With >4,000 biomedical journals currently available, and more being added seemingly every month, one of the most overwhelming and daunting tasks for any health professional is to stay current with the literature. A welcomed lifeline has been the World Class Parasites series of publications that have made this challenge much easier to manage. The latest text (Volume 11), Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses: Fish and Plant-Borne Parasites, is a superb addition to this series. Murrell and Fried have brought together a stellar group of contributors in a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the helminthic zoonoses that are transmitted through fish and plant consumption. Given that the distribution and effect of these zoonoses remain woefully underappreciated, they are deserving of the justifiable attention brought by this book.

The first 9 chapters provide a thorough discussion of intestinal, liver, and lung flukes; fish-borne tapeworms; and tissue nematodes. Two superb chapters on immunologic aspects and molecular epidemiology of these parasites complete the text. There is much to extol in this volume. In an era of justifiable focus on molecular biology and genetics, it is heartening to see the broad-based and integrated approach taken by the editors and collaborators. This approach successfully accomplishes the stated objective of the editors to "… celebrate the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research." The chapters are clearly written and well organized with a balance of both classic, historic articles as well as important recent work.

The editors and authors have obviously made a priority of ensuring that the material is widely accessible to scientists and health professionals in diverse disciplines. They have presented detailed information on the biology, life cycles, natural history, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and control of the agents or infections discussed. Current diagnostic techniques are thoroughly addressed. Insightful discussion is provided at the end of each chapter on current gaps in knowledge and research needs that offers a coherent roadmap for future studies. The chapter on intestinal capillariasis by Cross and Belizario is particularly noteworthy. Abundant images of exceptional quality are included and this adds substantially to the text. More color images would have been of value, but they may have made the text prohibitively expensive. Some chapters could have had additional discussion of epidemiologic aspects and a few typos can be found, but these do not diminish the value of this outstanding work.

Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses: Fish and Plant-Borne Parasites is a text of exceptional quality that should have broad appeal and utility for health professionals, researchers, medical and public health students, and policy makers. Given the increasing interest in neglected tropical diseases, this book is a timely and commendable work that will promote efforts to reduce the effects of these parasitic agents.


For all his profound interest in Secondness and its manifestation in various kinds of indices, including deictics, Peirce rarely addresses the inter-pronominal relationships. Whilst the American founder of semiotics would designate languageas a whole to Thirdness, only within the larger framework of which deictics can work, the German philosopher Cassirer observes that "what characterizes the very first spatial terms that we find in language is their embracing of a definite 'deictic' function". For Cassirer the significance of pronominals, especially the I-Thou relationship, lies in its impact on the development of spatial concept that lays the foundation of symbolic forms. It may look strange why the "designatives" of I, Thou, He, in Peirce's own terms, so obvious in their categorial and empirical differentiation, should fail to be reduceable to the triad of Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness. It is interesting, however, that in his 1906 correspondence with Lady Welby, Peirce should refer to the strange " Communicational Interpretant", or "the Cominterpretant , which is a determination of that mind into which the minds of utterer and interpreter have to be fused in order that any communication should take place". Peirce asserts that this communication of a Form, say, being in love, is made possible by sign. This paper discusses Peirce's and Cassirer's references to deictics or indexical sign, in particular, inter-personal relationships, in light of Benveniste's concept of discourse, and probes into a possible subtext underlying the Peirce-Welby correspondence.


Contrary to the classical position, the works of Prebisch and Singer in the middle of the last century launched the controversial hypothesis of a long-term decline in the terms of trade of primary products visá-vis manufactures and a corresponding decline in the terms of trade of the developing countries vis-á-vis the advanced ones. The present study traces the origin and evolution of the hypothesis and reviews the related statistical debate. It also reviews the theoretical support for the Prebisch-Singer hypothesis. It's an exercise in the history of economic thought to trace how the controversies surrounding the terms of trade have evolved over time, specifically noting that with the development in the field of econometrics, the central thesis of the argument got somewhere lost in the realm of hi-tech statistical debates.


[1] We present a new top-down approach that spatially constrains the amount of aerosol emissions using satellite (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) observed radiances with the adjoint of a chemistry transport model (GEOS-Chem). This paper aims to demonstrate the approach through applying it to a case study that yields the following emission estimates over China for April 2008: 1.73 Tg for SO2, 0.72 Tg for NH3, 1.38 Tg for NOx, 0.10 Tg for black carbon, and 0.18 Tg for organic carbon from anthropogenic sources, which reflects, respectively, a reduction of 33.5%, 34.5%, 18.8%, 9.1%, and 15% in comparison to the prior bottom-up inventories of INTEX-B 2006. The mineral dust emission from the online dust entrainment and mobilization module is reduced by 56.4% of 19.02 to 8.30 Tg. Compared to the prior simulation, the posterior simulation shows a much better agreement with the following independent measurements: aerosol optical depth (AOD) measured by AERONET sun-spectrophotometers and retrieved from Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), atmospheric NO2 and SO2 columnar amount retrieved from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and in situ data of sulfate-nitrate-ammonium and PM10 (particular matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 mm) mass concentrations over both anthropogenic pollution and dust source regions. Assuming the bottom-up (prior) anthropogenic emissions are the best estimates for their base year of 2006, the overwhelming reduction in the posterior (top-down) estimate indicates less emission in April 2008 especially for the SO2 tracer in the central and eastern parts of China, and/or an overestimation in the prior emission. The former is supported by the AOD change detected by MODIS and MISR sensors, while the latter is likely the case for NOx and NH3 emissions because no evidence shows that their atmospheric concentration has declined over China. With the promising results shown in this study, continuous efforts are needed toward a holistic and comprehensive inversion of emission using multisensor remote sensing data (of trace gases and aerosols) for constraining aerosol primary and precursor emissions at various temporal and spatial scales.


The doctrinal methodology is in a period of change and transition. Realising that the scope of the doctrinal method is too constricting, academic lawyers are becoming eclectic in their use of research method. In this transitional time, legal scholars are increasingly infusing evidence (and methods) from other disciplines into their reasoning to bolster their reform recommendations.This article considers three examples of the interplay of the discipline of law with other disciplines in the pursuit of law reform. First, the article reviews studies on the extent of methodologies and reformist frameworks in PhD research in Australia. Second, it analyses a "snapshot" of recently published Australian journal articles on criminal law reform. Third, it focuses on the law reform commissions, those independent government committees that play such an important role in law reform in common law jurisdictions.This examination demonstrates that while the doctrinal core of legal scholarship remains intact, legal scholars are endeavouring to accommodate statistics, comparative perspectives, social science evidence and methods, and theoretical analysis, within the legal research framework, in order to provide additional ballast to the recommendations for reform.


This thesis contributes to the paucity of marketing research into the area of internal marketing. Drawing from knowledge developed in a diverse range of marketing and management literatures, the domaill of internal marketing is clarified Gild a new concept, internal market orientation is developed. A new instrument, measuring the internal market orientation, is developed and subjected to standard scale development procedures. Six dimensions of the construct are confirmed; collegial interaction, group interaction, jorlllal interaction, external envirollment, wage flexibility and job flexibility. A sample of 766 UK retail store managers are surveyed to identify levels of internal market orientation and external market orientation in large UK multi-product, multi-site retailers and the structural relationships between internal market orientation, extemal market orientation alld company performance are examined. The external market orientation construct is applied to the local retail market and established measurement instruments adapted to this pwpose. Three measures of performance are employed ill this study. The structural relationships between the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are examined employing structural equations methodology, using LISREL 8.3. alld the impact of internal market orientation Oil external market orientation and company performance is measured. The study finds no direct link between internal market orientation and financial performance but does identify the moderated role of internal market orientation on financial performance. Significant relationships between three of the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are identified and the impact of internal market orientation on the retention of employees and their behaviour is also identified. The research findings contribute to marketing theory by providing empirical evidence to support the long held assumption that internal marketing has an impact on marketing success and offers an explanation of the mechanism by which this influence operates. For marketing practitioners, the research findings offer additional information on which services marketing strategies may be formulated.


Geosynthetic reinforcement in earth structures has been used extensively over the last two decades. Extensive research has been carried out to investigate solutions to enhance the lateral stability of pile foundations. This research is motivated by the need to install piles in sites characterized by soft subsurface soil conditions, and often times, in seismic active areas. This research work explores an innovative use of geosynthetics to enhance the lateral performance of pile foundations. The static and seismic soil-structure-interaction behaviors of geosynthetics-reinforced pile foundation systems were evaluated using a series of reduced scale physical model tests performed on a shaking table in a 1G environment. A laminar shear box containing a pile foundation model supporting a single degree of freedom structure installed in different soil bed models was used in the experiments. The soil models included: a layer of synthetic clay (Modified Glyben) underlain by a sand layer (simulating a base case of soft soil); a layer of synthetic clay sandwiched between a sand layer and an aggregate layer (simulating the case of conventional ground replacement for the top soft soil); and a layer of synthetic clay sandwiched between a sand layer and a geosynthetic-reinforced aggregate layer (simulating the case of ground replacement of the top soft soil combined with geosynthetic reinforcement using a microgrid mesh). A series of sine-sweep, harmonic and scaled earthquake tests have been performed to identify the amplification and resonance conditions of the foundation system and to identify various aspects of seismic-soil-pile-geosynthetic reinforcement interaction effects. Lateral static load tests of this system were performed using a one directional load system that was fixed on the laminar shear box. The dynamic and static tests were simulated employing numerical models developed using the finite element program Plaxis 3D. The results of both static and dynamic tests showed that the microgrid reinforcement improved the lateral performance of the pile foundation and reduced the vibration amplitudes of the supported structure. The numerical analysis results were in close agreement with the dynamic and static experimental results. The results of a parametric study for the investigated foundation configuration and seismic loading demands showed that the requirements for engineered backfill can be reduced by more than 50% and the lateral seismic response can be reduced by 50% by using geosynthetic reinforcement.


