This paper addresses recent calls to narrow the micro–macro gap in management research (Bamberger, 2008), by incorporating a macro-level context variable (country) in exploring micro-level determinants of board effectiveness. Following the integrated model proposed by Forbes and Milliken (1999), we identify three board processes as micro-level determinants of board effectiveness. Specifically, we focus on effort norms, cognitive conflicts and the use of knowledge and skills as determinants of board control and advisory task performance. Further, we consider how two different institutional settings influence board tasks, and how the context moderates the relationship between processes and tasks. Our hypotheses are tested on a survey-based dataset of 535 medium-sized and large industrial firms in Italy and Norway, which are considered to substantially differ along legal and cultural dimensions. The findings show that: (i) Board processes have a larger potential than demographic variables to explain board task performance; (ii) board task performance differs significantly between boards operating in different contexts; and (iii) national context moderates the relationships between board processes and board task performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


These essays chart major contributions to recent historiography. Carefully selected for their accessibility and accompanied by headnotes and study questions, the essays offer a clear and engaging introduction for the non-specialist. The introduction describes the emergence of gender as a subject of historical investigation and in ten essays, historians explore the meanings and significance of gender in American history since 1890. The volume shows how the interpretation of gender expands and revises our understanding of significant issues in twentieth-century history, such as work, labour protest, sexuality, consumption and social welfare. It offers new perspectives on visual representations and explores the politics of historical subjects and the politics of our own historical revisions.


Abstract Monte Carlo shielding analysis capabilities in SCALE 6 are centered on the Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) methodology. CADIS is used to create an importance map for space/energy weight windows as well as a biased source distribution. New to SCALE 6 are the Monaco functional module, a multigroup fixed-source Monte Carlo transport code, and the Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations (MAVRIC) sequence. MAVRIC uses the Denovo code (also new to SCALE 6) to compute coarse-mesh discrete ordinates solutions that are used by CADIS to form an importance map and biased source distribution for the Monaco Monte Carlo code. MAVRIC allows the user to optimize the Monaco calculation for a specific tally using the CADIS method with little extra input compared with a standard Monte Carlo calculation. When computing several tallies at once or a mesh tally over a large volume of space, an extension of the CADIS method called FW-CADIS can be used to help the Monte Carlo simulation spread particles over phase space to obtain more uniform relative uncertainties.


Supported
Ni catalysts are extensively studied for methane reforming due to their high
catalytic activity and low cost. However, these catalysts undergo deactivation
due to coke deposition and oxidation of Ni particles. In the present work, Ni
and Pt substituted CoTiO3 were synthesized and studied for steam (SRM)
and dry (DRM) reforming of methane. The catalytic activity of monometallic and
bimetallic Ni-Pt catalyst was compared for SRM and reducibility studies were done
to highlight the change in metal-support interaction in the synthesized
samples. Ex situ and in situ characterization were performed to understand the
change in catalyst surface and the nature of surface intermediates formed
during the reaction. Consequently, surface reaction mechanism was proposed and
kinetic parameters were determined by fitting experimental data.


Charge carrier lifetime measurements in bulk or unfinished photovoltaic (PV) materials allow for a more accurate estimate of power conversion efficiency in completed solar cells. In this work, carrier lifetimes in PV-grade silicon wafers are obtained by way of quasi-steady state photoconductance measurements. These measurements use a contactless RF system coupled with varying narrow spectrum input LEDs, ranging in wavelength from 460 nm to 1030 nm. Spectral dependent lifetime measurements allow for determination of bulk and surface properties of the material, including the intrinsic bulk lifetime and the surface recombination velocity. The effective lifetimes are fit to an analytical physics-based model to determine the desired parameters. Passivated and non-passivated samples are both studied and are shown to have good agreement with the theoretical model.


Though numerous studies have analysed the feeding periodicity of North Sea gadoids, no general diel pattern has been found. The lack of agreement between studies may be related to differences in prey composition and behaviour, but it has not been attempted to link the diel intake pattern directly to intake of individual prey. This study presents an analysis of the round the clock occurrence of several prey types in the stomachs of whiting Merlangius merlangus, a major predator on fish and crustaceans in the North Sea. Generalised linear models were used to determine if the occurrence of different prey varied significantly with time of day and whether this diel pattern dif- fered between locations and predator size groups. The results show that the occurrence of bottom dwelling prey increased significantly during the night at 4 of 5 locations. In contrast, free swimming prey and prey migrating towards the demersal layer during the day were eaten mainly in the daylight hours. No diel pattern in the presence of larger fish prey could be found, presumably due to their longer digestion time. A general diel pattern in catch rates of the predator could not be detected and the analyses did not appear to be biased by vertical migration of the predator. The results have important implications for the understanding of prey selection by wild predators, as this is, in effect, a choice between temporally co-occurring prey.


The nature of the pseudogap (PG) in high transition temperature (high ${T}_{c}$) superconducting cuprates has been a major issue in condensed matter physics. It is still unclear whether the high ${T}_{c}$ superconductivity can be universally associated with the PG formation. Here we provide direct evidence of the existence of the PG phase via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in another family of high ${T}_{c}$ superconductor, iron pnictides. Our results reveal a composition-dependent PG formation in the multiband electronic structure of BaFe${}_{2}$(As${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$P${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$. The PG develops well above the magnetostructural transition for low $x$, persists above the nonmagnetic superconducting dome for optimal $x$, and is destroyed for $x$ \ensuremath{\sim} 0.6, thus showing a notable similarity with cuprates. In addition, the PG formation is accompanied by inequivalent energy shifts in the $zx/yz$ orbitals of iron atoms, indicative of a peculiar iron orbital ordering which breaks the fourfold rotational symmetry.


We propose a method for segmenting gray-value images. By segmentation, we mean a map from the set of pixels to a small set of levels such that each connected component of the set of pixels with the same level forms a relatively large and "meaningful" region. The method finds a set of levels with associated gray values by first finding junctions in the image and then seeking a minimum set of threshold values that preserves the junctions. Then it finds a segmentation map that maps each pixel to the level with the closest gray value to the pixel data, within a smoothness constraint. For a convex smoothing penalty, we show the global optimal solution for an energy function that fits the data can be obtained in a polynomial time, by a novel use of the maximum-flow algorithm. Our approach is in contrast to a view in computer vision where segmentation is driven by intensity, gradient, usually not yielding closed boundaries.


For over a century, Dyke marsh along the Potomac River just south of Alexandria, VA, has been a favorite site for natural history studies. Despite earlier attempts at diking to create agricultural land and dredging for sand and gravel, the remaining marsh represents the last major tidal freshwater wetland on the upper Potomac River, and is now owned and maintained by the National Park Service as the Dyke Marsh Preserve. In the present paper historical data on physical properties and biota are compared and contrasted with more recent biological investigations to show functioning ecosystem components, interrelationships among the flora and fauna, and documented changes in biotic communities over the years. As a haven for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, unique plant communities, and large, dynamic insect and vertebrate populations, the Preserve is constantly threatened by river pollution, nearby large-scale development projects, and bridge construction. The long-term stability of this unique Preserve depends largely on the vigilance of the Park Service, concerned citizens, and environmental groups to ensure the preservation of this valuable functioning ecosystem.


Between 2003 and 2012, 605 southern right whales (SRW; Eubalaena australis) were found dead along the shores of Península Valdés (PV), Argentina. These deaths included alarmingly high annual losses between 2007 and 2012, a peak number of deaths (116) in 2012, and a significant number of deaths across years in calves-of-the-year (544 of 605 [89.9%]; average = 60.4 yr(-1)). Post-mortem examination and pathogen testing were performed on 212 whales; 208 (98.1%) were calves-of-the-year and 48.0% of these were newborns or neonates. A known or probable cause of death was established in only a small number (6.6%) of cases. These included ship strike in a juvenile and blunt trauma or lacerations (n = 5), pneumonia (n = 4), myocarditis (n = 2), meningitis (n = 1), or myocarditis and meningitis (n = 1) in calves. Ante-mortem gull parasitism was the most common gross finding. It was associated with systemic disease in a single 1-2 mo old calf. Immunohistochemical labeling for canine distemper virus, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp., and PCR for cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), influenza A, and apicomplexan protozoa were negative on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung and brain samples from a subset of whales; PCR for Brucella spp. was positive in a newborn/neonate with pneumonia. Skin samples from whales with gull parasitism were PCR negative for CeMV, poxvirus, and papillomavirus. This is the first long-term study to investigate and summarize notable post-mortem findings in the PV SRW population. Consistent, significant findings within or between years to explain the majority of deaths and those in high-mortality years remain to be identified.


Data streaming relies on continuous queries to process unbounded streams of data in a real-time fashion. It is commonly demanding in computation capacity, given that the relevant applications involve very large volumes of data. Data structures act as articulation points and maintain the state of data streaming operators, potentially supporting high parallelism and balancing the work among them. Prompted by this fact, in this work we study and analyze parallelization needs of these articulation points, focusing on the problem of streaming multiway aggregation, where large data volumes are received from multiple input streams. The analysis of the parallelization needs, as well as of the use and limitations of existing aggregate designs and their data structures, leads us to identify needs for appropriate shared objects that can achieve low-latency and high-throughput multiway aggregation. We present the requirements of such objects as abstract data types and we provide efficient lock-free linearizable algorithmic implementations of them, along with new multiway aggregate algorithmic designs that leverage them, supporting both deterministic order-sensitive and order-insensitive aggregate functions. Furthermore, we point out future directions that open through these contributions. The article includes an extensive experimental study, based on a variety of continuous aggregation queries on two large datasets extracted from SoundCloud, a music social network, and from a Smart Grid network. In all the experiments, the proposed data structures and the enhanced aggregate operators improved the processing performance significantly, up to one order of magnitude, in terms of both throughput and latency, over the commonly used techniques based on queues.


