable to those measured for tropical species (de‐epoxidation ratio of 0.12), that allowed C. caespitosa to maintain high production rates and a maximal autotrophic carbon acquisition during sunny days. However, as soon as irradiance conditions decreased below 200 µmol photons m−2 s−1 because of cloudy weather, autotrophically acquired carbon could not sustain respiratory needs, indicating that C. caespitosa has to rely on other sources, such as heterotrophy, to meet its energetic needs.


Over the last few decades, Tom Nairn has been one of the most respected and provocative writers on questions of nationalism, British politics and the constitution. In his seminal essay "The Modern Janus," Nairn argued for the democratic necessity of nationalism in the modern world. Here, in this strikingly original and timely new work, he addresses the subsequent upheavals caused by nationalism. In Faces of Nationalism Tom Nairn argues that nation-building movements from 1750 to 1990 have saved the world from imperial barbarism. Contrary to many gloomy prognoses following the Soviet and Yugoslav collapses, Nairn argues that the chaos feared by so many observers is neither endless nor one-sidedly destructive. While insisting that nationalism is as inescapable as ever, Nairn shows how its forms and content are shifting. The ethnic definition of the national is giving way to the civic, the "natural" to the designed. Nairn believes that today's more civic and secular nationalism is a key feature of modernity and not an archaic reaction against it. Tom Nairn's wide-ranging discussion takes in Ireland and Palestine, Bosnia and Czechoslovakia, Cambodia and Rwanda, South Africa and Scotland. Faces of Nationalism is a work that demands to be read by anyone wanting to understand a central feature of politics in the modern world.


This paper investigates new transmission techniques for clustered feedback-based wireless networks that are characterized by energy and secrecy constraints. The proposed schemes incorporate multiuser diversity gain with an appropriate power allocation (PA) in order to support a defined Quality-of-Service (QoS) and jointly achieve lifetime maximization and confidentiality. We show that an adaptive PA scheme that adjusts the transmitted power using instantaneous feedback and suspends the transmission when the required power is higher than a threshold significantly prolongs the network lifetime without affecting the QoS of the network. In addition, the adaptation of the transmitted power on the main link improves the secrecy of the network and efficiently protects the source message from eavesdropper attacks. The proposed scheme improves network's confidentiality without requiring any information about the eavesdropper channel and is suitable for practical applications. Another objective of the paper is the energy analysis of networks by taking into account processing and maintenance energy cost at the transmitters. We demonstrate that the combination of PA with an appropriate switch-off mechanism, that allows the source to transmit for an appropriate fraction of the time, significantly extends the network lifetime. All the proposed protocols are evaluated by theoretical and simulation results.


Misalignment between the color planes used to print color images creates undesirable artifacts in printed images. Color trapping is a technique used to diminish these artifacts. It consists of creating small overlaps between the color planes, either at the page description language level or the rasterized image level. Existing color trapping algorithms for rasterized images trap pixels independently. Once a pixel is trapped, the next pixel is processed without making use of the information already acquired. We propose a more efficient strategy which makes use of this information. Our strategy is based on the observation of some important properties of color edges. Combined with any existing algorithm for trapping rasterized images, this strategy significantly reduces its complexity. We implement this strategy in combination with a previously proposed color trapping algorithm (WBTA08). Our numerical tests indicate an average reduction of close to 38% in the combined number of multiplications, additions, and "if" statements required to trap a page, as compared with WBTA08 by itself.


We apply a variant of the microeconometric decomposition methodology proposed in Bourguignon et al. (1998) to assess the relevance of various factors that affected inequality in the period 1986-1998 in the Greater Buenos Aires area. The results of the paper suggest that the small change in inequality between 1986 and 1992 was the result of mild forces that compensated each other. In contrast, between 1992 and 1998 nearly all factors played in the same direction. Changes in the returns to education and experience, changes in the endowments of unobservable factors and their returns, changes in hours of work and in labor force participation, and the transformation of the educational structure of the population have all had some role in increasing inequality in Argentina to unprecedented levels. The increase in the returns to education, changes in endowments of unobservable factors and their remunerations, and the fall in hours of work by low-income people are particularly important to explain the growth in inequality in the nineties. In contrast, although Argentina witnessed dramatic changes in the gender wage gap, the unemployment rate and the educational structure, these factors appear to have had only a mild effect on the household income distribution.


OZGUR, Mehmet, 2011. Growth control in cucumber seedlings by growth regulators application. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 17: 99-106 An investigation was carried out with paclobutrazol (Bonzi), daminozide (B-Nine) and chlormequat chloride (Cycocel) in order to study their effect on control of elongation in cucumber seedlings. The seeds of cucumber cv. 'Maraton F 1 ' were soaked into 500 and 1000 mg/L solutions of paclobutrazol, and 7500 and 15000 mg/L solutions of daminozide and chlormequat chloride, each for 12 and 24 hours. After soaking the seeds were sown into peat medium in which the plants were grown for 20 days in a greenhouse. Measurements of height and quality of seedlings were measured from control and treated seedlings. Paclobutrazol applications were effective on seedling height, whereas daminozide and chlormequat chloride had lower inhibition. Both concentrations of paclobutrazol caused shortening in hypocotyl and epycotyl lengths. The transplant heights were reduced as 63.4% at 500 mg/L and 74.9% at 1000 mg/L. The application of paclobutrazol for 24 h showed effective seedling height control than that of 12 h. Paclobutrazol applications had no significant effect on stem diameter, however, decreased the leaf area and dry weight of both leaves and stems. Applying daminozide and chlormequat chloride to seeds for 12 h was ineffective on plant height, while 24 h applications of 15000 mg/L daminozide and chlormequat chloride reduced the plant height.


There is a consensus among planners and politicians that dense cities are better for the environment than sprawling urban landscapes. The aim of the project is to analyse how urban density affects people's actions and choices of residential location. The study employs theories and concepts from planning research and environmental psychology. Urban density is a key concept. Range and variety of urban functions are then important additions to measurement of physical densities. Another key concept is 'affordance'. 'Affordance' is a quality or asset within a specific environment, which can be perceived and used by an individual for carrying out a certain activity. The main method is a survey covering a stratified randomised sample of 4500 individuals in stratified within the Stockholm area. The stratified study areas were selected on criteria of physical density, mix of functions and accessibility within the region. The survey covers important 'affordances' inherent in the physical environment of the household, such as place of work, shops, schools and social networks. The data are analysed with statistical methods. The paper concentrates on perceived affordances regarding workplaces. Preliminary results show that respondents' perceived number of alternative workplaces within 1 kilometre from home has a positive correlation to both physical density and mix of urban functions. Any further away from home than 1 km, increasing perceived affordances had a stronger correlation to accessibility. Preliminary conclusions are that physical density as such seems to increase the amount of perceived affordances only within a very close environment of the home. The range of affordances widens considerably with increasing accessibility. Probably accessibility outweighs physical density as a factor for influencing people's choices of residential location.