This paper proposes a stochastic hybrid dynamic model of the queue-length at a signalized intersection. The flow rate along with traffic light variables are used to define the evolution of the queue-lengths and it evolves as a piecewise linear function, being the integral of the difference between arrival and departure rate; these arrival and departure rates are described by stochastic AR model with mode-dependent parameters. The mode changes are modeled by a first order 2 or 3-state Markov process. The traffic flow rate is described using a mode-dependent first autoregressive (AR) stochastic process. The technique is applied to actual traffic flow data from the city of Jakarta, Indonesia and synthetic data from VISSIM traffic simulator. The model thus obtained via EM parameter estimation is validated by using the online particle filter. This technique can be useful and practical for periodically updating the parameters of hybrid model leading to an adaptive traffic flow state estimator as crucial part for the synthesis of traffic light control.


Multidimensional complex optical potentials with partial parity-time (PT) symmetry are proposed. The usual PT symmetry requires that the potential is invariant under complex conjugation and simultaneous reflection in all spatial directions. However, we show that if the potential is only partially PT symmetric, i.e., it is invariant under complex conjugation and reflection in a single spatial direction, then it can also possess all-real spectra and continuous families of solitons. These results are established analytically and corroborated numerically.


The mdx mouse is widely used as a model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal X-linked disease caused by a deficiency of the sub-sarcolemmal protein, dystrophin. This dissertation reports characterisation of the features of dystrophy in the mdx mouse, including parameters such as electrophysiological and contractile properties of dystrophic cardiac tissue, quantitative evaluation of kyphosis throughout the mdx lifespan, and contractile properties of respiratory and paraspinal muscles. Following these characterisation studies, the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) to induce alternative mRNA splicing in mdx skeletal muscles (diaphragm and paraspinal muscles) was evaluated. The left atria of younger ( 15 months) mdx mice showed consistently lower basal forces and responsiveness to increased calcium, while action potential duration was significantly shorter in young mice (3 weeks) and older mice (9 and 12 months) (P<0.05). Cardiac fibrosis increased with age in mdx atria and ventricles and was elevated in young (6-8 weeks) and old (15 months) mdx compared to control mice (P<0.01). This study provided insights into DMD cardiomyopathy, and suggested that very young or old mdx mice provide the most useful models. Mdx mice show thoracolumbar kyphosis like boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. A novel radiographic index, the Kyphotic Index (KI), was developed and showed that mdx mice are significantly more kyphotic from 9 months of age, an effect maintained until 17 months (P<0.05). At 17 months, the paraspinal and respiratory muscles (latissimus dorsi, diaphragm and intercostal muscles) are significantly weaker and more fibrotic (P<0.05). Administration of AOs at four sites within the diaphragm at 4 and 5 months of age significantly increased twitch and tetanic forces compared to sham treated mdx (P<0.05). However, no difference in collagen was evident and dystrophin was not detected, possibly due to the low concentration of AO utilised. This study suggested that AOs can provide functional improvement in treated skeletal muscles. Monthly injections with AOs into the paraspinal muscles from 2 months to 18 months of age alleviated kyphosis, without significantly altering twitch and tetanic forces of latissimus dorsi, diaphragm and intercostal muscles. There was evidence of less fibrosis in diaphragm and latissimus dorsi muscles (P<0.05) and reduced central nucleation of the latissimus dorsi and intercostal muscles (P<0.05). Again, dystrophin was not detected by immunoblot. These studies indicate that very young and old mdx mice display previously uncharacterised dystrophic features, and are useful models for testing new therapies such as AOs. Low doses of AOs were shown to be safe and efficacious for long-term use, however there remains a need for testing higher concentrations and improved delivery strategies.


In pain research, it has been assumed that most nociceptive neurons are polymodal, responding to different damaging stimuli by means of a repertoire of cell surface receptors specialized for the detection of particular types of insult. Attempts to ascribe pain modalities and behavior to individual sensory neuron receptors have been problematic, probably because of the existence of multiple damage-sensing molecules. Now, however, by genetically ablating subsets of nociceptors, followed by behavioral and electrophysiological assays, Abrahamsen et al. have found that sensory neurons expressing a specific type of sodium channel (Nav1.8) have a modality-specific function in pain transmission. Nav1.8-expressing sensory neurons are essential for cold, mechanical, and inflammatory pain behavior. Strikingly, neuropathic and heat pain behavior do not require Nav1.8-expressing neurons. B. Abrahamsen, J. Zhao, C. O. Asante, C. M. Cendan, S. Marsh, J. P. Martinez-Barbera, M. A. Nassar, A. H. Dickenson, J. N. Wood, The cell and molecular basis of mechanical, cold, and inflammatory pain. Science 321, 702-705 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and tolerability of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using polyethylene glycol (PEG) drug-elutable microspheres loaded with doxorubicin for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Forty-two patients with unresectable HCC, as determined by a tumor board, were assigned to undergo TACE and were treated with PEG drug-elutable embolics loaded with doxorubicin. Patients were prospectively enrolled and included 32 (76%) men and 10 (24%) women. Their median age was 65 years (range, 42-83 years). Patients were treated with 50 mg of doxorubicin loaded in 2 mL of PEG embolics (mean [± SD] diameter, 100 ± 25 µm) that were infused via a chemoembolization method. Data collected included previous cancer therapy, tumor size, number of lesions, history of TACE, tumor response (at 1, 3, and 6 months), type and intensity of adverse events, and quality of life (QOL) analysis.

RESULTS
One month after TACE, the overall tumor response rate was 79% (50% complete response, 29% partial response, 17% stable disease, and 5% progressive disease). At 3 months, the rates were 48% for complete response, 24% for partial response, 24% for stable disease, and 3% for progressive disease. At 6 months, the rates were 43% for complete response, 19% for partial response, 29% for stable disease, and 10% for progressive disease. TACE was well tolerated by all patients, with no evidence of procedure-related complications or systemic drug-related adverse events. Fever (33%), increase in transaminase level (17%), and pain (33%) were the most frequent adverse events, and their intensity was mostly mild (grades 1 and 2). The QOL scores were 80 at 1 month, 81 at 3 months, and 82 at 6 months after TACE.

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that PEG embolics are efficacious and safe for the treatment of HCC, as indicated by their good tolerability, QOL scores, and high tumor response.


This thesis studies electron spin phenomena in lateral semi-conductor quantum dots/anti-dots and electron conductance in graphene nanoribbons by numerical modelling. In paper I we have investigated spin-dependent transport through open quantum dots, i.e., dots strongly coupled to their leads, within the Hubbard model. Results in this model were found consistent with experimental data and suggest that spin-degeneracy is lifted inside the dot – even at zero magnetic field. Similar systems were also studied with electron-electron effects incorporated via Density Functional Theory (DFT) in the Local Spin Density Approximation (LSDA) in paper II and III. In paper II we found a significant spin-polarisation in the dot at low electron densities. As the electron density increases the spin polarisation in the dot gradually diminishes. These findings are consistent with available experimental observations. Notably, the polarisation is qualitatively different from the one found in the Hubbard model. Paper III investigates spin polarisation in a quantum wire with a realistic external potential due to split gates and a random distribution of charged donors. At low electron densities we recover spin polarisation and a metalinsulator transition when electrons are localised to electron lakes due to ragged potential profile from the donors. In paper IV we propose a spin-filter device based on resonant backscattering of edge states against a quantum anti-dot embedded in a quantum wire. A magnetic field is applied and the spin up/spin down states are separated through Zeeman splitting. Their respective resonant states may be tuned so that the device can be used to filter either spin in a controlled way. Paper V analyses the details of low energy electron transport through a magnetic barrier in a quantum wire. At sufficiently large magnetisation of the barrier the conductance is pinched off completely. Furthermore, if the barrier is sharp we find a resonant reflection close to the pinch off point. This feature is due to interference between a propagating edge state and quasibond state inside the magnetic barrier. Paper VI adapts an efficient numerical method for computing the surface Green's function in photonic crystals to graphene nanoribbons (GNR). The method is used to investigate magnetic barriers in GNR. In contrast to quantum wires, magnetic barriers in GNRs cannot pinch-off the lowest propagating state. The method is further applied to study edge dislocation defects for realistically sized GNRs in paper VII. In this study we conclude that even modest edge dislocations are sufficient to explain both the energy gap in narrow GNRs, and the lack of dependance on the edge structure for electronic properties in the GNRs.