Pivoting on the creation of a feminist revisionist history, this project establishes a cultural geography of the narration or re-narration of the histories, lives and achievements of female historical figures through different forms of popular culture. To achieve this, this project explores the We Are Bess photography exhibition, the children's non-fiction book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, and the film Hidden Figures. Focusing its attention on the present-day engagement with history, this project explores the successes, complexities and critiques of creating a feminist revisionist history; illustrates how individual histories can be used to discuss broader theoretical ideas in feminist geography; and reveals the interconnected nature of women's experiences past and present.


This study aimed to investigate the clinical significances of phosphatase and tension homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) protein expression in endometriosis associated ovarian carcinomas (EAOC) and their correlations. Seventy-eight cases of EAOC specimen and 60 cases of ovarian endometrial cyst (OEC) specimen were collected. The expressions of PTEN and HER-2 protein were determined using immunohistochemical analysis. Their relationships with clinicopathological features of EAOC and their correlations were analyzed. Results showed that, in 78 cases of EAOC, the expression level of PTEN protein in EAOC tissues was significantly lower than that in OEC tissues (P<0.01), and that of HER-2 protein in EAOC tissues was significantly higher than that in OEC tissues (P<0.01). The positive rates of PTEN and HER-2 protein had significant difference between EAOC with FIGO stage I-II and III-IV (P<0.01) and between EAOC with G1-G2 and G3 differentiation (P<0.01), respectively. In EAOC the expressions of PTEN and HER-2 protein were negatively correlated (r=-0.714, P<0.001). In conclusion, the expressions PTEN and HER-2 protein are significantly related to the FIGO stage and differentiation grade of EAOC, and they are negatively correlated.


Background Outcomes following the antenatal detection of a cystic hygroma are reported as poor. Most studies examining the outcome from antenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly are published from tertiary referral centres and these may not, therefore, reflect the true overall outcomes from these pregnancies. An early investigation from EMSYCAR 1997–1999 suggested a 'normal' outcome for <10% of such pregnancies.1 Method All cases of cystic hygroma prenatally diagnosed and reported to EMSYCAR, from 2000 to 2009, were identified. Pregnancy outcomes and confirmation of anomaly details following delivery were collected as part of the routine data follow-up for registry cases. Results Over the 10 year period there were 653 687 births and 498 antenatally diagnosed cases of cystic hygroma: a population prevalence of 1:1313 births (95% CI 1:1202 to 1:1436). Of these 285 (57.2%) were TOPs, of which nearly two thirds (n=179, 62.8%) had an abnormal karyotype, 48 (16.8%) had further anomalies and 58 (20.4%) were isolated cases of cystic hygroma. Median gestation at TOP was 13 weeks (range 11 to 29) with 258/285 (90%) occurring <20 weeks – before any spontaneous regression of the hygroma, noted in other studies, might have occurred. 213 (42.8%) of the antenatally diagnosed cases opted to continue the pregnancy of which 90 (42%) resulted in a livebirth where the cystic hygroma had resolved and there were no reported anomalies. Conclusion Parental counselling may need to be revised in view of these improved outcomes and the possibility of spontaneous regression of early diagnosed cases of cystic hygroma.


This paper reports on the species of the Idiopid trapdoor spider genus Misgolas Karsch, 1878 found in the Sydney Region of New South Wales, Australia. They comprise seven new species: M. lynabra n.sp., M. cliffi n.sp., M. trangae n.sp., M. wayorum n.sp., M. rodi n.sp., M. beni n.sp. and M. michaeli n.sp.; and four species which are rediagnosed or redescribed here: Arbanitis gracilis, Dyarcyops maculosus, D. melancholicus and Megalosara villosa. The latter two species, plus Arbanitis fuscipes, Dyarcyops ionthus, Dyarcyops montanus and Arbanitis chisholmi are removed from synonymy with M. rapax. Their current or revised status is listed. This latter species, popularly known as the Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, is shown not to occur in the Sydney Region. A key for males of species within the region is presented, as well as distribution maps and comments on taxonomy and natural history.


In this paper, we study the performance of simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) systems in a multi-cell indoor scenario. We investigate the energy harvesting and data rate performance of multiple users while meeting the lighting constraints. To this end, we develop optimization frameworks that tune the parameters of transmitters or receivers to improve the SLIPT system performance. Firstly, we model the relationship between tunable lens-based optical receivers concentrator gain and their fields of view. Next, we develop algorithms to maximize the spectral efficiency (SE) considering per-user minimum harvested energy requirements and lightning constraints by controlling the average light emitting diode (LED) excitation current or tuning the optical receivers' fields of view. Then, we study the joint system performance limits of SE and total harvested energy. Towards this aim, we formulate multi-objective optimization problems and propose algorithms to find the best SE - energy harvesting tradeoff for both designing strategies. Finally, we present some extensive simulations to explore the benefits of the proposed algorithms comparing with basic benchmarks. Besides, we monitor the effect of changing several system parameters on the two objectives and the behavior of the inherent trade-off between them under both transmitter and receiver sides designing strategies.


Abstract. The open-closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) delimits the region of open magnetic flux forming the polar cap in the Earth's ionosphere. We present a reliable, automated method for determining the location of the poleward auroral luminosity boundary (PALB) from far ultraviolet (FUV) images of the aurora, which we use as a proxy for the OCB. This technique models latitudinal profiles of auroral luminosity as both a single and double Gaussian function with a quadratic background to produce estimates of the PALB without prior knowledge of the level of auroral activity or of the presence of bifurcation in the auroral oval. We have applied this technique to FUV images recorded by the IMAGE satellite from May 2000 until August 2002 to produce a database of over a million PALB location estimates, which is freely available to download. From this database, we assess and illustrate the accuracy and reliability of this technique during varying geomagnetic conditions. We find that up to 35% of our PALB estimates are made from double Gaussian fits to latitudinal intensity profiles, in preference to single Gaussian fits, in nightside magnetic local time (MLT) sectors. The accuracy of our PALBs as a proxy for the location of the OCB is evaluated by comparison with particle precipitation boundary (PPB) proxies from the DMSP satellites. We demonstrate the value of this technique in estimating the total rate of magnetic reconnection from the time variation of the polar cap area calculated from our OCB estimates.


This study is a comparative analysis of discourse marking systems in Burmese and in English, using a corpus-based approach within the framework of discourse analysis. The focus of this study is a set of lexical items in a particular word class called 'particles' in Burmese, which lack one-to-one equivalents in English and are characterized by highly context-dependent semantic values. Unlike traditional comparative studies involving less commonly studied languages that tend to base their analyses on the model of well-established linguistic systems such as English, this study is Burmese-originated. It starts out with an identification of discourse functions typically associated with high frequency Burmese particles, and their equivalent realisations in English are subsequently identified. Findings indicate that Burmese particles share common cross-linguistic characteristics of discourse markers as described in the current literature. The data offers clear evidence that discourse functions of Burmese particles investigated are commonly found in spoken English, but they are not realised through the same discourse marking system. This study therefore calls for a more effective comparative methodology that can compare syntactically-oriented discourse marking systems more effectively with lexically-oriented ones, such as in the case of Burmese and English respectively. Last but not least, this study also challenges the notion of 'word' as a unit of analysis for a corpus-based approach, as the notion of word cannot be easily defined in a syllabic language such as Burmese.


Research on the spatial aspects of economic activity has flourished over the past decade due to the emergence of new theory, new data, and an intense interest on the part of policymakers, especially in Europe but increasingly in North America and elsewhere as well. However, these efforts--collectively known as the "new economic geography"--have devoted little attention to the policy implications of the new theory. Economic Geography and Public Policy fills the gap by illustrating many new policy insights economic geography models can offer to the realm of theoretical policy analysis. Focusing primarily on trade policy, tax policy, and regional policy, Richard Baldwin and coauthors show how these models can be used to make sense of real-world situations. The book not only provides much fresh analysis but also synthesizes insights from the existing literature. The authors begin by presenting and analyzing the widest range of new economic geography models to date. From there they proceed to examine previously unaddressed welfare and policy issues including, in separate sections, trade policy (unilateral, reciprocal, and preferential), tax policy (agglomeration with taxes and public goods, tax competition and agglomeration), and regional policy (infrastructure policies and the political economy of regional subsidies). A well-organized, engaging narrative that progresses smoothly from fundamentals to more complex material, Economic Geography and Public Policy is essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and policymakers seeking new approaches to spatial policy issues.


Mobile devices are typically equipped with multiple access network interfaces, supporting the coexistence of heterogeneous wireless access networks. The selection of an optimal set of serving mobile networks for multicast streams is a challenging problem. We consider a network selection problem for multicast groups of mobile clients that operate in a heterogeneous wireless access network environment. We present a solution to this problem with an optimal allocation of mobile users to multicast groups when multiple mobile networks are available for operation. This solution is suited for small scale networks and can be used as reference for complex networks.