Abstract Distinctive regional characteristics in different natural gas markets have increased the difficulty in accurately forecasting natural gas prices. Moreover, the natural gas markets have experienced great structural instability due to advancement in technology and rapid financialization over the past few decades. We employ three classes of flexible time-varying parameters models to evaluate the effects of the regional characteristics and structural instability on natural gas prices forecasts. Using the data from the US, EU and Japanese markets from 1992 to 2019, we find that allowing different time-varying dynamics of the model parameters is crucial in forecasting natural gas prices. For Japan and the EU, models allowing gradual changes in coefficients and drastic changes in volatility have the best forecasting performance, while most of forecasting gains appear to have come from allowing gradual changes in volatility for the US. In addition, embedding t-distributed errors can further improve the forecast accuracy.


This book examines the teaching and practice of the twin arts of argumentation-rhetoric and dialectic-in the time of Galileo. Galileo was an ardent controversialist on behalf of his astronomical theories, yet many today are unacquainted with the kinds of argument that became a focal point in his famous trial. In this insightful work, Jean Dietz Moss and William A. Wallace combine their vast knowledge of rhetoric, history, and philosophy to explain the background of the dispute between science and religion. The authors present an engaging discussion of the prevailing modes of rhetorical and scientific arguments in Northern Italy during the Renaissance. They display primary texts on the arts of rhetoric and dialectic by authors whose thought was known to Galileo. Six sets of translations from the published works of two scholars, Ludovico Carbone and Antonio Riccobono, make up the major part of the book. The works examined are Carbone's Introduction to Logic, Table of Rhetoric of Cyprian Soarez, Art of Speaking, On Oratorical and Dialectical Invention, and The Divine Orator, and Riccobono's Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric. Never before have these works been available in English. Moss and Wallace here offer an original and important contribution to the history of rhetoric. The book will be welcomed by scholars in the field, as well as by those interested in the Renaissance, philosophy, and the history of science.


Whether an individual's L1 syntax is affected by the acquisition of an L2 in adulthood is under debate. Also debated are the drivers of language change at the community level. Under strict generative views (e.g. Lightfoot 1999), change is led by children when they receive input different from the previous generations. Under other views, the grammars of individuals can change across the lifespan. We address these issues by looking at the knowledge and use of sentence-initial non-nominative constructions by first-generation adult immigrants to the UK from Spanish-speaking countries. Judgement/preference task and production data indicate monolingual-divergent use regardless of intensity of contact with English, and monolingual-divergent syntax when level of contact with English is high (and Spanish continues to be spoken). However because in the UK neither first nor second generation Spanish-speaking immigrants live in ethnic communities, the second generation is less likely than their US counterparts to use the parental language beyond early childhood. This in turn suggests that any psycho-social variables involved in heritage language maintenance are not applicable in the UK. This leads to the prediction that despite indications of individual syntactic attrition by first generation speakers, because the second generation does not actively use Spanish, the emergence of new varieties at the community level will not occur in the UK.


We have developed a procedure for estimating the effective elastic properties of various mixtures of smectite and kaolinite over a range of confining pressures, based on the individual effective elastic properties of pure porous smectite and kaolinite. Experimental data for the pure samples are used as input to various rock physics models, and the predictions are compared with experimental data for the mixed samples. We have evaluated three strategies for choosing the initial properties in various rock physics models: (1) input values have the same porosity, (2) input values have the same pressure, and (3) an average of (1) and (2). The best results are obtained when the elastic moduli of the two porous constituents are defined at the same pressure and when their volumetric fractions are adjusted based on different compaction rates with pressure. Furthermore, our strategy makes the modeling results less sensitive to the actual rock physics model. The method can help obtain the elastic properties of mixed unconsolidated clays as a function of mechanical compaction. The more common procedure for estimating effective elastic properties requires knowledge about volume fractions, elastic properties of individual constituents, and geometric details of the composition. However, these data are often uncertain, e.g., large variations in the mineral elastic properties of clays have been reported in the literature, which makes our procedure a viable alternative.


In this report, we present an efficient library for computing k -nearest neighbors (kNN) on datasets with sparse features (that is, most of the features per database entry are zero). Our work uses advances in parallel computing and optimized GPU routines. This GPU implementation utilizes highly parallel routines that exploit the sparsity property and in cases of extreme sparsity, we are able to achieve over 100x speedup in time compared to other state-of-the-art approaches designed for more general (dense) features.


3C-SiC/Si heteroepitaxy is hampered by large mismatches in lattice parameters (19.7%) and thermal expansion coefficient (8%) leading to 3C-SiC films containing high defects density. To reduce the presence of defects, a multi-step growth process in a CVD reactor is used. The aim of the work is to study the effect of carbonization on differently oriented Si surfaces, experiencing a 200°C-wide temperature range in a CVD reactor, to improve the crystalline quality. TEM analysis are carried out to evaluate thickness, crystal orientations and defects of carbonized layers with respect to the time-dependence of the process and to the different orientations of the Si substrate. It will be shown that process-related defects are strictly correlated to the substrate orientation either for size, density, occupied area, shape or thickness. Uniform, flat and crystalline thin SiC films are obtained with a low defect density.


This thesis is an ethnographic analysis of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the American Midwest. I examine salient aspects of American culture, and how persons in the American Midwest understand relationships and themselves in the context of eldercare, and particularly, how issues of personhood and kinship are conceptualised in a long-term care facility. Rather than focusing exclusively on just the labour of caregivers, or how the residents in the CCRC receive care, my study is grounded in the interaction and relations that obtain during specific regimes of caregiving. Because the exigencies of ageing are met with certain exigencies of care, this study touches upon three dominant themes that make sense of the tensions that emerge when principles and practices do not square up. The first theme deals with how ageing and care are constituted, and made relational to one other. Secondly, I demonstrate that in the CCRC where I conducted fieldwork, ageing is constructed as a process and institutionalised, resulting in a distinctive way in which space and time are dealt with and unravelled from their inextricability. The resulting consequences affect not just the older residents and the CCRC staff, but also impacts how caregiving takes on specific forms and meanings. Thirdly, I investigate how formal (professional) caregivers and care receivers produce a type of social relation, which cannot be understood alone by conventional studies of kinship and economic relations. Ultimately, this thesis sets the frame for future debate on the ontological commitments involved in eldercare, and how the segregation of care and of the elderly in society relate to wider social norms regarding ageing and marginality.


This document (D2.2.2) describes the LinkedUp consortium's experience in developing and on- going improvement of the LinkedUp Evaluation Framework throughout three web open educational data competitions: Veni, Vidi, Vici. D2.2.2 is the final report regarding the Evaluation Framework (EF). It synthesises the work already done in the previous WP2 deliverables (D2.1, D2.2.1, D2.3.1, D2.3.2, D2.3.3) reporting on best practices, providing suggestions for improvements and possible adjustments to additional application areas.
The initial version of the EF was developed by applying the Group Concept Mapping Methodology (GCM). It objectively identified through some advanced statistical techniques the shared vision of experts in the domain of technology-enhanced learning on the criteria and indicators of the EF. The GCM contributed to the construct and content validity of the EF. The first version of the EF was tested during the Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference 2013 (LAK 13). After each competition round (Veni, Vidi, Vici) usefulness and ease of use of the EF were tested with a number of experts through a questionnaire and interviews. The analysis of the data suggested some improvements. In this final report of the EF we summarise the lessons-learned and provide six main suggestions for future data competitions developers:
1. Designing a data competition starts with a definition of evaluation criteria
2. Test the understandability of your evaluation criteria before publishing those
3. Do not use an 'not applicable' option for evaluation indicators
4. Less (indicators) are more (preferable)
5. Apply an unification of the scale of evaluation indicators'
6. Weighting of important evaluation criteria can be very informative
We finally present the final version of the LinkedUp EF and refer to the LinkedUp toolbox that provides all lessons-learned and further information for future data competition organisers.


Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) associate with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate (3-HIB) is a catabolic intermediate of the BCAA valine. In this study, we show that in a cohort of 4,942 men and women, circulating 3-HIB is elevated according to levels of hyperglycemia and established type 2 diabetes. In complementary cohorts with measures of insulin resistance, we found positive correlates for circulating 3-HIB concentrations with HOMA2 of insulin resistance, as well as a transient increase in 3-HIB followed by a marked decrease after bariatric surgery and weight loss. During differentiation, both white and brown adipocytes upregulate BCAA utilization and release increasing amounts of 3-HIB. Knockdown of the 3-HIB–forming enzyme 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase decreases release of 3-HIB and lipid accumulation in both cell types. Conversely, addition of 3-HIB to white and brown adipocyte cultures increases fatty acid uptake and modulated insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in a time-dependent manner. Finally, 3-HIB treatment decreases mitochondrial oxygen consumption and generation of reactive oxygen species in white adipocytes, while increasing these measures in brown adipocytes. Our data establish 3-HIB as a novel adipocyte-derived regulator of adipocyte subtype-specific functions strongly linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.


Background Developing countries have the potential to reach vulnerable and underserved populations marginalized by the country's health care systems by way of community health workers (CHWs). It is imperative that health care systems focus on improving access to quality continuous primary care through the use of CHWs while paying attention to the factors that impact on CHWs and their effectiveness. Objective To explore the possible opportunities and challenges of integrating CHWs into the health care systems of developing countries. Methods Six databases were examined for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies that included the integration of CHWs, their motivation and supervision, and CHW policy making and implementation in developing countries. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were double read to extract data relevant to the context of CHW programs. Thematic coding was conducted and evidence on the main categories of contextual factors influencing integration of CHWs into the health system was synthesized. Results CHWs are an effective and appropriate element of a health care team and can assist in addressing health disparities and social determinants of health. Important facilitators of integration of CHWs into health care teams are support from other health workers and inclusion of CHWs in case management meetings. Sustainable integration of CHWs into the health care system requires the formulation and implementation of polices that support their work, as well as financial and nonfinancial incentives, motivation, collaborative and supportive supervision, and a manageable workload. Conclusions For sustainable integration of CHWs into health care systems, high-performing health systems with sound governance, adequate financing, well-organized service delivery, and adequate supplies and equipment are essential. Similarly, competent communities could contribute to better CHW performance through sound governance of community resources, promotion of inclusiveness and cohesion, engagement in participatory decision making, and mobilization of local resources for community welfare.


Background/aims As a module of a standard ultrasound imaging device, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is a new technology for liver stiffness evaluation (LSE). We aimed to evaluate accuracy, feasibility, reproducibility, and training effect of ARFI for liver fibrosis evaluation. Methods One hundred and one patients with chronic liver disease had LSE by Fibroscan and ARFI. LSE by ARFI was performed in the two liver lobes by two operators: an expert and a novice. Correlation and agreement were evaluated by the Pearson (Rp) and intraclass (Ric) correlation coefficients. The independent reference for liver fibrosis was fibrosis blood tests. Results ARFI results, ranging from 0.7 to 4.6 m/s, were well correlated with Fibroscan results (Rp=0.76). Fibroscan had a significantly higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) than ARFI for the perprotocol diagnosis of significant fibrosis: 0.890±0.034 versus 0.795±0.047 (P=0.04). However, LSE failure occurred in zero patients using ARFI versus six patients using Fibroscan (P=0.03). Thus, on an intention-to-diagnose basis, Fibroscan and ARFI AUROCs for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis were not different: 0.791±0.049 versus 0.793±0.046 (P=0.98). Interobserver agreement was very good (Ric=0.84) and excellent for ARFI interquartile range (IQR)≤0.30 (Ric=0.91). Indeed, agreement was independently predicted only by ARFI IQR, but not by LSE result as earlier observed for Fibroscan. ARFI AUROC was 0.876±0.057 in patients with ARFI IQR ratio≤0.30, and Fibroscan AUROC was 0.912±0.034 in patients with Fibroscan IQR ratio less than 0.21 (P=0.59). Intersite ARFI agreement between the two liver lobes was fair (Ric=0.60). There was no training effect for LSE by ARFI. Conclusion ARFI is highly feasible and reproducible, and provides diagnostic accuracy similar to Fibroscan. This new device seems noteworthy for the widespread noninvasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis.


Use of liquid lubricants in dry and dusty environments can lead to malfunction or jamming of small arms weapon actions. To eliminate the need for liquid lubricants, dry or "lubricious" coatings are desired for various key interfaces of such components. The tribological performance of a variety of coatings was assessed under unlubricated sliding conditions to simulate a pin-in-slot component geometry. Coating screening tests were run using a cylinder-on-flat geometry and self-mated coated couples. Tests were run in both reciprocating and unidirectional modes, with sliding velocities up to 3.6 m/s, at room temperature and 150°C. Progressive wear of the coating was monitored using a replicating technique and the measured width of the wear scar on the cylindrical pin, from which the wear coefficient was determined. Failure of the coating was determined not by visual wear-through of the coating, which can be misleading, but by an increase in the coefficient of friction (COF) and/or the occurrence of galling. In the high speed unidirectional tests, friction could be measured directly. However, in the reciprocating tests, test rig design limited the speed at which the COF could be determined. An improved rig design resulted from this work. The screening tests ranked the tribological performance of the coatings using the coefficient of friction, the wear coefficient, and number of cycles to coating failure. The coating types assessed covered a broad range of hardness, composition, and deposition methods. Coating types investigated included hard vapor-deposited TiCN coatings, relatively soft organic PTFE-filled resin-bonded coatings, modified anodized coatings (for aluminum), electroless nickel alloy coatings, PTFE-filled electroless nickel coatings, phosphate pre-treatment combined with dry-film burnished MoS2, and a ferritic nitro-carburizing treatment. Substrates included medium carbon steel, D2 tool steel, and 6061-T6 aluminum.


The UN Human Rights Committee's General Comment No. 35 summarizes the treaty body's interpretation of the right to liberty of person, including protection against arbitrary detention, under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of the principal human rights treaties at the global level. This essay provides an overview of General Comment No. 35, and then focuses on three aspects that provoked controversy either within the Committee or outside it: the time limit for "prompt" presentation of pre-trial detainees to a judge; the standards governing security detention in non-international armed conflict; and the disagreement between the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding whether involuntary hospitalization is ever permitted. These examples illustrate significant issues about the interaction between the Covenant and other international regimes.