The IMOTION system is a multimodal content-based video search and browsing application offering a rich set of query modes on the basis of a broad range of different features. It is able to scale with the size of the collection due to its underlying flexible polystore called ADAMpro and its very effective retrieval engine Cineast, optimized for multi-feature fusion. IMOTION is simultaneously geared towards precision-focused searches, i.e., known-item search with image or text queries, and recall-focused, exploratory searches. In this demo, we will present the 2017 IMOTION system deployed on the IACC.3 collection consisting of 600 hours of Internet Archive video, which was also used in the TRECVID 2016 Ad-Hoc Video Search and in the 2017 Video Browser Showdown (VBS) challenge in which IMOTION ranked first. Conference attendees will have the chance to interact with the 2017 IMOTION system and quickly solve various retrieval tasks.


The implementation of chiral iodine catalysis has tremendously been developed in the field of asymmetric synthesis over the past decade. It enables the stereoselective creation of C-O as well as C-C, C-N and C-X (X = halogen) bonds through oxidative transformations. Thanks to the low toxicity and ease of handling of iodine compounds, this strategy offers many advantages over classical metal-catalyzed oxidations with chiral ligands. The approaches rely on iodine(i/iii) or (-i/+i) catalysis by using a chiral aryliodine or ammonium iodide respectively in combination with a suitable terminal oxidant. As such, the design of iodine compounds with central, axial or even planar chirality has allowed us to achieve high enantioselectivities. The goal of this review is to cover the different chiral iodine compound-catalyzed oxidative transformations including α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds, dearomatization of phenol derivatives and difunctionalization of alkenes which should demonstrate that iodine catalysis has now found its place in the realm of asymmetric organocatalysis.


The discrimination of complex auditory stimuli relies on the spatiotemporal structure of spike patterns arriving in the cortex. While recordings from auditory areas reveal that many neurons are highly selective to specific spatiotemporal stimuli, the mechanisms underlying this selectivity are unknown. Using computer simulations, we show that selectivity can emerge in neurons in an entirely unsupervised manner. The model is based on recurrently connected spiking neurons and synapses that exhibit short-term synaptic plasticity. During a developmental stage, spoken digits were presented to the network; the only type of long-term plasticity present was a form of homeostatic synaptic plasticity. From an initially unresponsive state, training generated a high percentage of neurons that responded selectively to individual digits. Furthermore, units within the network exhibited a cardinal feature of vocalization-sensitive neurons in vivo: differential responses between forward and reverse stimulus presentations. Direction selectivity deteriorated significantly, however, if short-term synaptic plasticity was removed. These results establish that a simple form of homeostatic plasticity is capable of guiding recurrent networks into regimes in which complex stimuli can be discriminated. In addition, one computational function of short-term synaptic plasticity may be to provide an inherent temporal asymmetry, thus contributing to the characteristic forward-reverse selectivity.


In Bostick and Drayton, the Supreme Court announced that per se rules were inappropriate in answering the Fourth Amendment seizure question, "Would a reasonable citizen feel free to leave?" But when, if ever, can one factor in a pedestrian encounter with police be so inherently coercive that it becomes dispositive? The D.C. and Fourth Circuits explicitly disagree over whether police retention of identification documents constitutes such a factor. The D.C. Circuit has held that such retention is a per se seizure because a citizen cannot feel free to leave when her documents are in police hands. In contrast, the Fourth Circuit rejected this reasoning on the grounds that a citizen can always demand the return of her documents. Contrary to its strong wording, however, the Supreme Court's rejection of per se rules is not so absolute, and in fact, per se rules do apply where single factors are inherently coercive. Two related areas of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence — traffic stops and voluntariness of consent — demonstrate that courts typically recognize this inherent coercion in police retention of documents. Further, the Fourth Circuit's approach fails to reflect accurately citizens' true feelings of restraint in these contexts, as explored in recent empirical studies. Instead, the D.C. Circuit's approach takes into account the power disparity present where police retain identification. Its per se rule not only clarifies the standard for courts but also creates clear conduct rules and places the burden of monitoring coercive force on the police, who are best equipped to do so.


The purpose of this investigation was to compare the prevalence of soft tissue disorders in the neck, arms and hands between packers doing repetitive work and shop assistants with variable tasks. One hundred and fifty-two female assembly-line packers in a food production factory and 133 female shop assistants were interviewed about their symptoms and given a clinical examination of the neck and upper extremities. The number of cases of tension neck, cervical syndrome, scalenus syndrome, and humeral epicondylitis did not differ significantly between the two groups. The prevalence of tenosynovitis and humeral tendinitis was significantly higher for the assembly-line packers. The packing work consisted of static muscle work by the arms, grasping and maximal extensions of the fingers, and lateral deviations of the wrists. The movements numbered up to 25,000/workday. A relationship between some work load factors and some disorders of the upper extremities is probable.


The addition of storage technologies such as lead-acid batteries, flow batteries, or heat storage can potentially improve the economic and environmental attractiveness of on-site generation such as PV, fuel cells, reciprocating engines or microturbines (with or without CHP), and can contribute to enhanced demand response. Preliminary analyses for a Californian nursing home indicate that storage technologies respond effectively to time-varying electricity prices, i.e., by charging batteries during periods of low electricity prices and discharging them during peak hours. While economic results do not make a compelling case for storage, they indicate that storage technologies significantly alter the residual load profile, which may lower carbon emissions as well as energy costs depending on the test site, its load profile, and DER technology adoption.


Ethiopia has one of the largest dry forest and woodland resource bases in the Horn of Africa, predominated by diverse Acacia, Boswellia, Commiphora, and Sterculia species, with an estimated annual production potential of over 300,000 tonnes of commercial gums and resins. However, until recently, less than 1% of this potential has been tapped and traded while the resource bases are degrading fast. Shortage of locality-specific case studies typifying the state of gum and resin production and marketing systems and nationwide socio-economic significance of the resources has delayed development of value-added commercialization of the commodities and integrated management of the resource bases. A study aimed at exploring the value chain of traded gums and resins and their contribution to rural livelihood and national economy was conducted in 11 purposively selected localities in five National Regional States within the major gum-belts in Ethiopia. Two major cities, central for product processing and marketing, were also assessed. A questionnaire survey was administered to 135 randomly selected households, and key stakeholder interviews, group discussions, and field observations were carried out following the value chain (from producers to exporters). Results showed that one or more of the seven gums and resins (frankincense, myrrh, opopanax, hagar, gum arabic, gum talha, and gum gumero) were produced and traded at the studied districts. While frankincense marketing dominated the northern part, gum arabic, myrrh, and opopanax are most popular in the south and southeastern part of the country. About 93% of the interviewed households engaged in collecting, marketing, or both activities. Gums and resins contributed up to 14% of the average annual cash income of the households. However, a significant difference ( P < 0.001) was found in the amount collected and income generated per household and locality. Strong correlation was observed between cash income from gums and resins and off-farm activities ( R = 0.74) and other types of non-timber forest products like honey ( R = 0.72, α = 0.01). However, weak correlation was observed between incomes from gums and resins and crop and livestock production. Despite the observed inefficient value chain, the gum and resin resources have considerable contributions to the national economy. For instance, the annual average revenue from three districts in Tigray National Regional State was USD 882,000 in 2010. Between 2002 and 2010, about 2,306 tonnes of different gums and resins were traded and average revenue of USD 3,220,542 was obtained in one district in the same region. At the national level, between 1997 and 2010 about 6,174 tonnes of gum arabic and about 33,865 tonnes of other gums and resins were exported, and more than USD 72 million were generated. Responding to what sort of institutional arrangement governs the value chain and use of gums and resins resources at the present situations, about 41% of the respondents asserted customary and national legal arrangements, while 56% mentioned alternative systems as means of conflict resolution. Key policy and development interventions that could enhance the socio-economic importance of the gum and resin value chain at the local and national levels, while also increasing responsibility and commitment towards long-term management of the resource bases, have been recommended.


The study focused on the specialised tarsal setae of tarantulas Avicularia metallica and Heteroscodra maculata, and the fibrous and non-fibrous material produced by them. When irritated spiders moved along smooth, perpendicularly-oriented glass walls not covered in silk, the claw tuft setae, located at the tips of the tarsal segments, left behind footprints containing two types of fibrous material. Using electron scanning microscopy, it was discovered that these represent fragments of parallelly oriented bundles of hollow fibres forming the shafts of the setae and their lateral branches (1), as well as clusters of contracted nanofibrils which aggregated at the ends of these fibres (2). During climbing, this fibrous material was detected both on the substratum on which the spiders were moving, and also on their claw tuft setae. The climbing activity of irritated tarantulas is also associated with the secretion of a fluid which dries on contact with air. This secretion acts as an adhesive and facilitates the movement of tarantulas on smooth surfaces, but while doing so it also glues together the distal, lamellar parts of the groups of setae which are in contact with the substratum during climbing. There are no such claw tuft setae morphological changes observed in undisturbed tarantulas, moving freely around their tube-like shelters and on the surfaces of objects covered with silk which they have produced. The sources of the air-drying secretion are probably the tubular fibres forming the shafts of pretarsal setae. The bundles of hollow fibres are an example of a system that produces secretions via a surficial pathway. The spinnerets and silk-producing glands associated with them, located in the opisthosoma, represent a system that produces silk via a systemic pathway. However, the results of observational studies have not confirmed the ability of tarantulas' feet to produce silk fibres of the same, or at least similar ultrastructure to that of the silk fibres produced by the activity of spinnerets and spinneret-associated silk glands.