This paper discusses the design and analysis of a latching comparator using charge sharing circuit topology for low power and high speed. This topology combines the good features of the resistive dividing comparator and the differential current sensing comparator. This design will be focusing on the minimization of propagation delay and the power dissipation of the comparator, which will improves the comparator performance. Simulation results have been obtained using 0.18μm technology, for a 100 MHz clocked comparator, considering 1.8V supply voltage and 1.8V input range. Design has been carried out in SILVACO EDA tool, the schematic simulations are using Gateway SILVACO EDA tool and layout simulations are verified using Expert SILVACO EDA tool.


The number 4.9 million is commonly known as the number of barrels of crude oil that entered the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Less known, but perhaps equally disconcerting, is the number 1.7 million—the number of gallons of Corexit, a toxic dispersant used to mitigate oil spills, that was also released into the Gulf of Mexico. Some observers claim that Corexit spared shorelines, wetlands, and beaches from the worst of the oil spill. Others, however, argue that Corexit was at best a massive ecotoxicological experiment that could impair the marine environment for years. With a focus on the use of Corexit during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, this Article concludes that laws and regulations in the United States do not meet the standards set by Article 194 and Article 195 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In light of the overall purpose of UNCLOS to "protect and preserve the marine environment," however, the United States might be able to meet the standards of at least Article 194 by ensuring that the use of dispersants is authorized only if the dispersants result in a net environmental benefit and are the optimal dispersants to use for the unique situation of an oil spill. Finally, the future of oil spill remediation could involve genetically engineered microorganisms to clean up spills, but the United States regulatory regime does not seem to protect the marine environment from bioengineered microbes and therefore falls short of meeting the standards of Article 196 of UNCLOS, which regulates the introduction of alien or new species. Because UNCLOS represents customary international law, the United States should strive to meet the marine pollution provisions of the treaty.


A cw ring dye laser is constructed in which the light is shifted in frequency before being fed back into the gain medium. The active medium is R6G dye pumped by an argon-ion laser. An acousto-optic modulator is used to shift the frequency of the light inside the cavity. A continuous distribution of energy in a 0.75-nm bandwidth is observed in the output beam. No Fabry–Perot frequency structure is observed.


Livestock is still the main source of income of rural populations in the West Asian and North African (WANA) countries. However, many factors among which climate change are threatening the production systems. There are considerable gaps in our knowledge of how climate change will affect livestock systems and the livelihoods of these populations. Management of the production risk caused by the fluctuation of feed availability is the main problem hampering the development of livestock production in the WANA region. To overcome this situation governments emphasize different interventions, mainly subsidies, which are costly and use resources that could otherwise be spent for development purposes. This paper reviews some technical, institutional and policy options to help developing drought mitigation strategies. These options were developed and or evaluated in NARS and ICARDA over a decade under the framework of the Mashreq/Maghreb project targeting better integration of crop and livestock, community development and the improvement of the livelihoods of agropastoral communities in 8 countries of WANA. These options include: (i) organization of local institutions to facilitate both collective and individual adaptation and response to climate change; (ii) an innovative approach to their sustainable improvement and management including institutional solutions for access to communal/collective rangelands; (iii) better use of local natural resources with an emphasis on water harvesting and appropriate use of adapted indigenous plant species, such as cactus and fodder shrubs; (iv) efficient animal feeding involving cost-effective alternative feeds like feed blocks and health monitoring; (v) the use of biotechnology as a potentially effective tool to breeding drought resistant forages and cereals and to biodiversity protection; and (vi) development of early warning systems building on local knowledge, livelihood strategies and modern tools to forecast information on biophysical, economical, and markets environment to agropastoral communities. Success stories and difficulties faced when adopting these options are discussed.


From a remedial perspective, the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C reopened the age-old question of what it means to award equitable relief. In eBay, the Court rejected a permanent injunction issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to protect a business-method patent that defendant eBay had infringed on its successful auction website. This essay diagnoses the remedial problem in eBay as the improper use of presumptions for equitable relief that effectively prioritizes selected legal rights. It offers a prescriptive cure for the problem in the traditional balancing of the equities standard that emphasizes the respective equities of the private parties, including their economic motivations and inequitable conduct. This signifies a return to the historical notion of equity as a legal accommodation of private and public interests in pursuit of justice. This essay was written as part of the Akron Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable and its conference exploring the legal implications of the eBay case.


Lake Malawi, Africa, serves as an important modern analog for understanding depositional processes in an active rift setting. This paper explores the depositional processes and stacking patterns of coarse-grained facies across a large fan delta and associated sub-lacustrine fan system offshore of the South Rukuru River using single-channel seismic data coupled with deep-water vibracores and gravity cores. A companion paper (Wells et al. 1999) discusses the details of the depositional processes of the system inferred from core data. Using 2900 km of single-channel seismic data, eight genetic facies were defined based on seismic reflection character, external geometry, accompanying core data, and location within the modern geomorphic system. Five sand-dominated facies include; (1) mouth-of-canyon-fan facies; (2) progradational-fan-delta facies; (3) channel-fill facies; (4) canyon-fill facies; and (5) basin-plain-fill facies. These facies occur as surficial deposits in water depths of more than 600 m, suggesting that coarse-grained sedimentation characterizes certain localities, in even the deepest parts of Lake Malawi. Climatically driven lake-level changes influenced the internal character of these facies, their thickness, and to some extent their location within the South Rukuru study area. However, climate was generally subordinate to tectonism in controlling the temporal and spatial distribution of the facies. Tectonic controls can be categorized as; (1) orientation of the first-order border fault and intrabasinal faults; (2) syndepositional footwall uplift and rotation; and (3) temporal changes in the rate and location of maximum subsidence. These controls affect the location and stacking of the mouth-of-canyon fans, and the presence and orientation of sub-lacustrine canyons and the zone of maximum sediment accumulation, and depositional gradients.


Spin-cast PEDOT/PSS film are investigated using scanning probe-based spectroscopic techniques. The films are found to consist of relatively well-conducting islands that are embedded in a less conductive matrix. A scanning-tunneling microscope-based method is developed to obtain three-dimensional conductivity images with nanometer resolution. Order-of-magnitude variations in the film conductivity are observed in all spatial directions. In addition, charge transport in the normal direction depends on the injection spot and is found to be ohmic or space-charge-limited. We found that both the morphology and the conductivity of the top layer differ substantially from those in the bulk, which is attributed to an enhanced PSS content in the top layer.


A robust code, called Low-T Thermo, has been developed to combine low-T thermochronological data arbitrarily to model thermal history. After apatite fission-track age and confined length are decoupled into two completely independent data to inverse thermal history and thermal history inversion using mica Ar-Ar age or bedrock quartz optically stimulated luminescence age are developed, there are eight kinds of low-T thermochronological data used to inverse thermal history including apatite fission-track age, apatite fission-track confined length, zircon fission-track age, apatite (U-Th)/He age, zircon (U-Th)/He age, mica Ar-Ar, bedrock quartz optically stimulated luminescence age and vitrinite reflectance. A total of 247 kinds of combination modes can be used to jointly inverse thermal history in theory (except the eight single methods modelling). These arbitrary combinations are helpful to model thermal history with the "incomplete" low-T thermochronological data set regarded to be unuseful for thermal history modelling and reduce experimental cost. For arbitrary combination of different low-T thermochronological data, each low-T thermochronological method is independent incompletely and the equivalent p-value is used to be the identical evaluation indicator in the inverse process. The usefulness of the code is demonstrated by modelling thermal history of existing low-T thermochronological data in the areas of Dabie Mountain, Ahimanawa Range and Southern Alps.


Several important societal and economic world problems can be addressed by the smart use of technology. The past 40 years have witnessed the realization of computational systems and networks, rooted in our ability to craft complex integrated circuits out of billions of electronic devices. Nowadays, the ability to master materials at the molecular level and their interaction with living matter opens up unforeseeable horizons. Networking biological sensors through body-area, ad hoc and standard communication networks boosts the intrinsic power of local measurements, and allows us to reach new standards in health management. The Swiss Nano-Tera program addresses applications of nanotechnologies to health management, and it has been instrumental in fostering research and innovation in this domain.


This article questions some tacit assumptions underpinning Michael Billig's banal nationalism concept but also confirms the ongoing relevance of aspects of his central argument. It demonstrates that the taken-for-granted link between banal flaggings of nationalism in the media and national identities is highly problematic. Drawing on a content analysis of seven TV news and current affairs programs and an audience study with 174 children in Bulgaria and the United Kingdom as well as Eurobarometer survey data on adults, this article explores two "derivatives" of banal nationalism: banal Europeanism and banal Americanism. It demonstrates that banal nationalism does not entirely work as Billig anticipated in contexts outside the respective country's national borders, especially regarding examples of deixis in the media coverage or embedded identities.


Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are highly prevalent chronic diseases in the general population. Both are characterized by similar mechanisms: airway inflammation, airway obstruction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the distinction between the two obstructive diseases is not always clear. Multiple epidemiological studies demonstrate that in elderly people with obstructive airway disease, as many as half or more may have overlapping diagnoses of asthma and COPD. A COPD-Asthma overlap syndrome is defined as an airflow obstruction that is not completely reversible, accompanied by symptoms and signs of increased obstruction reversibility. For the clinical identification of overlap syndrome COPD-Asthma Spanish guidelines proposed six diagnostic criteria. The major criteria include very positive bronchodilator test [increase in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) ≥15% and ≥400 ml], eosinophilia in sputum, and personal history of asthma. The minor criteria include high total IgE, personal history of atopy and positive bronchodilator test (increase in FEV1 ≥12% and ≥200 ml) on two or more occasions. The overlap syndrome COPD-Asthma is associated with enhanced response to inhaled corticosteroids due to the predominance of eosinophilic bronchial inflammation.The future clinical studies and multicenter clinical trials should lead to the investigation of disease mechanisms and simultaneous development of the novel treatment.


A ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption protocol uses bilinear pairings to provide control access mechanisms, where the set of user's attributes is specified by means of a linear secret sharing scheme. In this paper we present the design of a software cryptographic library that achieves record timings for the computation of a 126-bit security level attribute-based encryption scheme. We developed all the required auxiliary building blocks and compared the computational weight that each of them adds to the overall performance of this protocol. In particular, our single pairing and multi-pairing implementations achieve state-of-the-art time performance at the 126-bit security level.


AbinaryNi-30Cr alloy, known for its chromia-forming behaviour, previously elaborated by foundry and tested in oxidation at temperatures ranging from 1000 and 1300°C in dry air and in moderately water vapour-enriched air, has been here subjected to hot oxidation at the same temperatures (1000, 1100, 1200 and 1300°C) for 48 hours in a very humidified air, with thermogravimetric measurements. The exploitation of the mass gain files was carried out following several methods. Since chromia volatilization was particularly fast (at 1300°C notably) the treatment was done by applying the {m × dm/ dt = Kp – m × Kv}–method. The values of the parabolic constant Kp and of the chromia volatilization constant Kv were specified together. If they both logically increase with temperature the variation with the air humidity rate was less evident. These present kinetic results will be strengthened by metallographic characterization in a second part of this work, for a better interpretation of the effect of water vapor in such high concentration.


Gifted adolescent rural girls live in a world where popular culture is a key source of information about their present and future lives. This study asked whether, as a key influence, popular culture supported or disrupted the talent development process of gifted adolescent girls in rural settings. Through an embedded case study approach this research study explored the responses of two groups of gifted adolescent girls to the messages presented to them in popular culture about talent development and giftedness. Data were generated predominantly through a series of focus groups and interviews. A narrative recount emerged after analysis of the recurring themes and stories. The study confirmed that, for girls, popular culture is a key source of influence on aspiration and identity, and that it tended to emphasise the importance of physical appearance and relationships. It identified popular culture as potentially both a disruption and a support to talent development for rural gifted girls. While popular culture was a key influence, it was not the only source of influence on young girls. The study concluded with a number of possible strategies for maximising the supportive aspects of popular culture while countering the disruptive elements.


Callisretones A (1) and B (2), two rearranged phloroglucinol-monoterpenoid adducts featuring an unprecedented isopropylcyclopenta[b]benzofuran backbone, together with their postulated biosynthetic precursors (3-9), were isolated from Callistemon rigidus. The previously assigned absolute configurations of viminalins H (7), L (8), and N (9) were revised and unequivocally established by X-ray diffraction data. A putative biosynthetic pathway toward callisretones A and B involving the rearrangement of the terpenoid motif is proposed. In addition, 1 and 2 showed inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production with IC50 values of 15.3 ± 1.0 and 17.7 ± 1.1 μM, respectively.


no policy IZA research is committed to the IZA Integrity. answers the global of our time. Our key to between academic research, policymakers and ABSTRACT Childhood vaccines can increase population growth in the short term by improving the survival rates of young children. Over the long run, reductions in child mortality rates are associated with lower demand for children and fertility rates (known as "demographic transition"). Vaccines can potentially aid demographic transition by lowering child mortality and improving future health, schooling, and labor market outcomes of vaccinated mothers, but these long-term demographic benefits remain untested. In this study, we examine the demographic effects of India's national childhood vaccination program (the Universal Immunization Programme or UIP). We combine data on the district-wise rollout of UIP during 1985–1990 with fertility preference data of 625,000 adult women from the National Family Health Survey of India 2015–2016. We include women who were born five years before and after the rollout period (1980–1995) and were cohabiting with a partner at the time of the survey. We divide these 20-36-year-old women into two groups: those who were exposed to UIP at birth (treatment group) and those who were born before the program (control group). After controlling for individual- and household-level factors and age and district fixed effects, treatment group women are 2% less likely to have at least one child and want 2% fewer children in their lifetime as compared with the control group. The negative effect on at least one childbirth is larger for more educated and richer women, while the effect on the desired number of children is larger for uneducated and poorer women.


A 220-km-long, single-channel seismic reflection profile crosses the northern Sumatra margin and presumed rupture zone of the December 2004 M w 9.2 tsunamigenic earthquake and images active deformation across the forearc. At the largest wavelength (tens of kilometers), the forearc surface is defined by a steep, 55-km-wide outer slope, a 110-km-wide upper slope forming a broad depression between two forearc highs, and a 25-km-wide steep inner slope between the landward high and forearc basin. Superimposed on these prism-wide variations are anticlinal ridges spaced ∼13 km apart; the inner and outer slopes are characterized by landward and seaward fold vergence, respectively. Between anticlines, growth strata deposited in slope basins are folded at ∼2–3 km wavelengths. These small folds deform the seafloor and increase in amplitude with depth, verging toward anticlinal hinges. We suggest that long-wavelength variations are consistent with variations in strength across the forearc. The ∼13 km anticline spacing implies deformation of a slope apron that deforms independently of a stronger wedge interior. Growth strata geometries indicate ongoing deformation within individual basins. Our model for prism architecture suggests that the wedge interior advances during great earthquakes like the 2004 M w 9.2 event, peeling up shallower and less competent trench fill, deforming the toe and the upper slope of the forearc, and producing seabottom uplift responsible for the tsunami.


We estimate the effects of Wal-Mart stores on county-level retail employment and earnings, accounting for endogeneity of the location and timing of Wal-Mart openings that most likely biases the evidence against finding adverse effects of Wal-Mart stores. We address the endogeneity problem using a natural instrumental variables approach that arises from the geographic and time pattern of the opening of Wal-Mart stores, which slowly spread out from the first stores in Arkansas. The employment results indicate that a Wal-Mart store opening reduces county-level retail employment by about 150 workers, implying that each Wal-Mart worker replaces approximately 1.4 retail workers. This represents a 2.7 percent reduction in average retail employment. The payroll results indicate that Wal-Mart store openings lead to declines in county-level retail earnings of about $1.2 million, or 1.3 percent. Of course, these effects occurred against a backdrop of rising retail employment, and only imply lower retail employment growth than would have occurred absent the effects of Wal-Mart.


This paper presents secure program partitioning, a language-based technique for protecting confidential data during computation in distributed systems containing mutually untrusted hosts. Confidentiality and integrity policies can be expressed by annotating programs with security types that constrain information flow; these programs can then be partitioned automatically to run securely on heterogeneously trusted hosts. The resulting communicating subprograms collectively implement the original program, yet the system as a whole satisfies the security requirements of participating principals without requiring a universally trusted host machine. The experience in applying this methodology and the performance of the resulting distributed code suggest that this is a promising way to obtain secure distributed computation.


Absfract-This paper describes the design of small convolution kernels for the restoration and reconstruction of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images. The kernels are small enough to be implemented efficiently by convolution, yet effectively correct degradations and increase apparent resolution. The kernel derivation is based on a comprehensive, end-to-end system model that accounts for scene statistics, image acquisition blur, sampling effects, sensor noise, and postfilter reconstruction. The design maximizes image fidelity subject to explicit constraints on the spatial support and resolution of the kernel. The kernels can be designed with her resolution than the image to perform partial reconstruction for geometric correetion and other remapping operations. Experiments demonstrate that small kernels yield fidelity comparable to optimal unconstrained filters with less computation.


In the century since the Radio Act of 1912 initiated U.S. spectrum allocation rules, a precise definition of "harmful interference" – the control of which forms the rationale for regulation – has eluded policymakers. In one sense, that result is unsurprising; rights are always defined incompletely. In another sense, however, the regulatory system is dysfunctional, severely limiting the productive use of spectrum while locked down in years-long border disputes. These disagreements have, in turn, triggered calls to develop brighter lines and fuller engineering specifications of "harmful interference." Yet, spectrum use rights featuring technically fuzzy borders, awarded in economically efficient bundles, generate robust market development. The key ingredients are (a) exclusive, flexible use rights; (b) frequency borders set via standardized edge emission limits; (c) large bundles of complementary rights, limiting fragmentation; and (d) fluid secondary trading, allowing mergers to end border disputes by eliminating borders. Regulators should focus less on delineating precise interference contours, and instead expeditiously distribute standard bandwidth rights to economically responsible agents, taking care to avoid undue fragmentation (and tragedy of the anti-commons). These lessons are illustrated in many episodes, including those involving reallocation of the broadcast TV band, the emergence of HD radio, the Nextel/public safety "spectrum swap," and the ongoing WCS/SDARS dispute. Each instance reveals that economic incentives, not engineering complexity, drives productive coordination of radio spectrum use – or blocks it.