Photo sharing is becoming a common way of maintaining
closeness and relationships with friends and family, and it can evoke pleasurable, enjoyable and exciting experiences. People have fun when sharing photos containing pleasant scenes or friends being caught doing something interesting. There has been a recent increase in studies that focus on the visualisation and sharing of photos using online services or sharing in the home environment using different digital technologies. Although previous studies have focussed on the important issues of photo sharing and visualisation, there is a dearth of research aimed at designing applications that enable people to share and visualise multiple photo streams that originate from multiple sources such as different people or capture devices. In addition, there is a lack of research that links new applications for photo sharing with user experience and the applications' value to the user.
This thesis, firstly, offers a new design for synchronous sharing and visualisation of multiple photo streams using temporal and social metadata. Moreover, different features, called transition modes, were added to the system to give a better experience within the system. The experience of photo sharing, however, does not exist without any connection to people or events; it is a social experience depending on people, places and time. Hence, an experimental study was conducted with twenty users, and the results demonstrate high user demand for concurrent presentation of multiple media streams as well as recommended transitions for extending its potential. In the second phase of this thesis, the temporal aspects of multiple photo streams such as manual transition, continuity detection and user desired time were designed and implemented. Following that, the results of the user study demonstrate good comprehension of the users' own and shared photo streams, and their temporal structure, even when presented at relatively high speeds. Users were easily able to contextualise events, recall specific photos and find them using the proposed interface. The final interface is built from the lessons that were learned from the first two phases of this study. In this version, the user was able to share their photos in real time and see them in an ambient display. Our final system for real-time photo sharing as an ambient display was tested in three different trials with three different user groups consisting of extended family, close friends and workplace colleagues. The results showed high user interest for extended family members and in the workplace environment.


Three group velocity dispersion (GVD) compensation schemes, i.e., the post-compensation, precompensation and hybrid-compensation schemes, are discussed with considering polarization mode dispersion (PMD). In the 10- and 40-Gbit/s non-return-zero (NRZ) on-off-key (OOK) systems, three physical factors, Kerr effect, GVD and PMD are considered. The numerical results show that, when the impact of PMD is taken into account, the GVD pre-compensation scheme performs best with more than 1 dB better of average eye-opening penalty (EOP) when input power is up to 10 dBm in the 10-Gbit/s system. However the GVD post-compensation scheme performs best for the case of 40 Gbit/s with input power less than 13 dBm, and GVD pre-compensation will be better if the input power increased beyond this range. The results are different from those already reported under the assumption that the impact of PMD is neglected. Therefore, the research in this paper provide a different insight into the system optimization when PMD, Kerr effect and GVD are considered.


he design and upgrade of sludge treatment systems generally depend on the decision made regarding the appropriate system from among the options available. The selection process has become increasingly important and complex due to recent technological developments that have led to increased diversity in the available options which offer a wide variety of capabilities. The multi-criteria decision making method is one of the techniques recently developed which takes into account all the criteria involved in the decision making process. The Ghods Town WWTP in the west of Tehran located in the vicinity of residential areas has given rise to claims by citizens due to the odors emitted by the sludge sand drying bed, which justifies the replacement of the present sludge dewatering system. For this purpose, the multi-criteria decision making method based on the fuzzy synthetic evaluation method was used to identify the optimal sludge dewatering system appropriate for the WWTP under consideration. Furthermore, weighting of the subjective (social, environmental, and administrative) criteria was accomplished using the analytical hierarchy process and the objective (i.e., economic) criteria were weighted using the entropy concept. In this method, the triangular fuzzy membership function was also used to take into account the uncertainty associated with each of the decision making parameters. Based on the results obtained, the belt filter press dewatering system and the filter press were identified as the preferred solutions.


This study was aimed at investigating Adsorptive removal of Aniline from aqueous solutions using Prunus dulcis. The effect of different parameters such as pH, contact time, pollutant concentration and adsorbent dose was studied in absorption process. The biosorption data have been analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. The process of aniline absorption on P. dulcis was depended on Freundlich (R2=0.938) absorption isotherm more than other isotherms. Synthesis of aniline absorption on modified Almond followed on pseudo second- order model. The ΔHA¢Â—¦ and the ΔS° changes were determined as 5.150 kJ/mol-1 and 0.0178 kJ/Mol-1/K-1 respectively. The results showed that Baneh could consider as an effective and cheap absorber in removing the aniline from aqueous solution.


While intermittent streams are distributed all around the world, there has been little focus on protecting them and understanding their hydrological behaviour. I developed a spatially distributed hydrological model of rural catchments with intermittent streamflow in south-west of Victoria. I applied the model to assess the impacts of rainfall frequency and land-use change on the water balance of seasonally dry regions. My study shows the important relationships between catchment topography and location of afforested areas, questioning the use of simple lumped models for the implementation of regulations to manage intermittent catchments.


The aim of this paper is to analyse participatory video as a participatory action research method through the lenses of the capability approach. In order to do this, we used a participatory video experience that took place in the municipality of Quart de Poblet (Valencia, Spain) from February to March 2014. The participants were 11 young people between 16 and 24 years of age, severely affected by the economic crisis that has hit Spain in recent years. To develop our analysis, we introduced the participatory video as a technique and a process within the participatory action research methods. Then, we analysed the participatory process to verify the extent to which it had contributed to expanding the capabilities and agency of the participants. The evidence revealed a significant expansion of the awareness capability and, in some cases, of the capability for voice. In contrast, the capability to aspire and the agency of the participants were not expanded, due to contextual factors and the limitations of the process itself.


Greywater is untreated household effluent from baths, showers, kitchen and hand-wash basins and laundry (i.e. all non-toilet uses). More than half of indoor household water is normally used for these purposes and can potentially be intercepted by the householder for additional beneficial uses. Greywater use is practised on an informal basis to supplement irrigation water, either in urban gardens in middle- to upper-income suburbs or in food gardens in lower-income informal, periurban and rural areas. It holds the potential to contribute significantly to food security in poor settlements by providing a source of both irrigation water and nutrients for crop plants. However, there are presently no formal guidelines for the use of greywater in South Africa. This paper presents the rationale and framework of a guidance document for the sustainable use of greywater to irrigate gardens and small-scale agriculture in South Africa, developed under the auspices of the Water Research Commission. The 3 driving principles in developing this guidance were: protection of human health; protection of plants irrigated; and protection of soil and the environment. Risk-management scenarios were developed on the basis of the extent of greywater characterisation. Water-quality constituents for inclusion were selected from among those indicated as presenting a problem in previous studies. Guidance was provided for managing greywater quality, either by mitigation of greywater quality (by practices such as irrigation method, amelioration of soil, leaching of soil and planting of tolerant plant types) or by small-scale biological treatment of greywater. Guidance was also given regarding the volumes of greywater which can be applied, together with factors to adjust these volumes for site-specific conditions. Keywords: greywater, irrigation, food security, sustainable agriculture, health, soil, plant growth


We applied a Mo/B4C multilayer coating to a laminar holographic grating with 2400 grooves/mm and a 1-m radius of curvature. By use of synchrotron soft x rays the multilayer-coated grating was evaluated to have diffraction efficiencies of 3.1% and 0.017% for s- and p-polarized radiation, respectively, at a 6.7-nm wavelength at a 45.35 degrees grazing angle of incidence in the +1 (inside) grating order. Thus the polarizance was estimated to be 98.9% at least. The zero-order peak was suppressed by the destructive interference caused by the groove profile.