Anaerobic digesters can provide renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure management. Government policies that encourage digester adoption by livestock operations include construction cost-share grants, renewable electricity subsidies, and carbon pricing (offset) programs. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these policies is not well understood. For the U.S. dairy sector, we compare predicted digester adoption rates, carbon emission reductions, renewable electricity generation and sales, and net returns and social benefits of several policies. We find that a carbon pricing policy provides the greatest net social benefit for a range of assumptions about the benefits of carbon reductions and renewable energy.


Recent developments in the biotechnology industries have resulted in production of large quantities of by-products with potential uses as soil amendments and as sources of nutrients for plant growth and development. Many of these by-products contain significant concentrations of organic and inorganic N that can be used by plants. This study evaluated, under greenhouse conditions, seven by-products produced by four biotechnology industries in Iowa for their N-supplying potentials to plants, and the results were compared with a conventional N fertilizer, urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN). Corn (Zea mays L.) was grown on three Iowa surface soils treated at eight rates of N ranging from 0 to 500 mg of total N pot -1 (1 kg of soil) and harvested after 34 d. Results showed that both dry matter and N yield increased with increasing the rate of N in the by-products applied to soil. Dry matter and N yield responses were similar among the three soils, but differed greatly among the by-products studied. The by-products FSL and FSG were superior N sources. Significant increases in dry matter and N yields were obtained by application of SMB, SS, Mycel, and HSOM. Among the seven by-products studied, PC was a poor N source for corn. The by-product HSOM was very acidic, and FSL and FSG contained high concentrations of NH 4 + . Addition of these by-products to soils decreased the soil pH with increasing application rate. Results showed that some biotechnology by-products are potential sources of N for plants and are useful as soil amendments.


This paper compares timing and key-velocity data collected from a skilled performance of Schubert9s G♭-major Impromptu (Opus 90) with a number of performances generated by a version of a musical expression algorithm proposed by Todd (1992). Regression analysis is used to demonstrate both the shortcomings of this model as a complete explanation of musical expression and how it might be more successfully used as a tool for analyzing data from real performances. Used in this second manner, the algorithm is shown to provide a general expressive baseline against which other aspects of expression may be highlighted. It is also suggested that such a baseline provides a method of decomposing performances into continuous and discrete forms of expression. It is concluded that using algorithmic models as heuristic tools, rather than as explanations in themselves, may better serve our increased understanding of the flexible and multiple nature of musical expression.


Fuzzy time series model is to solve the classical time series analysis methods can not deal with the fuzzy problem and the birth of. Along with the people to solve complex problems to be increasing, the research is more and more thorough, its application is more and more widely. From the theoretical model, establishing fuzzy relationship matrix, extraction and prediction rules and improve forecasting accuracy has been the focus of the study of fuzzy time series. A fuzzy time series model, C- AFS theory of fuzzy decision tree and based on evidence theory. Based on fuzzy decision tree and evidence theory in the introduction of AFS theory, C-, fuzzy time series model to determine the low prediction rules in the fuzzy relation, fuzzy time series combined with these three methods of forecasting model. The experimental results show that the generalized fuzzy time series model can best sum up the fuzzy sequence contains information which get the forecasting result comparison of similar model better


Ten Thousand Things explores the many forms of life, or, in ancient Chinese parlance "the ten thousand things" that life is and is becoming, in contemporary Beijing and beyond. Coauthored by an American anthropologist and a Chinese philosopher, the book examines the myriad ways contemporary residents of Beijing understand and nurture the good life, practice the embodied arts of everyday well-being, and in doing so draw on cultural resources ranging from ancient metaphysics to modern media. Farquhar and Zhang show that there are many activities that nurture life: practicing meditative martial arts among friends in a public park; jogging, swimming, and walking backward; dancing, singing, and keeping pet birds; connoisseurship of tea, wine, and food; and spiritual disciplines ranging from meditation to learning a foreign language. As ancient life-nurturing texts teach, the cultural practices that produce particular forms of life are generative in ten thousand ways: they "give birth to life and transform the transformations." This book attends to the patterns of city life, listens to homely advice on how to live, and interprets the great tradition of medicine and metaphysics. In the process, a manifold culture of the urban Chinese everyday emerges. The lives nurtured, gathered, and witnessed here are global and local, embodied and discursive, ecological and cosmic, civic and individual. The elements of any particular life -- as long as it lasts, and with some skill and determination -- can be gathered, centered, and harmonized with the way things spontaneously go. The result, everyone says, is pleasure.


The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and the Internet Engineering
Steering Group (IESG), the bodies which oversee architecture and
standards for the Internet, are concerned by the need for increased
protection of international commercial transactions on the Internet,
and by the need to offer all Internet users an adequate degree of
privacy. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.


OBJECTIVE National surveys have shown dramatic declines in the number of residents in state psychiatric hospitals since the 1950s and in the number of admissions since the 1970s. However, data from 2002 and 2005 indicate a reversal of these long-term trends. The objective of this study was to present the new data and to advocate for research on the factors contributing to these changes. METHODS This study is based on state-level data submitted annually to the Center for Mental Health Services. The 11 states showing increases in admissions and residents between 2002 and 2005 were surveyed by telephone about the factors leading to the changes. RESULTS Between 2002 and 2005, the number of admissions nationwide increased 21.1%, and the number of residents increased by 1.0%. State mental health agency staff attributed the increases principally to one factor-the increase in the number of forensic admissions and residents. Staff also identified increases in the number of admissions with schizophrenia (increased 23.2%) and affective disorders (increased 16.3%) as a second factor, plus declines in the availability of housing and community-based care providers. CONCLUSIONS The reversal of long-term trends may signal threats to the goal of community-based mental health care. Research is urgently needed to examine the factors associated with these increases. Potential factors to be investigated include the increase in the number of forensic admissions and the antecedents of this phenomenon, increases in the number of admissions with schizophrenia, the changing capacity of general hospital inpatient psychiatric services in the community, and changes in the demographic makeup of American society, reflected in an aging population and increased racial-ethnic diversity.


In this paper the author describes a new qualitative analytic technique that she has been perfecting across a range of health research studies. She describes the summative analysis method, which is a group, collaborative analytic technique that concentrates on consensus-building activities, illustrating its use within a study of Holocaust survivor testimony that aimed to clarify how health and well-being were presented in Holocaust testimonials and what that might reveal about professional perceptions of trauma suffering. The author contextualizes the four stages of summative analysis with data from one Holocaust survivor's health interviews. The Holocaust study is briefly described, as is the survivor's background and experiences during the war. The author reflects on the study data and offers examples of individual and group analysis exercises to represent the method in practice. The author concludes with a consideration of the wider uses and implications of summative analysis within health and social scientific contexts.


Fixed external shading devices, such as louvers, are widely used to combat solar gains that can lead to excessive overheating. External roller blinds, although commonly used in mainland Europe, are rarities in the UK. External roller blinds are retractable shading devices formed of horizontal slats that roll up into a casing above a window opening. They are a well-developed technology with distinct advantages over fixed external shading devices. When fully extended the blinds block solar radiation externally reducing heat gain in summer, in the winter they add thermal resistance and reduce heat loss through windows. Appropriate design and applications of external roller blinds have the potential to improve the sustainability of buildings. This paper reports on an on-going applied research project that investigates the effect of external roller blinds on the internal thermal environment and potential advantages to the sustainability of retrofitting office buildings in the UK. The first part of the paper describes a proof of concept study in which an in-situ external roller blind was installed in a 'test' room and its summertime thermal performance was compared with that of a 'control' room under the same external climatic conditions. Dynamic thermal analysis was carried out to establish the annual thermal performance of the blind, including impact on cooling and heating energy requirements. Associated annual carbon dioxide emissions were established and the blind was discovered to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 15% annually, majority of which is reduction in requirement for heating.The life cycle impact of the blind was investigated. Individual process contributing to the production, manufacture, decommissioning and transport of the blind were assessed in terms of their greenhouse gas emissions. Under the conditions of the concept study scenario and taking into account the recycle of the components, the external roller blind in operation is estimated to take approximately six months to save enough to compensate the embodied greenhouse gas emissions mainly due to the manufacturing process. The results have demonstrated there is significant potential of using external roller blinds to reduce the operational and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of buildings in the United Kingdom.


The Maltese economy recovered strongly after the financial crisis of 2009 and its labour market kept the pace with the rapid evolution of the economy since EU membership. This labour market resilience has to be seen in the context of important labour market reforms undertaken in recent years that have played an important role in raising the Maltese economy's potential growth rate. This paper presents a novel modelling approach to characterize the supply side of the Maltese economy. The model consists of a matrix transformation method using data on demography, education, labour market statistics from survey and administrative sources and gross value added from the National Accounts. This framework is used to quantitatively assess the economic impact of specific labour market policies, such as those pertaining to education and re-training, active labour market policies and inflows or outflows of workers from the labour market.