The ability to use Food Layered Manufacturing (FLM) to fabricate attractive food presentations and incorporate additives that can alter texture, nutrition, color, and flavor have made it widely investigated for combatting various issues in the food industry. For a food item to be FLM compatible, it must possess suitable rheological properties to allow for its extrusion and to keep its 3D printed structure. Here, we present a rheological analysis of two commercially available breakfast spreads, Vegemite and Marmite, and show their compatibility with FLM in producing 3D structures onto bread substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these materials can be used to fabricate attractive food designs that can be used for educational activities. The inherent conductivity of the breakfast spreads was used to print edible circuits onto a "breadboard.". Disciplines Engineering | Physical Sciences and Mathematics Publication Details Hamilton, C. Alan., Alici, G. & in het Panhuis, M. (2018). 3D printing Vegemite and Marmite: redefining "breadboards". Journal of Food Engineering, 220 83-88. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/aiimpapers/2799


Abstract This article offers an examination of the subject of female sex tourism on the British stage, as dramatised in two recent sex-tourism plays: Trade (2004–05) by new black British dramatist debbie tucker green and Sugar Mummies (2006) by Asian British playwright Tanika Gupta. tucker green's Trade and Gupta's Sugar Mummies each take a Caribbean setting to look at the recent wave of female sex tourism. Both plays examine the ways in which women who come from different class backgrounds, ethnicities, and age groups, but all of whom are economically privileged relative to the countries in which they holiday, play out that privilege in the sex trade with young black boys. Two feminist concerns are core to a discussion of these plays: firstly, consideration of the ways in which sex tourism points back to some unresolved, highly contentious issues for Western feminism concerning women's sexual pleasure, and, secondly, how the international mobility of the female sex tourist necessarily situates any such re-consideration of sexual pleasure within a transnational framework, which in turn has important implications for (re)-thinking liberal white Western feminism in immediate and future contexts. In brief, the article argues that taken together, these two plays interrogate female sex tourism as a 'fair trade'; invite a feminist reconsideration of the feminine and women's sexual pleasure, at the same time as they signal the need for a feminism to be at work nationally and internationally.


The population structure of Native Mexicans The genetics of indigenous Mexicans exhibit substantial geographical structure, some as divergent from each other as are existing populations of Europeans and Asians. By performing genome-wide analyses on Native Mexicans from differing populations, Moreno-Estrada et al. successfully recapitulated the pre-Columbian substructure of Mexico. This ancestral structure is evident among cosmopolitan Mexicans and is correlated with subcontinental origins and medically relevant aspects of lung function. These findings exemplify the importance of understanding the genetic contributions of admixed individuals. Science, this issue p. 1280 Indigenous and cosmopolitan Mexican populations are highly structured with genetic variation of medical relevance. Mexico harbors great cultural and ethnic diversity, yet fine-scale patterns of human genome-wide variation from this region remain largely uncharacterized. We studied genomic variation within Mexico from over 1000 individuals representing 20 indigenous and 11 mestizo populations. We found striking genetic stratification among indigenous populations within Mexico at varying degrees of geographic isolation. Some groups were as differentiated as Europeans are from East Asians. Pre-Columbian genetic substructure is recapitulated in the indigenous ancestry of admixed mestizo individuals across the country. Furthermore, two independently phenotyped cohorts of Mexicans and Mexican Americans showed a significant association between subcontinental ancestry and lung function. Thus, accounting for fine-scale ancestry patterns is critical for medical and population genetic studies within Mexico, in Mexican-descent populations, and likely in many other populations worldwide.


Oral bacteria (cariogenic bacteria or periopathogens), host immune system and genetic predisposition play a role in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries and gingivitis. Susceptibility to inflammation and hostpathogen interactions may be modified by functional polymorphisms in genes linked with the folate metabolic pathway, such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), methionine synthase (MTR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR). The aim of our study was to analyze four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes for these enzymes in Czech children with known oral status. This casecontrol study included 592 children aged 1315 years from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC). Oral status was recorded using DMFT (decaymissingfilled teeth) index and gingival index, the presence of 10 selected oral pathogenic bacteria was analyzed, and MTHFR C677T (rs1801133), MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131), MTR A2756G (rs1805087) and MTRR A66G (rs1801394) SNPs were determined by qPCR. Children with dental caries (N=446) more often suffered by gingivitis than caries free children (controls, N=145), thus gingivitis was associated with dental caries (P< 0.001). There were no significant differences in the allele or genotype frequencies in both MTR and MTRR SNPs between patients and controls. However, MTHFR 1298 AA genotype vs. AC+CC genotypes was found as protective factor for dental caries development (P< 0.01) and MTHFR 677 CC genotype vs. CT+TT genotypes was associated with the nonpresence of Prevotella intermedia, an important periopathogen. It seems that children with common variants in MTHFR gene, and thus normal ability to utilize folic acid, are protected against dental caries and gingivitis. The study was supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant nr. 1730439A, funds provided by the Faculty of Medicine MU to junior researcher Petra Borilova Linhartova, grant GACR GB1437368G, and the project MUNI/A/1008/2017.


Computational methods and tools that can efficiently and effectively analyze the temporal changes in dynamic complex relational networks enable us to gain significant insights regarding the entity relations and their evolution. This article introduces a new class of dynamic graph patterns, referred to as coevolving relational motifs (CRMs), which are designed to identify recurring sets of entities whose relations change in a consistent way over time. CRMs can provide evidence to the existence of, possibly unknown, coordination mechanisms by identifying the relational motifs that evolve in a similar and highly conserved fashion. We developed an algorithm to efficiently analyze the frequent relational changes between the entities of the dynamic networks and capture all frequent coevolutions as CRMs. Our algorithm follows a depth-first exploration of the frequent CRM lattice and incorporates canonical labeling for redundancy elimination. Experimental results based on multiple real world dynamic networks show that the method is able to efficiently identify CRMs. In addition, a qualitative analysis of the results shows that the discovered patterns can be used as features to characterize the dynamic network.


Species are commonly distributed along latitudinal and elevational gradients of growing season length to which they might respond via phenotypic plasticity and / or adaptive genetic differentiation. However, the relative contribution of these processes and whether plasticity, if it occurs, facilitates expansion along season length gradients remains unclear but are important for predicting species fates during anthropogenic change. We quantified phenological trait variation in the montane annual Rhinanthus minor for three generations at 12 sites across 900 m of elevation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment for two generations among nine sites. We compared clines and interannual variation of phenological traits between natural and transplanted individuals. Season length declined by ~ 37% along our elevational gradient and, as expected, plants emerged, reached first flower and made their first seed in ~ 41% fewer growing degree days under shorter growing seasons. Although reciprocal transplants revealed modest genetic differentiation across elevation, trait clines were primarily due to striking co-gradient plasticity that paralleled genetic differentiation. Co-gradient plasticity likely evolved in response to considerable interannual variation in season length across our elevational transect, and should prepare R. minor to make adaptive changes to phenology in response to ongoing climate change predicted for montane environments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


A predictive description of the synthetic processes leading to complex macromolecules requires consideration of the spatial models. Hierarchical, structural and dynamic complexities of such systems require new methodological developments. The presented work provides effective tools for the modelling of the complex synthetic processes in the 3D space under controlled conditions. We propose constructing a parallel computing system which realizes the 3D architecture and the cooperative dynamics based on the dynamic lattice liquid (DLL) model. This can create new standards in the spatial resolution of the models allowing simulations of the systems comparable in sizes and complexity with the biological cells in the future.


Proposals for the intentional engineering of the Earth's climate through techniques of solar radiation management (SRM) have been accompanied by profound questions of governance. As the purpose, goals and motivations of SRM are considerations of paramount importance, governance must not only encompass risks and unintended consequences, but also intent. In this chapter, I pose two questions as these relate to SRM and governance. Firstly, should we be entertaining the thought of research or deployment of SRM and its governance, i.e. is SRM a legitimate object of governance, and if so under what conditions? And, linked to this, secondly, is SRM governable, particularly within democratic political systems? Arguing that SRM is a political artefact I will describe some potential problems it may present for democratic governance. I will go on to sketch a brief history of governance discussions and initiatives concerning SRM. In doing so I will observe that the boundary work of learned societies, some academics and others has attempted to legitimise SRM research as an object of governance, defining governance contours and thresholds, underpinned by normative principles. I will review some recent personal experiences of the first attempt to move from words to actions, in terms of governing a SRM research project within a framework for responsible innovation. I will finally review the results of emerging public and stakeholder dialogue exercises which reveal that while attitudes towards SRM research are nuanced and ambivalent, publics and many stakeholders have great antipathy, even hostility, towards SRM deployment. As research is projected through to deployment both become simultaneously framed and the legitimacy of SRM research questioned. Conditions for acceptable deployment that include the need for international agreement and governance may be perceived as being highly implausible, with concerns that SRM may prove incompatible with governance based on democratic principles, and may generate unprecedented forms of geopolitical conflict. Given these considerations I will conclude that the question of whether SRM, and its research, is a legitimate object of governance remains to be democratically decided, if indeed it ever can be.


The new paradigm of performance-based fire engineering (PBFE), with its systematic approach to identifying building performance objectives, quantitative structural analysis to verify that these objectives have been achieved, and management of uncertainties provides incentives for engineered alternatives to traditional prescriptive approaches keyed to the ASTM Standard E119 fire test. Recent advances in fire science and engineering have made it possible to consider realistic fire scenarios and fire effects on the building structural system as part of a risk-informed design process. This paper describes an approach to developing reliability-based resistance criteria for use in practical structural engineering approaches to fire safety assurance.