This work aims at asymptotically accurate dimensional reduction of non-linear multi-functional film-fabric laminates having specific application in design of envelopes for High Altitude Airships (HAA). The film-fabric laminate for airship envelope consists of a woven fabric core coated with thin films on each face. These films provide UV protection and Helium leakage prevention, while the core provides required structural strength. This problem is both geometrically and materially non-linear. To incorporate the geometric non-linearity, generalized warping functions are used and finite deformations are allowed. The material non-linearity is handled by using hyper-elastic material models for each layer. The development begins with three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear elasticity and mathematically splits the analysis into a one-dimensional through-the-thickness analysis and a two-dimensional (2-D) plate analysis. The through-the-thickness analysis provides the 2-D constitutive law which is then given as an input to the 2-D reference surface analysis. The dimensional reduction is carried out using Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM) for moderate strains and very small thickness-to-wavelength ratio. It features the identification and utilization of additional small parameters such as ratio of thicknesses and stiffness coefficients of core and films. Closed form analytical expressions for warping functions and 2-D constitutive law of the film-fabric laminate are obtained.


Childhood aggressive behavior has been identified as the most significant antecedent and predictor of antisocial behavior in adolescence and adulthood. Alcohol use and callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been identified as correlates of aggressive behavior, and parental monitoring relates negatively with CU traits and substance use. In college students, intimate partner violence is common. The present study served as a small-scale replication of Lee and Randolph's (2015) cross-sectional study with high school students, examining the potential mediating role of alcohol use in the relationship between perceived parental monitoring and aggressive behavior in a college sample (N = 277). Unlike the relationship found in high school students, there was no relationship between perceived parental monitoring and current aggressive behaviors among this college student sample. In this sample, childhood aggressive behaviors were negatively related to parental monitoring, and positively related to current aggressive behavior and IPV. Overall, CU traits and childhood behavior accounted for limited variance in self-reported aggressive behavior, and self-reported alcohol use contributed very slightly to the prediction of intimate partner violence. The current study was limited by a correlational design and homogeneous sample. Future studies should examine CU traits in the general population, women, and include environmental and individual-level variables.


Abstract:Today's authoritarian states—notably including China and Russia—are using "sharp power" to project their influence internationally, with the objectives of limiting free expression, spreading confusion, and distorting the political environment within democracies. Sharp power is an approach to international affairs that typically involves efforts at censorship or the use of manipulation to sap the integrity of independent institutions. This approach takes advantage of the asymmetry between free and unfree systems, allowing authoritarian regimes both to limit free expression and to distort political environments in democracies while simultaneously shielding their own domestic public spaces from democratic appeals coming from abroad.


Introduction: The critical condition of the patient who presents to an emergency department creates a need to provide timely, safe and warm care. Failing to meet these expectations causes patient dissatisfaction, reflected by complaints, which are mostly justified and lead to opportunities for improvement and corrective measures. Objective: To analyze complaints presented by patients and their relatives at the Adult Emergency Department of the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital. Methods: Nonexperimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Our sample was comprised of 109 complaints between May and November 2019. We used a data collection sheet based on the information in the complaints book for health care services. Results: We identified 187 reasons for complaints. Our results show that direct relatives filed 47.7%; 43% involved Internal Medicine consultations. In the dimension "inadequate treatment by healthcare workers," 13.9% of patients complained about impolite and rude treatment. In the dimension "delay in care", 12.8% were discontent due to the lack of timely care. In the dimension "user disagreement with care or treatment received," 10.2% were dissatisfied with the care they were provided. 60.6% of complaints were satisfactorily resolved within the period specified by current regulations. Conclusion: Most complaints were related to the direct care of the patient.


Abstract. Many modelling studies suggest that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation
(ENSO), in interaction with the tropical Pacific background climate, will
change with rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Solar
geoengineering (reducing the solar flux from outer space) has been proposed
as a means to counteract anthropogenic climate change. However, the
effectiveness of solar geoengineering concerning a variety of aspects of
Earth's climate is uncertain. Robust results are particularly challenging to
obtain for ENSO because existing geoengineering simulations are too short
(typically ∼ 50 years) to detect statistically significant
changes in the highly variable tropical Pacific background climate. We here
present results from a 1000-year-long solar-geoengineering simulation, G1,
carried out with the coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model
HadCM3L. In agreement with previous studies, reducing the solar irradiance
(4 %) to offset global mean surface warming in the model more than
compensates the warming in the tropical Pacific that develops in the
4 × CO2 scenario. We see an overcooling of 0.3 ∘C and a
0.23 mm d−1 (5 %) reduction in mean rainfall over the tropical Pacific
relative to preindustrial conditions in the G1 simulation, owing to the
different latitudinal distributions of the shortwave (solar) and longwave
(CO2) forcings. The location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ) in the tropical Pacific, which moved 7.5∘ southwards under
4 × CO2, is restored to its preindustrial position. However,
other aspects of the tropical Pacific mean climate are not reset as
effectively. Relative to preindustrial conditions, in G1 the time-averaged
zonal wind stress, zonal sea surface temperature (SST) gradient, and
meridional SST gradient are each statistically significantly reduced by
around 10 %, and the Pacific Walker Circulation (PWC) is consistently
weakened, resulting in conditions conducive to increased frequency of El
Niño events. The overall amplitude of ENSO strengthens by 9 %–10 % in
G1, but there is a 65 % reduction in the asymmetry between cold and warm
events: cold events intensify more than warm events. Notably, the frequency
of extreme El Niño and La Niña events increases by ca. 60 % and
30 %, respectively, while the total number of El Niño events increases
by around 10 %. All of these changes are statistically significant at either 95 or 99 % confidence level. Somewhat paradoxically, while the number
of total and extreme events increases, the extreme El Niño events become
weaker relative to the preindustrial state, while the extreme La Niña
events become even stronger. That is, such extreme El Niño events in G1
become less intense than under preindustrial conditions but also more
frequent. In contrast, extreme La Niña events become stronger in G1,
which is in agreement with the general overcooling of the tropical Pacific
in G1 relative to preindustrial conditions.


This article estimates the benefits of reducing U.S. inflation below its current level when the government simultaneously raises another distortionary tax. Other researchers have suggested that reducing inflation would have fairly large benefits—from 1 to 3 percent of gross domestic product. But that result depends on the unrealistic assumption that the government would replace inflation with a lump-sum tax, one which does not affect people's incentives. If, instead, inflation is replaced with an increase in the labor income tax, then the welfare gains that can be expected from reducing inflation below its current level are much smaller—from one-third to one-half of 1 percent of gross domestic product.


The incredibly low levels of learning and the generally dysfunctional public sector schooling systems in many (though not all) developing countries are the result of a capability trap (Pritchett et al. 2010). Two phenomena reinforce persistent failure of schooling systems to produce adequate learning outcomes. One is the mismatch between system design--the allocation of activities across organizations and mechanisms of accountability--and the insights of the 'new institutional economics' from principal agent models and contract theory. In particular, many education systems attempt to manage teaching and learning as a 'thin' or 'logistical' activity that can be managed with top-down control and an emphasis on compliance. The reality is that teaching is a 'thick' or 'implementation intensive' activity that performs better when teachers and operators of schools are given performance standards, have multiple in-depth accountability channels, and are given greater autonomy. The second phenomena that facilitates persistent failure is global isomorphism on enrollment and inputs (Meyer et al. 1977; Boli et al. 1985; Meyer et al. 1997). That is, the field (in the sense of Bourdieu 1993) of global education has produced a near exclusive emphasis on enrollments and duration in school, adequacy of physical inputs, and formal qualifications that allowed, perhaps encouraged, national systems to ignore completely performance on child-learning (of any type, measured in any way). I conclude with a comparison in India of the national governments recent efforts in basic education which have been almost exclusively isomorphic.