Where vertical load must be transmitted into a reinforced concrete wall or similar structural element, it is often necessary to accomplish this through the use of a corbel, continuous nib, or corbel ring. In certain situations a conceptual decision can be made by the designer in choosing between using cast-in-situ corbels or precast bolt-on units. A large number of specimens of both types have been tested and their relative performance assessed on a comparative basis. In addition, guidance is given as to the manner in which satisfactory performance at the ultimate limit state can be assured for each type of corbel, with reference to current codes of practice.


As a legal mechanism for doing justice between individuals under conditions of scarce resources, private law derives its legitimacy from both national governmental institutions that pursue a particular scheme of social justice and to a lesser and often overlooked extent from cosmopolitan principles of civil law. The cosmopolitan view of private law suggests that it is in an important sense found, not made, discovered by the exercise of reason, moral argument, and logical thought. It is not tied to any particular political structure, whether state, village or empire. European Union private law relies for its legitimacy almost entirely on its pursuit of a thin theory of justice concerning the enhancement of individual choice, which inevitably brings it into conflict with national private law systems that pursue broader schemes of social justice. Transnational commercial law (or the new lex mercatoria) also relies upon the narrow justification of the enhancement of cross-border trade, but its creation by private actors increases its efficacy and efficiency. Both European Union private law and transnational commercial law lack, however, adequate links to cosmopolitan principles of law and broad conceptions of social justice, with the effect that their legitimacy is weaker than that of national private law systems. The principal conclusion of this analysis is the contention is that the cosmopolitan strand of legitimacy, if it is to provide adequate support for transnational law, must realign itself with concerns about social justice.


The densities in the outer regions of clusters of galaxies are very low, and the collisional timescales are very long. As a result, heavy elements will be under-ionized after they have passed through the accretion shock. We have studied systematically the effects of non-equilibrium ionization for relaxed clusters in the ΛCDM cosmology using one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. We found that non-equilibrium ionization effects do not depend on cluster mass, but depend strongly on redshift which can be understood by self-similar scaling arguments. The effects are stronger for clusters at lower redshifts. We present X-ray signatures such as surface brightness profiles and emission lines in detail for a massive cluster at low redshift. In general, soft emission (0.3–1.0 keV) is enhanced significantly by under-ionization, and the enhancement can be nearly an order of magnitude near the shock radius. The most prominent non-equilibrium ionization signature we found is the O vii and O viii line ratio. The ratios for non-equilibrium ionization and collisional ionization equilibrium models are different by more than an order of magnitude at radii beyond half of the shock radius. These non-equilibrium ionization signatures are equally strong for models with different non-adiabatic shock electron heating efficiencies. We have also calculated the detectability of the O vii and O viii lines with the future International X-ray Observatory (IXO). Depending on the line ratio measured, we conclude that an exposure of ∼130–380 ks on a moderate-redshift, massive regular cluster with the X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer (XMS) on the IXO will be sufficient to provide a strong test for the non-equilibrium ionization model.


Two issues that have become increasingly important while estimating the parameters of aggregate demand functions to study firm behavior are theendogeneity of marketing activities (typically, price) andheterogeneity across consumers in the market under consideration. Ignoring these issues in the estimation of the demand function parameters can lead to biased and inconsistent estimates for the effects of marketing activities. Endogeneity and heterogeneity have achieved prominence in large measure because of the increasing popularity of logit models to characterize demand functions usingaggregate data. The logit model accounts for purchase incidence and brand choice by including a ''no-purchase'' alternative in the consumer's choice set. This allows for category sales to change as a function of the marketing activities of brands in the category.There are three issues with using the logit model with the no-purchase option to characterize demand when studying competitive interactions among firms. (1) The marketing literature dealing with brand choice behavior at the consumer level has found that the IIA restriction is not appropriate, as each brand in the choice set is more similar to some brands than it is to others. (2) Studies have found that the purchase incidence decision is distinct from the brand choice decision. Hence, it may not be appropriate to model the no-purchase decision as just another alternative in the choice set with the IIA restriction holding across all brands and the no-purchase option. (3) Even if the distinction between the purchase incidence and brand choice decisions is accounted for via, for example, a nested logit specification, accounting for the purchase incidence decision with aggregate data requires assumptions for computing the share of the no-purchase alternative which is otherwise unobserved.In this paper, we propose a probit model as an alternative to the logit model to specify the aggregate demand functions of firms competing in oligopoly markets. The probit model avoids the IIA property that affects the logit model at the individual consumer level. Furthermore, the probit model can naturally account for the distinction between the purchase incidence and brand choice decisions due to the general covariance structure assumed for the utilities of the alternatives. We demonstrate how the parameters of the proposed model can be estimated using aggregate time series data from a product market. In the estimation, we account for the endogeneity of marketing variables as well as for heterogeneity across consumers.Our results indicate that both endogeneity as well as heterogeneity need to be accounted for even after allowing for a non-IIA specification at the individual consumer level. Specific to our data, we also find that ignoring endogeneity has a bigger impact on the estimated price elasticities than ignoring the effects of heterogeneity. A comparison of the elasticities obtained from the probit model with those from the corresponding logit specification indicates that therange of elasticities obtained from the probit model across brands is larger than that obtained from the logit. The results have implications for issues such as firm-level pricing.In addition to specifying a probit model and providing comparisons with the logit model, the paper also addresses the third issue raised above. We propose a simple alternative to the purchase incidence/brand choice specification by decomposing the demand for a brand into a category demand equation and a conditional brand choice share equation. We provide a comparison of results from this specification to those from the specification that includes the no-purchase alternative and find that estimated elasticities are sensitive to the specification used. We also estimate the demand function parameters using a traditional specification such as the double-logarithmic model. Here, we find that the estimated elasticities could be signed in such a manner as to be not useful for firm-level pricing decisions.One of the key limitations of the proposed model is that while it accounts for the purchase incidence and brand choice decisions of households, it does not account for differences across consumers in their purchase quantities. The model and analysis are best suited for product categories in which consumers typically make single-unit purchases. Another limitation is more practical in nature. While recent advances have been made in computing probit probabilities, it could nevertheless be a challenge to do so when the number of alternatives is large.


This paper describes the work of the Pakistan NGO, Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute (OPP-RTI), in supporting improved provision for sanitation and other services in Orangi and other informal settlements in Karachi, and in other cities and smaller urban centres in Pakistan. It also describes an OPP-RTI programme to map and survey informal settlements in Karachi, and the youth training programme that supported this, and also the support for OPP-RTI partners in mapping in other urban centres. Improving infrastructure and services, and house upgrading in informal settlements, has been hampered by a lack of maps showing plot boundaries and existing infrastructure. Documenting and mapping these informal settlements has a number of important repercussions for urban policy, planning and infrastructure investment, as it demonstrates people's involvement and investment in development. As a result, planning agencies and local governments have realized the need to support this work, rather than ignoring or duplicating it, and this has had important implications on how infrastructure is planned, financed and managed. As the paper describes, this includes greatly reducing or removing the need for international loans to finance such investments.


This paper presents a method for comparing and evaluating cavitation detection features the first step towards estimating remaining useful life (RUL) of hydroturbine runners that are impacted by erosive cavitation. The method can be used to quickly compare features created from cavitation survey data collected on any type of hydroturbine, sensor type, sensor location, and cavitation sensitivity parameter (CSP). Although manual evaluation and knowledge of hydroturbine cavitation is still required for our feature selection method, the use of principal component analysis greatly reduces the number of plots that require evaluation. We present a case study based on a cavitation survey data collected on a Francis hydroturbine located at a hydroelectric plant and demonstrate the selection of the most advantageous sensor type, sensor location, and CSP to use on this hydroturbine for long-term monitoring of erosive cavitation. Our method provides hydroturbine operators and researchers with a clear and effective means to determine preferred sensors, sensor placements, and CSPs while also laying the groundwork for determining RUL in the future.


This thesis discusses the development of a new model for investigating the relationship between transport and the location of activities. The research consists of three stages. In the first phase, the structural features of the relationship, which are the characteristics of locations, the decision-making processes of households, and the interaction between transport and land-use, are identified. Existing approaches are reviewed using these three components. The review shows that no existing framework satisfactorily represents the requirements in modelling the relationship. Secondly, a bid-rent network equilibrium model is developed. The modelling is considered in terms of competition for locations. Difficulties in analysing the unique characteristics of locations, namely heterogeneity and indivisibility, are discussed. A hedonic interpretation is incorporated to overcome the difficulties. The model represents the decision-making processes of households using the framework of an n-player non-cooperative game. The Nash equilibrium for this game is defined. The game is accompanied by the systematic interactions between transport and land-use. A mutual adjustment process addresses these interactions. A bi-level mathematical programme is suggested to embody the three components. The resulting formulation is interpreted as an oligopolistic Cournot game, which is an approximation of the n-player non- cooperative game. The functional relationship between the decision variables of the upper and lower levels in the bi-level model produces endogenously-determined transport impedance and locational attractiveness. The model incorporates a multiclass framework to consider interclass interactions, which establishes a multiclass bid-rent network equilibrium model. A heuristic algorithm is provided for the solution-finding technique of the bid-rent network equilibrium model. The algorithm combines a path-based routine for calculating the equilibrium solution to the lower level with the Newton-Raphson procedure for estimating the parameters of the hedonic-based stochastic bid-rent function in the upper level. The operation of the algorithm is examined using simple numerical examples. The final stage is an application of the bid-rent network equilibrium model to a real network. A medium sized city is chosen for the case study. The objective of the third stage is to demonstrate the ability of the model to investigate the relationship between transport and the location of activities. A base run and two policy runs are simulated. The base run means a simulation conducted using surveyed data. The policy runs represents the introduction of a congestion charge and the release of land for housing development. Class specific spatial behaviour is obtained. The behaviour is demonstrated using network performance indices representing transport impedance and locational attractiveness. Some policy implications of the simulation are presented.