For a given visual stimulus, much can be inferred about its neural representation by measuring an observer's responses on simple behavioral tasks. This is the essence of psychophysics, the method of examining sensory processing by studying the relation between stimulation and perception or behavior. Binocular rivalry is the phenomenon of alternating perception that occurs when the two eyes receive conflicting images. Psychophysical techniques have been used extensively in combination with rivalry, both to investigate the phenomenon itself, and using rivalry as a tool for addressing other questions. Recent techniques have permitted major advances in both areas, as we discuss here. We will also summarize the value and limitations of rivalry for consciousness research.


This exploratory study seeks to determine the interrelationship between sustainable manufacturing practices (SMP), sustaining lean improvements (SLI) and sustainable performance (SP) in Malaysian automotive industry. The specific goals are: 1) to identify the SMP, SLI and SP measures for Malaysian automotive industry; 2) to investigate the impact of SMP and SLI on SP for Malaysian automotive industry; 3) to develop research model of the SMP, SLI and SP measures for Malaysian automotive industry. An attempt has been made in this paper to provide an overview of the available SMP, SLI and SP literature by classifying and then critically reviewing the material to develop a framework for SMP, SLI and SP and suggest future research directions. This also includes model and three performance measures for SMP, SLI and SP measures. A summary of research findings and conclusions are reported at the end of the research view.


The influence of the substrate Gd2(MoO4)3 ferroic phase transition on the magnetization of ferromagnetic nickel thin film was investigated using vibrating sample magnetometer. We have compared experimental results with micromagnetic simulations. Our measurements showed strong magnetization change at Curie Point. We have shown by simulations, taking into consideration magnetoelastic contribution to free energy, that this phenomenon results from the strain-driven spin reorientation transitions.


Modern software packages for simulation of technological processing and transportation of hydrocarbon streams are generally not well suited for use by non-trained professionals due to their high functional content, complexity and high cost of operation. In response to engineering community needs, the authors developed their Microsoft Excel based tools for modeling technological processes and performing stand-alone calculations of component-fractional composition, physical and chemical properties, matter and component processing balances, as well as modeling thermal and hydraulic regimes of transport of hydrocarbon condensate streams in oil and gas fields. Model development and calculations in the package are implemented in the form of user-defined functions and functional procedures (macro-procedures). The number crunching procedures are programmed in CodeGear Delphi and compiled as a DLL library. The functionality of this library and macro-procedures in the Microsoft Excel environment is achieved via add-on files. The underlying computational model is based on known thermodynamic laws and correlations and the authors' original methods. In particular, rectification is simulated via a sigma-function, which generally characterizes the efficiency of mass transfer. The proposed tools are not intended to replace more sophisticated thermodynamic simulations but rather provide sufficient functionality and accuracy of calculations together with a short learning curve to a broad range of professionals familiar with the Microsoft Office environment.


Background There is a well documented link between low socioeconomic status and mortality in acquired cardiac disease. The relationship between socioeconomic status and survival in adult congenital heart disease has not been explored. We sought to define this relationship in a national cohort of adult survivors of tetralogy of Fallot, the commonest cyanotic congenital cardiac lesion. Methods Prospective landmark analysis of a national cohort of adult survivors of tetralogy of Fallot followed up by the Scottish adult congenital cardiac service for Scotland (SACCS). Comparison of distribution of Carstairs deprivation scores with national data for Scotland. Kaplan Meier curves to define survival by Carstairs deprivation category within the cohort. Results We identified 382 adult survivors of tetralogy of Fallot throughout Scotland (225 male, 157 female). Transition to the adult service occurs at approximately age 16, andmean follow-up from this baseline was 19.1 +/- 12.6 years). We identified Carstairs deprivation categories (Depcats) from the 2001 census for the cohort as follows:5.6% Depcat 1, 10.6% Depcat 2, 21.0% Depcat 3, 23.9% Depcat 4, 18.0% Depcat 5, 11.4% Depcat 6, 9.5% Depcat 7. This distribution was not significantly different from the overall distribution of Depcat scores for the whole population of Scotland (.98) (Figure 1). Cumulative survival for the cohort was 0.83 at 40 years from baseline, and there were 16 deaths in total. There was no statistically significant difference between survival in each deprivation category by Mantel-Cox log rank test (p = 00.745) (Figure 2). Abstract 48 Figure 1 Socioeconomic status in adults with tetralogy of Fallot in comparison to national data for Scotland (2001 census) Abstract 48 Figure 2 Cumulative survival in tetralogy of Fallot by Carstairs deprivation score Conclusions In contrast to other cardiovascular disease in Scotlandthere is no statistically significant association between mortality in adult survivors of tetralogy of Fallot and socioeconomic status. Although the reason for this remains unclear it may relate to the provision of a national service which provides regular follow-up and timely intervention for these complex patients.Comparison with less centralised services is warranted.


Localization of a mobile robot is crucial for autonomous navigation. Using laser scanners, this can be facilitated by the pairwise alignment of consecutive scans. In this paper, we are interested in improving this scan alignment in challenging natural environments. For this purpose, local descriptors are generally effective as they facilitate point matching. However, we show that in some natural environments, many of them are likely to be unreliable, which affects the accuracy and robustness of the results. Therefore, we propose to filter the unreliable descriptors as a prior step to alignment. Our approach uses a fast machine learning algorithm, trained on-the-fly under the positive and unlabeled learning paradigm without the need for human intervention. Our results show that the number of descriptors can be significantly reduced, while increasing the proportion of reliable ones, thus speeding up and improving the robustness of the scan alignment process.


Milliliter scale (ligno)cellulose saccharifications suggest general solute concentration and its impact on water availability plays a significant role in detrimental effects associated with high solids lignocellulose conversions. A microtumbler developed to enable free‐fall mixing at dry solids loadings up to 35% (w/w) repeatedly produced known detrimental conversion trends on cellulose, xylan and pretreated lignocellulose with commercial enzymes. Despite this, high concentrations of insoluble nonhydrolysable dextrans did not depress saccharification extents in 5% (w/w) cellulose slurries suggesting mass transfer limitations may not significantly limit hydrolysis extents at high solids loadings. Interestingly, cellulose saccharification by purified cellulases showed increased conversions with increasing dry solids loadings. This prompted investigations into impacts the concentration of soluble species, such as sugar alcohols, low molecular weight enzyme preparation components, and monomer hydrolysis products, have on the hydrolysis environment. Such substances significantly depress conversion rates and were shown to correlatively lower water activity (Aw) in the hydrolysis environment while high insoluble solids concentrations did not. Furthermore, low‐field NMR on concentrated slurries of insoluble complex carbohydrates, including the nonhydrolysable dextrans, showed all solids constrained water significantly more than high concentrations of soluble species (inhibitory) suggesting water constraint may not be as problematic an issue at high solids loadings compared to the availability of water in the system. Additionally, the introduction of soluble species lessened overall water constraint in high solids systems and appears to shift the distribution of water away from insoluble surfaces. This is potentially a critical issue for industrial processes operating at high dry solids levels. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012


A critical review of the literature shows little evidence of the benefits of counselling for people infected with the HTV virus and rigorous follow-up studies are generally lacking. Authors reviewed in the literature urge the need for training in counselling. However, whether counseling training is a necessity in the context of HFV/AIDS is debatable as no evidence has yet suggested that trained counsellors are more effective than untrained ones. Therefore, it is necessary to know-how counsellors perceive their role in relation to people with HTV/AIDS. It is also essential to know what skills and training they regard as necessary for working with this group of clients. This thesis reports the results of two separate studies. Twelve questionnaires were returned and 3 interviews were conducted in the preliminary study among a small sample of people responsible for counselling women with HTV/AIDS. The results demonstrated that most counselling for this group of clients was not carried out by trained counsellors. It was concluded that counselling was not a central response to those clients. Acknowledgement of the limitations of this preliminary' study led to the main study which was conducted among experienced and student counsellors on the perceptions of their role in working with people with HTV/AIDS.A number of significant differences were found between the perceptions of 30 experienced counsellors and 46 students in the questionnaire survey of the main study. However, experienced counsellors did not appear to feel better prepared than students in working with people with HIV/AIDS. Inconsistent results were found which suggested no agreement about whether counselling for people with HIV/AIDS required different skills and training to counselling other groups of clients. Furthermore, inconsistency between responses to different questions suggested that although respondents acknowledged a role in reducing the spread of HIV infection, they had not adequately thought through the implications of this for their counselling practice. The implications for counsellor training and supervision were discussed.


Based on the tenets of social identity theory, a two-study experimental design was conducted which examined the influence of exposure to positive Latino media exemplars on ingroup (Latino) and outgroup (white) consumers. Specifically, the impact of exposure on interethnic evaluations as well as perceptions of self and other was evaluated. Results from Study 1 and Study 2 suggest that although exposure to positive media depictions of Latinos can prompt more favorable evaluations of ingroup and self among Latinos, the same cannot necessarily be said for the effects of exposure to affirmative messages on judgments about Latinos among outgroup members (i.e., whites). Instead, these data indicate that for whites, ingroup (racial/ethnic) identification is a potent factor in media-related interethnic evaluations.