ABSTRACT This study analyses volunteerism in public safety as a case of 'participative coproduction' that has the potential to improve administrative efficiency through substitution of labour but at the cost of administrative complexity. Coordination costs relate to the interdependent character of the public service relationship and the non-excludability of public safety benefits. The analysis considers the influence of fiscal and institutional factors on volunteerism through a two-stage empirical model where the first stage involves the presence of a volunteer programme, and the second stage the relative reliance on volunteer versus paid employees among such programmes. The findings demonstrate distinct differences across programme types in the factors associated with volunteerism in public safety. Volunteerism in policing appears more common in smaller cities with higher property crime rates and a more politically conservative population, while volunteerism in firefighting is associated with scale, fiscal capacity and organizational form.


We extend the standard 'prices vs. quantities'framework for pollution control to cover multiple heterogeneous jurisdictions interacting strategically with each other. When multi-jurisdictional externalities are present and the uncertainties among jurisdictions are independent, the regulatory game exihibits a unique subgame perfect equilibrium. For any one jurisdiction, the equilibrium choice of instrument is given by the sign of the original prices vs. quantities formula. Thus, it is an optimal strategy for a jurisdiction to choose a price instrument when the slope of its own marginal benefit is less than the slope of its own marginal cost and a quantity instrument when this condition is reversed. The result suggests that the original non-strategic criterion for the comparative advantage of prices over quantities may have wider applicability to determining instrument choice in a non-cooperative strategic environment. JEL Codes: C7, D8, F5, H21, Q28, Q58


For decades, the new housing estates that were built in the Netherlands after World War II had a solid reputation as neighbourhoods of progress (Reijndorp & Van der Ven 1994). Young households were queuing up for a dwelling in these modernist urban areas, which were known for an abundance of light, air and space, though only higher-skilled and white-collar workers could afford to live there. But with growing prosperity and rising expectations for housing quality, more well-to-do households moved into new residential areas. They were replaced by low-income households who from the end of the twentieth century on were also of migrant descent. The identity and reputation of many of these early post-war areas thus changed. Often labelled problem areas, they have been characterized as concentrations of joblessness, social deprivation, ethnic minorities, conflicting lifestyles, criminality and vandalism (Klijn & Koolma 1987; Ministerie van VROM 1997; Prak & Priemus 1985).
Neighbourhoods change. This is an inevitable and iterative process and it has many facets: ageing; economic, social and spatial development; and the perception of and subsequent reactions to these changes by residents as well as institutional actors like municipalities, housing associations, private landlords and other investors (Temkin & Rohe 1996). The accumulation of problems in post-war areas prompted urban renewal policies (Priemus 2004b; 2006) and intensive urban restructuring programmes throughout the Netherlands. A preliminary case study (Ouwehand & Davis 2004) revealed a positive evaluation of the interventions to improve these post-war neighbourhoods by demolition and new housing construction, often for owner-occupancy. But it also revealed a low level of neighbourhood satisfaction, which was attributed to a clash of incompatible lifestyles due to the large influx of new residents from lower-income groups, often households from one of the ethnic minority groups. According to the incumbent residents, these newcomers did not feel a personal bond with the neighbourhood and did not conform to the prevailing standards. Residents as well as other stakeholders urged further intervention.
That sketch of the problem led me to formulate the following research question for this doctoral dissertation: How do residents with different ways of life perceive and assess their changed and changing neighbourhood?
Three issues play a key role in this research. The first is the idea of 'social mix', a concept that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century (Sarkissian 1976) and has been pivotal to the debate about urban restructuring ever since Wilson published The Truly Disadvantaged (1987). It has prompted an abundance of scholarly research, though with divergent outcomes (Bond et al. 2011; Sautkina et al. 2012), and a rather polarized debate (Veldboer 2010). The second issue is that neighbourhood change occurs within the context of societal, economic and social change and is heavily influenced by urban and housing policies. Early post-war areas in the Netherlands are the product of housing policies implemented during the formation of the welfare state in the 1950s and 1960s (Van der Schaar 1987; Harloe 1995). These policies changed in the course of the following decades. Whereas the Dutch social housing system is not already residualized, sequential measures (Boelhouwer & Priemus 2014; Beuzenkamp et al. 2017) have reduced the volume of affordable social housing and increased the concentration of social housing in specific parts of the city, particularly the post-war areas (Hochstenbach & Musterd 2016; Zwiers et al. 2016). The third issue is that, since the beginning of the 1980s, neighbourhood change has been connected to the influx of new residents of migrant origin. These newcomers are often referred to as allochthones, as distinguished from autochthones, or native-Dutch residents423. In the Netherlands the debate about the integration of ethnic minorities started in the early 1990s, fuelled then by populist politicians like Fortuyn (assassinated in 2002) and nowadays by the anti-Islam politician Wilders. This debate continues to dominate the policy discourse. Discriminatory housing-allocation practices were fiercely opposed in the twentieth century. A proposal for unorthodox measures to avoid liveability problems, which were expected to arise from the predicted rapid growth in the share of allochthonous residents in parts of Rotterdam, led in 2003 to the Rotterdam Act. Under this legislation, vulnerable (a euphemism for allochthonous) newcomers could be prevented from obtaining a dwelling in specified areas of Rotterdam (Ouwehand & Doff 2013a).
The main aim of the present study is to unravel the two main drivers of neighbourhood satisfaction among residents with different ways of life. The first is an autonomous process: the influx of allochthonous newcomers in the neighbourhood as a result of moving processes. The second is a policy intervention to achieve social mix by demolition and new-built housing for owner-occupancy. I have selected the district of Zuidwijk in Rotterdam, one of the cases in a preliminary study, as the location of my research. Besides all the necessary ingredients, the district also has an interesting history and was the site of previous research on neighbourhood change. Building upon that basis, in 2008 we conducted 84 interviews with 116 persons in total, spread over three neighbourhoods in the district of Zuidwijk. The first is the Velden, half of which was slated for demolition, the other half predominantly designated for the elderly and further for single-family dwellings. The second is the Kampen, featuring renovated small single-family dwellings in the social rental sector. And the third is Burgen, featuring renovated single-family social rental, new-built single-family dwellings for owner-occupiers and new-built rental housing for the elderly. All the interviews were taped and transcribed and later coded and analysed using Atlas.ti. Seeking insight in the development of Zuidwijk, we held interviews with key persons as part of the preliminary research in 2003-2004 and with key persons in the housing association Vestia prior to the fieldwork in 2008 and in later years.