In a world increasingly characterised by perpetual re-invention through the dynamic flows of capital, persons and ideas, understanding change and transformation is an imperative. The purpose of this book is a first step in a project to engage the dynamics of transformation at the interface of culture and politics, through contextualisation, reflection and a sharing of intellectual resources. Bringing together the work of academics from a range of disciplines, who share an overarching aim to map such transformations, the volume covers themes ranging from popular culture, the Internet, to film and cinema. Casting a contemporary gaze on cultural phenomena, the contributors all seek to trace trajectories of change and continuity from within their own specific field, using a range of approaches from theoretical reflection to empirical case studies. Of general interest to students of the humanities and social sciences, and of particular interest for students of cultural studies and communication at all levels, this volume constitutes a unique opportunity to reflect on recent transformations but also on the persistence of certain cultural and political practices.


Natural gas supply chain planning and optimization is important to ensure security and reliability of natural gas supply. However, it is challenging due to the distinctive features of natural gas supply chains. These features arise from the low volumetric energy density of natural gas and the significance of gas quality and pressure in supply chain operations. Contracts play a central role in the entire supply chain due to high capital cost, specificity and investment risks associated with gas infrastructure. An upstream production planning framework is crucial for supply-side optimization and scenario evaluation in the natural gas supply chain. The technical features of upstream systems imply that the most efficient mode of operation is by single entity central control of the system, while their economics favor involvement of multiple parties in ownership. To resolve this conflict, upstream systems are generally operated by a single operator on the basis of governing rules that stem from agreements between the upstream operator, multiple stakeholders and consumer facilities. These agreements govern production sharing, operational strategy and gas sales in the upstream system. A short-term operational planning framework (with a 2-12 weeks planning horizon) for upstream natural gas systems is presented that can help to maximize production infrastructure utilization and aid in its management, minimize costs and meet production targets while simultaneously satisfying governing rules. Its requirements are inspired by the Sarawak Gas Production System (SGPS), an offshore gas production system in the South China Sea, which supplies the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant complex at Bintulu in East Malaysia. This is the first attempt to formulate a comprehensive modeling framework for an upstream gas production system that includes a production infrastructure model and a methodology to incorporate governing rules. The model has two components: the infrastructure model is a model of the physical system, i.e., of wells, trunkline network and facilities while the contractual model is a mathematical representation of the governing rules, e.g., production-sharing contracts (PSC), customer specifications and operational rules. The model formulation and objectives are from the perspective of the upstream operator. 3 The infrastructure model incorporates the capability to track multiple qualities of gas throughout the network and determine the optimal routing and blending of gas such that the quality specifications are satisfied at the demand nodes. Nonlinear pressure-flowrate relationships in wells and the network are included for predicting a sufficiently accurate pressure-flowrate profile thereby facilitating implementation of the production strategy on the network. Modeling of complex platform configurations with reversible lines, lines that can be shut-off in normal operation and compression facilities, further improve the realistic representation of the network. A simplified prediction of natural gas liquids (NGL) production is included to maximize NGL revenue. The contractual model represents the framework for modeling the governing rules that are central to the operation of upstream systems. Modeling of productionsharing contracts is a two-fold challenge: accounting for gas volumes and converting the logical rules as stated in the system operations manual to binary constraints. A PSC network representation is proposed to account for gas volumes as well as interactions between different PSC. PSC rules are expressed as logical expressions in terms of availability, priority and transfer Boolean-states, and converted to binary constraints. Additional logical constraints are required to model the inference and intent of the rules. Operational rules can be modeled within the same framework. The resulting mathematical program is a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) with nonconvex functions and can be solved with the current state-of-the-art global optimization approaches, provided careful attention is paid to the model formulation. A hierarchical multi-objective approach is proposed to address multiple objectives when operating upstream systems, by optimizing a lower priority objective over the multiple optimal solutions of a program with a higher priority objective to obtain a win-win scenario. A reproducible case study that captures all the features of natural gas upstream systems is constructed to facilitate future work in algorithm development for such problems. A preliminary comparison with the existing approach indicates that substantial benefits may be possible by using the proposed approach for short-term planning. The application of a reduced-space global optimization approach to planning in upstream gas networks has also been demonstrated, which can significantly lower the number of variables in the branch-and-bound algorithm. The lower bounding problem is implemented using McCormick (convex) relaxations of computer evaluated functions and solved by implementing a nonsmooth bundle solver as a linearization tool to obtain a linear programming relaxation. The upper bounding problem is implemented using automatic differentiation and a local NLP solver. Branch-and-bound with reduction heuristics and linearization propagation is used for global optimization. This approach has been found to be competitive with current state-of-the-art global optimization algorithms for upstream planning problems. Thesis Supervisor: Paul I. Barton Title: Lammot du Pont Professor of Chemical Engineering


Purpose

Curtailing the adverse environmental impacts of the construction sector is one the major challenges of the twenty-first century. However, despite the significance of this problem, the limited efforts so far to tackle the negative impacts associated with this particular sector have been largely fragmented and disjointed. Given that the net green outcome of a construction project is the sum total of the efforts undertaken at the various supply chain stages (from the initial design to the end-of-life demolition) by different stakeholders, the green supply chain management (GSCM) approach is seen as a way forward toward streamlining the fragmented efforts at greening the sector. This forms the motivation of the present work, and this paper aims to develop, validate and apply a multi-dimensional GSCM framework for the construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive GSCM assessment framework consisting of nine constructs (external and internal drivers; external and internal barriers; core and facilitating GSCM practices; economic, environmental and organizational performance implications) and their underlying factors was developed through an extensive literature review. Using data collected through a structured questionnaire, the framework was validated, and the relevance/appropriateness of each construct and its underlying factors, along with the hypothesized relationships between the constructs, were assessed separately for each supply chain stakeholder.

Findings

The findings confirm the validity and reliability of the constructs and their underlying factors as well as the assessment framework. In general, the implementation of green practices has had a positive impact on the environmental, economic and organizational performance for all stakeholders, while the extent of the green practices implemented depends on the relative strength of the drivers and barriers.

Research limitations/implications

This study fills a gap in the literature about applying/implementing GSCM in the construction sector.

Practical implications

The findings provide practitioners, policy makers and organizations associated with the UAE construction sector, as well as the construction sector in general, insight into all key aspects of GSCM.

Originality/value

A comprehensive survey-based assessment of GSCM for the construction sector has not been previously attempted and constitutes the novelty of this work.


Timely and effective deployment of demand response could greatly increase power system flexibility, electricity security and market efficiency. Considerable progress has been made in recent years to harness demand response. However, most of this potential remains to be developed. The paper draws from IEA experience to identify barriers to demand response, and possible enablers that can encourage more timely and effective demand response including cost reflective pricing, retail market reform, and improved load control and metering equipment. Governments have a key role to play in developing and implementing the policy, legal, regulatory and market frameworks needed to empower customer choice and accelerate the development and deployment of cost-effective demand response.


This guide will direct researchers to resources on the topic of the Carolina Lowcountry region and its historical connection to the Atlantic World.


Since 1997, the Video Quality Experts Group (VQEG) has been active in the field of subjective and objective video quality assessment. The group has validated competitive quality metrics throughout several projects. Each of these projects requires mandatory actions such as creating a testplan and obtaining databases consisting of degraded video sequences with corresponding subjective quality ratings. Recently, VQEG started a new open initiative, the Joint Effort Group (JEG), for encouraging joint collaboration on all mandatory actions needed to validate video quality metrics. Within the JEG, effort is made to advance the field of both subjective and objective video quality measurement by providing proper software tools and subjective databases to the community. One of the subprojects of the JEG is the joint development of a hybrid H.264/AVC objective quality metric. In this paper, we introduce the JEG and provide an overview of the different ongoing activities within this newly started group.