Objective: To explore the effect of gastric bypass on the recent intestinal flora in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A total of 82 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in our hospital from January 2016 to January 2017 were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: 41 patients in each group. The patients in control group underwent open surgery and those in observation group were treated with gastric bypass. Recent intestinal flora, improved clinical indicators and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.
Results: The level of intestinal flora in type 2 diabetic patients in observation group after 15 d treatment was better than that in control group (P<0.05). The improvement of clinical indexes was more effective than that of control group (P<0.05), and the incidence of post-surgical complications in the observation group was significantly lower (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with gastric bypass can regulate the intestinal flora, improve the clinical indexes such as blood glucose, reduce the incidence of complications and have high clinical value.


1 Summary The main goal of this project is to develop a computer program to model the rotation of a galaxy including dark matter. The computer program will be used to answer these questions: (1) How does dark matter affect rotational curves in galaxies; (2) how accurately can this be modeled; (3) what will happen when the dark matter and galaxy masses are changed; and (4) How well can this method work for different galaxies. The computer program was built-up over time. The first step was writing a computer program using Python to model a mass attached to a spring. This model was extended to two-dimensions and then to a solar system model with both sun and interplanetary gravity interactions. Finally, the galaxy program was constructed using C by adding hundreds of " stars " to my solar system model in place of the planets and replacing the sun's mass with a large central galaxy " core " mass. Dark matter is implemented in this model by treating it as an additional large mass point located at the center of the galaxy. Newton's laws of motion were solved using a velocity Verlet method. The forces due to gravity were computed using two different methods: (1) nearest neighbor, a method that decreases calculation time by drawing a circle around each star and seeing whether a star is inside or not. Only the force due to gravity between the star and its neighbors will be computed (with the exception of the central mass); and (2) N-body, a method that computes the gravitational force between the current star and every other star in the galaxy and the central mass. The N-body approach is very slow. Both methods gave the essentially the same results but nearest neighbor is much faster and capable of using more stars. Five different calculations were run for the Andromeda galaxy. Nearest neighbor with dark matter, without dark matter, and less dark matter using 4400 stars, and N-body with and without dark matter using 520 stars. Two other galaxies NGC 2403 and NGC 3198 were also modeled using 4400 stars with dark matter. From these simulations I was able to successfully match the experimental data measured for Andromeda, NGC 2403 and 3198. My results show that dark matter is needed to maintain a stable galaxy. Dark matter also causes the galaxy to rotate much faster so that the rotational velocity …


It has previously been shown that adult schistosomes excite an immune response in the rhesus monkey but do not themselves succumb to this response. Furthermore, schistosomes are known to persist in the blood of man and experimental animals for long periods. These findings point to the evolution of a special mechanism for circumventing the immune defences of the host. The present paper sets out evidence which suggests that this mechanism involves the incorporation of host antigens at the surface of the adult worm. When adult worms, which had been grown in mice ('mouse worms'), were transferred into the hepatic portal systems of normal monkeys, a large proportion (84 %) were recovered alive 1 to 6 weeks later. Worms recovered after 1 week were pale and shrunken and the females had ceased egg production; worms recovered after 6 weeks were normal and egg production had been resumed. Evidently, the transferred worms find difficulty at first in adapting to their new host species, but in time they are able to adapt fully. In contrast, when mouse worms were transferred to monkeys previously immunized against normal mouse tissues (anti-mouse monkeys), very few of these worms survived. Indeed, when the monkeys were immunized against mouse spleen and liver cells or erythrocytes, combined with Freund's complete adjuvant, the transferred mouse worms were completely destroyed. This result indicates that the worms grown in mice had mouse antigens closely associated with them, and that on transfer to anti-mouse monkeys, the worms were destroyed by the ensuing immunological reaction. This immunity was passively transferred to normal monkeys by means of serum; thus the immunity is largely antibody-mediated. Most of the mouse worms died between 7 and 25 h after transfer. The immune reaction was directed mainly against the tegument of the worm, causing breaks in the plasma membrane and vacuolation and subsequent degeneration of the underlying syncytium. The mixed agglutination reaction and the use of a ferritin-labelled antiserum combined with electron microscopy confirmed that host antigens were located at the surface of the worm. The antigens appear to be host species-specific; worms which were grown in monkeys or libyan jirds survived normally when transferred to anti-mouse monkeys. There is evidence that the antigens may readily be exchanged between host and parasites. Mouse worms which were transferred to a normal monkey and then transferred after 7 days to an anti-mouse monkey survived as well as monkey worms. Evidently the mouse worms had lost their mouse antigens during this period, perhaps exchanging them for monkey antigens. Three days in a normal monkey was not sufficient, however, for all of the mouse worms to lose their mouse antigens. It is suggested that these host antigens are synthesized by the host, but that they become firmly bound to or incorporated in the tegument. It is conceivable that these antigens serve to disguise the worms as host tissue, thus preventing their rejection by the immune defences of the host. This hypothesis provides an explanation for the apparent anomalies, referred to earlier: the insusceptibility of adult worms to the immune response which they are known to provoke, and their long persistence in the blood, an immunologically hostile environment.


The point-particle-like Hamiltonian of a biaxial spin particle with external magnetic field along the hard axis is obtained in terms of the potential field description of spin systems with exact spin-coordinate correspondence. The Zeeman energy term turns out to be an effective gauge potential which leads to a nonintegrable phase of the Euclidean Feynman propagator. The phase interference between clockwise and anticlockwise under barrier propagations is recognized explicitly as the Aharonov-Bohm effect. An additional phase which is significant for quantum phase interference is discovered with the quantum theory of spin systems in addition to the known phase obtained with the semiclassical treatment of spin. We also show the energy dependence of the effect and obtain the tunneling splitting at excited states with the help of periodic instantons.


OBJECTIVE
To study the role of shared epitope (SE) susceptibility genes, alone and in combination with tobacco smoking and other environmental risk factors, for risk of subtypes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) defined by the presence or absence of serum antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCPs).

METHODS
To address these issues, a nationwide case-control study was conducted in Denmark during 2002-2004, comprising incident cases of RA or patients with recently diagnosed RA (309 seropositive and 136 seronegative for IgG antibodies against CCP) and 533 sex- and age-matched population controls. Associations were evaluated by logistic regression analyses, in which odds ratios (ORs) served as measures of relative risk.

RESULTS
Compared with individuals without SE susceptibility genes, SE homozygotes had an elevated risk of anti-CCP-positive RA (OR 17.8, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 10.8-29.4) but not anti-CCP-negative RA (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.53-2.18). Strong combined gene-environment effects were observed, with markedly increased risks of anti-CCP-positive RA in SE homozygotes who were heavy smokers (OR 52.6, 95% CI 18.0-154), heavy coffee drinkers (OR 53.3, 95% CI 15.5-183), or oral contraceptive users (OR 44.6, 95% CI 15.2-131) compared with SE noncarriers who were not exposed to these environmental risk factors.

CONCLUSION
Persons who are homozygous for SE susceptibility genes, notably those who are also exposed to environmental risk factors, have a markedly and selectively increased risk of anti-CCP-positive RA. A distinction between anti-CCP-positive RA and anti-CCP-negative RA seems warranted, because these RA subtypes most likely represent etiologically distinct disease entities.


An efficient method is presented for calculating one‐dimensional solute transport through the vadose zone in the presence of vertically distributed root water and solute uptake. The method is based on an analytical solution of the convective transport equation, which is solved by the method of characteristics. The solution requires a time‐invariant leaching fraction, and assumes that transport occurs by convection alone; that is, hydrodynamic dispersion and molecular diffusion are neglected. From this solution, two variables of practical importance are calculated, (i) the average solute concentration in the root zone, weighted by the root distribution, and (ii) the cumulative solute flux to the groundwater. Model parameters are related to water management, crop type, and soil type, through the following parameters: leaching fraction, root distribution, and soil hydraulic properties. Simulation results are presented for both downward and upward flow scenarios. Simulations with a nonuniform moisture profile indicate that nearly identical results are obtained by replacing the profile by a uniform moisture content equal to the arithmetic average or the uptake‐weighted average moisture content, so that closed‐form analytical expressions for travel time and travel depth can be obtained. A sensitivity analysis of the relevant model parameters shows that solute concentrations are largely determined by the magnitude of the effective water application ratio, defined by the fraction of infiltrated water that is removed by evapotranspiration. We present suggestions of how dispersive mixing and temporal changes in leaching fraction are readily incorporated into the current model. Although potentially simplistic, the presented methodology can be extremely useful for longer‐term and field‐to‐regional scale characterization of contaminant movement.