Cellular networks have preserved an application agnostic and base station (BS) centric architecture1 for decades. Network functionalities (e.g. user association) are decided and performed regardless of the underlying application (e.g. automation, tactile Internet, online gaming, multimedia). Such an ossified architecture imposes several hurdles against achieving the ambitious metrics of next generation cellular systems. This article first highlights the features and drawbacks of such architectural ossification. Then the article proposes a virtualized and cognitive network architecture, wherein network functionalities are implemented via software instances in the cloud, and the underlying architecture can adapt to the application of interest as well as to changes in channels and traffic conditions. The adaptation is done in terms of the network topology by manipulating connectivities and steering traffic via different paths, so as to attain the applications' requirements and network design objectives. The article presents cognitive strategies to implement some of the classical network functionalities, along with their related implementation challenges. The article further presents a case study illustrating the performance improvement of the proposed architecture as compared to conventional cellular networks, both in terms of outage probability and handover rate.


Background Excessive gambling is considered to be a part of the addiction spectrum. Stress-like emotional states are a key feature both of pathological gambling (PG) and of substance addiction. In substance addiction, stress symptomatology has been attributed in part to "anti-reward" allostatic neuroadaptations, while a potential involvement of anti-reward processes in the course of PG has not yet been investigated. Methods To that end, individuals with PG (n = 22) and mentally healthy subjects (n = 13) were assessed for trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) using the Life Events Checklist and the Civilian Mississippi Scale, respectively. Results In comparison with healthy subjects, individuals with PG had significantly greater PTSS scores including greater physiological arousal sub-scores. The number of traumatic events and their recency were not significantly different between the groups. In the PG group, greater gambling severity was associated with more PTSS, but neither with traumatic events exposure nor with their recency. Conclusions Our data replicate prior reports on the role of traumatic stress in the course of PG and extend those findings by suggesting that the link may be derived from the anti-reward-type neuroadaptation rather than from the traumatic stress exposure per se.


At the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, governments undertook to develop and adopt national sustainable development strategies as a key component of implementing the goals of Agenda 21. Only partial progress was reported at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg, with uncertainty as to the effectiveness of those strategies that had been introduced. This paper describes a methodology for assessing a country's progress in implementing a national sustainable development strategy for (NSDS) and for identifying potential areas for improvement. Five key principles of sustainable development and strategic planning are identified, and a set of assessment criteria are proposed for each principle. The results of applying the methodology in two Eastern European countries, Belarus and Slovakia, are reported. These case studies suggest that the proposed NSDS assessment methodology has considerable potential for strengthening sustainability planning at the national level. The effectiveness of the NSDS assessment methodology in strengthening national processes for sustainable development and strategic planning will also require greater transparency and accountability in governance practices. This suggests that progress in improving the quality of NSDS processes is likely to be conditional on broader considerations of institutional building and governance reform.


From Summary: "Optimum proportions of tapered wings were investigated by a method that involved a comparison of wings designed to be aerodynamically equal. The conditions of aerodynamic equality were equality in stalling speed, in induced drag at a low speed, and in the total drag at cruising speed. After the wings were adjusted to aerodynamic equivalence, the weights of the wings were calculated as a convenient method of indicating the optimum wing. The aerodynamic characteristics were calculated from wing theory and test data for the airfoil sections. Various combinations of washout, camber increase in the airfoil sections from the center to the tips, and sharp leading edges at the center were used to bring about the desired equivalence of maximum lift and center-stalling characteristics. In the calculation of the weights of the wings, a simple type of spar structure was assumed that permitted an integration across the span to determine the web and the flange weights. The covering and the remaining weight were taken in proportion to the wing area. The total weights showed the wings with camber and washout to have the lowest weights and indicated the minimum for wings with a taper ratio between 1/2 and 1/3."


Little is known about the effects many workplace regulations have on U.S. consumers, employers, workers and taxpayers. This paper offers a synthesis and evaluation of available estimates of the cost of regulations directed at the workplace, and from these different studies, generates an estimate of the total cost of workplace regulation. Though the focus of this paper is on the costs of regulations, regulations also provide benefits to American citizens. Indeed, the desired benefits of regulation are the force behind legislative initiatives that create them, and the benefits of regulation are often better understood, qualitatively, at least, than the costs. However, like the federal budget, which tracks government expenditures without their corresponding benefits, an understanding of regulatory costs is important for reasoned decision-making. Workplace regulations impose significant costs on the U.S. economy, businesses, workers and consumers. Based on a careful review of available literature on the costs associated with 25 major statutory and executive provisions, I estimate that workplace regulations cost at least $91 billion per year in 2000 dollars. While contributing just over 10% of the generally accepted estimates of the total costs of regulation, this estimate is larger than has previously been assumed for workplace regulations. Regulatory Studies Program Mercatus Center George Mason University 2 A Review and Synthesis of the Cost of Workplace Regulations


In order to understand the processes of snow and wind induced damage in a natural montane, secondary forest in northeastern China, we examined the impacts of site conditions on the snow and wind damage; analyzed if the dominant tree species differed in their susceptibilities to the damage; and established the relationships between the characteristics of tree and stand and the damage. The results indicated that in regard to the topography factors, slope steepness and soil depth played a relatively important role for the damage. Damage ratios of all types combined were positively related with the composition of dominant tree species. The stand density was also important in determining resistance to the damage, i.e., the densely populated stand exhibited less overall damage ratios; however, the dominant tree species were commonly damaged easily by the snow and wind. Four damage modes found (uprooting, stem breakage, canopy damage and bending) were closely related to the stem taper (p uprooting (85.3) > stem breakage (80. 1) > canopy damage (65.0). In regard to differences in tree species' susceptibilities to the damage, Betula costata exhibited the most uprooting, bending and overall damage ratios; while Quercus mongolica showed the highest breakage (both stem breakage and canopy damage) ratio, and Fraxinus mandshurica exhibited the least damage ratio (overall). The major six tree species could also be divided into two groups according to the overall damage ratios, i.e., more susceptible ones (B. costata, Ulmus laciniata and Q. mongolica), and less susceptible ones (F mandshurica, Acer mono and Juglans mandshurica) to the snow and wind damage.


The standard method of determining the index homogeneity of optical-quality glass windows has been extended to improve the accuracy of the results, and to enable disks of over 20 in. (50 cm) in diameter to be evaluated with comparative ease. The evaluation of a 34 in. (85 cm) diameter disk of fused silica illustrates the new method.


Abstract The tokamak plasma boundary, which is typically identified with the area of open field lines known as the scrape-off layer (SOL), determines the degree of plasma-wall interaction. SOL physics, much of which is concerned with the exhaust (removal) of particles and energy from the plasma, has been one of the major topics investigated on JET during the past two decades. In this chapter, SOL transport/exhaust studies on JET are reviewed. The discussion proceeds chronologically, beginning with the limiter SOL and treating in turn the successive divertors (Mk0, MkI, MkIIA, and MkIIGB) with which JET was equipped in subsequent years. When appropriate, old results are reinterpreted in the light of recent improvements in our understanding of edge/SOL turbulence and edge-localized modes (ELMs). Although emphasis is placed on deuterium transport in the SOL, impurity transport is briefly considered. In particular, the effect of divertor closure, of L-mode versus H-mode, and of inter-ELM versus ELM erosion on plasma purity (Zeff), radiation (frad), and confinement (τE) is briefly discussed. The chapter concludes with a summary of empirical scaling expressions for SOL profile widths (radial e-folding lengths) in both limiter and divertor configurations.