A classical epic of fratricide and war, the Thebaid retells the legendary conflict between the sons of Oedipus-Polynices and Eteocles-for control of the city of Thebes. The Latin poet Statius reworks a familiar story from Greek myth, dramatized long before by Aeschylus in his tragedy Seven against Thebes. Statius chose his subject well: the Rome of his day, ruled by the emperor Domitian, was not too distant from the civil wars that had threatened the survival of the empire. Published in 92 A.D., the Thebaid was an immediate success, and its fame grew in succeeding centuries. It reached its peak of popularity in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance, influencing Dante, Chaucer, and perhaps Shakespeare. In recent times, however, it has received perhaps less attention than it deserves, in large part because there has been no accessible, dynamic translation of the work into English. Charles Stanley Ross offers a compelling version of the Thebaid rendered into forceful, modern English. Casting Statius's Latin hexameter into a lively iambic pentameter more natural to the modern ear, Ross frees the work from the archaic formality that has marred previous translations. His translation reinvigorates the Thebaid as a whole: its meditative first half and its violent second half; its intimate portrayal of defeat and retribution, and the need to seek justice at any cost. In a wide-ranging introduction, Ross provides an overview of the poem: its composition, reception and legacy; its major themes and literary influences; and its place in Statius' life. And in a helpful series of notes, he offers background information on the major characters and incidents.


This year South Africa celebrates ten years of democratic rule. Given the legacy the new democratic government was burdened with, there is an obvious focus on human rights, the rule of law, crime and security. The role of the police and other law enforcement agencies is integral to a discussion of these issues. Acknowledging that we are still only a nascent democracy, this article reviews the promises of the government and the concomitant successes and failures in the field of policing.
The paper firstly briefly sets out the initiatives implemented by government to address the issues of policing in South Africa. As a point of departure, the paper recognises the new Constitution - which sets a firm standard for the protection of all human rights and values - as the basis from which all new laws and policy emanate. It divides the interventions of government into two broad categories namely (i) legislative reform and (ii) the promotion of community acceptance and accountability of the police, and sets out the intended purpose and spirit of each.
Secondly, the paper looks at some of the factual realities of policing in South Africa, identifying the police as both victims and violators of the system under which they are required to serve. Specifically, the paper considers the abuse of force by police officers, and police misconduct. It looks at the factors contributing to the failure of community-police partnerships and the consequences of the failure of community policing forums.
The focus then falls on the morale within the police service, and the reasons for the negative attitude of members, and the impact on the service as a whole. More specifically, the facts on the safety of the police and the factors contributing to police killings are also reviewed.
The review integrates formal and non-formal research. It includes factual research findings, and information from official reports, anecdotal evidence from police officers and reports in the popular press, as well as statements and comments of authority figures in the SAPS and government, responsible for the policing and law enforcement agencies.
The article then seeks to bring all the information together to answer the following question: Is the spirit of the new Constitution and the initiatives of the democratic government reflected in the practical realities of policing in South Africa? The short answer is 'no'. South Africa is certainly on her way but one cannot maintain with conviction that policing in South Africa wholly reflects the spirit of the Constitution.


To increase the interest of a child in motor training we have tried to use a humanoid social robot that acts like a coach to encourage the patient. The humanoid robot "KineTron" was assembled from commercially available Bioloid Premium robotic kit. Nine movement scenarios of robot behaviour combined with voice and music were developed. During the training session, a therapist activates one of the scenarios by pressing a button on the remote. Evaluation of the Rehabilitation Robot was carried out on a group of six children with Cerebral Palsy, aged between 4-9 years. Rehabilitation Robot was used during 5-7 training sessions. All children and parents liked the sessions with the Rehabilitation Robot. This pilot study suggests that there are potential benefits in using humanoid robots in motor training of patients with cerebral palsy. It appears to be motivating for the child and encourages active participation in rehabilitation activities.


Abstract. Marine phytoplankton have developed the remarkable ability to tightly regulate the concentration of free calcium ions in the intracellular cytosol at a level of ~ 0.1 μmol L−1 in the presence of seawater Ca2+ concentrations of 10 mmol L−1. The low cytosolic calcium ion concentration is of utmost importance for proper cell signalling function. While the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the tight control of intracellular Ca2+ concentration are not completely understood, phytoplankton taxonomic groups appear to have evolved different strategies, which may affect their ability to cope with changes in seawater Ca2+ concentrations in their environment on geological timescales. For example, the Cretaceous (145 to 66 Ma), an era known for the high abundance of coccolithophores and the production of enormous calcium carbonate deposits, exhibited seawater calcium concentrations up to 4 times present-day levels. We show that calcifying coccolithophore species (Emiliania huxleyi, Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Coccolithus braarudii) are able to maintain their relative fitness (in terms of growth rate and photosynthesis) at simulated Cretaceous seawater calcium concentrations, whereas these rates are severely reduced under these conditions in some non-calcareous phytoplankton species (Chaetoceros sp., Ceratoneis closterium and Heterosigma akashiwo). Most notably, this also applies to a non-calcifying strain of E. huxleyi which displays a calcium sensitivity similar to the non-calcareous species. We hypothesize that the process of calcification in coccolithophores provides an efficient mechanism to alleviate cellular calcium poisoning and thereby offered a potential key evolutionary advantage, responsible for the proliferation of coccolithophores during times of high seawater calcium concentrations. The exact function of calcification and the reason behind the highly ornate physical structures of coccoliths remain elusive.


A novel process is presented for the detection of known mutations and polymorphisms in DNA. This process, termed glycosylase mediated polymorphism detection (GMPD) involves amplification of the target DNA using three normal dNTPs and a fourth modified dNTP, whose base is a substrate for a specific DNA-glycosylase once incorporated into the DNA. The work described here utilises uracil DNA-glycosylase as the specific glycosylase and dUTP as the modified dNTP. Primers are designed so that during extension, the position of the first uracil incorporated into the extended primers differs depending on whether a mutation is present or absent. Subsequent glycosylase excision of the uracil residues followed by cleavage of the apyrimidinic sites allows detection of the mutation in the amplified fragment as a fragment length polymorphism. Variation in the sizes of the fragment length polymorphisms generated, can be readily achieved through the use of inosine bases in place of adenine bases in the upper and/or lower primers. The GMPD process is also adaptable to solid phase analysis. The use of the process for detection of mutations in the RYR1 and CFTR genes is demonstrated. Overall, the simplicity, specificity, versatility and flexibility of the GMPD process make it an attractive candidate for both small and large scale application in mutation detection and genome analysis.


Photodiodes, the simplest but most versatile optoelectronic devices, are currently used in a variety of applications, including vision systems, optical interconnects, optical storage systems, photometry, particle physics, medical imaging, etc. Advances in Photodiodes addresses the state-of-the-art, latest developments and new trends in the field, covering theoretical aspects, design and simulation issues, processing techniques, experimental results, and applications. Written by internationally renowned experts, with contributions from universities, research institutes and industries, the book is a valuable reference tool for students, scientists, engineers, and researchers.


Political affiliations aside, the results of the recent municipal by-elections are an encouraging sign that South Africa's democracy is maturing. The official opposition, which remains in power in the metropole of Cape Town and is now in direct control of 18 councils in three provinces, managed to garner almost 24% of the vote in a remarkably high turnout for a local government election. This affords the electorate the opportunity to compare the track records of different parties at local government level before the next election.


From the Publisher:
Programming Data-Driven Web Applications with ASP.NET provides readers with a solid understanding of ASP.NET and how to effectively integrate databases with their Web sites. The key to making information instantly available on the Web is integrating the Web site and the database to work as one piece. The authors teach this using ASP.NET, server-side controls, ADO+, XML, and SOAP. The authors will teach readers how to manage data by using ASP.NET forms, exposing data through ASP+ Web Services, working with BLOBs, and using cookies and other features to secure their data.


A view of the strategic use of folklore in everyday life, and in particular, verbal folklore as it is constituted by its social occasion, implies that it is not merely the presence of a stylized and traditional item of expression that determines the folkloric character of the occasion. If we can speak of an entire situation or event as folkloric it is because folklore is first embedded in, and second determined by the normal flow of verbal exchange. The suggestion is a distinct continuity between a folkloric performance occasioned by conversation and the conversation itself. This, thesis focuses on the nature of this continuity and specifically on the entire conversational event through which narrative is achieved and fashioned. -- The analytical perspective involved and the diversity of issues addressed by this study necessitate a multi-disciplinary approach. While the primary theoretical and methodological framework is folkloristic, other related theories and methods are drawn from communication, cultural anthropology, the ethnography of speaking , the sociology, of conversational interaction, sociology, poetics, and literary and linguistic, stylistics. In this way, various topics and themes are treated: the definition of "conversational narrative", the analysis of conversation in the "activity of stylization", the interface between folkloric speech and natural discourse, the stylistic and structural connections between narrative and conversation, and the organization of narrative communication. -- In their concern with explicating the formal, performative dimension of folkloric expressions, folklorists have emphasized the differences between folklore and other casual or less formal kinds of communication. Performance-oriented studies of narrative have dealt with a process of foregrounding whereby a stylized model of communication, the communicative act itself, and the expressive skills of the narrator are all highlighted. This thesis examines the nature of the background, the conversational basis which structures and situates folkloric expression, and the relationship between the formal and informal behaviours that make up conversational exchange. Conversational narratives are situationally and thematically determined by the manner and subject of discussion and accordingly, particular attention is paid to speech in the informal, casual interactions of everyday life. The speech event (conversation) and the speech act, (narrative) then, are viewed not only as interdependent but interdeterminate. -- The sociology of conversational interaction has demonstrated that natural conversation depends on the complicated negotiation of acquired rules based in both immediate circumstances (the context of the speech event) and the larger culture. These rules are structuring or patterning principles which are analyzed as factors that serve to make speech exchange systematic. Similarly, folklore in the form of the conversational narrative is viewed as a patterning principle in conversational interaction and conversation itself is under stood as exerting a modifying influence on style, content and form of personal narrative and personal performance. -- Narrative operates to compose and define our perceptions of reality, and transforms these perceptions into codes for existence, into expressive forms of personal knowledge. This thesis establishes and analyzes the significance and method of this narrative function, and through three case studies and interpretations of contributing theory, develops a concept of, and manner of approach to the folkloric dimension of everyday conversational exchange.