PURPOSE We report the first 5-year follow-up of any first-line phase III immunotherapy trial for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). KEYNOTE-024 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02142738) is an open-label, randomized controlled trial of pembrolizumab compared with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated NSCLC with a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score of at least 50% and no sensitizing EGFR or ALK alterations. Previous analyses showed pembrolizumab significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). METHODS Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to pembrolizumab (200 mg once every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles) or platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients in the chemotherapy group with progressive disease could cross over to pembrolizumab. The primary end point was progression-free survival; OS was a secondary end point. RESULTS Three hundred five patients were randomly assigned: 154 to pembrolizumab and 151 to chemotherapy. Median (range) time from randomization to data cutoff (June 1, 2020) was 59.9 (55.1-68.4) months. Among patients initially assigned to chemotherapy, 99 received subsequent anti–PD-1 or PD-L1 therapy, representing a 66.0% effective crossover rate. Median OS was 26.3 months (95% CI, 18.3 to 40.4) for pembrolizumab and 13.4 months (9.4-18.3) for chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.81). Kaplan-Meier estimates of the 5-year OS rate were 31.9% for the pembrolizumab group and 16.3% for the chemotherapy group. Thirty-nine patients received 35 cycles (ie, approximately 2 years) of pembrolizumab, 82.1% of whom were still alive at data cutoff (approximately 5 years). Toxicity did not increase with longer treatment exposure. CONCLUSION Pembrolizumab provides a durable, clinically meaningful long-term OS benefit versus chemotherapy as first-line therapy for metastatic NSCLC with PD-L1 tumor proportion score of at least 50%.


A Holocene record of vegetation change is presented from the island of Mua, Torres Strait, Australia. Pollen analysis, charcoal analysis, stratigraphic changes and radiocarbon dating of two coastal and one inland sediment core provide evidence of vegetation cover and fire occurrence for the period 7000 years BP to present. The study shows Rhizophora-dominated mangrove encroaching on the coastal lowlands of Mua, periodically displacing non-mangrove taxa between 7000 and 6000 years BP until the establishment of an extensive mangrove forest after 6000 years BP. The timing of mangrove decline and pattern of coastal plain, including swamp, development is site specific, beginning after 3000 years BP. Inland and eucalypt woodland has persisted through the last 7000 years with pollen evidence demonstrating little change in structure or composition. Freshwater swamp expansion and permanency, however, is restricted to the late Holocene, and charcoal counts signal an increase in island burning within the last 1000 years. Changes in Holocene vegetation on Mua are interpreted as the result of post-glacial marine transgression and stabilisation followed by on-shore human influences.


Efficiently reducing natural hazard risks requires a thorough understanding of the costs of natural hazards. Current methods to assess these costs employ a variety of terminologies and approaches for different types of natural hazards and different impacted sectors. This may impede efforts to ascertain comprehensive and comparable cost figures. In order to strengthen the role of cost assessments in the development of integrated natural hazard management, a review of existing cost assessment approaches was undertaken. This review considers droughts, floods, coastal and Alpine hazards, and examines different cost types, namely direct tangible damages, losses due to business interruption, indirect damages, intangible effects, and the costs of risk mitigation. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art cost assessment approaches and discusses key knowledge gaps. It shows that the application of cost assessments in practice is often incomplete and biased, as direct costs receive a relatively large amount of attention, while intangible and indirect effects are rarely considered. Furthermore, all parts of cost assessment entail considerable uncertainties due to insufficient or highly aggregated data sources, along with a lack of knowledge about the processes leading to damage and thus the appropriate models required. Recommendations are provided on how to reduce or handle these uncertainties by improving data sources and cost assessment methods. Further recommendations address how risk dynamics due to climate and socio-economic change can be better considered, how costs are distributed and risks transferred, and in what ways cost assessment can function as part of decision support.


Describes the conception, development and implementation of the Corporate Services Corps (CSC), an international community service assignment for high-potential IBM employees. The year 2008 was the pilot year of the CSC program, and 100 of IBM's best global employees were deployed to work for local partners, frequently non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in locations such as Ghana, Tanzania, Romania, Philippines and Vietnam. The case provides data for students to assess the first year of operation and recommend what changes IBM should make to the program moving forward. Also considered is how the CSC fits into IBM's broader corporate citizenship portfolio and IBM's globalization strategy.


The report provides a breakdown of lighting fixtures market in 13 Central-Eastern European countries by segment (Consumer and Professional lighting fixtures market), by products and applications and by light source (LED and traditional sources). Countries covered: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Plus a focus on international trade of lighting fixtures and comparison with selected country indicators for 5 countries of the Balkan Peninsula. Sales data and market shares for over 100 CE European and International players operating in this area and country data updated to 2017. Activity trend, international trade, product trends: 2012-2017. Macroeconomic forecasts up to 2019. Data on consumer residential lighting are broken down by style (traditional, modern, design), while data on architectural commercial lighting are broken down by kind of product (downlights recessed lighting, tubes systems tracks, linear lighting strips, high bays, floor and table lamps, chandeliers for commercial spaces, projectors spotlights, wall washers, LED panels) and application (hospitality, office, retail, art and museums, entertainment, schools and infrastructures). Industrial lighting consists of lighting for industrial sites, healthcare lighting, weather resistant and explosion-proof lighting, emergency lighting, marine lighting. Outdoor lighting includes residential outdoor lighting, lighting for urban landscape, lighting for streets and major roads, area campus lighting, lighting for tunnels and galleries, Christmas and special events lighting. A financial analysis is based on a sample of over 150 CE European companies active in the lighting sector, and includes profitability ratios (EBITDA, EBIT, ROI, ROE), structure ratios, employment data and per employees ratios. The analysis of lighting fixtures distribution channels in Central-Eastern Europe covers: direct sales and contract, specialist lighting stores, furniture stores and chains, department stores, wholesalers, DIY stores, e-commerce. A breakdown of lighting fixtures sales by distribution channel is available for most of the main companies. A breakdown of lighting fixtures exports and imports for each Central-Eastern European Country considered is provided by country and by geographical area of destination and origin, also considering the performance of the main CE European companies on extra CEE markets (Western Europe, Russia and other CIS Countries, Middle East, Africa, Americas, Asia and Pacific). Lighting fixtures sales by product (consumer residential lighting, architectural commercial lighting, industrial lighting and outdoor lighting) and by CE European country of destination are provided for the major local and International companies operating in this market. Market shares and short profiles are also included. Addresses of about 130 CE European lighting fixtures manufacturers are also provided.


Introduction. The quantitative assessment of the housing policy effectiveness in the context of the solving of a housing problem gives the possibility to estimate governments programs and tools in the given area and choose the most efficient of them.Purpose. Given the lack of the scientific papers devoted quantitative assessments of housing policy, the main purpose of the given article is developing of approach for the numerical estimation the housing policy effectiveness considering the complexity and variety tools which are simultaneously used by the government to solve the housing problem.Results. Proposed four-level model of the state housing policy allows maximally consider the complexity and ambiguity of the problems which must be solved in housing sphere and takes into account market development (economic efficiency) and performance of the government non-market tools (social efficiency). Using this approach, the effectiveness in 2015 only 14.29% (maximal value 100%) and decreasing trend of the housing policy in Ukraine within 2011-2015 have been received (the effectiveness was 35.7%). The main problems in housing policy in Ukraine were determined as increasing the gap between building activities and possibilities to use of the market and non-market tools to solve housing problems by citizens. Basing on received results concluded that housing policy in the UK has the higher effectiveness than in Ukraine.Conclusions. The main problem of housing policy in Ukraine was determined as the inconsistency ofthe positive trend inbuilding activity and solving the housing problems of neediest.Received results show that experience and the practical tools which are used in the UK within housing policy will be useful to explore and implementation by Ukraine's Government. Of particular interest are the instruments of transfer of new social and private homes to rent to citizens with limited resources.


Construction is a projectised industry. One of the important resource requirements for construction projects is the availability of an operational workforce for its physical production. Hence, the operational workforce is a critical deciding factor in the success and failure of construction projects.

The construction sector in Sri Lanka is suffering from a shortage of a required operational workforce for its physical operations even though the unemployment rate in Sri Lanka is about 5.2%. Research has further highlighted that "work" and "pay" are only the surface factors, hiding underneath them (Similar to an iceberg) are a multitude of different problems and the psychological needs of the workers. In addition to the shortage, there is a lack of an organised structure for human resources, which delivers time, cost and quality related behavioural constraints within the construction industry of Sri Lanka since circa the 1980's.

The aim of the research is to develop a sustainable framework for a lifelong social security system for the operational workforce of the construction industry in Sri Lanka without increasing the prevailing construction costs. The hypothesis is the minimising of resource wastages and behavioural impacts of current practices and the introduction a secured future life through a new system of lifelong social security [PR/SS] for the operational workforce. It is anticipated that the finances required for providing a social security system can be salvaged from the recovery values of material and time wastages and the demand and supply impacts generated as repercussions from the behavioural practices of the current operational workforce.

The research instruments used for gathering primary and secondary data for evaluating the financial impacts of behavioural constraints were a questionnaire survey and audited financial statements. About 400 questionnaires (That were premeditated to calculate the finical impacts of the social behaviors of the construction operatives via 'degree of importance' and 'relative important index') were distributed to higher management of contracting organisations in Sri Lanka. A further request was made to the contracting organisations to provide audited statements for the past five years.

From the research, it was identified that the unavailability of a human resources structure is a major constraint for the construction industry in Sri Lanka. Salvaged finances that could derive from the removal of the transitional layers of risk multiplication and the removal of the behavioural constraints of the construction operatives are sufficient to finance a lifelong social security system for themselves. Based on the research findings, a framework for the Building Forces of Sri Lanka [BFSL] was developed to overcome from the interim thinking pattern of the current construction operatives. In the current system, contracting organisations are not capable of providing the required training for the operatives. With the implementation of BFSL alongside the strong intervention from statutory organisations, a trained operational workforce can be developed to face any situation within the construction arena in Sri Lanka.