What does the public want of publishers? As book buyers, they want ready access to cheap and varied books in their language of choice. They don't want to be told a book is out of stock or in some language they can't read, and that they have to trudge round to some public library or antiquarian bookstore, or do their own surreptitious translation. As writers and users, they want fair access to the world's literature to have and to hold, to enjoy, to make fun of if they want, to build on it, and also to benefit and let others benefit from their endeavours. As authors, they want fair contract terms and a fair cut of the profits; for with no book, there is no profit. Publishers are in business to make money and nobody begrudges them a decent living. People do begrudge them an indecent living: i.e., if they use their power to keep prices high, and make access and reuse of books difficult. Copyright law should be a means (1) to encourage authors to produce and benefit, (2) to encourage publishers to publish and keep publishing and profiting, and (3) to give the public cheap prices and easy access. It does (1) - helping authors - modestly well; it does (2) - helping publishers - pretty well; whether or not it does (3) - giving the public what it wants - is more debatable. 1½ or 2 out of 3 is not good enough, especially since there's no point in helping authors and publishers if the public does not get what it needs and wants. We need to rethink copyright law. Copyright should not just be about copyright owners' rights; it should also be about their duties. Historically, it used to be so: copyright owners used to owe duties to the public. Over time copyright law has been whittled down until it reads as if owners have just rights and no duties. They may have come to believe that; but the public hasn't.


In a knowledge-based organization, where, knowledge forms a large part of the amount and quality of organization's profitability, traditional accounting methods, which are based on tangible assets and information of previous operations of the organization, are incapable of valuing intellectual capital as their most valuable assets. Therefore, the intellectual capital approach is the most comprehensive for organizations who want to know their profitability capacities better. The fundamental importance of this study is the lack of intellectual capital items in the financial statements of the companies as well as a huge gap between book value and market value. In the past, tangible assets had higher importance but today, large part of organizations' assets are intangible assets thus, in today's economy, organizations success depend on the way of managing these assets. [Ghasem Ghasemi, Reza Tehrani. Survey of intellectual capital and financial performance of companies in TSE. Life Sci J 2013;10(7s):261-269] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com.


Abstract This paper discusses how modelling and simulation can be used in predicting the recovery of platinum group elements (PGE) in flotation process. In platinum group ores, commonly a floatability component approach is used where each element is divided in model fitting to two or three components. This approach has the problem of breaking the natural association of platinum group element in minerals, floatability components do not have any physical meaning and as the model fitting problem is ill-posed, comparison of different tests by floatability component parameters is difficult. To avoid this modelling and simulation here is based on minerals. Additionally, the mass proportion of fast floating material was fixed on the basis of mineralogical study and results achieved in laboratory flotation tests. Finally as the rougher and cleaning flotation was performed in fixed chemical regime the model fitting was done for both rougher and cleaning stages simultaneously using cascade model. It was found in this way a number of model fitted parameters decreased giving possibility to compare tests results easier but still reaching good fit between observed, modelled and simulated data. The developed model was used in screening the best flotation conditions and to forecast the metallurgical performance in full scale process.


This thesis explores the gendered nature of aesthetics within a particular service sector context - fashion retail. Attention focuses upon how gender structures the 'aesthetic labour' (Warhurst et al, 2000; Nickson et al 2001 ; Witz et al, 2003) of workers and in turn how aesthetics must be located within the wider sexual economy. This is achieved through incorporating the concept of aesthetic labour with the practice of 'sexual service' (Adkins, 1995). The notion of sexual service is expanded to adequately account for gendered variations. Adkins uses 'sexual service' to explain the labour of female employees' but fails to recognise that men too perform sexual servicing. Through linking and extending these two concepts we are able to gain valuable insight into the gendered labour performances of both women and men and how gender, sexuality and other aspects of identity become part of the product' on offer in selling environments. In addition to this I also examine the nature of 'customer service' within this setting and the way employees perceive customers as 'powerful', 'pleasurable' and 'problems'. Literature elsewhere has argued that control and surveillance are extensive in particular service sector occupations. It is my aim here to explore the mechanisms for control and monitoring as they apply to retail workers in this environment and the potential for employees to develop strategies of resistance and form 'tacit alliances' (Mulholland, 2004).Finally, this thesis aims to consider the extent to which aesthetic labour can become 'mobile' and move beyond the workplace and into other social spheres. This phenomenon is complex as various 'hidden injuries' (Sennett and Cobb, 1977) are inflicted upon workers and yet they manage to derive status, benefits and rewards as a result of their 'extra labour'. The nature of these 'hidden injuries' and the abilities for workers to capitalise upon the 'mobility' of their labour also provide the focus for investigation here. Using ethnographic data and existing research this thesis argues that gender remains a crucial component in structuring the experiences of service workers investigation into the social relations of service work.


Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by progressive destruction of insulin producing pancreatic islet β cells. The risk of developing T1D is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. A growing body of evidence supports an important role of T helper type 17 (Th17) cells along with impaired T regulatory (Treg) cells in the development of T1D in animal models and humans. Alteration of gut microbiota has been implicated to be responsible for the imbalance between Th17 and Treg cells. However, there is controversy concerning a pathogenic versus protective role of Th17 cells in murine models of diabetes in the context of influence of gut microbiota. In this review we will summarize current knowledge about Th17 cells and gut microbiota involved in T1D and propose Th17 targeted therapy in children with islet autoimmunity to prevent progression to overt diabetes.


ABSTRACT This paper develops tests of the null hypothesis of linearity in the context of autoregressive models with Markov-switching means and variances. These tests are robust to the identification failures that plague conventional likelihood-based inference methods. The approach exploits the moments of normal mixtures implied by the regime-switching process and uses Monte Carlo test techniques to deal with the presence of an autoregressive component in the model specification. The proposed tests have very respectable power in comparison with the optimal tests for Markov-switching parameters of Carrasco et al. (2014), and they are also quite attractive owing to their computational simplicity. The new tests are illustrated with an empirical application to an autoregressive model of USA output growth.


Bullying continues to trouble youths around the world, sometimes with devastating effects for victims' mental health. This suggests an ongoing need for awareness, intervention and tolerance for everyone involved. This study, a literature review, explored the extent of these mental health effects found in 50 studies of victims, bullies, and bully-victims, those who are victims of bullying and who also bully others, in the United States, France, and Canada (Willard, 2007). Particular attention was paid to the impact that gender, age, ethnicity, and the LGBTQ community had on researchers' findings. Findings show that 25.9% to 33% of students in these countries reported being victims of traditional bullying; 22.9% of teenagers in Quebec experienced cyberbullying in the past year (Cenat et al., 2014, 2015; Price et al., 2013; Schneider et al., 2012). Boys were twice as likely as girls to be classified as bullies, three times as likely to be classified as bully-victims, and almost twice as likely to be classified as victims (Juvonen et al., 2003). Researchers also indicate that LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk for bullying. Victims, bullies, and bully-victims are at a high risk for mental health issues, like depression, low self-esteem, poor school performance, and suicide attempts (Cenat et al., 2015; Mueller et al., 2015). Students, who were bullies, were at a significantly higher risk for depression, serious suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts compared with students who were never bullies (Klomek et al., 2007). Lastly bully-victims were by far the most socially ostracized by their peers, most likely to display conduct problems, and least engaged in school (Juvonen et al., 2003; Nansel et al., 2001).