Abstract Suppression of one-seed juniper (Juniper monosperma [Englem.] Sarg.) reinvasion with goats requires achieving levels of defoliation of newly established saplings that eventually kill or suppress plant growth. We tested the effects of stocking density and mixed grazing with sheep on the level of use of one-seed juniper saplings by goats. In summer and spring, groups of 10 does (goats alone, GA) or 5 does and 4 ewes (mixed grazing, MG), grazed 20 × 30 m cells infested with saplings (500–533 · ha−1; mean: 0.8 m tall), either continuously for 6 d (low stocking density, LD) or with daily rotation through 10 × 10 m cells during the 6-d period (high stocking density, HD) in a block design. Feeding activity; juniper in feces; utilization of herbaceous vegetation; frequency of saplings with light, moderate, and heavy foliage and bark use; and branch utilization were determined. Goats in HD spent more time feeding on saplings, less time feeding on herbaceous forages, and tended to consume more juniper than goats in LD. Utilization of herbaceous vegetation ranged from 52% to 73% and was higher for MG than GA and for LD than HD. The MG–HD treatment resulted in the highest frequency of short saplings (< 0.5 m) with heavy defoliation in summer and spring, and lowest frequency of saplings with light debarking in spring. Heavy defoliation was more frequent in short saplings, whereas heavy debarking was more frequent in tall (> 1 m) saplings. Sapling mortality was not affected by treatments (P > 0.05) and averaged 5% across treatments. Branch debarking was greater in spring (P  =  0.02) and explained approximately 80% of branch mortality and 62% and 52% of the reduction in sapling live crown height and volume. Branch utilization (percent length) was not affected by grazing treatments (range: 45–48%), but was influenced by the length and diameter of branches. This study suggests that high stocking density and mixed grazing stimulate feeding behaviors that increase utilization of juniper saplings by goats. Susceptibility of saplings to defoliation and debarking varies with sapling size, branch structure, and season. Targeted grazing in spring appears to have a greater impact on sapling suppression and branch mortality due to higher debarking frequency.


We often come across theories and aspects related to 'knowledge', but seldom do we try to understand its hidden implications. Knowledge as understood generally is about the information of facts and understanding of a subject. This article essentially argues against this understanding. It explores the multiple dimensions of 'knowledge' through a literature review and illustrations of practical examples. It makes a case for how important the process of knowledge creation is, especially given current societal challenges. It also outlines the importance of co-creation of knowledge, through acknowledgement and valuation of alternate paradigms of knowledge. Further, it discusses the concept of 'knowledge democracy', and how institutions of higher education, by abiding by its principles, can help achieve 'excellence in engagement'. The article concludes with the findings of two studies undertaken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, which were based on the principles of 'knowledge democracy' and 'excellence in engagement'.


This paper tests the theses of Durkheim's classical work (Suicide) and those of other early sociological theories by analysing the district-level data of the Hungarian Kingdom at the beginning of the 20th century. In Hungary there have not been many examples of the quantitative analysis of spatial and historical suicide data so far. Former works, based on qualitative sources and parish registers or using the literature of the period as a historical source, were not able to utilize more subtle statistical analyses.
The spatial analysis made it clear that – in contrast to the wide-spread opinion – not only the Great Plain can be regarded as a typical zone of high suicide rate but the high frequency of suicide also characterised some Transylvanian regions.
The results of the spatial models generally verified Durkheim's views. Both basic types of suicide in the Durkheimian theory, namely the egoist and the anomie-type one, appear to be inevitable in explaining the spatial differences of suicide in the Hungarian Kingdom. All the indicators referring to social change (e.g. the share of industrial workers, divorce rate) increased the probability of suicide, whereas the variables relating to traditional community ties or the force of integration diminished it.
At the same time, in contrast to Durkheim's view, the role of spatial and ethnic factors seem to have been much more important on the basis of this analysis. The concept of the imitative character of suicide or the role of adaptation to (acceptance of) this kind of behaviour in its spatial extension proved to be important in better understanding the mechanisms of suicide.
The importance of ethnic variables could prove that cultural and normative factors also played an important role as regards suicide. Durkheim definitely refused that suicide could be affected by ethnic factors, while according to this paper, ethnic communities based on a common mother tongue can presumably be characterised by common culture and norms. Although this view is not so far from Durkheim's ideas, it is obviously not a key element in his theory.


Aerobic granules are quasi-spherical biofilms mainly composed of self-immobilized mixed microbial communities. The application of aerobic granules to treat domestic and low-strength industrial wastewaters is gaining attention because granules can accommodate high biomass concentrations and this translates into small foot-print treatment reactors. For robust application of this novel treatment technology, aerobic granules should be physically stable, and to account for the removal of the desired contaminants, should contain an appropriate microbial assembly. One main challenge is to engineer and control the granules microbial assembly. This requires a good understanding of the microbial composition and dynamics in relation to process parameters and process performance; and the incorporation of this knowledge as feedback tool for optimized reactors operation. For the removal of phosphorus, phosphate accumulating organisms (PAO) are crucial players. Hence their abundance is desirable and the recognition of key operational parameters that guarantee their population stability is important. In this study we developed aerobic granules using two different carbon sources and through this process we determined their microbial composition and dynamics and its association to reactor functionality. To assess temporal changes in bacterial and in PAO community structures, 16S rRNA gene- and polyphosphate kinase (ppk1) gene-based community fingerprint patterns were assessed via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), respectively. Analysis of the community dynamics showed that during granules development, the microbial richness dropped considerably suggesting that granulation is a very selective process. Propionate favored the establishment of PAO populations as compared to acetate. Based on ppk1 gene community fingerprint analysis, the carbon source selected for different PAO strains in the two systems and resulted in an excellent phosphorus removal capacity in the propionate fed reactor while phosphorus removal upsets were observed in the acetate fed reactor despite the presence of PAO.


The value of serum creatine kinase B subunit activity (CK B) in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction was studied in 238 consecutive cases. All were admitted to a coronary care unit because of suspected acute myocardial infarction. Serum CK B activity was determined by an immunoinhibition procedure, using a CK M subunit inhibiting antibody (anti-M). For the evaluation of serum CK B, patients were classified into acute myocardial infarction and non-acute myocardial infarction groups. This classification was based on electrocardiographic findings, on quantitative determinations of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total serum creatine kinase (CK) activities, and on qualitative electrophoretic determinations of serum CK and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzymes. The prevalence of acute myocardial infarction in the patient material was 0.47. Serum CK B subunit activity was found to be a highly selective indicator of acute myocardial infarction with a predictive value of a positive test result of 0.97 and a predictive value of a negative test result of 0.99. The serum CK B activity increased above the acute myocardial infarction discrimination limit within 12 hours from onset of symptoms. Two non-acute myocardial infarction patients, who were resuscitated after cardiac arrest, had increased serum CK B values caused by the transient presence of CK isoenzyme BB in serum.


This paper puts forward a conceptual framework to analyse emergence and the development of planned knowledge locations in cities (science and technology parks, creative factories, knowledge hubs, etc.). It argues that the study and the practice of developing these precincts can benefit from explicitly considering the broader territorial context, the time dynamics and the co-evolutionary processes through which they unfold. The advantages of such as framework are illustrated with the support of two European knowledge locations: Arabianranta (Helsinki, Finland) and Biocant (Cantanhede, Portugal).


Objective Geographic atrophy (GA), a type of dry age-related macular degeneration, affects vision as central vision loss (CVL). The challenges faced due to bilateral CVL in activities of daily living and strategies taken to overcome those challenges are not very well understood in the Indian population. This qualitative study aims to understand the impact on everyday life activities and related adaptive and coping strategies in people with long-standing bilateral CVL due to GA in India. Design, participants, setting and methods A qualitative study using a semistructured face-to-face interview was conducted on 10 people with bilateral CVL after obtaining written informed consent. The interviews were audio-recorded, and were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was carried out to understand the challenges faced and adaptive methods due to the impact of CVL. Results Ten participants (50% male) with a median age (IQR) of 72 (70, 74) years were interviewed. All the participants had best-corrected visual acuity of ≤6/60 in the better eye and reported an absolute central scotoma with the home Amsler chart. Qualitative thematic analysis identified four main themes: challenges in everyday living (difficulty in face identification, reading), challenges with lifestyle and socialisation (driving, cooking, reading for a longer duration, watching TV, socially inactive), psychological implications (depression, poor self-esteem, fear due to poor vision) and strategies to overcome the challenges (voice identification, technology support). Conclusion GA has a severe negative impact on the quality of life in people with CVL. Inability to recognise faces was the main reason for dependency on others and being socially disconnected. The findings will help clinicians in providing improved rehabilitative care.